Fun fact: the first album that my iTunes library ever deemed "unclassifiable" was Menomena's I Am the Fun Blame Monster! In the five intervening years, the music-consuming public has become more receptive of bands that combine seemingly disparate sounds (such as complex polyrhythms, rock guitar riffs and jazzy flourishes) but at the time, those nine swirly songs must have confounded the poor program. more ›

It's hard to identify Jim Fairchild without first acknowledging that he was formerly the guitarist in the Modesto, Ca. group Grandaddy. Fairchild, however, has kept himself busy since the group's demise in 2006, touring with numerous other bands and also finding the time to record and release his first solo record under the moniker All Smiles. The resulting Ten Readings Of A Warning, a collection of charming, laid back lo-fi pop that belies his... more ›

FRIDAY: more ›