Shattered Shine finds the group at an existential crossroads — on a personal level, the quartet is at the end of their early twenties, grappling with a heightened sense of self-awareness and chasing their dreams. Meanwhile, at a macro level, they’re witnesses to climate destruction, societal collapse, and the ever-present sense of impending doom.
After going through the motions of writing songs as normal for various other projects, Wireheads bandleader, Dom Trimboli realized that the songs he was now writing were going to be Wireheads songs. It was time to get the band back together. Potentially Venus picks up where Wireheads left off while remaining its own thing sonically.
The sense of freedom that reigns supreme on Vol. II is immediately apparent. It’s that exploration (along with Ian Teeple’s songwriting) that make up the heart of the record. He’s content to choogle along in a warped and weird world of progressive bedroom pop, distorted post-punk, glam-tinged power-pop, alien dream-pop, and lo-fi psych.
Now a fresh signee at Def Jam, Sage Elsesser’s dropped his major-label debut Ways of Knowing, a clear-eyed distillation of his effortless, heady lyricism and deep emotional intelligence. His lyrical trademarks are his introspection, emotional storytelling, and focus on personal transformation grounded in the lessons and trauma of family life.
Super Snōōper toughens up the band’s sound. The recording lends depth and metallic sharpness for maximum wallop; Blair Tramel’s voice is brought more to the front of the mix, and gains range and power. With this more straightforward sonic palette, an array of Snōōper’s best material holds up: taut, funny, and ribboned.
In honor of its 50th anniversary, Call Me has now been reissued in all its power and glory. The record itself is as vital as ever, as is Green — 77 years old and still singing, still touring, and still every bit himself. But to listen to Call Me today is to pick up a call from a young man at the height of his powers.
It is perhaps most interesting to think about the release of archival recordings as a self-conscious act of disruption and messing with the legacies of the band at hand – a moment of unsettlement, even self-immolation, rather than artistic affirmation. Shining a light on neglected cul-de-sacs and past desire, they can project competing, even opposing, interests and expectations. These latter thoughts apply to the albums under review by Wire, Stereolab, and Iceage, though they are not alone.
Mutual Aid Records is a Massachusetts-based DIY label that is dedicated to highlighting hidden gems in niche and alternative music, much of these artists being based in the Northeastern US as well. One of the more recent releases is a wildly experimental split between Rong and The Cost ov Living, who are currently active in the MA scene.
Where do you go when it feels like everything is ending? Mega Bog confronts that idea on End of Everything, a project that dares to take an undaunted look at all things daunting. Its a genre-bending, thunderous trip, defined by explosive choruses, blood-pumping Italo disco bass lines, and songwriting that packs a punch.
In 2021, Justin Roth decided to retire Soft Idiot. Now, in 2023, he’s returned, not only with a new album, but a new touring lineup, and seemingly, a renewed energy towards life, art making, and observation. This new release, Some Captured Light, is a record that breathes a decisive sense of relaxation and rumination from its very onset.
Sword II have been dwelling in their local DIY underground. Coming together as titans of their scene and community, they’ve spent the last five years playing shows around Atlanta, aiding in protests and experimenting in their basement practice space. Their new album Spirit World Tour is a product of these sentiments.
Itchy and the Nits are today’s most genuine garage punk three-piece from Sydney, Australia. Rubbing shoulders with the likes of Tee Vee Repairmann, who recorded this tape, the band dabble in moody garage riffs that their melodies imitate well, digestibly simple lyrics, and varying vocal duties that keep choruses fresh and oblivious every listen.
