Artist Profile: The Shivers

After hearing their song "SoHo Party" at a Halloween Party this weekend, I've been listening to The Shivers non-stop. This band's catalog of songs is incredibly diverse with songs ranging from alt-country fair that brings Deer Tick to mind, yearning Grizzly Bear-esque ballads and the more straight forward indie-rock to name a few.

"SoHo Party" typifies this diversity as the song goes from a voicemail message from the lead singer's mom, extreme silliness with lyrics like "and who told you to put your finger in my asshole, asshole!" to a brilliant interpolation of Cat Stevens' the wind. Keith Zarriello's songwriting is quirky and leaves the listener wondering what's next. The band released their new album More on May 10th of this year and you can listen to a song and buy it over at Silence Breaks. I would also highly recommend their 2004 album Charades which features the previously mentioned "SoHo Party"; listen below!

Movie Review: Drive

WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS BELOW

In Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn (Pusher trilogy), directs Ryan Gosling, The Driver, in a gritty, brutally violent crime drama set in L.A. The Driver works as a mechanic and a Hollywood stuntman, moonlighting as a getaway driver for local crooks. He becomes enamored with a woman, Irene (Carey Mulligan), who lives down the hall in his apartment complex, and befriends her and her child. When Irene's husband is released from jail, The Driver takes on a getaway job for him to help him erase a debt. The job goes awry, and the rest of the film depicts the gruesome lengths The Driver takes to ensure Irene and her child stay safe.

An Open Letter to Jesse Lacey

After Michael posted Amy Klein's open letter to Conor Oberst, I was inspired to write my own letter of appreciation to the artists that made music actually mean something to me. Jesse Lacey, the lead singer, guitarist and chief songwriter of Brand New, is to me what Conor Oberst is to Amy Klein and these are my words of thanks to him.