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Fiona Apple

The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
Epic (2012)

Fiona Apple's brutal honesty can be summed up in one lyric: "Every single night's a fight with my brain." She keeps howling this on "Every Single Night," the introductory song to The Idler Wheel.. (there's more to that album title, but I'm not attempting to type that all out).Because she possesses this honesty and because she is able to express … Read more

Skyharbor

Blinding White Noise: Illusion & Chaos
Basick (2012)

There aren't many ways that I can describe the emotions I get from Indian djentlemen Skyharbor's debut album, and part of the reason is that the cumbersomely titled Blinding White Noise: Illusion & Chaos brings with it some incredibly polarizing feelings. On the one hand, it's one of the most pleasurable aural experiences I've had the pleasure to receive. On … Read more

From Ashes Rise

Rejoice The End / Rage Of Sanity
Southern Lord (2012)

Formed in Nashville, Tennessee during the mid-‘90s American crust punk swell, From Ashes Rise later relocated to their current base in Portland, Oregon, where alongside fellow scene forerunners His Hero Is Gone, Tragedy and Hellshock, they helped cast the prototype for modern-day “epic crust punk”—a big sound that, while still rooted in anarcho-minded lyricism, apocalyptic imagery and D-beat, displays a … Read more

Baroness

Yellow & Green
Relapse (2012)

When a band decides (yes, the band, not you and your fanboy mates) to make a little change in their musical approach and try out something new, a couple of things happen. Aforementioned fanboys get up in arms and take to the internet in droves or have the same conversation with different people over and over and over again about … Read more

Primal Rock Rebellion

Awoken Broken
Spinefarm Records (2012)

As far as supergroups go, I could probably count the number of successful ones on one hand. And, quite frankly, that's using as broad and weighted a definition of "successful" as a sufficiently drunk reading of the dictionary could possibly allow. That's because no one wants to hear a group of otherwise successful musicians get together and simply rehash the … Read more

The Pirate Ship Quintet

Rope for No-Hopers
Denovali (2012)

Five years after their first EP was released, English band The Pirate Ship Quintet have finally released their debut album, 2012's Rope for No-Hopers. But how well does it hold up in comparison to the modern post-rock scene?Right from the get-go, it sounds like they're trying to re-create that symphonic-based minimalist sound of the Montréal post-rock scene, mixed with just … Read more

Bird Sounds

New
Big Action (2012)

This is the first physical release from Bird Sounds and the four years it took them to put together a 7” has given them time to develop their sound. The songs on their digital EP, Girl Sounds (2008) were rougher and dirtier, while the New 7” has a tighter and more crisp sound and production. Musically, it’s something of a … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Lockerbie

Ólgusjór
Kapitän Platte (2012)

I'll admit, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this album quite as much as I did. Though it's not perfect, Lockerbie's 2011 release Ólgusjór is something that pretty much everyone will find something to like about.They have the same kitschy Icelandic appeal and post-rock sound of Sigur Rós combined with the accessibility and songwriting of Coldplay. There are tons of bright … Read more

Philm

Harmonic
Ipecac (2012)

Philm is not Slayer. Yes, it is a side project of Slayer drummer/legend Dave Lombardo, but it is not Slayer. Lombardo’s other side projects Fantômas and Grip Inc. were not Slayer, either, but for whatever reason whenever this poor bastard does anything outside of Slayer, pissers and moaners alike, shamble out of the woodwork and complain that it isn’t. Grow … Read more

Oede

One Man's Trash
Holy Terror (2012)

It may be safe to say that since the Holy Terror Record label has been revived they have managed to get on quite a roll. The records they have released have all managed to be a bit different while still carrying a certain aesthetic darkness. With label mates such as Sutekh Hexen and Cape of Bats gaining more and more … Read more

Broken Heroes

This Is Oi!
Skinflint (2012)

I am not the most qualified reviewer when it comes to modern-day Oi! music. Yes, I am familiar with the genre in general—I still spin The 4 Skins, The Business, The Oppressed, Blitz, or Sham 69 from time to time, and Cock Sparrer is the one band that has never been deleted from any of my iPods—but for the most … Read more

PS I Love You

Death Dreams
Paper Bag (2012)

PS I Love You, the heartthrob of the Kingston, Ontario’s indie rock scene, had more than just high expectations placed upon them after the unexpected success of 2010’s Meet Me At The Muster Station. With critical praise and a tour schedule that stretched the world wide, the guitar/drum duo of Paul Saulnier and Benjamin Nelson found themselves amongst the few … Read more

Gojira

L'Enfant Sauvage
Roadrunner (2012)

If there's any band that defies easy description, it has to be French progressive metal band Gojira. Featuring influences and techniques from a variety of complex metal genres, incredibly technically talented band members, and an environmental fixation only a few degrees short of an actual whale fetish, these guys are anything but your standard death metallers. Add on a quartet … Read more

Hot Graves

Knights In White Phosphorus
Northern Horde (2011)

It seems more and more as of late bands are taking the lead of the mighty Darkthrone. That is to mean that much like Darkthrone as of late bands are adding more obvious touches of crust punk to their black metal style. Hot Graves are not that new at this though. This 4 year old band have always made it … Read more

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