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New Dialogue

Teach Me How to Feel EP
RED Music (2019)

New Dialogue's Facebook bio states that the Los Angeles-based quintet "speaks for the moment", and with their band name they "assume an important responsibility" -- bold claims from a band who only recently released their debut EP, but it shows that there is no shortage of confidence or ambition among the band members. Ela Kitapci and Taylor Morrow share vocals … Read more

Drunktank

Return Of The Infamous Four
Morning Wood Records (2019)

It has been nine years since their début album, The Infamous Four. That’s a long time. Long enough to call this a come-back, I would say. I assume the band thinks so too, calling this second album Return Of The Infamous Four. Even though it has been almost ten years the characters on the cover have not aged one bit. … Read more

Kira Jari

Spooky Freaky EP
Dirt Cult (2019)

Spooky Freaky is a good debut from an intriguing new-ish band from Texas. Even if the EP name makes me think of “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah” each time I read it.The band is similar in sound to a lot of bands I enjoy: Tiltwheel and Leatherface, for example — which is why it bugs me a little to say that one … Read more

Ink Bomb

Fiction
Independent (2019)

What I like about loads of European bands is that they sing in their native tongue. Sure, you’ll find bands everywhere that write at least part of their lyrics in English, but there are so many bands that write and sing in their mother tongue. I usually prefer that over English lyrics by non-native speakers. The quality of the lyrics … Read more

Aseethe

Throes
Thrill Jockey (2019)

Aseethe’s sludgy doom as kept them a part of the underground for over a decade and for the Iowa-based trio, that scene is one that allows them to burn brightly and produce music that is as thoughtful as it is crushingly heavy. The political climate of the last few years in America is one that has given many musicians the … Read more

Billy Liar

Some Legacy
Red Scare Industries (2019)

I don’t know much about Billy Liar, but Red Scare has rarely turned out a bad release so I picked Some Legacy out of the pile with some hope -- and it delivers. Liar is a Scottish musician who has been playing under the moniker since 2006. Sometimes he tours solo, sometimes with a band.On Some Legacy there are shades … Read more

Reunions

Winter Heart, Summer Skin
Independent (2019)

I must have slowed down over the years. At least I hope my recent interest in bands like Reunions or Nightmarathons reflects my now 40 years-old perspective more than it reflects of some kind of nostalgia bender. Because I’m truly enjoying these mid-tempo rising tide records, including this new self-released Winter Heart, Summer Skin that’s heavy on the hardcore-inspired emocore … Read more

Various Artists

Moloch/Groak - split EP
Dry Cough (2019)

Sometimes, no matter how much you like a band, they just fall off your radar. Not because of you being uninterested. Sometimes it just happens. Moloch is such a band for me. After discovering them way back when I lost sight of what they were doing. Upon rediscovering them I tracked down what I could find of their discography only … Read more

Charger

Charger
Pirates Press (2019)

The debut from Charger finds that gray area between punk and metal that’s hard to pigeonhole to a specific genre. You’ll see more than one Motorhead reference in this review, which is both a good place to start and a pretty good complement.Motorhead is really what comes to mind on a play-through of this ripper: just 7 songs over 19 … Read more

Drei Affen

Seguimos Ciegxs
PIFIA RECORDS/THROUGH LOVE REC/LEFT HAND LABEL/ZEGEMA BEACH (2019)

Some bands really know how to unite. Drei Affen is one of those bands. They make a sport out of uniting labels on their releases. No less than 17 labels came together to release their debut self-titled EP and 12 labels were involved with the split with Coma Regalia. With only four labels involved in the release of second EP … Read more

BIG|BRAVE

A Gaze Among Them
Southern Lord (2019)

Big | Brave set out on a sonic journey influenced and inspired by diverse forces. For the band, on the one hand there was the elusive pull of their native Montreal post-rock scene, but on the other side there was the inclination towards the heavier post-metal and drone trajectories. It was this dichotomy that fuelled two excellent works in Au … Read more

Evening Standards

World’s End
Lets Pretend (2019)

It’s a dramatic understatement to say that music has changed since I first discovered DIY in the 1990s. But in many ways, one of the first things I discovered about real people making music, is that contacting a label you like usually leads to good things. While you can sample music online nowadays and there are ample bot-driven “recommended if … Read more

Black Dots

Everything Has Gotta Change
Snappy Little Numbers / La Escalera Records (2019)

Some albums just hit you right away. I was vaguely aware of Black Dots – some friends saw them at The Fest last year and said nice things, so I figured I should check it out myself when a lovely one-sided 12” showed up at my door.Everything Has Gotta Change hits immediately. Opener “I’m Already Gone” lays the framework: introducing … Read more

Aaron Rice

Neverfade/For Dusk
Elizabeth Label (2019)

Aaron Rice deftly wades through the debris of a break-up on his debut solo LP Neverfade/For Dusk, where his songs are bolstered by addictive synths that alternately lurk behind percussive bass or envelop the tracks. Rice's voice veers between being sparse and elegiac at points, while at others vocal manipulation makes his voice take on a deep, otherworldly sound over … Read more

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