Their music is for people “who are struggling, who are at their absolute lowest". That’s a quote from vocalist and guitar player Jael Holzman talking to The Washington Post. Am I struggling? Am I at my absolute lowest? No. Have I had a bit of a rough patch? Sure (it’s not that bad- don’t worry about it mom). Work sucks, online university classes make me feel about 75 years old (if anyone knows how to come back from a Zoom break out room without getting lost in the aether hmu) and I have a wicked head cold. Think nose is a faucet, face swollen up like a balloon head cold. But can I relate? Can I relate to music for people “who are struggling, who are at their absolute lowest"? Yes, obviously, we all can. I’ve had the privilege of living through my worst years and ending up here. ‘Here’ being the land of mild inconveniences like luke-warm coffee and late trains. We’ve all been there though- at our lowest. Whether you’re still in it now or worked through it years ago- we’ve all experienced it. That’s what makes Ekko Astral’s album pink balloons so soulfully relatable. Ekko Astral formed … Read more
Build Us Airplanes covers a lot of ground on this 9 song LP, All Things Expire. It’s melodic punk for … Read more
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By now everyone is familiar with "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon," that fun movie trivia game that is ever-so-often used as a conversation stimulator. Well I plan to create a variation of the game for the music industry, "Six Degrees of Mike Patton." Why? Simple, Patton has ties with notable artists in nearly every genre of music: metal, hip hop, pop, jazz, country, noise, electronica, etc... And now movie film scores can be added to that list as Romances marks his collaboration with Norwegian film-music composer John Kaada. I often wonder what inspires musicians to delve into these type of left-of-center projects. It is possible that Ipecac's re-releasing of Kaada's debut solo effort partnered with Patton's role in the upcoming thriller-drama Firecracker played a role. Romances begins with the eerie … Read more
With a stellar line-up featuring vocalist Eugene S. Robinson (ex-Oxbow), guitarist Xabier Iriondo (Afterhours, A Short Apnea), bassist Andrea Lombardini (The Framers) and Franz Valente (Il Teatro Degli Orrori), Buñuel return with their sophomore record, Mansuetude. A true follow-up to Killers Like Us, Mansuetude further exposes Buñuel's dark, twisted noise rock, from the get-go with "Who Missed Me." The dark … Read more
Forget all the stereotypes about punk. Night Court are a punk band, but they aren’t nihilistic or aggressive. Instead, they’re scrappy and DIY and -- while they are certainly cynical at times -- they carry an air of positivity. It’s a well-defined sound on the band’s fourth LP, with 17 bouncy songs to singalong to. “Human Torch” is a fitting … Read more
Pharmakon's body of work is a visceral etude on the human condition. Since 2013 with the release of Abandon, Margaret Chardier has explored the darkest sides of the human mind, psyche, and body through the fierce nature of power electronics. This path resulted in the absolute highlight with 2019's Devour, with Chardier perfecting her style. Noise storms raging, abstracted rhythmic … Read more
Alright! Handmade Birds, easily one of the most important underground extreme/experimental labels of the '10s, is entering a new phase with their Literary Criticism series of releases. The introduction is now upon with Mouth Wound, the project of artist extraordinaire, Trine Paaschburg, who dives head first into the intersection between dark ambient, noise, and industrial. Paaschburg has already been making … Read more
The last time I reviewed a Bad Year record, roughly four years ago, I thought of quirky pop-punk like BlackDots. On their new self-titled record the takeaway is poppy and anthemic, more akin to Broadway Calls or Ann Beretta. While the bands I just named are direct and smooth with their song structures, they lean toward crisp production. I’d say … Read more
Many years ago I read an essay about how the difficult-to-decipher vocals of Joe Strummer was part of The Clash’s legacy -- how making the listener not key in just on the words, but the melody and movement instead makes it more effective and more open to interpretation in a good way. That concept stuck with me. A song is … Read more
Without fanfare or much notice, Beak>'s unexpected appearance is nothing short of a welcomed surprise. Since their inception, the Bristol (now) trio have offered an alternate approach to the meticulous arrangements and orchestrations of their close relative, Portishead. Their latest record, >>>> does not deviate from this path if anything doubling down on their live compositional and semi-improvisational approach. It … Read more
Genre labels have their place and I think they’re more useful than not -- but sometimes they just aren’t going to convey the point. Chuck Ragan, best known for his long tenure with Hot Water Music, also plays solo under his own name. I’m going to slap the “singer-songwriter” label on his solo work, though it pulls from bluegrass, Americana, … Read more
Any record The Necks release is a pathway to a deeply meditative experience. From the vastness of Open to the cinematic introspection of Vertigo and the constant build-up of Unfold, this act rarely (if at all) disappoints. Their latest offering, Bleed, sees them return to their most delicate strand of minimalism, patiently weaving their compositions in an attempt to uncover … Read more
Right from the start, this EP sounds familiar. I can’t quite place the band I’m thinking of, but Massive Nightmares hit quickly in a warm and familiar way. They play punchy punk with a big dose of The Replacements-style rock ‘n’ roll. It’s killing me that I can’t place who, exactly, they remind me of, but members also play/played with … Read more
Aluk Todolo's experimentalism always felt boundless, not shackled to a particular sound or genre. Since their inception back in 2004, the instrumental trio put forth an overarching vision that would encompass krautrock motifs, noise rock, and no-wave practices via way of a blackened psychedelic foundation. And Aluk Todolo executed this vision accordingly, amassing a stellar discography that contained excellent releases, … Read more
New York based three piece, Chimes Of Bayonets, released their first album, Replicator, in February of this year after a string of EP's dating back to 2018. There comes a point in most bands career that warrants the need for an album over an EP. It's a way to really showcase themselves and give the fans something substantial to sink … Read more
Can a band sound too personal? Too local? These are my burning questions as I break down the latest EP from Night Jobs of Minneapolis. The lyrics of these five songs are highly personal, from adopting pets to local transit routes to calling out people, by name, who have caused strife. They say to write what you know, and Night … Read more
On the brand new 80/20, The Dopamines break into a whoa-oh! about six seconds in, then their trademark shouted vocal tradeoffs. The first three songs on 80/20, their first album in 7 years, set the tone immediately. Back when they were a little more active, the group was often compared to Illinois pop-punk group The Copyrights. I bring that up … Read more
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