An important point in anybody's musical listening/purchasing career is when they first realize that there are LPs and EPs. The difference between the two is that the EP, extended play, is just a handful of songs, while the LP, long play, is a full complete album usually lasting between 20-60 minutes depending on the genre. What I soon realized was that EPs were just snippets of an upcoming LP and usually pointless when the LP came out. Exceptions are out there though, such as In The Midst Of Bloodied Soil by With Passion which comes off as a full sounding device with a submarine, shark teeth, and hella big torpedoes. We are set off into the deep blue sea with "The Scorpion's Dance". Ignoring anything I knew before listening to this album, from this song alone, I wouldn't be too sure what was in store with really moody keyboards that make one feel like they are sitting in a desolate church. Then when you start to feel comfortable you hear noises coming from the shadows. You're scared shitless because something is about to happen, but you just don't know what exactly. As you step on the escalator moving in the … Read more
Each year there are only a few hip-hop discs I pick up and really enjoy. They have to be more … Read more
When I was in the sixth grade I had a birthday party and for some reason one of my classmates, … Read more
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It's all been done before. I'm not being jaded; I'm referring to what bands do to be "edgy." Hair in mohawks, boys wearing makeup, and eating your own (or someone else's) shit on stage, none of it is progressive and none of it is offensive. Actually...eating shit would still shake people up. But, anyways, Dangers realizes this and instead of trying to shock with image or music they focus on the lyrics and messages that are nothing short of honest. Hardcore music isn't pushing any envelope anymore. When it started in the early 80's, the music could only be described using the adjective "hardcore." Nowadays, hardcore (adjective) music is probably some 1000 BPM death metal and hardcore (genre) music sounds like sped up punk rock with some slow mosh parts. … Read more
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 … Read more
Breaking News: San Francisco's favorite singer-songwriter/space cadet has returned to the home planet for his newest release Cellar Door . As his spacecraft touched down, thousands of loyal fans anxiously lined up outside of record stores to the hear musical renditions of his latest journeys via compact disc. Once the fans had attained their own personal copy of the transmission … Read more
I will admit, I read a few reviews of this record before buying it and I still had no idea what it was. Even by the time I picked it up I was clueless as to what this record held in store. Was it other people covering Will Oldham songs? Was it Will Oldham Covering other artist's songs? Was it … Read more
Whether you call it tech-metal or mathcore, it's a style of music that has captivated the head-bangers of the world. Gone are the days of the traditional and straightforward songwriting of Metallica and Slayer, they have handed over the reigns to the next generation led by the likes of The Dillinger Escape Plan and Mastodon. And following right on the … Read more
I work at this really cool toy store in Austin, TX called Terra Toys. No, I'm not trying to get a bunch of customers, this is just exposition. Anyways, Terra Toys is located on South Congress Ave., a street filled to the brim with stores containing all kinds of vintage clothes and furniture. Today, I was walking down to the … Read more
Today when homosapiens talk about the old school of hardcore they usually refer somewhere between the time periods of the early 1980s and the late 1980s. But as time goes on the gap begins to get larger and the definition of new school is constantly being reinvented. Look at a band like Youth Of Today for instance, when they emerged … Read more
Recently it seems like every magazine I pick up has something positive to say about Franz Ferdinand; Franz Ferdinand this, Franz Ferdinand that. It's always Franz, Franz, Franz! Yet there are still people who ask, "Who is Franz Ferdinand?" That?s a completely reasonable question, because not everyone reads music magazines. Archduke Francis Ferdinand?s assassination was one of many causes of … Read more
Heavy. Right off the bat, that is the word I would use to describe this band, and this record. Fucking heavy. Heavier than a chain-mail sack full of battle axes. The first time I heard The Blinding Light was well over a year ago, and though it didn't exactly inspire me to run out and pick up the band's latest … Read more
Usually when bands have "concept albums" I'm sort of hesitant on getting into it. I don't really know what the problem is, but most of the time I see them as being somewhat silly, over-ambitious, or pretentious. I guess you can say they're one of my pet-peeves when it comes to music. While not by basic standards a concept album, … Read more
In my circle of friends, I am the only one who doesn't find anything remotely interesting about Bane. So what does that have to do with this review? A lot actually since two members of Silent Drive are in Bane. That really doesn't impress me, what did grab me is that two members were in Drowningman. I have been awaiting … Read more
Back in the mid 1990's, there was one place to turn to for hardcore, and that was the thriving mecca of New York City. There was a plethora of talented and hard working bands coming from the NYHC scene. Today that work ethic can be rivaled by very few. Die Young are the latest export from Texas, the great state … Read more
Why do we like this guy so much? He is a horrible songwriter, he has a mediocre voice, and the instrumentation on his albums is decent at best. After a few agonizing hours of thinking, while sitting uncomfortably cramped in the seat of plane, I came up with this conclusion: Ben Kweller reminds us of someone we know- he is … Read more
The hype machine works in interesting ways. It can make or break a band even if the wind changes direction. Music critics go from band to band and suck every little ounce of creativity and humanity they had left inside of them like the leeches they are, then they move on to the next wave of hyped bands. Bear in … Read more
Young Liars was one of the most exceptional releases that I have heard in recent years. It caught me completely off guard. Based on the descriptions I was given prior, I anticipated to be extremely bored. Despite the warnings of others, I went forward and purchased the album blindly. I don't regret it for a moment. Now a year later, … Read more
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