Month: May 2013
Review: Toro Y Moi
Chaz Bundick wanted his third studio album to be a pop record; something his girlfriend could dance to. What he created is his most fluid album to date. The shades of 80s R&B and chopped vocal stabs in the background are reminiscent of his first album, … read more
Review: The Thermals – Desparate Ground
Clearly, it doesn’t require a lot of thought to conclude how The Thermals’ long-term survival can be attributed to the singer’s lo-fi punk-saddled rhetoric. Things have been pissing in Hutch Harris’ Cheerios since 2002. Now, his current flavor of the week is relationship drama. … read more
Review: The Tossers
This is more traditional than many of the Celtic/punk acts out there, but that’s not to say Chicago’s Tossers ease up on the attitude. Just in time for St. Patty’s day, the Irish fury that is The Emerald City, starting with the rollicking tune “The Rover,” which exults the life of the nomad, whether drunk or sober. … read more
Review: The Catbirds – Catbirds Say Yeah
Perhaps I’m being a bit harsh here, but I dreaded reviewing this album. Southern rock doesn’t have to be an homage to the dying art. I felt like I was overhearing a TV in the adjacent room playing one of those awkward Time-Life Singers and Songwriters commercials, but they were introducing a strange, assorted collection of ’70s and ’90s rock. … read more
Review: Tera Melos – X’ed Out
Tera Melos range from bass lines and doom riffs on “Slimed” to glorious angular riff-spun melodies everywhere else on the album. “Slimed” is a methodical head-banger that’s not psychedelic enough to be stoner rock, but is heavy enough to unleash the beast inside me, if only just for fun. … read more
Review: The Appleseed Cast – Illumination Ritual
I’ve never been able to classify The Appleseed Cast, but I’d say they lie in the folds of indie rock, post-hardcore, emo and shoegaze with intricate time signatures coupled with drums in the forefront. Illumination Ritual is another great album in a series of great albums. … read more
Review: Swagatha Christie
Swagatha is a 20-something blonde who has “swag” tattooed on her knuckles and writes about her white-girl antics. Miss Christie set out on her The Creep Van Tour 2012 last summer, with a stoner/skateboard crew who handed out “Free Sex” stickers at shows. … read more
Review: Smoke Fairies – Blood Speaks
Coming into this album, I had my doubts. “Blood Speaks” felt like a period anthem, with the lyrics, “Your blood is speaking, and mine is speaking,” set to a marching beat with a droney, chanting voice fit for a haunted church performance. Yeah, the sheddings of my uterine lining are speaking, too, and I’m still crampy. … read more
Review: Skiggy Rapz
Repeated, perturbing consonant sounds on “Winning Vibes” are the lightest drawbacks on Skiggy Rapz’s latest, Satellites. High-production hip hop often feels like an endless game of lyrical Boggle, where few combinations are possible––Skiggy Rapz is no exception. … read more
Review: St. Lucia
Virtual one-man band and Johannesburg native Jean-Philip Grobler’s joyous, self-titled EP is something of a small marvel. Following a relatively simple formula of classic beats, infectious melody and a positive vibe presently missing on most radio these days, he has crafted a group of six tracks that are both pleasant and refreshingly memorable. … read more
Review: Senses Fail – Renacer
Opening with the heaviest song in their career, notably without a single scrap of clean singing, Renacer is the album I’ve secretly been waiting for since the first time I heard Buddy Nielsen scream at the end of “One Eight Seven.” … read more
Review: Scott And Charlene’s Wedding
As if a debut album of numbingly good lo-fi fuzz and blues wasn’t enough Craig Dermody is back with an outstanding EP. With less fuzz, and rhythms more poppy than before, Dermody belts out more tales about injuries, love and sadness. … read more
