Authors: Cody Hudson
Review: Shannon And The Clams – Dreams In The Rat...
When Sleep Talk came out two years ago, it managed to blend forced nostalgia with something fresh. … read more
Review: Ovlov – Am
Ovlov’s instrumental simplicity is reminiscent of indie-precursors like Pavement or Mclusky. The vocals have a bit of that post-punk whininess and the lyrics are, for the most part, indiscernible, but they do it well. … read more
Review: Marijuana Deathsquads – Oh My Sexy Lord
As is the case with a great deal of so-called super groups, this release is pretty masturbatory. With intense, pulsating, electronic jam-band beats and half scream, half rap vocals, it is overall pretty unpleasant to listen to. … read more
Review: Kid Cudi – Indicud
Not masculine enough for gangsta rap, and not clever enough for backpack rap, Kid Cudi is akin to the middle school kid who discovered schwag, constantly reminding you that he loves weed. He removes all of the self-destructive wonder from drug use that rap, as a construct, has worked so hard to instill. … read more
Review: Jonathan Rado – Law and Order
The opening track “Seven Horses” starts off with an odd, fluid, warbling synth line and morphs into catchy ’60s pop. Because of the simplicity of the lyrics (“If you feel it all, clap your hands”) and the weird synth noise, I thought it was going to be pretty similar to the MGMT’s Oracular Spectacular, but by the second track it had completely changed … read more
Review: Fuzz – Self-Titled
It is definitely closer to early conventional heavy metal than any of the previous releases—you’re going to hear a ton of people compare it to Black Sabbath. … read more
Review: Eksi Ekso – Archfiend
Shitty bands love buzzwords, like art-pop and hyper-sexualized; these guys have nothing but buzzwords. I feel like the lead singer was in a Hoobastank tribute band, and this is his attempt to stay relevant. I honestly can’t tell if it is satire. … read more
Review: Doug Tuttle – Self-Titled
From the moment the first track starts, you will immediately feel as though you are listening to a record from your odd uncle’s collection acquired during his “experimental phase.” … read more
Review: Deerhunter – Monomania
This album is a bit of a change for Deerhunter—a bit less shoegazy and experimental, and a lot more fun. … read more
Review: Cuckoo Chaos
This is one of the best demos and rarities compilations that I have heard. Usually rarities albums are choppy and inconsistent, with each song being recorded at a different time, and there are usually some pretty shitty songs. This feels like a cohesive album with a central theme, but that isn’t to say there aren’t slight variances. … read more
Review: Big Deal – June Gloom
Though it opens on a gloomy note (which had me worried I was reviewing another downtrodden shoegaze album) with “Golden Light,” the album quickly morphs into cutesy upbeat dream pop that borders on twee. … read more
Review: Armed With Legs – Self Titled
To stand out as a two-piece you have to be creative. You are starting off at a disadvantage, and even if you are damn-decent, at best you will be getting compliments laced with qualifiers … read more
