Year: 2013
Reviews: Speedy Ortiz – Major Arcana
Major Arcana comes across as pretty, ’90s lo-fi grunge, and would be appropriate listening after watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer while wearing a flannel shirt and ripped jeans. … read more
Reviews: The Bronx – IV
After releasing two albums as their mariachi alter ego, these L.A. rockers have returned with a bit less snarl, but still plenty of swagger. … read more
Reviews: The Delta Mirror – Better Unsung
Better Unsung is an easy listen, with an interesting mixture of instruments both electronic and natural, vocals that are either clear or are so distorted they are merely mumbles, and a careful use of different musical styles. … read more
Reviews: The Diemakers – Detroit Recordings
It wouldn’t be fair to blame the difficulty I had sitting through the six songs of Detroit Recordings on the drums or lyrics. … read more
Reviews: Nunslaughter – The Devil’s Congeries, Vol. 1
Ah, Nunslaughter—my favorite “collector’s-fucking-nightmare” devil metal band. To the uninformed, these Pittsburgh natives (now residing in Cleveland) play absolutely filthy, blasphemous metal, and they have more releases than there are shitty “reality” television shows about people I don’t give a fat fuck about. … read more
Reviews: Norma Jean – Wrongdoers
I didn’t know what to expect out of this album—the band having dropped off my radar after O God: The Aftermath—but imagine my delight at listening to what would turn out to be a highly emotional and engaging post-hardcore record that has since become as addictive as Nutella-flavored crack. … read more
Reviews: Native – Orthodox
Like an amped up Minus the Bear channeling Fugazi and At the Drive-In , Native are putting the rock and hardcore back in math rock and post-hardcore. … read more
Reviews: Mixtapes – Ordinary Silence
After giving Ordinary Silence a few spins, I’m a believer—the buzz is well-deserved and I’m glad I finally got off my metaphorical ass and gave them a shot. … read more
Reviews: Mirthless – A Dirge for Your Suicide
Clearly, Mirthless possess the potential to make great funeral doom metal. However, most of the time this potential emerges after 10 minutes of the same riff, drawn out torturously long. … read more
Reviews: Ministry – From Beer to Eternity
I still think Ministry’s best stuff is the ‘80s new wave dreck that they only released so they could get a label deal, but this last hurrah was impossible to pass up. … read more
Reviews: Migrant Kids – Self-Titled
Migrant Kids’ debut doesn’t redefine anything, but they’re adept at creating relaxed, layered atmospheres of sound that build from stark keys to triumphant choruses. … read more
Reviews: The Memories – Love is the Law
Erik Gage and Kyle Handley use The Memories as a vehicle to express sunny dispositions, drug-dazed sentiments and other elements that can’t be shrieked in the syntax of their preceding punk band, White Fang. … read more
