Throwing their gauntlet down with their multitudes of contemporaries comes Playmaker, a straight up, and authentic, Brit-rock band by way of the greater Toronto Area. While that might seem slightly paradoxical, Chris Barry, the front of the trio, is quick to let you know where his origins lie with his strongly accented vocals seeping infectiously through the speakers from the first track onwards. Making a name for themselves among the locals as The Strange, Playmaker offer up their first EP under the new moniker; giving us a warm and familiar vibe while failing to conquer any new territory. The band is another example of songwriters obviously talented for making catchy rock-esque tunes, but lacking the intangible quality to bring them to that next level. To give it some context, they'd make a great opener but, despite their aspirations, are nowhere near the level to headline. Read more
With an Americana backbone, Dusty Rhodes and The River Band play a type of rock similar to CCR, The Nitty … Read more
What else can you expect from High on Fire other than an album with a thick, punishing sound that just … Read more
There was a brief period in my life when I lived in Texas. During that time, I attended quite a … Read more
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So here I am. Thinking of everything else I could be doing that does not include listening to the never-ending song by the Animal Collective. Forward. Sorry! I really do like them, they are doing "Something Different" and "Breaking New Ground", even. They're interesting, cryptic... in fact, this is the perfect record to add to your collection to prove just how versatile and diverse your tastes are ("SEE, I DON'T ALWAYS GO FOR THE HOOK!")! Maybe I just don't get it. This is the kind of band whose music takes awhile to absorb, more time than a lot of people have. There really are some stellar tracks on here (emphatic statement). The Animal Collective weave an inescapable sense of euphoria and a dream-like essence throughout each of their songs on … Read more
Strawberry Jam is so far the commercially successful album by Animal Collective to date. This album peaked at #72 on the Billboard Top 200 Charts even though it leaked in mid-July of this year. Animal Collective has had coverage in Rolling Stone Magazine, ring tones, the works. Beyond the mountain of success, popularity, and capitalism, Animal Collective delivered on this … Read more
The first six tracks on this split CD are from Supreme Commander whose 7" I reviewed and whole-heartily enjoyed a few months back. Supreme Commander play tuneful melodic quick paced punk that once ruled the roster of Epitaph Records in the mid-90's. If you wish to recall bands like Pennywise, NOFX, and Bad Religion and if you yearn for the … Read more
Dabbling coolly with grit of the 'the' band sound while borrowing ruminants of Brit rock's pop sensibility, Middle Distance Runner offer up something with the potential for a real fan based success. Hinting at better things throughout the six-track effort, the five-piece uses the formulaic idea of songwriting based around guitar/synth hooks layered with a full and strong rhythm section. … Read more
Pink Razors is a pop-punk band from Richmond, Virginia that plays a fast and catchy form of music comparable to Latterman. The band has released a full-length and split with Environmental Youth Crunch, and now this three song seven inch. Each song features fast and snotty vocals and each song clocking in at less than three minutes, and are all … Read more
This is what happens when a band has yet to find its style. What we have here is some decent songwriting that comes off as underdeveloped. The track "Molsen Golden" starts as a respectable jam with enough intricacy and tempo changes to call back memories of The Cancer Conspiracy and the forefathers of the style, King Crimson. Halfway through the … Read more
Sometimes simple repetition makes the biggest impact. Sometimes simple repetition makes the biggest impact. SOMETIMES SIMPLE REPETITION MAKES THE BIGGEST IMPACT. Obviously it isn't working for me, but D.C.'s Antelope make something seemingly annoying into a subtle art form. That is, if you're not easily annoyed. Most of the tracks on Reflector accentuate bare bones songwriting. Almost every track is … Read more
Path to Misery is a musical-collective from Pittsburgh, PA. The group of individuals involved focuses their attention of raising awareness of government actions, social issues, and other forward-thinking ideas through music. Musically, they set things to a soundtrack of abrasive hardcore with dashes of metal, d-beat, and grind thrown in for good measure. Their latest demo is comprised of three … Read more
I love Set Your Goals, but the popularity of the band's amalgamation of pop-punk and melodic hardcore has brought forth a million and a half wannabes. Sure, New Found Glory started it all (though they pretty much stuck to pop-punk), but I'll be damned if I haven't heard ten new clones this week alone. Philadelphia's The Wonder Years are the … Read more
Division Day are a fairly new band from Los Angeles and they are going to turn some heads with their debut full-length, Beartrap Island. The four-piece band plays a delicate mix of indie and post-rock music. The songs on Beartrap Island fall someplace between the soft indie rock numbers that I would liken to Sunny Day Real Estate, the post-rock … Read more
Scream and Light Up the Sky has been a long long time coming. Three years have gone by since their last release. This album also has been in my hands for several months (I think I was mailed a copy like six months prior to its actual release). I liked it but let it slide to the wayside as I … Read more
If you're like me, the state of Minnesota is automatically associated with one of two things: 1) Mall of America and 2) Fargo. One is awesome because it has rollercoasters in it while the other single-handedly made me scared to ever visit the states of North Dakota and Minnesota for fear of ending up in a wood-chipper. Motion City Soundtrack … Read more
The Final Beatdown is a complete discography of New York's kings of beatdown hardcore, thus the title. The release is comprised of a CD, which includes all the band's recorded material and a live set, and a DVD with over an hour of live footage. It's been over ten years since Bulldoze called it quits (they have reformed a number … Read more
Badmouth is the latest in the seemingly never-ending line of pissed off hardcore bands from Southern California. Strikes Again is their debut effort, which is actually their demo but in refurbished form via Ghosthunt Records. Over the course of these nine songs, Badmouth deliver fast-paced hardcore-punk with serious guitar whaling and bitter as hell lyrics. Musically, they remind me quite … Read more
A cassette tape release? This is the third one I've received in the mail recently. I don't even know where you get these pressed anymore. Regardless, Every Day is a cool trip down memory lane to a time when Myspace didn't exist and band's relied on word of mouth to promote themselves. Failing Myself is a one-man musical project from … Read more
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