Earlimart: Treble & Tremble

Aaron Espinoza sounds even more like Elliott Smith than usual on this excellent disc from 2004. Therefore, common sense tells me that fans of Elliott Smith may enjoy listening to this.

I wonder if anything has ever been written about these guys that did not mention Elliott Smith. Anyway, this is a great batch of sad songs with pretty melodies and nice lush instrumentation.

LINK:
Earlimart: Treble & Tremble

Annuals: Be He Me

Anybody catch these guys at Lollapalooza this weekend? I skipped the festival this time out, but Annuals definitely would have made my schedule. This is their debut, and only (so-far) full-length release. Even though it does, I hate to say that this disc "shows promise" because really, it's better than that.

In terms of songwriting maturity, this could already be the band at their peak. Tracks like "Brother" and "Complete, or Completing" show their knack for fusing multi-section tunes, production tricks, and a dose of youthful excitement. You can tell they're having a great time with these songs (check out the yelling that kicks off "Carry Around"). One of unfortunately overlooked discs of 2006.

LINK:
Annuals: Be He Me

Electrelane: No Shouts, No Calls

Here's an all-female band that fucking rocks. Is that sexist?

LINK: Electrelane: No Shouts, No Calls