Authors: Rebecca Vernon
Local Review: Facts – The F Files: Mixtape Vol. 1
Facts The F Files: Mixtape Vol. 1 Lace Em Up Facts = Bubba Sparxx + The Agents Facts puts lyrics together as precisely as a watchmaker, and his beats and samples stick to you like flypaper slathered with honey. His remix of “Walks of Life” is 10 times better than the original, and his shout-outs
Local Review: Erin Haley – Catastrophe Fantastic
It’s clear Erin Haley is loaded with talent, and luckily, she has a great recording to promote herself. … read more
Local Review: Drug – Self-titled
Drug Self-titled Drug = Dub Pistols + ‘Quette Daddie’s casio Eclectic hip-hop outfit Drug engages old-fashioned movie clips mix with rumba beats, disembodied vocal samples, heavy beats and trilling flute stuff. However, the production’s flat and dead, and the vocal effects sound like Chipmunks zombies. Maybe Drug S5 stole ‘Quette Daddie’s Casio? Good production
Local Review: Drew Danburry – Besides
Drew Danburry vulnerable, naked-heart-on-the-sleeve, psychologically-helpless indie-rock folk spillings—it’s not bad, alright? … read more
Local Review: Day of Less – Porcaria
Not only is Day of Less as tough as Hell’s Angels, they will get under your skin in the worst, or best of, ways, depending on how badly you need woken up. … read more
Local Review: Die Monster Die – Only the Dead Will...
It’s another Die Monster Die release, and nothing is different from previous releases, but it’s still good. … read more
Local Review: De La Vega – 5-song demo
As if their full-length wasn’t enough, De La Vega sends another rap-metal-reggae release that wants badly to be Rage Against the Machine spooning with Staind. … read more
Local Review: Curious Birds – The Wheel Turns
CURIOUS BIRDS THE WHEEL TURNS Shapeshifting The Curious Birds = Stevie Nicks + Yanni Usually I don’t like neo-new age folksy acoustic stuff that mentions nature with every third breath and sings about “Persephone,” “midwinter,” “harvest time,” obscure pseudo-Celtic-Irish-Scottish mythological references and above all, a “crossroads” that is a doorway to another realm. However, like
Local Review: Born Free – Divine Madness
Born Free Divine Madness Born Free = John Brown’s Body + The Roots Born Free mixes hip-hop with reggae, rock, world music, techno and drum n’ bass, resulting in a diverse amalgamation that’s Jamaican first. Divine Madness is layered over with heavy electronic beats and gospel/spiritual sermonizing vocals. No slick mainstream 50 Cent here.
Local Review: Beard of Solitude – Broken Brain EP
Acoustic-driven pop-rock oddly recalling Mission of Burma and other late-80s art-alt bands come out in the Broken Brain EP, with some John Denver overtones. … read more
Local Review: Agape – Self-titled EP
One might compare Agape to Gold Standard Laboratory bands, and yeah, that’d be accurate, but one-man-band Ryan Powers leaves ’em all in the dust if you ask me. … read more
Local Review: 23 Extacy – Brutal
23 EXTACY BRUTAL Nova One Productions 23 Extacy = Ministry (but darker) + Error (but darker) The first time I got my mitts on old, unreleased and unavailable Red Bennies tracks from the bands’ first four years, it felt like panhandling a gold chunk. Fans of 23 Extacy should feel the same way with the
