May 2013
Review: Sadgiqacea – False Prism
The sludgy sounds of False Prism conjure up images of grimy industrial waste, smog, litter and the general oily feeling of some of the industrialized cities on the East Coast. With that in mind, it makes this slugdefest from Philly duo Sadgiqacea all that much more sludged-up. … read more
Review: Panikk – Unbearable Conditions
Aping a classic Yankee sound with precision, finesse and a smattering of rough-hewn technicality, Slovenian (!) rippers Panikk pay bleary-eyed tribute to the golden age of Reagan-era noggin shakers, ante-upping “party thrash” contemporaries with fretboard frenetics. … read more
Review: Neon Indian – ERRATA ANNEX EP
The first three tracks on ERRATA ANNEX are very dancy and clubbish-sounding. They all have the same idea, with similar tempos and distorted clips of Neon Indian over heavily remixed original instrumentals. If you aren’t paying attention during these first three, you won’t even notice a transition; they all sort of blend together into one long 15-minute mash-up. … read more
Review: Night Club – Night Club EP
As soon as I listened to Night Club’s debut, I immediately decided it sounded almost identical to that Flight of the Conchords’ song “Fashion is Danger.” So in other words, I’m comparing it to a comedy group. … read more
Review: Moira Scar – Scarred For Life
Moira Scar is an Oakland, Cal., trio fond of wordplay—”De/Monster/A-Tiff” is the title of the opening track on Scarred for Life. That first track is a good guide for the direction the album will be taking. It starts ugly, and stays that way. … read more
Review: Lower Plenty – Hard Rubbish
The Aussie quartet Lower Plenty seem to muster up some characteristically American blues tones in Hard Rubbish. Recorded solely on eight-track reel-to-reel tape, the album has a very raw but warming feel, despite its overwhelming melancholia. … read more
Review: Legs – Pass the Ringo
Pass the Ringo sounds like vintage British Invasion rock put through a broken tape deck in a car with all the speakers blown. Using lo-fi techniques can add grunge and soul elements to an album, but Legs create a fuzzy washout of their music, making any distinct instruments difficult to pick out. … read more
Review: Junip – Junip
Behind the ghostly voice of Jose Gonzales lie the subtle psychedelics that define Junip’s new album. Gonzales’ voice never soars, but is more of a “killing them softly” approach, with light reverb. … read more
Review: InFiction – When I’m With You
I think naming their EP New Original Dance was a pretty bold move by InFiction. There really isn’t too much of anything that is original on this track list. I have this theory that once you’ve heard one or two electronic dance/trance/trip/techno/whateverthefuckyouwanttocallit songs, then you have basically heard them all. … read more
Local Reviews: King Niko
King Niko are sick as fuck. If it wasn’t enough that the songs are catchy and highly danceable, lead singer Ransom Wydner is an incredible frontman, vocally racing around a huge range and making it seem easy. … read more
Local Reviews: Son of Ian
The biggest thing that struck me after listening to this album was not any particular song, but the strong musical chops that Son of Ian put on display. Their sound has a fusion of both rock and funk.
… read more
Local Reviews: Schrei Aus Stein
This two-track EP from Schrei Aus Stein offers up some morsels of music as a precursor to the band’s upcoming third full-length, Cervin, coming soon from this one-man project, on Crucial Blast Records. With a limited release on cassette, grab this while it’s hot.
… read more
