Carrie Battan

Latest Articles

Light Pollution | Apparitions

Carpark (2010)
Light Pollution unabashedly endorse marijuana use: “How many glass pipes can you find in this picture?” the band ask under a press photo posted on their MySpace.
By CARRIE BATTAN | June 24, 2010

Suckers | Wild Smile

Frenchkiss (2010)
Dissenting from the almighty forces of fuzz-pop and the subgenres that have defined its counterparts for the past year or so, the Brooklyn-based Suckers' debut full-length is both frustratingly and pleasantly difficult to place in today's indie-rock landscape.
By CARRIE BATTAN | June 16, 2010

Beach Fossils | Beach Fossils

Captured Tracks (2010)
There are currently no functioning synonyms (ask Thesaurus) for the term “lo-fi,” so I’ll spare us all the agony of trying to find a more nuanced way to pigeonhole this band.
By CARRIE BATTAN | May 19, 2010

Phosphorescent | Here’s To Taking It Easy

Dead Oceans (2010)
What was once an aching, drowsy fireside croon fest (2007’s Pride ) has taken a blatant leap into hoedown territory on singer/guitarist Matthew Houck’s latest effort.
By CARRIE BATTAN | May 11, 2010

Javelin | No Más

Luaka Bop (2010)
No offense to 2009 or anything, but there’s something really refreshing about a Brooklyn-based, MySpace-made indie band’s releasing an album devoid of blatant art-rock agendas and half-assed attempts at cohesion.
By CARRIE BATTAN | April 14, 2010

Dum Dum Girls | I Will Be

Sub Pop (2010)
Kristin Gundred serves up a slightly softer version of the concise, lo-fi throwback bliss that the White Stripes perfected with “Fell in Love With a Girl” in 2002.
By CARRIE BATTAN | March 30, 2010

Jónsi | Go

XL (2010)
To the Sigur Rós fans still weeping over the band’s decision to scrap their latest full-length and take an indefinite paternity leave: dry your tears with Jónsi’s uplifting solo debut.
By CARRIE BATTAN | March 23, 2010

jj | jj N° 3

Secretly Canadian (2010)
Secretly Canadian's new acquisitions (and future touring partners of the xx) continue to harness dualities that leave them smack dab between savvy-kitschy and kitschy-kitschy.
By CARRIE BATTAN | February 23, 2010

Photos: Get Your Beard On Saturday at Precinct

Beards-a-poppin' at Union Square's Precinct on February 13
Photos from the Somerville Arts Council's winter beard contest
By JENELL RANDALL | February 19, 2010

Xiu Xiu | Dear God, I Hate Myself

Kill Rock Stars (2010)
The reigning King of Discomfort, Jamie Stewart, and his new bandmate, Angela Seo (who took Cold Caveward–bound Caralee McElroy's place last year), recently released a video for this album's title track in which Seo forces herself to puke in front of the camera.
By CARRIE BATTAN | February 16, 2010