Recommended if you like: ’90s indie pop; things that, in theory, sound awful but, in practice, are actually pretty awesome

Recommended Tracks: “One at a Time”, “Pew Pew”, “Broken Broca’s” Read the rest of this entry »

The Up Beat (film) – Brandon Smith, director

Recommended if you like: Ska music, well-made documentary films on interesting topics, big, brassy horn sections, upbeat music, dancing, family-friendly fun.

Ska music, like swing music, punk, and disco, is one of those subgenres of music that occasionally has moments of popularity, but is usually ridiculed as a fad. Ska music is a mix of calypso with American soul and rock from the ’50s, exemplified by big horn sections, danceable rhythms, and upbeat party- (and usually family-) friendly lyrics. For those of you who are either too old or too young to remember, ska’s last moment in the pop culture spotlight happened in the mid-’90s, with the most successful bands being The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Reel Big Fish, and (some would consider) No Doubt. However, as we learn in The Up Beat, a new documentary now available on DVD, from editor/producer/director Brandon Smith, ska music has a rich history and, during the ’90s, there were few places where ska was more popular than Utah. Read the rest of this entry »

Kirby Heyborne – The Elm Tree

Recommended if you like: Polished and elegant pop music, cute boys with cute guitars

Recommended Tracks: “Honest Ground”, “We Fall Back”, “Courage”, “Sunset”, “Give Up On Me”, “Mistakes and Stowaways”

Kirby Heyborne’s specializes in music that can be summed up with one word: Elegant. Read the rest of this entry »

Linescratchers welcomes Jim, a new writer/reviewer from Kentucky.  Long-time Linescratchers fan, with experience as a radio host and pretentious new music reviewer, Jim brings a non-Mormon whistle-blower perspective to our elite circle. – Syphax

The Sweater Friends – Dear Abbey EP and Everyone We Know album

Recommended if you like: great boy-girl harmonies, coffee shoppe acoustic guitar pop, sweaters, friends

Recommended Tracks: Dear Abbey EP: “Dear Abbey”, “Sinners in the Repentance Club”, Everyone We Know: “Filo Sophia”, “The Last Pirate Song”, “Breaking the Azeotrope”

Upon first listen, The Sweater Friends’ music sounds deceptively simple.  A boy and a girl, each equipped with an acoustic guitar, and nothing else.  However, underneath that plain appearance first impression are songs about the difficulties of love and life, featuring music with beautiful lyrics and gorgeous melodies and harmonies.

Read the rest of this entry »