by DAVID KERN

Dangling somewhere on the fringe of the popular modern music scene, edging ever closer to the glitz and glamor of popular success, and yet seemingly opposed to all that said scene and success stands for, a new wave of so-called indie artists is setting forth a new pop aesthetic. Born of a sort of beatnik ilk, these artists are more concerned with cultural ethics and aesthetic accountability than the stick-it-to-the-man rebellion so pervasive in much of modern independent music’s most driven acts, let alone any sort of popular success. Distinctly anti-materialistic in their content, these artists borrow from the reactionary standards of traditional folk and Americana; abundantly focused on social, economic and natural justice, these artists are less angry than optimistic, less interested in freedom than community, and less interested in tearing down any sort of establishment as much as restoring an age-old but often forgotten one. Yes, these new musicians pay homage to artists and genres of the past, not forgetting their place in musical history nor even the substantial place of the artist in the larger culture.

Marked by ambiguous - if not altogether esoteric - lyrics and lush baroque harmonies that call to mind Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys, boys choirs, and American church music, artists like The Decemberists, Animal Collective, The Arcade Fire, Midlake, Fleet Foxes, and to an extent Sufjan Stevens, have become the torchbearers of this so-called “freak-folk” revivalist movement. And now Grizzly Bear looks poised to shine brightly as the dawn of the century’s second decade draws near. Read the rest of this entry »

by DAVID KERN

Well, here we are.

First we were introduced to those three sub-par, so-called Star Wars “films”, then the re-birth of a new, younger Bond, followed by bold reconsiderations of Batman, Superman and a host of other superheroes (not that any of those films stoop to the low, low level of the Star Wars prequels) all of whom successfully breached the tech-savvy, heavily ironic, slightly jaded world that is early 21st century cinema. Now, arriving in warp speed, arrives a re-boot of the famous Star Trek franchise called, well, Star Trek - a thoroughly post-modern, visually bold and essentially re-defining take on a cast of characters long beloved by pointy eared followers the world across, or should I say, the universe across. Read the rest of this entry »

by SK PITMAN

Song to Woody - Bob Dylan (1962)

Only 2 originals graced Bob’s first album. Enjoy “Song to Woody”, one of these historic originals, as Bob exhibits some youthful hero-worship.
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by BRETT MCCRACKEN

The phrase “goodbye Solo” is never uttered out loud in Goodbye Solo, but in the film’s key scene it is the central sentiment. And it is conveyed in an old man’s eyes. It’s not really there, but it’s implied. And the same could be said for Goodbye Solo at large: it’s a film of remarkable restraint and subtle suggestion, where so many “points” aren’t hammered home as much as they are delicately positioned for us to coax them into place. It’s a rare film in the way that it knocks you down without ever having to so much as blow in your direction. Read the rest of this entry »

by DAVID KERN

Hailed by many critics as one of 2009’s best early releases, Southeast Engine’s From the Forest To the Sea is a profound, creative and challenging conglomeration of roots, folk poetry and Americana rock sounds. Recorded during the summer of ‘08 in an 1800’s era, now abandoned, middle school in the hills of coal country Ohio, the album could be read as, essentially, a concept album, the telling and exploration of one man’s life - his fears, dreams, temptations, desires, triumphs, failures and questions. However, where many a concept album has a relatively distant, disparate feel, From the Forest to the Sea manages to delve into experiences that all people have and thus is the most personal kind of album. It’s not the story of an extraordinary man in any mythical sort of sense, but rather one that goes about it’s business with the idea in mind that we are all extraordinary people who live extraordinary lives and do extraordinary things, even - or perhaps especially - when they seem least worthwhile. The album explores the crests and troughs of living without condescending, while avoiding the often useless platitudes and over used cliches that so riddle even the more creative indie music popular today. In fact, quite the opposite.
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It has taken far to long to get this session edited. It is our hope, dear Hill-sider, that you will accept this offering a suitable reparation. Today we present to you River and the Tributaries.