This would be perfect for the road trip to Burning Man, or for any fire performance, as it is packed with tribal drum beats, grungy guitar riffs and a pinch of spaghetti Western twang. The lyrics carry you away and make you think. … read more
Review: Noir – Darkly Near
This release is packed with archaic, simplistic synthesized sounds reminiscent of the ’80s. The remaining dark tracks provoke the cobweb-clearing dance movement, which is a bit too “goth” for me. I do know that those who are truly black at heart will love it. … read more
Review: Natural Child – Dancin’ With Wolves
Is this the Return of the Grievous Angel? Not quite. While the broad strokes of Cosmic American Music are present here, Natural Child come well short of Gram Parson’s territory, instead sounding like the fat trimmed off Exile on Main St. being gargled by Tom Petty. … read more
Review: My Education – 5 Popes
This is as post-rock as you can get—intricate guitar melodies, heart-racing riffs, stereotypical drumbeats. Stereotypes aren’t bad, though, and My Education execute what they want so well through their music. … read more
Review: NOFX – Stoke Extinguisher
I’m not going to try and convince you to like NOFX—if you’ve been around this music at all, then you know who they are and what they do, but this EP is them doing it at their best. … read more
Review: Neneh Cherry – Blank Project
You might be surprised to know that Neneh Cherry’s 1988 record, Raw Like Sushi, is bad as fuck. Still, I’m not losing my cool over the prospect of a new record by her. … read more
Review: New Bums – Voices in a Rented Room
Alt-folk artists typically depend on limited methods of composition when fleshing out their songs. Some focus on telling emblematic stories to carry their creative substance (until another artist tells the same story better) and others fall on the crutch of political critiques (which will immediately filter out non-fans). … read more
Review: NØMADS – Free My Animal
NØMADS are a two-piece consisting of bassist Nathan Lithgow (from My Brightest Diamond and Inlets) and drummer Garth Macleavey, both of whom are set on maximizing the most sound with their limited size—and doing it all in a single take of recording. … read more
Review: Nostalghia – Chrysalis
Nostalghia’s Chrysalis is an otherworldly, eerie combination of intense vocals and uneasily calm synth. The delicate vocals harness an underlying aspect of intensity that slowly builds as the album takes shape. … read more
Review: New God – Firework
New God = Elliott Smith x Birds of Tokyo + Mac DeMarco … read more
Review: Nunslaughter – Angelic Dread
Nunslaugter = Carcass + Necrophagia + Splatterhouse … read more
Review: Merchandise – After the End
Merchandise = Echo & the Bunnymen + The Chameleons … read more
