New Music Friday - Shimmering Stars

So, it wasn't long before I learned in the studio that almost anything sounds pretty good if you drench it in reverb. This has never been truer than with Shimmering Stars - which is essentially a full album of echoes. They cite a lot of old artists such as The Everly Brothers and Del Shannon as influences, which lends to the lo-fi recording style, but I don't even think the cited Bo Diddley's early recordings sound this poor. Not even live, not even when they're ripped to Youtube.

The reverb can be a bit frustrating when the songwriting is as good as it is here, and when these guys are on, it's spectacular. It's the kind of 1950s throwback that makes me want a letter jacket, a malt, and to go for pinks. Whatever that means.

A few of their tunes are up as free downloads on Bandcamp, and they're worth picking up.

Bandcamp Friday

I've been spending a good bit of time on Bandcamp - it's a great opportunity for an artist to throw up some tunes for free and get noticed nearly immediately. Weekly, I sift through dozens of bands that sound like they've been booked at 1067 Granville to find the best freebies the city has to offer. 


Currently, I've slipped a little for Honey Larochelle. This pop-R&B sensation has just returned from a European tour on the success of Clean Lust and Dirty Laundry; an album produced by Sleep Deez (Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas), Lions Share (Anthony Hamilton, Pharoahe Monch), Caviar (T.I), Danish Reggae producer, Pharfar (Beenie Man), and a bevy of others. 


I recommend picking this whole album up before she needs to buy some bread and butter.