Cold Feet - "Punk Entity" | Album Review
Porches - "Ricky Music" | Album Review
Aaron Maine is never anything but himself in his music. Under the Porches moniker, he’s been releasing albums infused with all of the ecstasy and ache of being in and out of love. Ricky Music is no different, an at times erratic, fragmented and chaotic listen - heartbreak is always messy, though, so it shouldn’t sound any other way.
CLAMM - "Beseech Me" | Album Review
CLAMM was initially meant as a mere exercise to work on a heavier sound than their other outfits afforded. Such was the success of the experimentation, however, that we now have one of the strongest recent records to come from Melbourne in Beseech Me. It’s heavy, certainly, but underpinned by a steadfast thoughtfulness.
Woolen Men - "Human To Human" | Album Review
Matt Robidoux - "Brief Candles" | Album Review
Pinocchio - "Pinocchio" | Album Review
With NYC’s powerful punk group Pinocchio, the mission seems to be providing an intentional chasm of disorder alongside its almost instantaneous withdrawal. Fuzzy guitars thrashing across booming kicks and tom hits yield to surprising seconds of silence; it is these contrasts that prove their meticulous and thoughtful musicianship.
Ringo Deathstarr - "Ringo Deathstarr" | Album Review
True to the nature of self-titled albums, Ringo Deathstarr condenses everything special about the shoegaze purveyors into one complete package, but it also feels like a self-conscious look back at where they’ve come since. It may not bear the visceral punch of their earlier material, but it feels more esoteric, more open to other influences.
Sorespot - "Gifts Of Consciousness" | Album Review
Blending subtle vocal melodies with droning guitar static, and upping the songwriting by creating wholly-complete though still intoxicatingly-short ballads, the band’s latest full-length LP Gifts of Consciousness displays Sorespot’s growth and illuminates the potential for the four-piece to become a mantel in the hallowed walls of indie rock.
Irma Vep - "Embarrassed Landscape" | Album Review
Now on his fourth album, Embarrassed Landscape, Edwin Stevens is using tension and release as his plaything on an LP that flits between murky angst and heart-wrenching sensitivity. The Welsh-born Glasgow-residing musician has taken the diverse range of ideas from his previous work and raised the bar for the lo-fi psych-rock genre.
Melkbelly - "Pith" | Album Review
Pith is the third full length from Chicago-based noise punk quartet Melkbelly, a barrage of hook filled knottiness with a bit more development and breadth. There is a sort of cautious sweetness on Pith to temper the causticism without stripping it entirely, as the production allows the songs to fully blossom and reach maximum impact.
A Deer A Horse - "Everything Rots That Is Rotten" | Album Review
The talented three-piece based out of Brooklyn, NY released Everything Rots That Is Rotten in June via Corpse Flower Records. The EP fits nicely into their macabre discography. The project, available digitally, is only about seventeen minutes long but chock full of introspective lyrics and avant-garde rock instrumentation.
Nap Eyes - "Snapshot of a Beginner" | Album Review
Nap Eyes have been releasing under the radar masterpieces for the past half a decade. Starting in 2014, they’ve been steadily growing their following in the indie world with each new release. Snapshot of a Beginner, the first album where they’ve worked with guitarist extraordinaire James Elkington, is poised to be their biggest album yet.
Mock Identity - "Where You Live" | Album Review
Surfbort - "Billy" | Album Review
Spanning four tracks, Surfbort delivers on their stripped yet robust-rock sound for a jumpy EP dedicated to anxiety, romance and of course, pointed animosity towards one #45 president. Billy is exciting and driving and with every word you can think of being at a DIY show covered in cheap beer with your best friends.
Polvo - "Polvo" [reissue] | Album Review
![Polvo - "Polvo" [reissue] | Album Review](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56066cf9e4b0ffbc0fe62db1/1585799585330-KHNDUICL2TD9BTRRZEXC/a2704574549_16.jpg)
Polvo is great for fans or newcomers alike - anyone who wants to see where one of the most influential bands of the 1990's honed their craft. Fans of their classic albums will enjoy these versions of songs they know and love, while new fans will still enjoy an incredible find striving to develop their signature sound.
Shopping - "All Or Nothing" | Album Review
Lake Ruth - "Crying Everyone Else's Tears" | Album Review
Human Impact - "Human Impact" | Album Review
Human Impact is chiefly Unsane's vocalist and guitarist, Chris Spencer, joined by Swans bassist Chris Pravdica, keyboardist Jim Coleman of Cop Shoot Cop, and drummer Phil Puleo, also of Cop Shoot Cop. If you were hoping for more Unsane's misanthropic, knives out dirges, you're unfortunately in the wrong place.
Sorry - "925" | Album Review
On 925, they’ve taken elements of many important UK bands of the recent past and put them in a blender. Despite containing so many styles, the record never sounds like a stale pastiche. By re-contextualizing and sewing these disparate influences together they’ve managed to make a record that both sounds totally original and comfortingly familiar.