From Pitchforkmedia.com's recent review of More Adventurous:
With all this change, More Adventurous places its bets on one thing: Jenny Lewis' voice. As pure as chilled spring water, and as cute and yearning as a hormone-stroked teenager, Lewis' crisp alto shines on every track. From country to new-wave, ballads to throwdowns, she makes the album her showcase...
I can't find a song on this new cd that I want to hear over and over. The songs, I think, are interesting once - good lyrics and a fun sound - but I haven't wanted to go back again. She is cute though.
I agree with you Yogachik, Rilo isn't really knock your socks off... decent enough stuff but not spectacular.
I like Secret Machines... I'm not sure what you mean with regards to the Flaming Lips? Sure they're doing the non-standard release of their new album which is kind of the Flaming Lips M.O. but every band is doing the hipster internet thing these days.
I don't see their music as tremendously derivative of the Flaming Lips... it doesn't really have the campy zeal and eclectic randomness that is Wayne Coyne. I suppose the lyrical delivery has some similarity but I see much more similarity in composition/production to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club on their rockin' tunes and Pink Floyd on their space ballads. It's pretty straight forward spacey prog rock which is not how I'd describe the Flaming Lips (who are as close to impossible to label as a band gets). There's also alot of the Spiritualized "Rock is Art" type posturing.
I don't know... everybody is a derivation of everyone else these days... I guess that's what I like about Rock and Roll... there's always a fresh take on an old concept. The Secret Machines rehash Pink Floyd... The White Stripes meld Led Zepelin with Paul McCartney with the occassional generic Blues cover thrown in... The New Year/Bedhead wish they were the Velvet Underground... The Hives think they're Iggy Pop's and the MC5's bastard child... so on and so on and so on.
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