Issues: Issue 293 - May 2013
Review: Eksi Ekso – Archfiend
Shitty bands love buzzwords, like art-pop and hyper-sexualized; these guys have nothing but buzzwords. I feel like the lead singer was in a Hoobastank tribute band, and this is his attempt to stay relevant. I honestly can’t tell if it is satire. … read more
Review: Dirtyphonics – Irreverence
Dirtyphonics are a French EDM quartet who have been bursting onto the scene since the major success of their hit single, “French Fuck.” These four guys (Charly, Pho, Thomas and Pitchin) pull influence from metal bands, and it’s obvious when listening to their debut album. … read more
Review: Dead Ending – DE II
This second EP by Dead Ending pairs Aritcles of Faith’s Vic Bondi’s grinding voice with an all-star cast of punk musicians. The end result is a furious, aggressive and lightning-quick batch of songs that straddle the line between 80s hardcore and modern punk. … read more
Review: Deathfix – Self-Titled
Let’s face it—no one’s favorite member of Fugazi is Brendan Canty. Hell, even the guy’s mother probably prefers Guy Picciotto. Yet here we are with the self-titled release by Canty’s glam band, Deathfix. And glam is the correct description, even if the music tends to deal with weightier subject matter than anything Slade ever put out. … read more
Review: Destroy This Place – Destroy This Place
If Destroy this Place came out in the late ’90s or early ’00s, it would have been cozy snuggling up between Ozma and Green Day on my CD rack. Musically, not much sets this album apart from earlier power-pop, but vocally, a few tracks stand out. … read more
Review: Davey Suicide – Self-Titled
I don’t know when the metal kids started making industrial music, or when the rivets started headbanging. Maybe it was always so, but I swear, when I was in school, the twain never met except to fight. That is no more, and there’s no better proof than on this eponymous album: 14 tracks of nuclear metal crossed with industrial distortion and quite a few bad words, oh my! … read more
Review: Crime and the City Solution – American Twilight
Critics’ darlings who never quite made the mainstream grade back in the early 1990s, Crime are back with their first release in 20-plus years. … read more
Review: Como Asesinar A Felipes – Comenzara de Nuevo
Comenzara de Nuevo, or Begin Again, is the mind-blowing US debut of progressive Chilean hybrid Como Asesinar A Felipes. Combining elements of hip hop and jazz with an underlying Latin-American flair, this album is full of complex layers and a strong message of change. … read more
Review: Cayucas – Bigfoot
Bigfoot is an album full of summer anthems. The songs are a mix of laid-back beach-pop and faster tropical rhythms that literally melt away my stress. Frontman Zach Yudin’s lyrical flow, matched with the percussion and bass lines, give this music the most subtle hip-hop touch. Overall, the album is completely soulful. … read more
Review: Chandler Travis Three-O – This is What Bears Look...
Intermittently instrumental, in my opinion, is always a benefit when an album features more than five instruments. Compared to Chandler Travis’ concurrent venture with Catbirds, This is What Bears Look Like Underwater comes off a lot less forced. … read more