Issues: Issue 304 - April 2014
Review: Pink Mountaintops – Get Back
Vancouver indie post-punk (for lack of a better term) band Pink Mountaintops’ past members include members of everything from experimental bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor to psych troupes The Warlocks to the heavy purveyors Black Mountain. … read more
Review: Plateau Below – Still Paradise
“Eris” opens this album with the driving mantras and quiet anxiety you heard from Modest Mouse on the Lonesome and Crowded West, though Plateau keeps it rounded with an almost Syd Barrett-esque psychedelic flourish. … read more
Review: Protomartyr – Under Color of Official Right
The intro to Under Color of Official Right might trick you into thinking you’re listening to neo-beach music on par with The Drums. Although the surf-reverberated guitar continues through the first track, the lyrics—sounding as if they’re sung through inflamed vocal chords—shatter the expectations of the surf rock genre. … read more
Review: PUP – Self-Titled
With an even blend of punk, indie and garage rock, PUP have created a sound all to themselves with their self-titled debut. An overall enticing album, it employs heavy distortion contrasting with lighter, cleaner vocals playing both fast and slow when appropriate. … read more
Review: Overlake – Sighs
The opening track (aptly titled “First”) is sleepy and cinematic, a dramatic yet understated introduction to an album that attempts to walk the fine line between indie and post-rock. … read more
Review: Patrick Sexx – The Shadow That Took Shape
Patrick Sexx created an album that sounds like a coloring book from an alternate reality. The title track has a slow synth accompanied by an upbeat chorus of backing vocals, which create a friendly atmosphere that sounds like a waking dream. … read more
Review: Perfect Pussy – Say Yes To Love
Say the name five times fast, snicker, then fuck off: Perfect Pussy is out to eviscerate your woeful self-critique with heart, humor and critical punk-rrrriot. … read more
Review: Phantogram – Voices
Voices is one of those strange albums that tricks listeners into thinking it’s nothing special at first glance. Obviously, that wasn’t the intention the New York duo had in mind for their sophomore album, but the fact is you have to give this one a chance beyond the first pass. … read more
Review: Neneh Cherry – Blank Project
You might be surprised to know that Neneh Cherry’s 1988 record, Raw Like Sushi, is bad as fuck. Still, I’m not losing my cool over the prospect of a new record by her. … read more
Review: New Bums – Voices in a Rented Room
Alt-folk artists typically depend on limited methods of composition when fleshing out their songs. Some focus on telling emblematic stories to carry their creative substance (until another artist tells the same story better) and others fall on the crutch of political critiques (which will immediately filter out non-fans). … read more