Music
Review: Dengue Fever – Girl from the North
The tunes are Eastern-ized Western pop, re-Westernized for a new generation—got that? Truly, what they’ve done is really lovely. The music is twinkly and light, and the vocals are enchantingly foreign (female vocalist Chom Nimol generally sings in her native Khmer). … read more
Review: Doug Keith – Pony
Namely, the best track on the album, “Pure Gold in the ’70s,” rips at the seams midway and bursts open with a J Mascis guitar solo, and from there, the track is a pure slacker anthem, a salute to the children of the ’70s. Pony also has more than enough warmth and attitude to get me through winter. … read more
Review: Color War – It Could Only Be This Way
The beats, crafted by band member Billy J, are clean and resounding, and Lindsay Mound’s layered and dreamy vocals nicely complement the album. But to me, nothing about the album screamed innovation, and it wasn’t all that memorable. … read more
Review: Carlos Cipa & Sophia Jani – Relive
For those of you who enjoy listening to piano while cramming for that big ass final you have the next morning, this duo will certainly calm your nerves. … read more
Review: Chris Wilson – It’s Flamin’ Groovy
The opening track, “All the Action,” bursts out with an upbeat rocking ballad, sung with wailing, western-styled vocals. “She Satisfies” follows with a heavy bass line and sick guitar riffs that no doubt take influence from Keith Richards. … read more
Review: The Breaklites – I ♥ America
This eight-track album sounds like hometown, suburban rap. The flows are great examples of simple hip-hop storytelling with an added ’80s funk-electro vibe. I’ll keep a couple songs on a pregame playlist and the rest are worth listening to for the interesting story and upbeat rhythm. … read more
Review: Cryogenic Echelon – Taste of Failure
It bridges boundaries, and various types of music lovers will find it appealing. I will most certainly be mixing “Fall of the Reptiles (Grendel Remix)” into my set lists at the club—it’s perfect for the transition from synth pop to industrial. … read more
Review: Corpsessed – Abysmal Thresholds
This album, the first full-length from this Finnish death metal band, is just unrelentingly brutal. Songs travel the gradient between suffocating sludge and insane tempo, with some sporadic keyboard elements that soften certain moments without sacrificing the horrific atmosphere. … read more
Review: Divider – Minimal Distraction EP
Divider’s new EP, Minimal Distraction, sidestepped the mainstream approach to EBM and pulled from the traditional era of the mid-’80s early-’90s electronic sound. The dark, surrounding electronic beat enhanced by the vocals creates an atmosphere of aggression and anxiety. … read more
Review: Grand Magus – Triumph and Power
This trio of hard-rocking Swedes never disappoints with their unique brand of epic doom metal. JB Christoffersson’s soaring vocals sound like a younger Biff Byford, and he backs them up with earth-shaking guitarwork. … read more
Review: Lie In Ruins – Towards Divine Death
Hail Satan, hail death, indeed. This album is the band’s second full-length since they were resurrected from the heyday of early ‘90s death metal to bring back what is a decidedly old-school sound to the genre. It’s longer on both song and album length than most death metal works, which seemed to give the whole thing a more cohesive feeling. … read more
Review: Mad Choice – Safety Net
The main reason to listen to this album over and over again would be for the opening track, “Swallowing A Shotgun”—combining elements of California skate punk and post-hardcore made for some heavy, mosh-inducing music. … read more
