Year: 2013
Review: Charli XCX – True Romance
Charli XCX, that pop visionary with an indie cult status, has recently been made a serious run for platinum with Icona Pop’s “I Love It,” which she co-wrote. … read more
Review: Charnel House – Black Blood
The album’s six tracks, while drenched in bleak, obscure tones with heavy emphasis on the rhythm, not the melody, is a cathartic experience. … read more
Review: Chimaira – Crown Of Phantoms
I just can’t get behind this album as much as I’d like to. I’ve been a fan of these dudes for years, and it’s not that the album is poorly played or written—it’s just not as dynamic as I’ve heard them prove to be in years past. … read more
Review: CAVE – Threace
CAVE hits all the stops on their interstellar cruise, from bruising motorik groove, to loose-limbed jazz, punchy horn sections, ’70s Latin psychedelia and full-bodied aural guitar assaults. … read more
Review: Celeste – Animale(s)
Listening to Animale(s) is not enjoyable. It’s a tough, thick, oppressive listen, sung in French, with few moments of respite from what sounds like 100 guitar tracks crunching over relentless drumming. … read more
Review: Burnt Books – Self-titled
Burnt Books = His Hero is Gone + Fuck The Facts + Kazu Makino … read more
Review: Bring Me The Horizon – Sempiternal
Continuing the theme of yelling at faith, established in their last album, Sempiternal doesn’t overly change the formula—and that’s not a bad thing. … read more
Review: Brown Bird – Fits of Reason
It’s hard to imagine so much sound and energy coming from just two musicians, but the Rhode Island duo Brown Bird pull it off well. … read more
Review: Bullet Treatment – Ex-Breathers
For some bands, a rotating cast of musicians is not their most notable aspect, but rather a necessary extension of the transitioning musical nature of the principal member. … read more
Review: Camera Obscura – Desire Lines
Tracyanne Campbell and friends have done it again! Desire Lines is perfect indie pop—an album that you’ll want to listen to while riding your bike through town on a sunny day, or while doing the wash outside your two-flat, or while strolling though the hills above your midsize British city contemplating the next Johnny-come-lately who’s gonna sweep you off your feet.
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Review: Brent Amaker and the Rodeo – Year of the...
When it comes to strange and different bands, Brent Amaker and the Rodeo is at the top of my list. I feel like there’s something I just don’t get. … read more
Review: Burnt Ones – You’ll Never Walk Alone
I pioneered a new rating system to evaluate this record: I drew plus signs next to songs I really liked, minus signs next to songs I disliked, and nothing next to songs that made me feel nothing. Despite sounding uncannily similar to their psych rock peers, the sexy, grimy reverb spiral of “Vision Forever” gets a plus sign, as does the mighty bubblegum fuzz of “Fountain of Youth” and “I Care – I Don’t Care.” The time-changing brain burner “Cloak” gets a plus sign, too. … read more
