Nothing induces a hypnotic state of relaxation like pulses of the gentle, vibrato Wurlitzer notes that fill Lionize. In fact, the dreamlike Wurlitzer, along with a clean acoustic guitar, make up the majority of the album’s instrumentation. … read more
Review: Teengirl Fantasy – Nun EP
This duo, comprised of Logan Takahashi and Nicholas Weiss, make quite a cohesive pair. “Eric” stands out to me as the strongest track on this EP, launching into a heavy drum and bass breakdown. Nun EP is fairly mellow and more downbeat, which ends up working as either a perfect warm-up or cool-down to an evening. … read more
Review: Talvihorros – Eaten Alive
This album is full of pretty and cute melodies made weird by distortions and reverbs. Almost every single track consisted of me saying, “Oh, hey this is nice” to “Oh wait, weird as fuck” within a five-second time frame. It’s especially prominent in the track “Four Walls,” with consistent clockwork ticking in the background with threatening melodies slowly fading in. … read more
Review: Suffering in Solitude – A Place Apart
Too much time is spent plucking out guitar overtones and delay-heavy arpeggios. These guys have a lot of room to grow, but if you like your metal tinged with shoegaze, you’ll probably enjoy A Place Apart nonetheless. … read more
Review: Sun Kil Moon – Benji
Mark Kozelek has made a record so confrontational and real, you have to admire it even when it’s a bit much. It’s about how the things that seem “uncool” in life are often what make it worthwhile—a bold, artistic vision that can be a real bummer, honestly. … read more
Review: Superchunk – I Hate Music
It’s a quarter-century since founding the band and starting the Merge Records label, and their rapid-fire pop-punk hasn’t slowed down on this release. The unlikely ode to the Jamaican musician, producer and member of The Skatalites who passed away in 1990 should have been the sing-along pop radio staple of the year. But then, this sound doesn’t have a year—it’s just timeless. … read more
Review: Teenage Bottlerocket – American Deutsch Bag
On “Ich bin Ausländer und Spreche Nicht Gut Deutsch,” they uphold their pop punk style by saying one line throughout the whole song—only this time it’s in German. They then cut to the fast-paced, 60-second, pro-pot track, “I’m the One Smoking Marijuana Motherfucker,” with lyrics emphasizing their juvenile-delinquent mentality. … read more
Review: Temples – Sun Structures
Temples falls into a very long line of bands who have traveled down the psych-pop-rock path in an attempt to capture groovy, spaced-out hearts full of love. With a refreshing sound that’s a bit more crisp, they just might be able to do it. … read more
Review: Suzanne Vega – Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles
“Black is the truth/of my situation/and for those of my station/In life/all other colors lie,” Vega ominously sings on the thrillingly catchy “I Never Wear White,” one of many highs on this, her eighth studio album. … read more
Review: The Alvaret Ensemble, Kira Kira, Eiríkur Orri Ólaffson, Ingri Garar Erlendsson, Borgar Magnason – Skeylja
The Skeylja project is a collaboration featuring the Berlin-based Alvaret Ensemble, who traveled to Iceland to practice and play with several prominent musicians in the avant-garde/post-classical tradition (a genre which Iceland seems to foster). … read more
Review: The Apache Relay – Self-Titled
The Apache Relay, despite sporting a pretty badass (I don’t use the term lightly) and foreboding name, are actually twee in nature. As such, they are subject to the usual comparisons: Grizzly Bear, Fleet Foxes, and to some extent, Blitzen Trapper. … read more
Review: Sleepmakeswaves – Love of Cartography
Sleepmakeswaves = Explosions in the Sky + Russian Circles + Dntel … read more
