Music
Essays, blog posts, playlists, and more focused broadly on music. For more playlists visit my Spotify profile.
- The Noisettes “Three Moods of the Noisettes” EP Review ()
The Noisettes, hailing from London, have a lot of hype to live up to this year. NME has called them “One of rock n’ roll’s best kept secrets.” URB magazine listed Three Moods of the Noisettes as a 4-star recording. And recently Bloc Party drummer, Matt Tong, said that The Noisettes were the best gig […]
- Leftöver Crack Interview ()
From the ruins of the self proclaimed squat-core band Choking Victim emerged the ska & punk influenced Leftöver Crack, and the band continues to persevere through political persecution, corporate neglect and personal tragedy. I had the opportunity to ask a few questions of lead singer, Stza, and he was gracious enough to take some time […]
- Monochrome ()
Heralded as “brain-pop,” Germany’s Monochrome resemble more of a systematic picking & choosing of modern rock elements…OK, brain-pop will do. Marc Calmbach and Ahlie Schaubel’s dueling vocals blend together seamlessly, adding both depth and breadth to the already driving landscape. I find it irritating when a band exerts too much energy in either a) modifying […]
- Viva l’American Death Ray Music ()
Accolades…ah yes, they come and we take them with a grain of salt. However true that statement may be, when The Hives front man “Howlin’” Pelle Almqvist remarks “the singer sounds just like Lou Reed and is as good as Lou Reed,” you might want to heed warn. New York City’s Viva l’American Death Ray […]
- The Meligrove Band ()
Mississauga’s Meligrove Band started up roughly eight years ago in a scene described by drummer Darcy Rego as “if you played shows in Mississauga you were playing in a lineup of 1,000 shitty pop-punk bands playing covers.” Coincidentally Billy Talent emerged from the scene and found fame instead of The Meligrove Band. I’ve never understood […]
- ¡Forward, Russia! ()
With an electro-punk flurry ¡Forward, Russia! siphons the English-flavor out post-hardcore and tweaks it into fuzz-driven dance rock. With frantic shrieks, crushing melodies and offbeat timing, ¡Forward, Russia! recognize the tender size to recent hardcore uprisings. The Leeds-based band’s unsettled nature spurs their jolting songs with heavenly guitar and keyboard tangents. Check the band out […]
- A Passing Feeling “A Passing Feeling” EP Review ()
Touted as indie-punk, A Passing Feeling’s 5 song – 14 minute EP reflects those sentiments in spirit alone upon first glance. The band’s sound can be harnessed through the lead track, “A Book of Matches,” one of the best on the recording. Its lighthearted, bouncy beat connects band’s whiskey-soaked enthusiasm with the remainder of the […]
- One Umbrella ()
One Umbrella is a two piece experimental duo from Austin, Texas whose repertoire weaves dreamy ambient through instrumental improvisation. Creating a sense of indefinability, the band’s music ranges from soft electronic touching on proto-industrial to raw shredding guitar. [This post was first published by Culture Bully.]
- The Rakes ()
Taking life by the day can be a gift or it can leave you with a strange, mixed outlook on life. Hard to say which end of the tale The Rakes fall into; with lyrics ranging from the dulls of a pursuing a never-ending social life to the prototypical punk grumblings of entry level work. […]
- Goldrush ()
Calling Oxford, U.K. home, Goldrush are a blend of fanciful fuzz-pop splendor. “Wait For The Wheels” is an absolute gem. Its bouncing bass and pulsing tambourine hint at garage rock of ’01 without the arrogance. Blending a smooth, spacey acoustic with weightless vocals, the band creates a seamless sound, flowing in and out of whichever […]
- Staggering Statistics “Pixelated Ones & Zeros” EP Review ()
With the understanding that the foundation of Staggering Statistics is deeply routed in mid-90’s alterna-rock it’s easy to figure out what motivates the band’s sound. Bassist John Curley’s involvement as a founding member of the Afghan Whigs, as well as a seasoned producer at his Ultrasuede recording studio, provides insight into the band’s musical direction. […]
- Earlimart ()
In reference to Earlimart’s 2003 release, Everyone Down Here, Pitchfork’s Michael Idov explains, “There’s absolutely nothing on these Californians’ third proper album (they released an EP earlier this year) that you haven’t heard before on a hundred indie discs.” Why listen to Earlimart then? Both Idov and I agree that it’s because they do it […]
- Astrid Swan ()
23 year old Finnish singer/songwriter Astrid Swan has a grace and beauty to her music far beyond her age. Each musical piece shows Swan’s beautiful domination over the piano, her instrument of choice for the last 17 years. Her adolescent tendencies gave way to playful composition at an early age; leading to her first English […]
- Kid Congo Powers ()
Take a youth who has grown up during grunge’s peak years. More than likely this person, who’s now an adult, finds themselves mildly lost in the current musical landscape. They grew up during a period that is widely understood as a mix of other musical movements that had previously dissolved. Break grunge down, and you […]
- BanjerDan “Old Stuff” Review ()
I first found out about Dan Mazer when I saw him perform as the banjoist for J.B. Beverley and the Wayward Drifters in Minneapolis last summer. The three-piece band blew me away as they played a set of songs consisting entirely of songs in a throwback to the old school country style. Under his BanjerDan […]
