Author Archives: Jon Rooney

Album Review: Art Deco Cathedrals – Every Pain & Every Pleasure

Art Deco Cathedrals – Every Pain and Every Pleasure (2011, self-released) Portland’s Art Deco Cathedrals makes sparse, purely instrumental music with plucked strings, reverb, and the occasional drum machine. Rather than the quiet->less quiet->kinda loud->loud loud->quiet comedown arc of contemporary … Continue reading

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Discover the Magic of Multiples

Brooklyn-based the Magic of Multiples (heard on Ball of Wax Volumes 19, 23, and the forthcoming 24) is one Alex Drum, a lo fi classicist in possession of the indisputable formula for fuzzy, charming bedroom pop.  The goodness found all … Continue reading

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The Lovely Sparrows at SXSW 2011

Even by Ball of Wax’s dubious conflict of interest standards, my writing about Austin’s the Lovely Sparrows constitutes some sort of grave transgression of conscience.  Not only did I release their debut EP and LP on my little label, I … Continue reading

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Free Album of the Day: Brown Recluse – Panoptic Mirror Maze

Philadelphia’s Brown Recluse have a proper full-length, Evening Tapestry, coming out soon on the venerable Slumberland Records, which is currently home to indie pop darlings the Pains of Being Pure at Heart and the Dum Dum Girls but boasts a … Continue reading

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Discover the Shivers

Somewhere beneath the visible layers of the indie hype machine lives a band from the outer boroughs of New York City called the Shivers.  The Shivers are seemingly a band in the same way that the Mountain Goats, Destroyer and … Continue reading

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Album Review: The Savings and Loan – Today I Need Light

The Savings and Loan – Today I Need Light (2011; Song, By Toad) Scotland’s The Savings and Loan serve a heavy duty blend of dour drunkenness, religious dread, and spartan arrangements on their debut, Today I Need Light. Stark and … Continue reading

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Frog Eyes Live at the Vera Project

On Sunday, October 10th of this past year a friend and I went to see the mighty Frog Eyes play the Vera Project along with a smattering of 30 or so other, mostly underage, folks. My decidedly overage (and tastefully … Continue reading

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