Authors: CJ Morgan
Local Review: Dark Seas – Hawkes Court
Me: “Jesus, this guy sounds like … goddamn … The Doors. Is this a long-lost track?” My friend: “No, CJ, it’s Dark Seas, and why are you drunk on a Sunday morning?” … read more
Local Review: Decibel Trust – Self-Titled
After I listened to this, I put on old-school They Might be Giants. Why? One, because they’re fuckin’ rad, and two, because Decibel Trust sound like what you’d get if you heard John Flansburgh singing New Found Glory songs at a karaoke bar. … read more
Local Review: Cliffs – Experiments EP
Cliffs have put together a great, very listenable EP (it made it into my regular listening cycle) with catchy riffs, warm vocals, and some sunny surf tunes, but they travel down too many well-worn paths. … read more
Local Review: Cliffs – Pets In The City
Cliffs Pets In The City Self-Released Street: 05.26 Cliffs = (MGMT + Panda Bear) x Saucerful of Secrets–era Pink Floyd In their first full-length album, Cliffs take a few more positive steps, adding some higher production values on newer songs and honing their sonic range. Overall, the band has a nice, eclectic sound that carefully
Local Review: Cubworld – Life Is Music
Cubworld (aka Jake Kongaika) brings us a part acoustic, part party-groove album with Life is Music. … read more
Local Review: Bludgeon Muffin – Revolt
This album—more of an EP, really—is solid, standard reggae. The bass goes as deep as your headphones will let it, and the guitars cascade over with some genre-standard up-strokes and some pretty tasty solos—though some are a little long. … read more
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