Although I can’t say exactly what I was expecting from this record, I have to say, other than its oddball appeal, the jovial seasonal tunes didn’t really scratch the itch I got when I first heard about this project. … read more
Here are two European punk bands, firmly rooted in the Oi! traditions of writing solid (if not a teensy bit derivative) songs about braces, boots, beers, birds and (foot)ball. … read more
Ben Asbury is the man behind Axxa/Abraxas and the newest addition to the Captured Tracks roster. Producer Jarvis Taveniere, of Brooklyn psych band Woods, lends his skills but unintentionally casts his shadow over the album. … read more
Let’s get easy comparisons out of the way—Bailterspace are often compared to certain American alternative bands from the angry alt ’80s and it’s not difficult to hear why on Trinine—Alister Parker’s monotonous singing and vicious guitar playing sounds so close to both Thurston Moore and J. Mascis. … read more
Asheru delivers his vision of global African unity in Sleepless in Soweto, and if it weren’t for the blending of rapid-fire rhymes combined with elements of Afro-beat and American hip-hop, I would have been bored by the amount of R&B present in this album. … read more
Ass to Mouth take the groove-oriented grind approach, which is nice to have some tight riffs that remain in memory. “Sentenced to Grind” and “Drunk & Stoned” give the goods by way of meat-falling-off-the-bone riffs.
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Somewhere between deadmau5 bass drops, the high-timbred soul of Donna Summer and the ragged guitar riffs of The Kills, you might find Arum Rae (formerly White Dress). … read more
One of pagan metal’s best kept secrets is Moscow’s Arkona, who make every studio offering an epic one. Yav, the band’s seventh full-length album, is out to conquer all. It plays out as one of the band’s darkest offerings since Ot Serdtsa K Nebu. … read more
Normally, I really enjoy softer forms of punk rock—as long as there is enough emotion in the lyrics and music, it always keeps me enthralled. Unfortunately, this album doesn’t grab me in the same way that Off With Their Heads or The Riverboat Gamblers did when I first listened to them. … read more
Austra = Trust + Grimes … read more
Aurelio Valle Acme Power Transmission Nuevo Leon Street: 03.30 Acme Power Transmission= Timber Timbre / Julian Casablancas + Dirty Beaches In order to appreciate the depth of this album, it’s important to understand a bit of Aurelio Valle’s background. He’s a Texas native, but he’s spent the last several years in Brooklyn, where this album
Ark Life = Alabama Shakes + The Allman Brothers + a John Prine ballad … read more