- Fear on Saturday Night Live and Ian MacKaye ()
Something today made me remember the performance by Fear on Saturday Night Live. Ian MacKaye was there and explained it in a pretty cool interview with Nardwuar. In the interview he talks about the strange phone call he had with Lorne Michaels, what really happened in the mosh pit and getting locked up. Here’s what […]
- God’s Temple of Family Deliverance ()
Recently signing with NotCommon Records, God’s Temple of Family Deliverance deliver a doom-flavored stoner rock along the lines of a pissed off Kyuss. From the Houston based Menace of a Heartless Monster, original members Eric Faucette and Chris Ryan teamed with guitarist, Joey Pro, and bassist, Ted Conway, forming their new band, God’s Temple. With […]
- The Golden Dogs “Everything In 3 Parts” Review ()
Capturing buzz amongst the ever evolving Toronto rock scene has become seemingly effortless in recent time, akin to the early 90’s and Seattle based groups. However, in both situations, the value wasn’t behind capturing notice, it was maintaining the value behind the acclaim. After being casually clumped in with other Canadian bands of the time, […]
- The Leather Uppers ()
With a fan base that includes Andrew W.K. and fellow Canadians Nardwuar and Danko Jones, The Leather Uppers have achieved notoriety for both their stage show and their gritty, garage-revivalist sound. Forming in Toronto in 1991, “Classy” Craig Daniels and “Groovy” Greg Tymoshenko formed the duo as a reaction to the stagnant Toronto scene. With […]
- My Way My Love Interview ()
With the surge of bands that drop anchor in Austin, Texas each year for the South By Southwest music festival comes an equal flood of skepticism. The platform can be the literal breaking point for those performing (past performers: Norah Jones, The Donnas, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Rufus Wainwright, and so forth), and has been spectacle […]
- Rock Kills Kid “Are You Nervous? Review ()
When thinking about bands I consider synth-rock, I can think of nothing but a sheik, slick looking group whose only concern in the world is figuring out which dealer to call. Rock Kills Kid fall far from this generalization however; with a history which includes personal isolation, homelessness and a line up which for years […]
- Oxford Collapse ()
The post punk indie that seems to have been pushed to the back of the line by the cool kids finds itself fighting back in form of the Oxford Collapse. The melodic, bass driven lines, shattered by spurts of shrieking guitar are reminiscent of a time when it was first becoming cool to stop the […]
- “Run The Road Volume 2” Review ()
Run the Road 2‘s release came as both a surprise and a gift to me. It was mere weeks ago that my fascination peaked in Lady Sovereign and I’ve been happily reacquainting myself with The Streets. Though RTR2 is solid and continues to inspire me to look for new grime, it doesn’t quite compare to […]
- The Golden Dogs ()
Canada’s Chart Attack has called them the best live act in the country. From what I hear though, Toronto’s The Golden Dogs have a little buzz going on with their music too. Last year the band was pegged as the next big thing, with many likening them to the Arcade Fire. I don’t know that […]
- Stephen Yerkey “Metaneonatureboy” Review ()
There are two things that jump into my mind when listening to Stephen Yerkey‘s Metaneonatureboy: the first being what I feel the music to be, and what I think Yerkey feels the music to be. Growing up, I really got off on using the word “bastardization” in terms of alternative music. I remember calling people […]
- The Plastic Constellations ()
Minneapolis’ The Plastic Constellations have received immense critical acclaim in recent years, including a recent mention on SPIN Online’s Band of the Day. Without knowing better, the band’s bio and interviews would leave you with a sinking feeling that this group of twenty somethings are nothing more than an American Sum 41 with tunes laced […]
- The Minni-Thins ()
Recipients of the 2005 Cincinnati Music Award for Best Indie/Alternative Band, The Minni-Thins are essentially revivalists; in terms of what I always thought “alternative” meant. In modern indie music it’s brave of a band to step outside of the boundaries set up by modern trends. To do so and find acceptance and acclaim outside of […]
- The Morning After Girls “The Morning After Girls” Review ()
Generally, I accept the notion that the first wave of psychedelia far exceeds anything that has been released after 1969. I honestly feel ashamed making the comparison to a gang of neo-garage rockers (who also began in Melbourne), but to give a brief explanation of The Morning After Girls‘ sound, I feel it necessary. The […]
- Kaki King ()
Female acoustic guitar (can I call her this?) virtuoso Kaki King has developed a style of acoustic guitar unto itself. Citing an early intrigue in her drum set, she commands as much reverence in both the sound and style as in her delivery. Her history in busking allowed her to demonstrate this new sound, as […]
- The Fanatics ()
Hailing from Auckland, New Zealand, The Fanatics challenge one think what could have been if Orgy hadn’t put such emphasis on their image (and power chords). Bearing only a guitar and drum (& bass) machine, the duo’s sound emanates as something similar to a less electronic-heavy Skinny Puppy (ie: post mid-90s). Receiving both critical acclaim […]