Nearly a year and a half in the making, Iceland’s Silje Nes‘ gently enchanting new record Opticks, while once again home-recorded, dramatically upgrades the sound from her acclaimed 2008 debut, Ames Room. Intricately constructed, warm and brimming with melodic hooks, Opticks is a record full of wonder, unfurling a series of increasingly accessible and catchy … Read more
Photo Credit: Mark Philip Yeah, that is a picture of Annie Stela playing in my living room. I’m still at a loss for words at how I go about explaining what went down Saturday evening. Let me try. Although I’ve only been listening to Stela’s music for a little over a year, her songs have … Read more
Photo Credit: Philip Andelman A good friend of mine once told me to not have any expectations before a concert. A great concert, he said, isn’t weeks in the making for the fan. A great concert should just happen in the moment it’s presented, not in your head days before the show, dreaming about … Read more
Photo credit: Marya Zoya Here in Saint Louis we are currently experiencing what I like to call “Summer (Reprised).” With temperatures in the eighties during the day, the cozy autumn sweaters have been shelved for the time being. And even though this weather technically calls for a functioning air conditioner, it is almost the middle … Read more
Chicago band, California Wives, has already been compared to the likes of Joy Division and The Police. Say what? Yet, on the first single from the band’s new Affair EP, the band channels the dreamy pop landscapes of Phoenix, with juice-box fizziness. But, this isn’t copy cat stuff; California Wives also dips into shoegaze territory. And … Read more
Photo Credit: Keith Klenowski I have no idea what this song is about. I don’t care. I don’t want to know. Kinda like I don’t want to know what Bob Dylan really meant in “Gates of Eden.” Or why Liz Phair wrote “Black Market White Baby Dealer.” Sometimes, I just don’t want to know … Read more
Mike Sniper never meant to be one of Brooklyn’s most mysterious musicians. Things just ended up that way, as the singer/multi-instrumentalist released a steady stream of singles and EPs without ever truly attaching himself to the Blank Dogs moniker. Well, mystery time is over, and if all his new work sounds as good as “Northern … Read more
The Saint Louis alt-country band, The Dive Poets, is set to release its debut EP, The Good and the Light, in just a couple of weeks. Opening for SIC faves Futurebirds at Cicero’s over the summer, the fivesome threw down its scrappy, foot stompin’ flare and won the crowd’s heart. Now, it’s The Dive Poets … Read more
Photo Credit: Allison Kaye Guess what? I’ve got another awesome, sad tune for ya. Autumn makes me this way. The air gets crisp, the days grow shorter, and my mind often settles in on songs with deep meaning. I’m pretty sure I’ll always be this way. Sharon Van Etten’s music is new to my … Read more
Brooklyn synth-pop four-piece, Murder Mystery, is spearheaded by brother-sister combo Jeremy and Laura Coleman and punctuated by Adam Fels and Graham Roberts. You might remember their much-loved 2008 debut LP, Are You Ready For The Heartache Cause Here It Comes, and the snazzy single “Love Astronaut.” Now the foursome is back on the scene to … Read more
To see the entire album, visit our Speakers in Code Facebook page. All photos by Katie Guymon
When I think of Josh Ritter’s greatest songs, “Snow is Gone,” “Girl in the War,” and “Thin Blue Flame” immediately come to mind. I have no problem adding, “Lantern” off his latest album, So Runs the World Away, to that list. “Lantern” is one of those songs that doesn’t need a minute to warm up; … Read more
Brooklyn’s Twin Shadow, AKA George Lewis Jr., is a throwback genius, and it took him only one record to achieve this status. His debut LP, Forget, calls on, nay commands, the listener to remember (and desperately long for) the late seventies / early eighties heydays of the new wave and post-punk genres. Twin Shadow channels … Read more
The Soft Moon The Soft Moon – Tiny Spiders The Soft Moon’s self-titled debut full-length is out on November 16th on Captured Tracks. Indie Folker – Monsters in Rome Indie Folker’s album of the same name, Monsters in Rome, is available now. Lucy Schwartz’s new album, Life in Letters, is out now. Grab the track, … Read more
“Sad songs, they make me happy,” Margo Timmins said midway through Cowboy Junkies’ set on Wednesday night, one of her many references to sad songs throughout a performance that featured Junkies favorites like “Misguided Angel” and Lou Reed’s “Sweet Jane.” If you’ve been to a Junkies show, you know it can often go one of … Read more
