Evening Standards
World’s End
Lets Pretend (2019)
It’s a dramatic understatement to say that music has changed since I first discovered DIY in the 1990s. But in many ways, one of the first things I discovered about real people making music, is that contacting a label you like usually leads to good things. While you can sample music online nowadays and there are ample bot-driven “recommended if … Read more
Flea
Acid For The Children - The autobiography of Flea, the Red Hot Chili Peppers legend
Hachette Publishing (2019)
One would be hard pressed to find anyone remotely into alternative music that has not had an interlude with the ever-expanding oeuvre of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. With the band having had a turbulent history, each of the constituents contributed to what eventually became whole that is much bigger than its individual parts.One of the consistent motors and characters … Read more
Fleshies
Introducing The Fleshies
Dirt Cult (2019)
Sure, I know of Fleshies but I don’t really know them. I’ve heard the hits over the years, but I’m coming at Introducing The Fleshies from a relatively clean slate. And it’s a rager. It’s got the aggression, a little bit of slop, and lyrics that are both biting and intelligent. It works on both levels: something to shout along to, and … Read more
Foxhall Stacks
The Coming Collapse
Snappy Little Numbers Quality Audio Recordings (2019)
The best part of a super group is hearing talented musicians working in a comfortable space. A diligent review of Foxhall Stacks is obliged to mention Jawbox, Government Issue, Velocity Girl and Minor Threat, with whom this band shares members. I hear similarities to many of these groups because of the unmistakable players participating. The powerpop formula on this record … Read more
Full Sun
Thinkin’ About It
Lets Pretend (2019)
There are certain musical styles where I struggle as a reviewer to offer you my deep thoughts beyond yay or nay. Power-pop is definitely one of those areas, and that’s the label I’d slap on Full Sun. Thinkin’ About It is a 10-song blast of high energy, upbeat jams.Over the course of the record, every band member shines. The bass line in … Read more
Gaahl's Wyrd
GastiR - Ghosts Invited
Season of Mist (2019)
Kristian Eivind Espedal, otherwise knows as Ghaahl has been a polarizing fixture on the Norwegian Black Metal scene since the mid 90s, fronting bands such as Gorgoroth and God Seed. In the nine years fronting Gorgoroth, Gaahl helped to create some the most vicious and brutal darkness in the genre without ever really straying from the true Norwegian style.But Gaahl’s … Read more
Good Shade
Way Out
Dirtnap (2019)
Dirtnap is a fascinating label in how they’ve developed a certain sound to their releases, regardless of what part of the world or what particular scene the musicians hail from. Sure, there’s the Marked Men connection with many of their releases, but that’s only a piece of what the label has put out.Good Shade is Shane Natalie, a one-man band that’s not … Read more
Have a Nice Life
Sea of Worry
Flenser (2019)
Time changes us all. As people we are bound to the rules of time and how it moves regardless of whether we want it to or not. Music changes us. However, the rules surrounding how music moves us is on a different scale to that of time - one piece of music will affect ten people differently. Have a Nice … Read more
Hexvessel
All Tree
Secret Trees (2019)
Hexvessel’s pastoral folk has been gradually building momentum since their inception ten years ago and on All Tree, their fifth album, this forward motion comes to a beautifully morose head with songs that live in the undergrowth and call to mind ancient mossy forests and a longing for simpler times. While Hexvessel’s music is charming on the surface, what lies … Read more
Howardian
The Silly Shit You Say
Lets Pretend (2019)
While the title of Howardian’s fourth LP, The Silly Shit You Say, imparts a whimsical, spontaneous first impression, the record itself feels complete. This isn’t some spur-of-the-moment side project from Ian Vanek (Japanther), it’s the real deal.Overall I’d say the influence of this record is 1980s new wave mixed with new millennium DIY punk and a dose of lo-fi. Keyboards really … Read more
Ian Lawrence Campbell Swordy
The Bull Loving Truth
Independent (2019)
I came to this book through it’s author. Ian Lawrence Campbell Swordy aka Pony. His involvement in Bent Outta Shape, Behavior and the New York art scene makes him a fascinating character in my mind’s eye. So naturally, reading his first book was an easy ask when given the opportunity. “The book is about a series of performances that started with … Read more
Idle Hands
Mana
Eisenwald (2019)
The metal scene is one that moves in cycles, with sub-genres becoming the flavour of the month before the hot new thing moves in to take over the masses for a short time. Goth rock, however, always seems to stay the course. There’s something about the sounds, the feelings, the time period it evokes, and for those reasons the style … Read more
Ink Bomb
Fiction
Independent (2019)
What I like about loads of European bands is that they sing in their native tongue. Sure, you’ll find bands everywhere that write at least part of their lyrics in English, but there are so many bands that write and sing in their mother tongue. I usually prefer that over English lyrics by non-native speakers. The quality of the lyrics … Read more
Inter Arma
Sulphur English
Relapse (2019)
In the early ‘10s it felt like the progressive sludge scene had produced all of its great records, and that moving forwards the genre would settle in a plateau state. But in the underground, there was one band that was still not contempt with the confinements of the genre, and they displayed that with their debut record Sundown. Inter Arma’s … Read more
Jumpstarted Plowhards
Round One
Recess (2019)
I’m going to jump right into the thick of it and admit I’m not well-versed in Mike Watt’s catalog. In my defense, the man is a workhorse, releasing records with Minutemen, firehose, Stooges, solo, and many many more. I know the big ones, but not the deep cuts. Watt’s songwriting counterpart with Jumpstarted Plowhards is more familiar to me: Todd Congelliere of Toys … Read more
Kira Jari
Spooky Freaky EP
Dirt Cult (2019)
Spooky Freaky is a good debut from an intriguing new-ish band from Texas. Even if the EP name makes me think of “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah” each time I read it.The band is similar in sound to a lot of bands I enjoy: Tiltwheel and Leatherface, for example — which is why it bugs me a little to say that one of the weaknesses on … Read more
Kissed by an Animal
Kissed by an Animal
HANDSTAND RECORDS (2019)
Kissed by an Animal is getting the vinyl treatment a year after release of their self title album from 2019. To describe these guys, well it’s hard to nail down a specific style that the Brooklyn, NY based band is trying to hit. To be honest, this album is hard to get use to in general.To prepare for a review … Read more
L7
Scatter The Rats
Blackheart Records (2019)
At the height of the Northwest music explosion of the early 90s, L7 were among many bands branded with the ubiquitous tag of “grunge”. They weren’t from Seattle, but they had just enough distortion on their guitars to be regarded as such. This put them in a unique situation, as they were really the only all-female band to be inducted into … Read more
