Music
Local Review: Gothen – Self-Titled
What can you say about a local album that measures closely to established contemporary acts like Grizzly Bear? It’s clear who Gothen’s influences are, but it’s also clear they understand how to develop fine music rather than mimic it. … read more
Local Review: The Beehive Compilation – Volume 1
The collection includes some local favorites that I am familiar with, like King Niko, and surprised me with quite a few that I was not. It’s a great selection of indie and alternative styles, including pop rock, pop punk, folk, electronic, a bit of rap/hip hop and even a dash of female mojo (via The Blue Aces, Kitfox, Ashlee Woo, Summer Lasts Forever). … read more
Local Review: AODL – Arsenblotz 63
Before I go any further, let it be known that I am in no way the world’s foremost expert on noise/power electronics/industrial. Quite the opposite, in fact. However, good music (noise?) is good music, and I like what I like … and I like this release from AODL. … read more
Review: Wordsmith – The Blue Collar Recital
His flow is clean with simple drumbeats and keys, looped with soulful samples that bump the tracks to an almost gospel status. The “day in a life” approach makes The Blue Collar Recital personal and powerful without being over the top. … read more
Review: Widowspeak – The Swamps EP
It doesn’t seem to be a coincidence that The Swamps’ release date is just a few days before Halloween. Spiderwebbed banjo layered with Molly Hamilton’s blustery, beautiful vocals and crisp, distant guitar riffs make this a quintessential fall release. … read more
Review: Warmaster – The End of Humanity
Chunky, even what I’d describe as blocky, riffs dominate the album, with a bottom-end filled out by a syrupy thick bass sound continuously rip out the riffs to satisfy any old school death metal fan’s palate. … read more
Review: The Vibrators – Greatest Punk Hits
Countless punk bands have covered these songs, some of which I didn’t even know where originally Vibrator tunes. I suggest you listen to this album first, then listen to some songs by The Clash, then some songs by The Undertones, and from there, you’ll get a nice overview of what punk was like in the mid-70s. … read more
Review: Ty Segall – Sleeper
The unceasing energy and “up yours” attitude for which I’ve come to love Ty Segall is not what this album’s about. What I’ve found instead is a more mature Segall, basically the man and his real problems behind the usual curtain of fuzz and shouting. … read more
Review: Two Cow Garage – The Death of the Self...
The whole album’s forte is their cynical yet often poetic lyrics. “Mantle in ’56” is a slower, blues-based ballad in which Schnabel compares his life to that of the New York Yankees’ most valuable player circa 1956, Mickey Mantle. I enjoyed this album—it’s very upbeat and has that classic ’90s punk rock sound in it. … read more
Review: Traams – Grin
Krautrock by way of Chichester, England with a dusting of American math rock in it’s blood, Traams stand in good post-punker company (along with say Parquet Courts and Disappears) by making honest-to-god indie ROCK with a serrated, post millennial edge. … read more
Review: Toxic Holocaust – Chemistry of Consciousness
I was pleased to hear that Joel Grind didn’t take Chemistry of Consciousness in the way that Conjure and Command hinted at, which, for me, might have been cultic stoner-thrash, but staunchly returned to volatile, acidic ooze and frantic bloodlust. … read more
Review: Tough Age – Self-Titled
There’s a lot to like about Tough Age. They’ve got a nice surf-rock vibe with a dash of angst pulled right from a dingy garage. The whole album has an old-fashioned sound as warm as old tube amps and the band travels over a lot of terrain. This album is a great sonic trip up the coast. … read more
