Music
Review: Panama – Always EP
It is hard to categorize this Sydney-based quartet, fronted by the talents of the classically trained Jarrah McCleary, and having now listened to the original—and fairly mellow—versions of three tracks comprising this, their sophomore EP, I would say: “disco-lite.” … read more
Review: Ovlov – Am
Ovlov’s instrumental simplicity is reminiscent of indie-precursors like Pavement or Mclusky. The vocals have a bit of that post-punk whininess and the lyrics are, for the most part, indiscernible, but they do it well. … read more
Review: Orchestra Of Spheres – Vibration Animal Sex Brain Music
It’s clear by the title of the album that not even Orchestra Of Spheres know quite what to make of it. If you think that the electro-punk (another fitting definition for OOS) of LCD Soundsystem is too tame of a classification, then maybe this band is for you. … read more
Review: of Montreal – Lousy with Sylvianbriar
Lousy with Sylvianbriar takes elements of the Satanic Panic and Hissing Fauna–era that we know and love, and flips it into something totally new. Kevin Barnes intensifies the lyrical quality, making them more poetic, but thankfully not cryptic. … read more
Review: Odessa Chen with the Invisible Stories Ensemble – The...
While it comes across like a Broadway soundtrack, the sincerity of the lyrics with the intoxicating quality of Chens’ voice makes the album approachable by even those who are not so theatrically inclined. … read more
Review: Mount Eerie – Pre-Human Ideas
Phil Elverum voices everything on the album, his voice ranging from very deep to melodically high-pitched. Though on the surface it may seem simple, Pre-Human Ideas sets out to prove that the electronic can, in fact, be quite natural, and that recomposition doesn’t have to be familiar. … read more
Review: Mick Turner – Don’t Tell The Driver
Don’t Tell The Driver would be the perfect album to ease a panic attack. The instrumentation felt loaded with a Southwestern vibe, making it feel as though I was traveling alone by horseback across the desert landscape, especially in “The Navigator.” … read more
Review: MGMT – MGMT
It’s hard to take music that sounds so wonky seriously, like a few tracks on this record, but when it’s catchy and bizarre, you know there’s some magic in it. MGMT are clearly having fun with this album and it makes for one of the most interesting releases of the year. … read more
Review: The Melvins – Tres Cabrones
The Melvins = Butthole Surfers + My War/In My Head–era Black Flag + Lysol-era Melvins … read more
Review: Marijuana Deathsquads – Oh My Sexy Lord
As is the case with a great deal of so-called super groups, this release is pretty masturbatory. With intense, pulsating, electronic jam-band beats and half scream, half rap vocals, it is overall pretty unpleasant to listen to. … read more
Review: Lynx – Light Up Your Lantern
From the moment this album opens, with heavy beats accented by a varied string section (guitars, banjo and cello), Lynx kept a hypnotic grip over me that was so powerful, I wondered if I had spent that hour in an oasis-tinged dream. … read more
Review: LowCityRain – Self-Titled
As jangling new wave inspired chords cascade, driving bass and drums pump the track full of energy, a modest female vocal croons the title of the song and in these first three minutes, I’m left gasping. … read more
