Authors: Christian Schultz
Review: The Apartments – The Evening Visits… and Stays For...
The Apartments = The Go-Betweens / (Blueboy + Ian McCulloch) … read more
Review: SISU – Blood Tears
Blood Tears is bristling with synths and heavy bass riffs, and in between, Vu’s voice creates melodramatic tension. Most of the tracks recall the current ’80s pop revival, but there’s something refreshing about the sleeker production here, especially on the awesome single “Harpoons.” … read more
Review: Stagnant Pools – Geist
I could probably fill most of the shoegaze reviews I write with half-hearted comparisons to Slowdive and be done with ’em. That’s what I thought here, at first, with the opening song “You Whir,” but a different narrative unfolded upon subsequent listenings. … read more
Review: Rllrbll – 4 Corners
Because of the risks taken throughout, there isn’t much cohesion to these 10 tracks, though “Hebrew, I Hate You,” a minimal, gothic, dub-styled tune, is where the approach pays off. If you’re up for a weird listen, here’s one for you. … read more
Review: R.M. Hendrix – Urban Turks Country Jerks
No, this isn’t an LDS-themed Jimi Hendrix cover band, though if you’re a Utah native, that probably doesn’t sound too odd. What we’ve got here is a mixed bag of indie rock, shoegaze and … gulp … psychedelia that casts a wide arc from nostalgia days to here and now. … read more
Review: Pillar Point – Self-Titled
Pillar Point is a new dance-pop project formed by Scott Reitherman of Secretly Canadian band Throw Me The Statue (indie-poppers keen to hand claps and toe taps; see “Lolita”). Though this debut album explores the glum themes of uncertainty and heartbreak, the songs are catchy and buzzing with danceable synth hooks and hummable pop structures. … read more
Review: Pharmakon – Bestial Burden
Pharmakon = Prurient + Cremation Lily + Eraserhead Original Soundtrack … read more
Review: Pale Blue – The Past We Leave Behind
Pale Blue = Chris & Cosey / The Field / Suzanne Ciani … read more
Review: Orrin Campbell – Nocturnal
Orrin Campbell, an 18-year-old rapper from Brooklyn, recorded this debut album in his NYU dorm. It’s downtempo hip hop set to atmospheric spacey beats—call it minimal seapunk, if you like. … read more
Review: Orthy – E.M.I.L.Y. EP
Ian Orth’s edits, meant for Austin’s electro dance Learning Secrets, ended up as the four songs on this EP and are typical electro-pop of the moment—but I feel as if there’s nothing super enticing or even pleasantly generic about them (though a Baio remix of the title track provides a nice twist on the EP’s singular sound). … read more
Review: Perfect Pussy – Say Yes To Love
Say the name five times fast, snicker, then fuck off: Perfect Pussy is out to eviscerate your woeful self-critique with heart, humor and critical punk-rrrriot. … read more
Review: Odonis Odonis – Hard Boiled Soft Boiled
Hard Boiled Soft Boiled is the second album from this Toronto-based band Odonis Odonis. It’s fitting that this self-described “industrial surf-gaze” group has more to their double name than any singular sound—HBSB is two-sided and explores noise-pop from two different approaches. … read more
