Year: 2014
Review: The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream
Perhaps you’ve never gotten into the Bon Ivers and Fleet Foxes of the world. Fair enough: They tend to be a bit precious. That said, if you check this one out, you might be pleasantly surprised. … read more
Review: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Days...
Without much fanfare, The Pains’ classic lineup has gone (Peggy’s the DIY Editor at BuzzFeed!?) and been replaced by a rotating cast of indie pop vets. Sigh … is the indie pop revival that Kip Berman and friends kick-started in the late aughts finally having its bittersweet coda? … read more
Review: The Van Burens – Presidential Lovefest
The Van Burens = Can + Frank Zappa + Rebelution … read more
Review: The Pop Group – We Are Time / Cabinet...
The Pop Group = Gang of Four + The Fall – Joy Division … read more
Review: The Mattson 2 – Agar
The Mattson 2 = Popol Vuh + Niagara Falls + Dungen … read more
Review: The Shivas – You Know What to Do
The Shivas = Dr. Dog + The Ventures + The Black Angels … read more
Review: The Transmission NOW – White Night
The Transmission NOW = The Replacements + FIDLAR + Face To Face … read more
Review: The Underachievers – Cellar Door: Terminus Et Exordium
The Underachievers = Flatbush Zombies + (Pro Era x Joey Badda$$) … read more
Review: The Supersuckers – Get the Hell
They are bluesy enough to sound authentic when they put harmonica over the romper of a song “Fuck Up” and rootsy enough where you can hear the country and rockabilly influence in even their most hard-charging guitar licks. … read more
Review: The Slow Death – No Heaven
No Heaven is a combination of fast, loud and angry Oi! music, with whiskey-soaked vocals, layered with dark, depressing lyrics. So, like the number “I Need A Drink,” I need to get myself a pick-me-up after this one. … read more
Review: The Ska-Skank Redemption – Wicked Bees
Songs like “Hit ‘n’ Run” and “Age of Wine” resemble the traditional dance-like ska beat. “Minnesota” brings a lot more emphasis on the guitar, giving the song a more raw, punk rock edge to the EP—all while lead singer Dan Christianson upholds clean and emotional vocals similar to that of Billie Joe Armstrong. … read more
Review: The Lawrence Arms – Metropole
Keep in mind, diehards—it’s been eight long years since The Lawrence Arms released a full-length album. In that time, they were signed to Fat Wreck Chords and cultivated a sound similar to Dwarves. Now, through Epitaph, they have released an album that shows a more dynamic approach toward their music. … read more
