December 2004
Review: Unleashed – Sworn Allegiance
Unleashed Sworn Allegiance Century Media Sworn Allegiance is the 7th studio album from Unleashed in their 15 years as a band. I never got into these guys in the past because I always considered their output as sub-par. Surprisingly enough to me, I actually enjoyed Sworn Allegiance. This album isn’t great by any means, nor
Review: The Violettes – Self-Titled
THE VIOLETTES THE VIOLETTES www.theviolettes.com From the opening rolling cascades of sound of “Blue Hearted Fool,” it is quite clear that The Violettes are a shoegaze delight with fantastic production that allows for the chaos of sound to swell without giving the songs a cheap wash of undefined sound. That is, until the groove kicks
Review: The Occasion – Self-Titled
THE OCCASION THE OCCASION Say Hey Records From the haunting opening of “The Midwife,” you know you’re being kidnapped and there isn’t anything you can do about it. Hailing from New York and having opened for band as diverse as Interpol, The Unicorns and Franz Ferdinand, The Occasion sound nothing like their surroundings. Where there
Review: The Lamb Of God – Ashes Of The Wake
The Lamb Of God Ashes Of The Wake EPIC The Lamb of God precision attack is honed and ready to destroy everything in its…wake. Ashes Of The Wake is the latest from L.O.G., and like its predecessor, As The Palaces Burn (2003), Ashes… is comfortably situated as one of the best albums of the year.
Review: The Coffee Kids – Dangerous Frequencies
THE COFFEE KIDS “DANGEROUS FREQUENCIES” MN2S Records Causing quite a stir among the likes of Miguel Migs, Sandy Rivera and Brian Tappert, this jazz-filled flight will engage you on an energetic journey to club land. Produced by Cricco Castelli (coffee king) and Gavin ‘Face’ Mills (Copyright), this full-blooded house groove reminds me of a hybrid
Review: Silver Sunshine – Self-Titled
SILVER SUNSHINE SILVER SUNSHINE Empyrean Records Silver Sunshine are a delightful little group of San Diego musicians that are clearly in love with psychedelic pop. They’re quite talented, have some good hooks here and there and capture the sound that the Stone Roses used on their Second Coming release, but in this case, you can’t
Review: Motel Creeps – Pleasantries In The Parlor EP
MOTEL CREEPS PLEASANTRIES IN THE PARLOR EP www.motelcreeps.com “Moon Boots” sways in as a Bunnymen jam with a slightly more animated Interpol flavor. I’m not blown away, but I’m pleased with the combination of warm guitars and distant vocals. The remaining tracks, “City Girl,” “Gun for Hire,” and “Ocean Storm” are solid but not nearly
Review: Mothboy – The Fears
MOTHBOY THE FEARS Ad Noiseam 5/5 Two or three tracks into The Fears, thoughts immediately went to Jack Dangers of Meat Beat Manifesto and to Scorn’s Mick Harris. The music is distinctly different from both, but the influences seem so obvious. Onto my research, I discovered that Mothboy’s Simon Smerdon lists both as influences and
Review: Lost Sounds – Self-Titled
LOST SOUNDS LOST SOUNDS In the Red Records This album is exactly what electroclash should be defined as: edgy and recklessly punky with a dash of synthpop dropped in for good measure. Lost Sounds sounds like the new Le Tigre release after you’ve pulled out the slick production and replaced it with gargling guitars, smashing
Review: Laibach – Anthems And The Videos
LAIBACH ANTHEMS AND THE VIDEOS Mute 5/5 Laibach is an act that has surpassed the test of time. The Slovenian, multi-media act came into exsistence in 1980, and proved to be controversial before ever releasing an album or performing a show. Dressed in Yugoslav army uniforms with specially designed insignias on the arm bands,
Review: Jon Cutler Feat. Pete Simpson – Runnin’
JON CUTLER FEAT. PETE SIMPSON “RUNNIN’” MN2S Records Cut from the stone of New York’s concrete jungle, this gem of a track, in its soulful and deep glitter, is more than a promise. Produced by Jon Cutler and featuring the smooth vocals of Pete Simpson, this lover of groove includes keyboards from Mike Patto (Reel
Review: Juke Joint – Baby Don’t Cry
JUKE JOINT “BABY DON’T CRY” Look At You Records From Denver’s Look at You Records, we have the latest release from this superb label. Featuring the vocal talent of Earl Bennett, this modern-day percussive ride takes you on an “old school” feel. Comparable to early recordings by Murk and Kings of Tomorrow (KOT), this
