Music
Review: Chuck Ragan – Till Midnight
It’s amazing to me that Chuck Ragan has become as good as he is. A punk guy playing folk rock seems like it might just be interesting, in the sort-term, because of the juxtaposition of it, but here we are with a fourth full-length and he’s only gotten better.
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Review: BOYTOY – Self-Titled
BOYTOY drops this fuzzed-out, pop- alt rock into the laps of the dazed populace. This album plays through slowly and drawn out. The opening track, “Helluva Party,” is heavy and full of distortion. … read more
Review: Blac Kolor – Wide Noise
This release enlightened my ears regarding how one can take the simplest, single sound and transform it into a very complex piece of music. To fully appreciate this, use headphones to hear the depth of each beat and the differences between the left and right. … read more
Review: Arkona – Yav
One of pagan metal’s best kept secrets is Moscow’s Arkona, who make every studio offering an epic one. Yav, the band’s seventh full-length album, is out to conquer all. It plays out as one of the band’s darkest offerings since Ot Serdtsa K Nebu. … read more
Review: The Apache Relay – Self-Titled
The Apache Relay, despite sporting a pretty badass (I don’t use the term lightly) and foreboding name, are actually twee in nature. As such, they are subject to the usual comparisons: Grizzly Bear, Fleet Foxes, and to some extent, Blitzen Trapper. … read more
Review: Annihilator – Feast
“Feast” is an appropriate title for this special edition release, and SLUG HQ was lucky enough to get a fancy copy of it. The digibook two CD and DVD package has the goods of the full-length, Feast, which follows in what Annihilator has been doing for the last decade. … read more
Review: Anal Blasphemy/Forbidden Eye – The Perverse Worship of Satanic...
I’m not quite sure what the fascination is with metal bands starting their band names with that oh-so familiar, feces-producing body part—maybe just the fact that it’s dirty and sounds gross. … read more
Review: The Alvaret Ensemble, Kira Kira, Eiríkur Orri Ólaffson, Ingri...
The Skeylja project is a collaboration featuring the Berlin-based Alvaret Ensemble, who traveled to Iceland to practice and play with several prominent musicians in the avant-garde/post-classical tradition (a genre which Iceland seems to foster). … read more
Review: Alex Smoke – RS 1403
Alex Smoke does it again with a follow-up release to his 2013 Dust EP. This four-track EP is packed with minimal tech-house beats and industrial-influenced synths. … read more
Review: 1, 2, 3 – Big Weather
Inspired by the Tohoku tsunami in Japan, Big Weather is a 20-song concept album about natural disasters. Capitalizing on the theme of water, 1, 2, 3 use surf rock as their base, then add layers of psych and vinyl. … read more
Review: 100s – IVRY
I must warn you about this reprobate who calls himself “100s” (after the number of times he’s contracted VD no doubt). A long-haired, self-professed pimp whose music has but one purpose—to congratulate despicable sex acts. … read more
May 2014 National Music Reviews
National music reviews for 100s, The Apache Relay, Blac Kolor, Chucg Ragan, Dead Rider, Faderhead, Feel No Others, Ghetto Ghouls, King Buzzo, Mahalya, Piss Piss Piss, Pacific Mean Time, The Precious Lo’s, Sleep, Smoke Fairies, Teen, Tiny Boats, Turchi, Vertical Scratchers and more. … read more