Issues: Issue 297 - September 2013
Local Review: Benjamin Dara – Single Flame
Benjamin Dara Single Flame Self-Released Street: 02.18 Benjamin Dara = Dispatch + Enya + Jack Johnson Benjamin Dara’s debut release begins with a music-box-like piano riff, leading into a mystical
Reviews: Centuries – Taedium Vitae
Floridan Swedeath-ers play at misanthropy with latin song titles, stark imagery and the hum-drum casserole of D-beat, doom and crust topping most bearded blogger “best of” lists. … read more
Reviews: Boards of Canada – Tomorrow’s Harvest
As a record, Tomorrow’s Harvest falls back into familiar sounds that have made them a touchstone in contemporary music: decaying, VHS transfer textures, drawn-out synth melodies, understated beats, the occasional guitar line or serrated arpeggio and obscure sampling of robotics long gone by. … read more
Reviews: These Animals – Pages
These “pages” nod back to late ‘90s alternative indie/emo. The problem is: That’s a place I don’t prefer to go. … read more
Reviews: Turn Me On Dead Man – We Are The...
The new age mysticism concepts on We Are The Star People comes off as too contrived, the riffs are too cut-and-dried (especially when paired with the band’s Marc Bolan and George Harrison influences) and the lyrics sound like drivel spewed from a smug yuppie backpacking in India. … read more
Reviews: The Memories – Love is the Law
Erik Gage and Kyle Handley use The Memories as a vehicle to express sunny dispositions, drug-dazed sentiments and other elements that can’t be shrieked in the syntax of their preceding punk band, White Fang. … read more
Reviews: The Garden – The Life and Times of a...
The Garden write some very interesting riffs. In fact, both the drum work and the guitar work on “The Life and Times of a Paperclip” feature some surprisingly progressive moments—an interesting departure from the simple garage-style fare which Burger Records are known for. … read more
Local Review: Candid Coyote – Blessed Be Those Who Weep
Candid Coyote Blessed Be Those Who Weep Self-Released Street: 04.14 Candid Coyote = Townes Van Zandt + Gram Parsons One of the great challenges a solo musician faces is to
Reviews: Chixdiggit! – Double Diggits!
Featuring remastered copies of their second and third albums, the 1998-released Born On The First of July and the 2000-released From Scene To Shining Scene, as well as bonus demos, Double Diggits! is one disc and 32 songs worth of classic pop-punk. … read more
Reviews: Boys Noize – Go Hard EP
My favorite track, “Go Hard,” uses a sample off of Kreayshawn’s “Go Hard (La,La,La)” track from her Somethin’ Bout Kreay album. … read more