Tag Archives: new album reviews

When critics throw around terms such as “perfect,” “unbelievable” and “classic,” call me a cynic, but my eyebrow instantly raises in a questioning manner. The standards for which to call an album any of those words are so subjective, it’s hard to reconcile in my brain calling any modern musical tunes these trumped up titles. […]

There are just some things you are always a sucker for no matter what. Well done, guitar-driven pop is one of mine, therefore, Brenda’s debut album “Silver Tower” was right up my ally. Reaching out with the opening track “State Lines,” which features jangly, Stephen Malkmus-esque guitars with DJ Moore’s understated yet propulsive drumming, the […]

New York outfit School of Seven Bells (SVIIB ) are still one of the firmest examples of the electro-tinged, shoegaze-soaked dreampop that’s (still) permeating the blogosphere. Started as a then side-project from Benjamin Curtis of The Secret Machines and identical twins Alejandra and Claudia Deheza (of On! Air! Library! if you remember), SVIIB debut “Alpinisms” […]

On “Champ’s” opener “Favourite Food,” Tokyo Police Club’s (TPC) Dave Monks opens on his subject’s home in a hospital where scratched knees, black eyes and plaster casts are included. Mature and slow growing, the guitar-strummed balladry may be as far from the delivery of the wide-eyed Canadian creators of ‘06s frantic roll-along “Cheer It On” […]

Even the most amateur music historian knows that punk rock has gone through various incarnations over the years. The early gritty punk of bands such as the Ramones and the Sex Pistols gave way to subgenres like oi, hardcore and the currently popular, pop punk. Pop punk itself has undergone various stages since it’s introduction. […]

People keep talking about how awesome Long Beach is, you know, besides the flea markets and the aquarium. There’s some fantastic music coming out of Long Beach including Delta Spirit who have been blowing my mind with their latest album “History From Below,” which was released on June 8, 2010 via Rounder Records. Grab Delta […]

It’s been two years since Foals’ debut album, “Antidotes,” garnered success with their danceable, kinetic math rock.  With the release of their sophomore album, “Total Life Forever,” on June 15, 2010 through Subpop Records (US), the five piece Oxford band shows a departure from the jittery math rock sounds of “Antidotes” and instead delivers a […]

Switching sounds from album-to-album, first as Manitoba then post lawsuit as Caribou, Dan Snaith has for the most part been on the mark, with every album driven by catchy hooks and stellar production. The short answer to the question is that Caribou’s latest record “Swim” is good. Very good. What is noticeably disappointing, though, is […]