Music
Review: La Sera – Hour of the Dawn
Katy Goodman’s (Vivian Girls) third solo album under the name La Sera is uplifting and poppy, combined with a definitive Smiths-ian piece of brilliance. Warning: This album produces a strangely addictive sound that keeps one hooked from beginning to end. … read more
Review: Kite Party – Come On Wondering
Kite Party are one of the few recent emo post-hardcore bands to surface from the underground shortly after the genre’s demise. Even though the divide between lovers and loathers of the music probably died with its popularity in the mid 2000s, Come On Wandering has enough stylistic integrity to make music snobs start bickering over Sunny Day Real Estate again. … read more
Review: King Dude & Chelsea Wolfe – Sing More Songs Together…
What can I tell you about this two-track collaboration that you aren’t already certain of? TJ Cowgill sounds like Michael Gira; Chelsea Wolfe is un-fuck-with-able, and the combo is, for a second time now, nothing short of incredible. … read more
Review: King Dude – Fear
TJ Cowgill, aka King Dude, caught my attention with 2011’s Love, a spacious pagan folk record examining themes of death, nature and Lucifer’s light. Now, joined by drummer Joey D’Auria and session musicians, Cowgill supplements Americana and Brit-folk explorations of existential fear and imminent demise with a completely unexpected musical mode—punk rock n’ roll. … read more
Review: Kepler – Attic Salt 12”
It sounds like every mellow-rock and indie band in the last 25 years congealed into one unimaginative band. Maybe part of it was because I had to fuck around with a record player for 30 minutes to be able to play it. … read more
Review: Horse Thief – Fear In Bliss
Horse Thief are psychedelic rockers originally from Texas, but found their calling in Oklahoma City, embracing change. They abandoned their safety zone in the Midwest and headed to Los Angeles to record their newest album, Fear in Bliss. … read more
Review: Gladenfold – From Dusk To Eternity
Even though it sounds like a smooth blend of bands from Spinefarm’s early years, Gladenfold mixes just enough power metal into their synth-driven melodic death metal to breathe life into a genre I had given up on years ago. … read more
Review: Frantix – My Dad’s A Fuckin’ Alcoholic
Frantix was an early ’80s band from Colorado that blended their own take on hardcore music with standard ’80s rock. They released two 7” records during their run, and this CD collects all of that music with live tracks and unreleased demos into one place. … read more
Review: Enthroned – Sovereigns
Sit back, throw away your goddamned Deafheaven and Liturgy albums, and embrace the true progression of black metal. … read more
Review: Howls – Howls
If I close my eyes as I listen to this album, I’m walking through an inky venue with strobing lights, and shadowy glitter is falling in slow motion from the ceiling. … read more
Review: Haunted Hearts – Initiation
Haunted Hearts consists of Brandon Welchez from the noise-pop band Crocodiles, and his wife Dee Dee, front woman of the Dum Dum Girls. A valid, but basic description of HH comes from the mouth of Brandon in an interview via Coup De Main, “It sounds like a 50/50 split between our bands to be honest.” … read more
Review: Ex-Cult – Midnight Passenger
The moment the vocals come in on Midnight Passenger’s opening track, “Shattered Circle,” you might notice yourself thinking, “Hell yeah, young people with a new take on late seventies/early eighties L.A. punk.” … read more
