Rilo Kiley pictures from Artist Direct

Rilo Kiley Confirms Spring Tour

All the talk of a supposed Jenny Lewis solo album isn't keeping Rilo Kiley off the road this spring, as the band heads out for nearly two

Published: 2008-03-20 Provider: Artist Direct

"Set the Woods on Fire" by Art in Manila

It was a sad day for dream pop when Azure Ray broke up. The Nebraskan duo of Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor released three increasingly excellent albums of country-tinged melancholia, sending music reviewers constantly seeking new synonyms for "ethereal." Thankfully, the pair's post-Ray projects have been just as satisfying, though divergent stylistically. Orenda Fink's solid new band, Art in Manila, lends a harder edge to her previously wispy work with Azure Ray, molding the well-crafted pop songs on their debut, Set the Woods on Fire, into MOR indie fare—which, in this case, isn't necessarily a bad thing. Like the drugged-out Rilo Kiley or less inscrutable Neko Case they so strongly resemble, Art in Manila deliver comfortably predictable indie pop with darker moods hiding in the corners. A punchy backbeat and Rhodes piano give bite and swagger to "Our Addictions," and a Neil Young-y crunch informs the title track's lovely chorus, but Set

Published: 2007-08-31 Provider: Artist Direct

"Under the Blacklight" by Rilo Kiley

Though Rilo Kiley are commonly associated with indie rock, their music often emulates the slick sound of classic rock and country pop. But what was once a casual flirtation with the mainstream has developed into a torrid affair on their latest album, Under the Blacklight, an eclectic set of tunes that draws influences from a variety of decidedly unhip touchstones such as late-'80s teen pop ("Give a Little Love"), Latin fusion ("Dejalo"), sleazy hair metal ("The Moneymaker") and glossy Lite FM balladry ("Silver Lining"). Though a few of the cuts hew closer to the sunny country rock of their 2004 commercial breakthrough, More Adventurous, the standout tracks on Under the Blacklight mostly find the band trying on old-school pop styles as though they were vintage outfits. Rilo Kiley's experimentation largely pays off because of the strength of their songwriting—not to mention the effortless charisma of lead vocalist Jenny Lewis, a woman blessed with a voice so

Published: 2007-08-21 Provider: Artist Direct