Facts The F Files: Mixtape Vol. 1 Lace Em Up Facts = Bubba Sparxx + The Agents Facts puts lyrics together as precisely as a watchmaker, and his beats and samples stick to you like flypaper slathered with honey. His remix of “Walks of Life” is 10 times better than the original, and his shout-outs
It’s clear Erin Haley is loaded with talent, and luckily, she has a great recording to promote herself. … read more
Ether Archive: Unreleased Recordings 1993–2013 8ctopus Records Street: 06.14 Ether = Grails + Sunn O))) + Can I was unfamiliar with Ether prior to receiving Archives for review. Fortunately, that unfamiliarity has been remedied. This double-disc, 20-year retrospective contains some impressively exploratory psychedelic noise, but is best heard over a few sittings—as the improvisationally long-winded
Famous Relatives Electric Signals Tush Records Street: 05.31 Famous Relatives = Phoenix + Foster the People + MGMT The combination of indie pop and electronically made beats gives Electric Signals that late-summer-afternoon-concert feel. The relaxing, synthesized vocals and blended mix of sounds in tracks like “Painted Picture” and “Sidewalks” remind me a lot of
Surprisingly dynamic, blending hard rock with a Lostprophets-esque post-hardcore sound, Eli Whitney’s debut album rocks. … read more
Experimental is the first word that came to my mind when I listened to this. It sounded like something made purely on Ableton with scattered samples and perhaps a small MIDI controller. … read more
One-man act Voltov opens Excrementum Luciferi’s debut with “Defecration (Intro),” which employs a heavily distorted, oscillating L–R speech sample for this bile-pile, raw black metal affair. … read more
Opening with the engaging instrumental “Silhouettes of the Damned,” driven by double bass drums and a blues-themed guitar solo, the mood is set when vocalist Mckae Nielsen lets out his screams. … read more
Echodog reeks with potential. With a short five-track album, these locals know how to play. Each track is rock-oriented, with the exception of “Mine,” which feels more along the lines of acoustic, alternative coffee-shop rock—not that that’s a bad thing. … read more
Producing more of their psych-tinged “gut rock,” Dwellers have doubled down on the space rock sound that they experimented with on Good Morning Harakiri. The resulting album is unbelievably laid back, sounding a lot like mid-’90s stoner rock but without the angst-driven intensity. … read more
Dustbloom = The Dillinger Escape Plan + Meshuggah … read more
Farewell, Nick Wan = Anamanaguchi + Ratatat … read more
