Johnny Cash might as well be an American institution. Many revere him and his recent death following the passing of his beloved wife, June Carter, was marked by much hoopla and circumstance. It was a shame, but by no means a shock. The triumphant and bleak sounding record, American IV: When the Man Comes Around, was a disturbing and wonderful album with which to end a long and storied career. Not only had Rick Rubin brought Johnny Cash back to music relevancy but also to commercial success that had long eluded the music legend. According to the liner notes by Rubin, they started working on American V the day American IV was finished. Perhaps Johnny wanted to leave a more positive sounding last testament to his listeners. Perhaps, once June passed, he needed something positive to work on to occupy his mind. Either way, these are the recordings that Cash was working on at the time of his death. American V: A Hundred Highways is a more resolved and less dreary themed record than American IV: When the Man Comes Around. However, Cash sounds tired and haggard on this album. During the progression the strength seems to come and go … Read more
It seems almost an old story now. Ailing musician hooks up with a contemporary producer and covers a mixture of … Read more
I like Between the Buried and Me, a lot. But The Anatomy of is a perfect example of a covers … Read more
I fear it may happen one day; someone will slip up, let the cat out of the bag, and give … Read more
Scott Walker - to those who know and love his music - is one of those towering figures of American … Read more
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Well anyone that names themselves after Floorpunch most be good right? Well Twin Killing is. Fast youth crew styled hardcore with prerequisite breakdowns, singalongs, and everything else that makes a good hardcore good. However Twin Killing doesn't win any points in the originality bracket and everything on ...If This Could Last Forever you have heard before if you own anything by In My Eyes, Gorilla Biscuits, or even Time Flies. Every song follows the same formula of whip crack speedy rhythms, slightly nausally vocals sounding quite cranky and then a big mosh part. ...If This Could Last Forever is completely predictable but utterly enjoyable at the same time. Read more
There's not a whole lot you can say about Angel Eyes that hasn't already been said about Isis. If Isis were an actual person, Angel Eyes would be its impressionable, suppler younger brother. The latter always gazing starry-eyed at the former with a love and devotion to rival the strongest of bonds. Ok, that's a stretch, but they really do … Read more
The members of Baltimore based Slumlords have been around the proverbial block a few times and know their niche. On their previous releases the band wrote street punk influenced hardcore songs. The songs tackled both serious topics as well as everyday topics that could be joked about. On the Stremph!, is comprised of, you guessed it, a combination of street … Read more
There are three things that make me like this band. One, they have a ton of Star Wars references in their music. Actually, besides having a song named with a semi-obscure line from the original movie, there is an entire song about Darth Vader - shame on you if you are so culturally unaware as to who that is. Two, … Read more
When a friend of mine first introduced me to The Zutons back in early 2004 I was not hugely impressed. To me, Who Killedââ¬Â¦ The Zutons? sounded a little too much like their labelmates The Coral's Magic and Medicine and I went so far as to brazenly call The Zutons "a poor mans Coral." With the release of their second … Read more
It's never really a good sign when the first thing that pops into my head when I listen to To Hell with Motives is "ugh." The CD starts off earnestly enough with a noise-laden track that actually had me hoping Deadguy Part Deux. Sadly that never happened as the end of the intro ends with some kid (I believe his … Read more
Before we can even dive into this review we must address the issue of the cataloging this style of music. When I first got into the genre I was told it was called "trip-hop." To me this sent the message that I wasn't allowed to experience it unless I was on some mind-altering substance. Next I heard it referred to … Read more
Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. Fuck! Fuck! No, I'm not quoting Ceremony, but instead referring to the blistering pain in my pinky toe. What could have caused my toe to go numb and bleed all over my trusty vans shoes? I blame Future Primitive, and their debut release Expression Sessions. Hailing from the traffic jammed freeways of Southern California, Future … Read more
When I reviewed The Very Best of Men's Recovery Project recently, I thought that there couldn't be a band less suited for a "greatest hits" release. Obviously, I had forgotten about Oxbow. To put it simply, Oxbow is one of the most intense and challenging bands in America today. Oxbow sounds like an uneasy mix of the delta blues at … Read more
What happens when you are part of an established, kind of well-known (definitely well-known in all manner of independent music circles) band and one of your fellow members decides to take a break? Well, in this case, you start a "new" band and immediately begin writing an album. This is exactly what The Draft isââ¬Â¦Hot Water Music minus Chuck Ragan … Read more
Hearing a new band for the very first time can be an awesome experience - it can also be horrible, but that is not the case here. I had never heard of Russian Circles prior to seeing their name listed as an opener for a semi-recent Isis tour. Being curious as to what they sounded like, I scoured the Internet … Read more
Finally, Tom Corrigan has come back to his roots and fronts Long Island hardcore unit, Capital. I'm sure the name Tom Corrigan isn't the most recognizable name in hardcore but he used to sing in the criminally underrated Long Island outfit, Silent Majority. I don't think there was anyone this side of Ohio more excited than me when I heard … Read more
I'm pretty sure Thom Yorke needs no introduction. As part of "that" band Radiohead he has helped make some the most beautiful, challenging and plain odd music of the last decade. So when it was announced that he had decided to release an album all by himself (he won't call it a solo project) it seemed like a bolt out … Read more
Baby Teeth made For The Heathers on a dare, with each of the three members of the band working in isolation from home. Sequestered with only imagination as a barrier, the dramatic differences between each member's effort is both a shock and a pleasant surprise to the listener that can only be understood as separate entities with only the name … Read more
Though never officially diagnosed, I am almost certain that I suffer from some form of Attention Deficit Disorder. Apparently, only 4 to 6 percent of all Americans actually have ADD. This estimate seems remarkably low considering the ever-decreasing attention spans of many modern hardcore/metal bands. From a Second Story Window are a technically adept quintet that sporadically weave various elements … Read more
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