Straight up, this album will be playing when your soul goes through purgatory and wanders wistfully from heaven to hell. Fully ambient music is not my cup of tea, but this is something I’d listen to if I wanted to have a drug-induced, life-changing experience. … read more
Review: Secret Boyfriend – This Is Always Where You’ve Lived
It’s a strange, varied affair, playing like a lost soundtrack to something doomed, yet beautiful. The music ranges from synth-based melody and filtered noise (“Summer Wheels/ Mysterious Fires”), to tape-hiss-laden acoustic ballads. … read more
Review: Scott H. Biram – Nothin’ But Blood
Songs like his cover of “Backdoor Man” will put you on your ass. Biram, to me, has become the Southern roots music modern Hemingway, expressing honestly the dark parts of this life like only he can. … read more
Review: Sally Seltmann – Hey Daydreamer
Hey Daydreamer is an album full of theatrics. Not only is the instrumentation elaborate, with emphasis on the horns and percussion, but the overall feeling I get from listening to this is uplifting, as she sings about finding strength in independence, throwing out bad influences and living with your mistakes. … read more
Review: Signals Midwest – Light on the Lake
I wouldn’t be surprised if bands like Signals Midwest, The Front Bottoms and other emo-revivalists start getting serious radio play in two years or so. Their mathy rhythms, straightforward guitar-work and harmony-laden vocals are just screaming radio potential. … read more
Review: September Girls – Cursing the Sea
This full-length debut album is a DIY-style reverb mash-up of ’60s girl groups and ’80s New Wave, and comes from Dublin noise pop group September Girls. … read more
Review: Secret Smoker – Terminal Architecture
Proudly declaring themselves as the torchbearers of “passionate ’emo’… before the shopping malls got a hold of the genre,” Secret Smoker know exactly what they’re going for and they firmly hit that bullseye. … read more
Review: Septicflesh – Titan
Septicflesh had a hard task to make something greater than their last record, The Great Mass. Titan is a more than appropriate title for the epically epic damned ninth album from the Greek metal masters. … read more
Review: S.O.A. – First Demo 12/29/80
State of Alert (S.O.A.) is one of the unsung heroes of the Washington, D.C. hardcore scene. They were a flash in the pan, existing for less than a year before disbanding in the summer of 1981. Led by a 19-year-old Henry Rollins, they recorded eight songs.
… read more
Review: Ramona Lisa – Arcadia
Ramona Lisa Arcadia Terrible Street: 04.15 Ramona Lisa = Space Project + St. Vincent / Little Dragon Chairlift frontwoman, Caroline Polacheck, frequents an alternate universe known as Arcadia, inspired by European landscapes and the intricate beauties of insects. Her solo debut is an invitation to explore this realm, her offering of worthy art in the
Review: Rudi Protrudi – Unfuzzed (Live)
Rudi Protrudi = Howlin’ Wolf + Bo Diddley … read more
Review: Sacrificio – Sacrificio MLP
Sacrificio = Bathory + Hellhammer + Sarcofago … read more