September 2013
Reviews: GWAR – Battle Maximus
GWAR are metal to the teeth, even if you count their dabbling in punk rock and other musical diversions. … read more
Reviews: Ghost Wave – Ages
Everyone loves songs about getting drunk and breaking stuff, romanticizing self-destructive behavior like a poorly written Bukowski novel. This album gives me none of those feelings—it is about as visceral as a Ryan Adams song. … read more
Reviews: Get Dead – Bad News
Intense, growling vocals swoon wonderfully over heavy acoustic rhythm instrumentation and an electric lead guitar. … read more
Reviews: Gauntlet Hair – Stills
It starts with “Human Nature,” a fist-pumper with an awesome build-up to a glorious hook. What follows is a collection of songs that are grungy, crystalline, sexy and ugly. … read more
Reviews: Front Line Assembly – Echogenetic
Returning somewhat to their early 1990s sound, but with a detour through dubstep—it’s sort of impossible not to get that particular peanut butter wub in your electronic chocolate these days—Echogenetic is a very workable, even strong bit of electronic industrial/ebm. … read more
Local Review: Young Yet Brilliant Sleuths/Guides & Braves – Self-Titled...
Young Yet Brilliant Sleuths/Guides & Braves Self-Titled Split Self-Released Street: 06.04 YYBS/Guides & Braves = Imbroco + Real Estate + Track Star It is weird that this split record sounds vintage to me. As vintage as, say, the early aughts, when emo fractured into two very disparate camps. Both YYBS and Guides & Braves follow
Local Review: The Red Light Commandos – Self-Titled
The Red Light Commandos Self-Titled Self-Released Street: 06.02 The Red Light Commandos = Incubus + The Mars Volta I am incredibly torn on how to represent this album. With heavy, blues-influenced progressive rock, soft and soothing vocal stylings sound both forced and discordant. For moments in every song, you can hear the vocalist singing in
Local Review: The Vision – Love Propaganda
The Vision Love Propaganda Self-Released Street: 05.02 The Vision = Tracy Chapman + Sublime + Fleetwood Mac The Vision present a wonderful six-song EP of funk and reggae-infused folk rock—a delicious cake of music frosted with the warm, sultry vocals of Chandra Marie. It’s not an album that sounds like any other album, per
Local Review: The Lazy Waves – Spring Fling
The Lazy Waves Spring Fling Self-Released Street: 04.23 The Lazy Waves = Danger Mouse + Daniele Luppi + Electric Guest The last we heard from Daniel Fischer—aka Fisch—and company, we were gifted a delightful holiday track on Christmas Eve 2011. Their latest offering is the lush, mesmerizing, sexy-as-shit three-track Spring Fling. The laid-back, beat-driven track,
Local Review: Temples – Self-Titled
Temples Self-Titled Self-Released Street: 05.17 Temples = Ghosts & Vodka + Don Caballero Hailing from Provo, Temples are a four-piece post-rock/math rock ensemble that goes against the grain as far as traditional guitar structures go. Upon first listen to their EP, it’s easy to extract that they are purists in their craft as they
Local Review: Skellum – Boxelders
Skellum Boxelders Self-Released Street: 05.28 Skellum = Infected Mushroom + Beats Antique Although a few of the songs on the album sound as if Zelda magically appeared in a rave, it is very well made and has a smooth, experimental electronic sound. The details in songs like “Covert Operations” and “Moments” make the album
Local Review: Spell Talk – Rough
Spell Talk Rough Self-Released Street: 09.26.12 Spell Talk = Black Keys + De Stijl–era White Stripes It’s too bad Spell Talk broke up following this release, because their down n’ dirty rock n’ roll went straight for the guts and would’ve won a “vintage sound” contest any day. Rough has a distinguished, antique sound that’s
