Authors: CJ Morgan
Local Review: Andrew Goldring – Forgotten Harvest EP
A lot of this album has the casual buzz that was prominent in the early ’90s, though Goldring uses it wisely, favoring more refined production and carefully composed layers instead of the loud, experimental noise you might find in earlier alternative acts (looking at you, Sonic Youth). … read more
Local Review: 90s Television – Going Blonde
90s Television Going Blonde Self-Released Street: 12.14.12 90s Television = The Strokes + Animal Collective + Pepper + Smile from the Streets You Hold–era John Frusciante I think these guys found their recording equipment rusting in some corner of the D.I. Going Blonde is a distorted mess, which makes certain tracks almost painful to bear.
Local Review – The Wild War – Valley Rain EP
Listening to four songs is almost enough to get to know a band, though in this case, I feel like there might be something missing. “The Architecture,” is a cool, solemn and folksy number that really draws from The Devil Whale. … read more
Review: Feel No Other – Self-Titled
Like blind men in a theater, we’re taken through a cinematic story of sounds: Lush vistas of synth and layered orchestrations, courtesy of Brian McKenzie, pillow strong operatic vocals from Claudia Gregory, whose voice is rarely off-pitch and acts as a striking complement to the vast soundscapes. … read more
Review: Deap Vally – Get Deap EP
Deap Vally’s first EP sounds like a shitty version of Dead Weather. … read more
Review: Dead Gaze – Brain Holiday
Dead Gaze (AKA R. Cole Furlow) sounds exactly—and I mean exactly—like Nathan Williams of Wavves (most apparent on “A Different Way”). … read more
Review: Cults – Static
Her high-toned vocals complement the sparkly ’50s-style guitar tunes they lay on, though on tracks like “Always Forever,” they remind me of an excited girl talking to a dog (“Hi, puppy!”). … read more
Review: Cafeine – New Love
Cafeine = Hot Fuss–era Killers + The Fratellis + Interpol … read more
Review: Belle Adair – The Brave and the Blue
Belle Adair = Iron and Wine + My Morning Jacket / Peter Bjorn and John … read more
Review: Arum Rae – Warranted Queen EP
Somewhere between deadmau5 bass drops, the high-timbred soul of Donna Summer and the ragged guitar riffs of The Kills, you might find Arum Rae (formerly White Dress). … read more
Review: Antique Scream – Two Bad Dudes Records
Antique Scream = Motörhead + Deep Purple … read more
Review: Alarms and Controls – Clovis Points
The vocals sound nerdy and a little more chatty than melodic in most places—it’s a little off-kilter, and pop hooks definitely aren’t their strong suits. That being said, they are great musicians—think of them as graduates from the “Omar Rodriguez-López School for Stoned Musicians.” … read more
