July 2013
Review: Woodrowgerber – In The Beginning
Woodrowgerber (aka Chad Gerber) is an acquaintance you want to like—he’s sometimes charming, and occasionally has interesting things to say, but for whatever reason, you hate him. … read more
Review: Yard of Blondes – Murderology
“This is a love song from my heart to the grave,” is a quote from “Murderology” (the first track) that estimates the theme of this album in one assertion—Yard of Blondes are infatuated with death. … read more
Review: White Fence – Cyclops Recap
Lou Reed and his bunch made noise-rock famous in the late ’60s with their first album. Their second release, Loaded, was full of sunny melodies, excluding the raucous white noise. The man behind White Fence, Tim Presley, has created an album that plays like a fusion of the aforementioned albums, with a little “Crimson and Clover” and a hint of Western. … read more
Review: Witches Of God – Blood Of Others
Lord, just try to write about one of these bands without a Sab comparison. You can’t! … read more
Review: Two Hours Traffic – Foolish Blood
On this fourth album from Canada’s Two Hours Traffic, it’s safe to say they’ve taken their ability to create breezy and catchy pop-rock to the next level. … read more
Review: Ulfer – White Mountain
Ahhh… one of these. You know, sweeping soundscapes and an oh-so Icelandic dose of studied aural ambivalence that’s supposed to concoct awe-inspiring sonic portraits of mountains, glaciers, frost-encrusted forest temples home to cherubic pixies, ice queens and … you know. Icelandic stuff. … read more
Review: Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires Of The City
Modern Vampires of the City is truly a coming of age album that feels like VW made for themselves, more than their audience … read more
Review: Various Artists – Sticks Over My Shoulder
In the late 70s, documentary maker George Mitchell traveled the back roads of Georgia searching out the remaining bluesmen who could still play … read more
Review: Vermouth – RetroFuture Pop Exotica
The cover of this album is a good hint as to what to expect from this album: Justine Kragen sits on a barstool dressed in all black with fishnet tights, as Steve McDonald stands behind a tiki-bar with a tiki-torch and tiki-lights, toucans, maracas, while an overabundance of the color maroon surrounds them. … read more
Review: Touche – It’s Fate
Apparently “singer” Alex Lilly and instrumentalist/vocalist Bram Inscore, who comprise this girl/boy LA duo, didn’t do their research when picking a name for their group. … read more
Review: True Widow – Circumambulation
Compared to As High As the Highest Heavens and from the Center of the Circumference of the Earth, Circumambulation proceeds with sparser guitar and deliberate bass, beginning the slow burner as such with “Creeper.” … read more
Review: The Brains – The Monster Within
Psychobilly has an inherent problem in that the genre is a formula. Punk mixed with rockabilly decorated with horror imagery. Now by the time most bands have achieved those three elements they don’t seem to look beyond them, and that’s where the genre has become stagnant. Very few bands have been able to break the mold like The Brains. These Canadian psychos play at break neck speeds, but in some unholy way are still able to keep their songs highly melodic. … read more
