2006 September | one times one
opinions were like kittens i was giving them away. -modest mouse
there's nothing as something as one. -e. e. cummings

      Super XX Man, better known as Scott Garred, currently spends his days at the maximum security wing of the Oregon State Hospital. Working as a musical therapist, of course. And it’s easy to see why he was chosen for this job, because if the voices in your head did tell you to do it, [...]

OTO Rating: 4/10       The “Floating World” is a Japanese concept, focusing on the red light district of 17th century Japan; Anathallo presumably knew this when they chose this record’s title, but Floating World’s dry, meandering soundscapes have nothing on geisha or samurai. Instead Anathallo come off as that one weird kid in art class [...]

OTO Rating: 4/10       Just when you think the hideously pleasant sound of Dave Matthews had been purged from our heads like a Soviet dissident, Rebecca Hart has to come along and spoil the whole thing, by being essentially the female Dave with just an inch more bluesy-soul. And that’s something the world wasn’t clamoring [...]

OTO Rating: 7/10       The Waylons may cite Paul Westerberg and Ray Davies as their influences; they may have as much NYC cred as Paul Banks’ black boxers, but the sound is pure Nashville. These boys deliver excellent twang while keeping their horse on the beaten path, but that’s not always a bad thing; particularly [...]

OTO Rating: 4/10       Our society is currently in the grip of post-post-irony, wherein we can only digest our cultural past when smirkingly recreated complete with a sardonic quip from Michael Ian Black – so let’s get right down to it. Remember the 90s? Remember Sixpence None the Richer? No? Remember “Kiss Me” Or “There [...]

OTO Rating: 6/10      Arising from the ashes of little-known indie group Reclinerland, Parks and Recreation have just released… a decent debut. The opening track talks about stargazing while sounding like shoegazing, but luckily the momentum picks up from there. Ironically, for a band that prides itself so much on its lyrics, the strength of [...]

In this feature Joel Armato reviews the re-release of Hello, Dear Wind and interviews Michael Nau of Page France.       The story of Hello, Dear Wind is just beginning to unfold. It is a rousing tale of two coasts, good friends, and a school of amorous water dwellers. What began in Maryland after the record’s [...]

OTO Rating: 4/10       On a rare occasion, ambition, talent, and the subconscious combine themselves with means, technology, and a little luck to form an experience that transcends its art form. The result of such a cosmic equation offers something to be held, thought about, and discussed in great and lengthy detail. This is not [...]

OTO Rating: 8/10       If you’ve heard of Smoosh, and perhaps you haven’t, you know the gimmick. So let’s get it out of the way: Smoosh are Chloe, and Asya, and yes, they’re 12 and 14. Bujt isn’t rock music about the young, about the giddy joys of adolescence? Weren’t acts like Elvis Presley, The [...]