Halloween is once again upon us. Yes, it’s that time of year where “grizzly ghouls from every tomb are closing in to seal your doom.” RIP, MJ. Sometimes, though, it’s not the music video zombies or the ax-wielding goalies that raise the hairs on our arms and tingle our spines. Very often, we are fully … Read more
GAYNGS absolutely lit it up last Thursday night in Chicago. Justin Vernon and Ryan Olson led the groove session as the band made its way through most of the outstanding tracks on the group’s debut LP, Relayted. Highlights included the show opening “Gaudy Side of Town,” the electrifying “Faded High,” and the one song encore, … Read more
Photo credit: Graeme Flegenheimer Back in July, Sonny and the Sunsets magically appeared on my radar, courtesy of fellow SIC blogger, Matt. He wrote about “Too Young to Burn” and its ability to transport him to the west coast, the land of mild summers and easy livin’. Well, now it’s October, and I am welcoming the season … Read more
Rock! We’ve got two tickets to see Margot and The Nuclear So and So’s PLUS a copy of the band’s new album, Buzzard, to give away to one lucky, Speakers in Code reader. The show is October 13th at The Firebird in Saint Louis with openers The Lonely Forest (grab the band’s past JOTD here) … Read more
Two years ago today, Jason wrote his first column for Strangers Almanac (Glide Magazine) on the one, the only Steve Earle. Since then, he and I have truly had a blast writing every month about our favorite singer-songwriters (along with our personal connections to the music) and sharing news, lyrics, and in general, a whole … Read more
This song hurts. I mean that in the best way, I really do. But, when KDHX played it on my way to work yesterday, I wanted to turn my car around, go home, and get back under the covers. The pain contained in the “Little Bird” lyrics is palpable. The weary voice, the absolute desolation, the … Read more
Here’s the first excerpt from The Dartmouth Sessions shot last Thursday outside Mic Christopher’s flat. Glen and Markéta sing “Low Rising” from last year’s Strict Joy. So real, so raw, so beautiful…
Photo credit: Marcelo Biglia Josh Ritter has announced that his new album, So Runs the World Away, will be released in Ireland on April 23rd and on May 4th in the U.S. and rest of the world. That’s great news, as Ritter has pretty much become one of my favorite songwriters in the past year … Read more
Last Friday, we gave you some behind-the-scenes footage of Miss Karen O and Mr. Spike Jonze discussing the music of Where the Wild Things Are (out on DVD tomorrow). Now we’re excited to announce a special WTWTA giveaway through Speakers in Code. If you wanna win a WTWTA prize package o’ goodies, all you need … Read more
First off, congrats to Neil Young on winning his first Grammy award yesterday. Not sure if it means anything, but it’s sort of funny that he won it for his Archives project, something that was supposed to come out every year since ’92. Or whatever year it was first rumored to be “in the can.” … Read more
Just last Friday, Jason and I celebrated our singer-songwriter column, Strangers Almanac, turning two years old. That same day, the 36th volume on David Gray was published live on Glide Magazine. I had a lot of fun walking down memory lane and recalling my fondest memories (both pleasant and painful) from my decade long adventure with his music. … Read more
Well, this has to be the best new video I’ve seen in a while. The info on YouTube says that it’s courtesy of a fan, and at the end of the video it is credited to a “Shuck Owens.” Well, Shuck, you’re one damn talented fan. The song is “Dent County,” off Jay Farrar’s 2003 … Read more
The praise has been loud and clear for singer-songwriter Michael McDermott. Author Stephen King, who knows a little about music, called him “probably the greatest undiscovered rock & roll talent of the last 20 years.” Wow, right? Well, his last album, Hey La Hey, made our “Best of 2009” list over at Glide Magazine, and, … Read more
Ben Sollee, Daniel Martin Moore, and Yim Yames (My Morning Jacket, Monsters of Folk) have teamed up for Dear Companion, an album-length love letter to their native state, Kentucky. With songs written and performed by Sollee and Moore, Yames has taken the role as producer. From the press release: A portion of the proceeds from … Read more
Photo credit: John Meloy As much as I love keeping up with the most buzzed about and hyped up bands out there right now, sometimes nothing makes me happier than a dude with an acoustic guitar that isn’t afraid to bare his soul in a song. When Kasey Anderson contacted me to see if I’d … Read more