Jay Eff Kay
America: Suicide Notes Vol. 1
Independent (2007)
I don't see myself as a hip-hop expert, but I think it's fair to say that the genre is pretty jaded. Mainstream rap like Chingy or Soulja Boy or whatever is on the radio now has been pegged as "good hip-hop" by the media, which means underground rappers basically have their work cut out for them just to defend their … Read more
Jefferson Third
This is Only a Test
Independent (2006)
Oh the joys of a local band starting to make it big! I've been a friend of two members of Jefferson Third since I was a freshman in high school. It was only a matter of time before the two of them started a band. And when one of them was randomly assigned a college roommate and they started jamming … Read more
Joel Martin
The Tipping Point
Independent (2013)
Ottawa-native Joel Martin is back with his twelfth album entitled The Tipping Point. For someone who has spent the majority of his career experimenting with sound and innovative ways and techniques to strike his audience, it’s safe to say he has succeeded in showcasing his creativity and talent with this interesting collection of songs which best represent him as an … Read more
John, The Void
Self Titled EP
Independent (2014)
Proving that Italians can do the doomy, post-metal thing just as well as anyone else, mysterious and methodical five-piece group John, the Void’s 2014 self-titled EP (which actually runs a bit longer than what I might typically expect from an extended play) features six tracks ranging from two minute ambient pieces to sprawling, nine-minute epics. Throughout this very atmospheric but … Read more
Jon McKiel
Jon McKiel
Independent (2014)
An old, black-and-white photo depicts five dilapidated homes slowly crumbling away on an island in the middle of a vast, dismal ocean; the sea's endlessness and archaicness adds a sense of sentimentality to the picture. With such a glum album cover, it’s a dazzling surprise once the effervescent, action-packed “New Tracy (I Will Learn To See)” - opening song on … Read more
Jovian Oblivion
Frontier of Darkness
Independent (2007)
Due to this self-produced album's near industry standard professionalism, you'd never know by only listening to it and paying no mind to the liner notes that Jovian Oblivion is mainly just one guy with a few helpers pitching in here and there. Brent Matney is the mad scientist behind this project; he wrote, arranged, performed and mastered these fifteen songs … Read more
Jubilee Gardens
Star Struck
Independent (2012)
Jubilee Gardens new release titled Star Struck is one of those rare albums that come in like a breath of fresh air lyrically and musically. Jubilee and the band have proved over the years to be consistent in their musical growth and this one doesn't disappoint. The band is made up of Jubilee Connolly – vocals and guitars, Dan Hunt … Read more
Kamikaze Noise
Fuck it Up Fuck it Up Fuck it Up
Independent (2007)
Remember punk rock? Remember when bands wrote songs before coming up with t-shirt designs? Remember when every shitty local band in your town didn't have a slick full-length CD after three months of playing together? Remember when DIY encompassed every aspect of being in a band rather than just which label to sign a contract with? Like Robert Zimmerman once … Read more
Kill Conrad
32 Short Films About Nothing in Particular
Independent (2007)
Boston's Kill Conrad sound like just about any other punk band on No Idea that doesn't want to be or is Hot Water Music. I am reminded of the sing-along bouncy pop-punk intensity that Against Me! once had. Actually, Kill Conrad remind of Atom's (you know from Atom and His Package) punk band Fracture with their off-key vocals and the … Read more
Kill Matilda
#Punk#Zombie#RocknRoll
Independent (2014)
Blood, decay, and darkness, that’s what I think of when I listen to Kill Matilda’s re-release EP #Punk#Zombie#RocknRoll which derived from their 2011 full length album I Want Revenge. This album grips my mind and twists my emotions! I imagine myself in a dank basement with thirty of the coolest people I know, crammed in, with can’s of PBR, and … Read more
Killing Kings
...The One You Feed the Most
Independent (2008)
Killing Kings 2007 release Delusions of Grandeur was an under appreciated gem of 90's inspired hardcore. It was equally as destructive as it was thought provoking. The album was a combination of bruising metallic hardcore and searing metal that often had me dreaming of dance-floor incited frenzy sing-alongs. The album's social and political lyrical themes only added further fuel to … Read more
Killington Fall
Keep Your Eyes To The Sea
Independent (2011)
I've reached the point where most post-rock albums start to sound the same. While I won't say I'm completely blasé, unless a band is pulling something out of left field, it's really difficult for a band to stand out. Alas, that is where British rockers Killington Fall find themselves with their 2011 release Keep Your Eyes to the Sea.Don't get … Read more
Killola
Let's Get Associated
Independent (2010)
Killola, a four-piece American So Cal alt-rock group, consists of Lisa Rieffel (lead vocals), Mike Ball, (guitar), Dan Grody (drums) and Johnny Dunn (bass). Their style is primarily 'Garage Pop' with punk and pop/electronica influences. From what I have been able to uncover, Lisa Rieffel is one busy girl. With her popular web-series Girltrash!, acting in different TV series (NCIS, … Read more
Kingdom
Kingdom
Independent (2006)
After the 90's, it seems that any vegan straightedge band seems hell-bent on pigeonholing itself into being a metalcore or melodic death metal band, with good reason, too. Abnegation's foray into death metal, Verses of the Bleeding, sucked and Earth Crisis's attempts to become like Pantera were lukewarm at best. Kingdom tries their hand at stepping outside of the box … Read more
Kitten Forever
Semi-Permanent
Independent (2018)
Kitten Forever are staples of the Twin Cities DIY scene. They also tour nationally and have received a good share of recognition for their unique merger of party punk and vitriol. Overall, the three-piece plays fuzzy, stripped down ragers that alternate between screaming frustration and bopping good times. Semi-Permanent is their fourth full-length and the general tone over the 11-song … Read more
Koko Beware
Something About Summer
Independent (2012)
I have to be honest here. A band named after a professional wrestler, no matter what they sound like, is going to tug at my heart strings in a way that’s totally unfair to all bands that are not named after professional wrestlers. I also love summer, summer jams, and any jams that evoke some sort of summer-ness. And with … Read more
krokmitën
BWV565 Redux
Independent (2012)
After releasing their debut alpha-beta last year, a single 45-minute track and accompanying video of unadulterated technical death metal ferocity, Montréalers krokmitën decided that the only way they could one-up themselves would be to do something completely different. The result is the only slightly more modest 10-minute EP, BWV565 Redux.The EP consists (again) of exactly one track, the band's take … Read more
La+ch and Dustbuster
Hunter
Independent (2014)
It’s safe to say that everyone’s already getting a head start on choosing the song that will be most played this summer. Over the past few months, La+ch and Dustbuster of the band Coleman Hell have become increasingly popular on Soundcloud for their remixes of songs by artists like Katy Perry and Rihanna. But this time around, the duo has … Read more
