King Khan & the Shrines
Idle No More
Merge (2013)
In King Khan & the Shrines, King Khan goes big band. Not in the jazz sense, but in a horn-laden variety a la Memphis rock with some James Brown thrown in for good measure. It’s leg-kicking, camelwalkin’ rock with horns that fill out the sound over a funky groove.While the energetic frontman has a knack for rock ’n’ roll, especially … Read more
Kingdom
Kingdom
Independent (2006)
After the 90's, it seems that any vegan straightedge band seems hell-bent on pigeonholing itself into being a metalcore or melodic death metal band, with good reason, too. Abnegation's foray into death metal, Verses of the Bleeding, sucked and Earth Crisis's attempts to become like Pantera were lukewarm at best. Kingdom tries their hand at stepping outside of the box … Read more
Kingdom
The Rage That Guides
Eulogy (2009)
Remember the mid 1990's and the vegan straightedge hardcore scene with its horribly over-sized clothes (big pants, basketball jerseys), staunch politics (hardline anyone?), and some of its more notable bands (Earth Crisis, One King Down, Morning Again, Culture, Birthright, Unconquered, and tons more)? I ask this question because not only do I, but because Kingdom is like a huge nostalgic … Read more
Kingdom
Threads
Dead Truth (2011)
In a time where the only things that garner a hardcore band’s attention is how heavy they are, it’s hard to find bands with an actual proactive message. Everywhere you turn, the next hype band has little to nothing to say lyrically but are the most talked about based on their music, which is usually beatdown at its most basic … Read more
Kings of Convenience
Declaration of Dependence
Astralwerks (2009)
After almost five years since their last outing, the Norwegian duo Kings of Convenience have returned with their third full-length, Declaration of Dependence. Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe are best known for weaving simple acoustic melodies into lush pop songs akin to a modern day Simon and Garfunkel. Although a return to this musical style is nothing new these … Read more
Kings of Leon
Because of the Times
RCA (2007)
Kings of Leon: the South's answer to rock and roll. Their dirty, sometimes bluesy, sometimes alternative rock can get even the drunkest college kid pumped and ready to roll. That drunken college kid "" I call him Joe Jack "" won't be disappointed with their newest album Because of the Times. On Because of the Times, the rock-o-meter is definitely … 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
Kiss the Gunner
Why are We so Dead?
Harvest Earth (2007)
I can remember being seven years old and staring bleakly at the television screen while Magic Johnson announced to the world that he was HIV positive. It was late afternoon on a grey fall day and I was sitting on the living room couch with my father, unable to fully grasp either the gravity of the situation or the defeated … Read more
Kissed by an Animal
Kissed by an Animal
HANDSTAND RECORDS (2019)
Kissed by an Animal is getting the vinyl treatment a year after release of their self title album from 2019. To describe these guys, well it’s hard to nail down a specific style that the Brooklyn, NY based band is trying to hit. To be honest, this album is hard to get use to in general.To prepare for a review … Read more
Kite Party
Baseball Season
Animal Style (2012)
Kite Party reside and make music in Philadelphia, PA. They’ve released some well-received EPs over the last half-dozen years, and seem to have done a lot of live performing too. Their debut full-length, Baseball Season, was self-released in 2011, then picked up by Animal Style Records and re-released in early 2012.My initial reaction upon dropping the needle and hearing the … Read more
Kitten Forever
Pressure
Guilt Ridden Pop (2013)
Pressure is a party. The three-piece band Kitten Forever trade off vocals constantly throughout, and even swap instruments while they’re at it. It starts off with a 43 second intro track of vocal switcheroos and handclaps before shifting into the muddy “Cry Baby” that sets the stage well for their alternating tones of distorted punk and happy-clap sing-song. While the … Read more
Kitten Forever
Semi-Permanent
Independent (2018)
Kitten Forever are staples of the Twin Cities DIY scene. They also tour nationally and have received a good share of recognition for their unique merger of party punk and vitriol. Overall, the three-piece plays fuzzy, stripped down ragers that alternate between screaming frustration and bopping good times. Semi-Permanent is their fourth full-length and the general tone over the 11-song … Read more
KK Null
Oxygen Flash
Neurot (2009)
You might not know who or what KK Null is (or his band Zeni Geva), but rest assured his twenty plus years of activity in music has given him the opportunity to play all over the world and collaborate with a variety of musicians and bands from Sonic Youth, Mike Patton (Faith No More, MR. Bungle, Tomahawk, etc), Steve Albini … Read more
Know the Score
All Guts, No Glory
Goodbye Blue Skies (2005)
Some might say that hardcore has gone soft. Those that feel this way have a distorted view of the genre. Hardcore is as explosive and assertive as it has been since its very inception. Florida hardcore outfit Know the Score is a prime example of this. With their debut release, All Guts, No Glory, the band serves up eleven tracks … Read more
Know the Score
All Guts, Still No Glory
Eulogy (2008)
We don't care about your labels and your fucking trends / We only care about the music and hanging out with our friends / So stand to the side and don't get in our way / Kids like you drop out of hardcore every single day. This quote from "Pep Talk" sums up what Know the Score is about. Playing … Read more
Know the Score
All Time Low
Eulogy (2006)
A lot of bands get labeled as "angry" or "pissed off" as a result of their lyrical content, and I'm sure you could apply those same adjectives to Know the Score. However, I feel that doing so would be doing a great disservice to them, not to mention those descriptions are rather played out. I feel a better way to … Read more
Kodaline
In A Perfect World
RCA (2013)
Mohill is a rural Irish village in county Leitrim, it's nice, quaint and generally doesn't divide opinion. To use an Irishism: sure it's grand. It's also where the majority of the songs on Kodaline's debut album In A Perfect World were written. In effect what Kodaline have done is written a powerful, evocative album, that has them on the precipice … Read more
Kodiak
Self Titled (Collection)
Denovali (2011)
Even in this so-called digital age of information where anyone can have anything delivered right to their mobile phones in the blink of an eye, there are still moments where items, music, movies from outside of your physical domain slip by completely unnoticed; and, quite frankly, this whole circumstance is proof to me that there is still some mystery left … Read more
