There is a type of rock & roll that is very, well, American—thunderous, hard-driving, electrified rhythm and blues with greasy guitars. Music that evokes a variety of American imagery—an oversized, gas-guzzling pickup truck covered in mud barrels down a gravel road; the driver—sporting a camouflaged hat and a farmer’s tan—rides shotgun with a six pack of beer and an actual shotgun. Or a group of bearded, pot-bellied men on a mid-summer motorcycle run up Route 66—nights spent drinking whiskey and slapping waitresses on the butt in roadhouse bars; mornings at the truck stop, refueling with large plates of biscuits and gravy and pots of black coffee. And my favorite; a couple of heshers working on a rundown car in front of their trailer house—a girl with bad tattoos and Daisy Dukes sits on the steps a few feet away, smoking cigs and hollering out unwarranted advice. You know; hog farmin’, flame-print skull caps, muscle cars, sleeveless tees, choppers, double cheese burgers, leather bikinis, manual transmissions, and suckin’ on chili dogs outside of the Tasty Freeze—the good ‘ole U.S. of A.Alright now that we got that out of the way, let’s get another thing out of the way. The 4onthefloor have … Read more
Junior Battles have made their name touring and releasing a few splits over the last year or so. So what … Read more
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When frontman Chris Besinger laments, “I’m howling/ Can you hear me?” at the start of “Ballad of the Drunken Word,” it all comes home. Empire Inward is STNNNG’s fourth full-length and comes as the band celebrates their tenth anniversary. Since 2003 STNNNG has been spitting rage, frustration, and some downright mean-sounding rock’n’roll. At times vocalist Besinger sounds like a lunatic on the verge of snapping, at other times he sounds like the wise poet explaining the ways of the world. For that moment as he yowls the start of “Ballad,” though, it all comes to fruition. It’s a snapshot of the afflicted as he’s lost in the woods and the clouds are to break, revealing a full moon.The band has long drawn Touch & Go comparisons in the form of … Read more
By the end of 2004, Face to Face had disbanded and there were no signs that would have suggested they’d ever write or play again. It was 4 years later that a glimmer of hope began to shine when the band announced a run of reunion shows. Eventually, word broke out that there would be a new album, and the … Read more
Have you ever wondered what Weezer would sound like had they turned into a psychedelic garage band? Well, look no further because the Nashville duo, JEFF the Brotherhood, do a fine job of showcasing that concept. This band of brothers have been rocking the Nashville music scene for the past decade and finally began to get some exposure with 2009’s … Read more
Graminaea / Poaceae is one of those releases that I love but have an extremely difficult time explaining just what draws me to the release over and over again other than that I find all three pieces rather soothing in a creepy sort of way (of course as with any work of this nature, what you get out of the … Read more
Embers is a grouping of people from Oakland California and while most of what their area is known for is being dangerous hip hop tends to be the best known export of the city. Meanwhile in the shadows Embers have built something that may be more reminiscent of their hometown. A four piece that, at least on recordings, includes more … Read more
This summer my girlfriend and I… Sorry ladies, I’m taken. That’s one less music nerd on the market. Bummer, I know, right? Ah, where was I? Oh yeah… So, this summer my girlfriend and I have a little Saturday morning tradition, so to speak. We get up early, pack a bag with towels and magazines we won’t read, and head … Read more
For a city its size, I know next to nothing about the Atlanta, GA scene. For some reason I think of Nashville Pussy-styled sleaze rock, Athens indie, and dirty South hiphop—none of which remotely apply to the Coathangers. Instead, the Coathangers take a post-punk, No Wave sound and run with it, adding in more contemporary influences such as Riot Grrl … Read more
What is there to say about Legend? The band released an album titled Valediction last year. That album was another entry into the deathcore fan grab. The album while proficient in playing down tuned "riffs" and breakdowns added little to a simple formula already having been in practice by what may now be a million other bands. Generally bands tour … Read more
Ohio prog-metal artist Ben Sharp, moniker Cloudkicker, has been in the forefront of the Internet-based free music community since the release of The Discovery in 2008. His new single “It's inside me and I'm inside it.” comes on the tail of his previous single “You and Yours,” which explored a lot of his Isis-esque post-metal influences. This track, conversely, explores … Read more
Deadverse Massive is a group of sorts headed by the duo of Dalek and Oktopus, who also make up the group Dalek. This compilation or group album acts as a reminder of some of their cohorts as well as a good introduction as to what they have been up to since their last album. Those familiar with the group know … Read more
There have been a number of bands that have tried to raise the banner of eras part. Whether it be the youth crew band or the thrash revival band. Even though there has been a number of bands in the past that recognize the power of 80s punk rock few pull it off. If you have been waiting for a … Read more
Gravehill are a band formed from Gehenna. While the band have persevered and continue on to this day this demo is the only recording with this lineup. Formed to fully embrace the members love of old school death metal and hardcore. This lineup including the Gehenna vocalist Mike recorded this and pressed maybe 100 copies total on cassette and cd … Read more
Bar none, I have never heard a more wondrous take on the violence of Power Electronics than the Untitled (which came in an extremely limited cassette run from the label Strange Rules) debut from Cremation Lily (a mysterious act from the British Isles). Without getting into the reasons or “how to’s” or “what for’s” of my finding this tape, suffice … Read more
I wasn't even aware Yes was still together at this point, let alone technically the same band. I guess as long as Chris Squire is playing bass somewhere on the album, it instantly becomes a Yes project. The again, Steve Howe and Alan White are also in the studio for this album, so with 3/5ths of the optimal Yes lineup … Read more
It would be hard for Emily’s Army to disassociate from their bloodlines: Don’t Be a Dick is produced by Billie Joe Armstrong, shares a similarity in layout, art, and font to Green Day and the record itself is on Adeline. Yes, this is the debut from the California band featuring Joey Armstrong on drums (son of the Green Day frontman). … Read more
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