Authors: Steve Richardson
Review: Pop. 1280 – Imps of Perversion
The deceptive opening guitar chord of Imps of Perversion hints at another surf album, with its thin echo lingering as a tribal beat backs the chord’s decay. The crunchy bass, synchronized with simple double-time picking on the guitar, cuts in and knocks the surf sound off its board within seconds. … read more
Review: Protomartyr – Under Color of Official Right
The intro to Under Color of Official Right might trick you into thinking you’re listening to neo-beach music on par with The Drums. Although the surf-reverberated guitar continues through the first track, the lyrics—sounding as if they’re sung through inflamed vocal chords—shatter the expectations of the surf rock genre. … read more
Review: Popstrangers – Fortuna
Compared to their first album, Antipodes, Popstrangers are really living up to the “Pop” in their name. I want to stress that I said, “compared to.” … read more
Review: Ought – More Than Any Other Day
Ought = Talking Heads + Parquet Courts … read more
Review: Parquet Courts – Tally All The Things That You...
When talking about quantity, Tally All The Things That You Broke offers a third of the last Parquet Courts’ release (Light Up Gold)—possibly the result of a finer selection process. Tally All The Things That You Broke takes Parquet Courts’ strengths from the last album and drops everything else. … read more
Review: Outrageous Fun – Trustfund DIY
Trustfund DIY moves through the greater lo-fi genre, reminding me of a new group with every song, but always holding an upbeat quality I’d associate with Marvelous Darlings. The album opens with “Town Like This,” which could be Matt Whitehurst of Psychedelic Horseshit singing over Cloud Nothings’ first album. … read more
Review: Naomi Punk – Television Man
Naomi Punk = Slow Animal + Nü Sensae + Weed … read more
Review: Midnight Oil – Essential Oils
Similar to The Essential Clash, although with better pun usage, Essential Oils’ double-disc-load takes you on a tour spanning an entire Midnight Oil lifetime—from second-wave punk through poppy new wave. … read more
Review: Jonny Manak and the Depressives – I Am Not...
Johnny Manak and the Depressives = The Von Bondies + The Dead Boys + The Ventures
Before the first track of I Am Not A Bum… I’m A Jerk ended, I held the vinyl’s cover next to the DVD case of Steve Martin’s The Jerk to confirm their visual likeness. … read more
Review: Institute – Catharsis
Institute Catharsis Sacred Bones Street: 06.09 Institute = The Dead Boys + Gang of Four A thin-toned, catchy guitar riff begins “Perpetual Ebb,” the first track on Catharsis, and it seems to set the BPM for the whole record. Like most good albums swaying toward the punk genre, the speed enables perpetual pogoing. The vocals,
Review: Human Eye – 4: Into Unknown
I’ve been into fuzz for a while now, but the tone of the guitar’s thick, audible padding, scattered throughout 4: Into Unknown, scratch deep—enough to trigger inner-ear ASMR tingles. Throughout the album and especially in “Surface of Pluto,” the wah of the guitar solos sound like they came straight from The Stooges’ Fun House. … read more
Review: I’m In You – Trust
I’m In You keep the guitars to a minimum, only using them for texture, giving the album a new wave feel like the darker songs of New Order filtered through Metronomy. For me, the album peaks in the middle with “Disclosure,” a track that would easily fit on the Drive soundtrack. … read more
