“Don’t want to not fit in in the wrong way” sings Shawn Brown on Red Hare’s debut, kicking style over substance square in the balls. Nothing less should be expected of a punk veteran like Brown, or the rest of Red Hare. Although technically a debut, Red Hare is essentially Swiz/Sweetbelly Freakdown with a new drummer, the raging Joe Gorelick (Bluetip). … read more
Review: Royal Canoe – Today We’re Believers
This album starts right off sounding a bit like a carnival: a spectacular explosion of energy and sound, music and noise. In line with some of the best in the experimental rock genre, … read more
Review: Royal Trux – 3-Song EP
The utilitarian title of 3-Song EP (originally released in 1998) contains no lies and no lollygagging. The EP contains 3 songs. “Deafer Than Blind,” the minimalistic first third of the EP, begins with a slow, heavily reverberated drumbeat that remains steady to the end of the song. … read more
Review: Radiation City – Animals In The Median
As the first track, “Zombies” began, my imagination pranced to a breezy field of poppy blossoms in the Pacific Northwest. … read more
Review: Rise Against – RPM10
Rise Against is a staple of modern punk rock, and it’s unlikely that anybody has survived this long without hearing them mentioned somewhere. … read more
Review: Safety Scissors – In A Manner Of Sleeping
Safety Scissors/Matthew Patterson Curry (MPC!) enviably went from art school to a successful career in electronic music, with a host of international festival appearances and respectable peers supporting his work. … read more
Review: Red Temple Spirits – Self-Titled
Red Temple Spirits have been around for a long time, but you wouldn’t know unless you were already a fan. … read more
Review: Roger Eno/Plumbline – Endless City/Concrete Garden
I’ll answer your question right now: Yes, Roger Eno is the brother of ambient giant Brian Eno, and yes, this album could very well fit as the soundtrack to a dark, dramatic, experimental film. … read more
Review: Red Fang – Whales & Leeches
Somehow, Red Fang has become louder. They have become heavier. They have become more bad ass. Red Fang is more Red Fang than Red Fang has ever been. … read more
Review: Rich Quick – Sad Songz
This white boy from New Jersey lays down upbeat, borderline hip-pop with groovy samples. Quick has charisma in his musicianship, offering an approachability that is at his advantage. … read more
Review: Quasi – Mole City
Rock n’ roll is about excess, not precision or scholastic adherence to tradition or, RockGods forbid, discipline. It does take some kind of discipline, or something, to make music with an ex-spouse, as do Sam Coomes and Janet Weiss of Quasi. … read more
Review: Richard X. Heyman – X
Every track has the same folky, calming tone, with Heyman’s bastardized mix of Bob Dylan’s and Paul Wellar’s melodic vocals. One exception, “Compass,” is made up of heavier guitar riffs, and Heyman provides harsher vocals that make for harder pop rock n’ roll. … read more