Year: 2013
Review: The Icarus Line – Slave Vows
On this, their sixth full-length release, The Icarus Line deliver brain-straining intensity in the form of dirty, spastic guitar flares and embittered lyrics sung in an Iggy Pop kind of quiver. … read more
Review: The Crystal Method – Self-Titled
For their fifth studio album, The Crystal Method created a refreshing twist on what most electronic artists are currently producing, using heavy synth and rock elements to blow the minds and speakers of its listeners. … read more
Review: The Devil Makes Three – I’m a Stranger Here
Few bands can capture the imagination like Devil Makes Three. They invoke deep-woods medicine shows, jumping blues juke joints and midnight hootenannies by moonlight. … 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: TesseracT – Altered State
After going through the heinous task of finding a new lead singer, the djent-prog outfit have returned with a massively infectious new record that is a definite achievement. … read more
Review: Telekinesis – Dormarion
Michael Lerner has harnessed the ability to merge synths and guitar fuzz to create an effective blend of indie psych-garage. He’s a jack-of-all-trades with everything from an acoustic ballad to new wave on “Ever True,” which sounds like a new-generation Yaz song. … read more
Review: Ten Kens – Namesake
The album begins with a “Death In The Family,” and the moody seven-plus minute song certainly sets the tone for this concept album. It’s a journey through experiences and emotions, and just like life, the sound goes up and comes down, dragging your psyche along for the ride. … read more
Review: Team Ghost – Rituals
It’s hard not to make comparisons of Team Ghost to M83, which Nicolas Fromageau left in 2009. Rituals sounds almost just like his former project with Anthony Gonzalez, but with darker, more industrial elements. “Things are sometimes tragic” captured my attention with some cool, mystical and spacey sounds, feeling airy and simultaneously grounded, with instrumentation akin to Four Tet. … read more
Review: The Besnard Lakes – Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO
This album would pair best with a morphine drip. This shoegaze sonata is lush and minimalistic all at once. The chorus for “The Specter” sounds like it came straight from from Veckatimest. … read more
Review: The Black Angels – Indigo Meadow
I don’t really understand Salt Lake City’s love for The Black Angels. Phosphene Dream was decent at best and people here were going nuts for it. With Indigo Meadow we see The Black Angels moving away from Psych-rock and toward garage rock. … read more
