The New Pornographers
Twin Cinema
Matador (2005)
Have an empty space between your copies of Hearts of Oak and Chutes Too Narrow? Need a sparkling new addition to your collection of great bands with horrible names? Feel like cleansing your palette of the countless cred-thriving indie bands that couldn't write a decent, memorable tune to save their collective lives? If you answered yes to any of the … Read more
The New Trust
We Are Fast Moving Motherfuckers. We Are Women and Men of Action.
Slowdance (2004)
Talk about coming out of left field. Members of some of indie-darlings The Velvet Teen and Benton Falls have gotten together to tell the scene "fuck you" and boy is it exciting. Josh Staples (The Velvet Teen) takes the spotlight as the singer and bassist while Michael Richardson plays lead guitar. Joining them is Sara Sanger, wife of Josh, on … Read more
The Next Great American Novelist
Careless Moon
Independent (2020)
Insert joke about judging a book by its cover, in reference to a band who calls themselves The Next Great American Novelist -- somewhere the ego of Dave Eggers shudders. The trio of indie rockers from Brooklyn is the brainchild of lead singer-songwriter Sean Cahill, and their moniker may indeed be tongue-in-cheek enough to stand up to the irony. Cahill … Read more
The Night Marchers
Allez Allez
Swami (2013)
Sophomore records tend to bring a unique level of apprehension: has the artist changed; can s/he maintain the momentum from the first release; etc. Night Marchers—led by John Reis (Rocket From the Crypt, Hot Snakes) and rounded out with another two Hot Snakes members, Gar Wood and Jason Sinclair and the not-to-be-overlooked Jason Sinclair (Delta 72, Mule)—do not face such … Read more
The Night Marchers
Mystery Machine
Swami (2009)
One really has to hand it to John Reis; he surely keeps his work interesting with consistent releases and frequent offerings. Mystery Machine is the second tour-only 7" from his latest band, The Night Marchers. Just like the previous tour-only seven inch, Mystery Machine is like a short reminder of the band's existence and a nice memento from their shows. … Read more
The Night Marchers
Scene Report
Swami (2008)
So I finally get to see the new band that has been consistently pumping through my stereo, MP3 player, computer, and car since the songs first appeared online; and yes, this is a familiar sound coming from John Reis and his compatriots, but there is something undeniably in The Night Marchers' music which compels repetitive listening of their album, See … Read more
The Night Marchers
See You in Magic
Vagrant/Swami (2008)
So, John Reis is making his "return" to the indie music with his new outfit, The Night Marchers, following the recent demises of both Hot Snakes and Rocket from the Crypt. Described as an amalgamation of sorts of the sound and themes of these previous outfits, Reis (on guitar and vocals) is not the sole member of the group as … Read more
The Nothing / Send More Paramedics
North of England, South of Heaven
In at the Deep End (2005)
There's not really that many instances I can think of where I could use the words; "hardcore", "thrash metal" and "zombies" in the same sentence to refer to something good. In fact, I'm not even sure I can think of many instances when I'd ever use those words in the same sentence at all. When talking about Send More Paramedics … Read more
The Number Twelve Looks Like You
An Inch of Gold for an Inch of Time
Eyeball (2005)
2003 might seem like forever ago for some, possibly even two years ago for the majority of us. There were many good releases in those twelve months. Put On Your Rosy Red Glasses was one of these. So naturally I was very excited for The Number Twelve Looks Like You's next release. The first thing I noticed on An Inch … Read more
The Number Twelve Looks Like You
Mongrel
Eyeball (2007)
The Number Twelve Looks Like You have always been that band that would come close to winning me over, but never impressed me enough for me to listen to their albums more than three or four times. With their previous release, Nuclear. Sad. Nuclear, there were songs I thought were innovative and worth making a fuss over and then there … Read more
The Number Twelve Looks Like You
Worse Than Alone
Eyeball (2009)
The Number Twelve Looks Like You have always been a very unorthodox band to say the least. They've been trying something new with each album and it's no different with their latest album, Worse Than Alone. Pinning them to one genre is difficult because they incorporate so many different sounds into their music. A basic description of it can be … Read more
The Obits
Bed & Bugs
Sub Pop (2013)
Obits don’t offer many surprises on Bed & Bugs, but that’s never really been the expectation. In a long lineage of bands, Rick Froberg has defined a distinct sound and this, Obits’ third full-length, doesn’t offer many deviations. The success of Obits comes through classic, big r’n’r chops. It’s about taking the familiar and playing it in a new, memorable … Read more
The Obits
Die at the Zoo
Outer Battery Records (2021)
Die at the Zoo is a live recording from Obits, live in Brisbane, Australia, in 2012. There are 16 songs from the band’s catalog and it was recently released on limited vinyl by Outer Battery. There are probably two main angles for looking at a live record: is it capturing a time and place, or is it capturing an essence … Read more
The Obsessed
Sacred
Relapse (2017)
The Obsessed belongs in the category of the legendary American doom acts. Formed during the '70s as Warhorse, they truly kicked things off in the early '90s, with their self-titled debut full-length. Led by Scott “Wino” Weinrich, an iconic figure of the scene, The Obsessed was a powerful vehicle of heavy rock visions and bleak doom worlds. And as a … Read more
The Ocean
Pelagial
Metal Blade (2013)
The Ocean, the German post-sludge-metal act masterminded by guitarist Robin Staps, is one of the most consistently high-quality bands in metal today. Ever since Fluxion and Aeolian, Staps has led The Ocean to even greater heights with each release, never settling for anything less than hard-earned perfection. Their latest release, 2013's Pelagial, is no exception.Musically, Pelagial continues where Heliocentric and … Read more
The Ocean
Precambrian
Metal Blade (2008)
Robin Staps, The Ocean's high-striving frontman must be one hell of an easy person to work with. It's either that, or he is a dictator of epic proportions and has an ego the size of Mount Kilimanjaro. When our favorite music magazines are riddled with tales of inter band friction, even when talking about three douchebags who recently took the … Read more
The Octopus Project
Fever Forms
Peek-A-Boo Records (2013)
When did the Octopus Project add vocals? Well, it’s not exactly a lead singer—think more along the lines of Black Moth Super Rainbow (with whom they released a collaborative record in 2006)—it’s mostly loops, reverb, and effects, but it really changes the dynamic of the four-piece group from Austin, TX.Dubbing themselves “experimental pop,” Fever Forms is their fifth full-length and … Read more
The Offspring
Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace
Columbia (2008)
With an album title that sounds like the most recent Foo Fighters record, a song called "Fix You" (I thought Coldplay had already professed that particular desire), and a collection of tracks that sound like they want to be Green Day, My Chemical Romance or The Offspring circa 1994, The Offspring have become imitators and glory-day seekers, shapeshifting and morphing … Read more
