700 total search results — Page 29 of 35
Band of Bastards – DELETE. REPEAT.
Review — September 28, 2021
It’s nice when artists get back to their roots. There’s a time and place for growth and exploration. But there’s also a time and place to let the rage loose, and that’s what’s happening with Band of Bastards on their debut twelve-song slab of blistering hardcore. That’s probably not what …
Neon Belly – Self-Titled
Review — October 6, 2021
Let’s call it like is it is. Punk rock has been too much of a boys’ club for far too long. And, since the style is rooted in blunt communication, what better way to call attention than putting the scene on alert on the first song of a band’s first …
ONETWOTHREE – ONETWOTHREE
Review — October 12, 2021
The hook on ONETWOTHREE is the band is comprised of three bassists. Which, actually, means there are a ton of hooks on this, their debut record. And now that I’ve hooked you with unnecessary wordplay, I’ll get on with things. But, really, it was the unique arrangement that first …
Bricheros – Live at Hensley
Review — October 19, 2021
I don’t know anything about Bricheros beyond what’s in the press sheet. Which has quite a bit of info, really, but in the spirit of due diligence, let’s just say I want a little more. The band plays Panic Button Records-style Ramones-core with a strong dose of Screeching Weasel …
Partial Traces – Wild Surf/Quiet Blues
Review — October 19, 2021
Partial Traces play pop-inspired keyboard rock – but not at all the kind you imagine when you hear those words. In pop songs, the keyboard generally brings melodrama or atmosphere. In Partial Traces, those two ideas meet in the middle. It’s emotional and serious, but instead of dramatic, it’s tonal. …
Sincere Engineer – Bless My Psyche
Review — November 2, 2021
Sincere Engineer, fronted by Deanna Belos, runs the emotional gamut with angry highs and desperate lows – often both within the same song. I kind of think of it as a female take on ‘90s emo: the songs are personal and introspective, searching for help through the downtimes. A difference …
Vacation – Existential Risks & Rewards
Review — November 16, 2021
I’ve been fighting the urge to just quote John Hoffman from when I interviewed another one of his bands, The Mimes, earlier this year, because I think he described his songwriting style really well in it. Instead, you get a vague, shameless plug, though I’ll circle back after more …
The Muslims – Fuck These Fucking Fascists
Review — November 23, 2021
Fuck These Fucking Fascists is the fourth full-length by the Muslims, and their first on Epitaph. As the name suggests, it’s complex music steeped in subtle political theory. Just kidding. This is straight-up angry, screamy punk with overt politics. Which is often needed, especially in the current environment. Besides …
The Right Here – Northern Town
Review — November 30, 2021
Northern Town is a fitting title for this album. It feels like winter: cold, lonely, and daunting. It’s the third record from The Right Here, based in Minneapolis, MN, one of the northernmost cities in the continental US. The band play alt-country with punk undertones. The songs are a little …
Heart & Lung – Twistin' The Knife Away
Review — December 7, 2021
Heart & Lung released their debut in 2017, then Red Scare reissued it last year, putting it on my radar. The band is from Cleveland, OH, playing melodic pop-punk with gruff moments. While the debut was fairly call-and-response in song structure, Twistin’ The Knife Away mixes up the songwriting …
Postage – LP1
Review — December 21, 2021
Most of the time when a review says something sounds familiar it’s meant as an insult. Well, Postage is a new band but it sounds familiar…in all the right ways. It strikes those comfortable, familiar tones of singalong punk. It’s influenced by the classics. And while it has these elements …
Lars Frederiksen – To Victory
Review — January 4, 2022
When the pandemic first struck and musicians were stuck in their homes, this is exactly the kind of record I expected everyone to make: solo, acoustic, redoing old songs and favorite covers. Ironically, Lars’ solo project started prior to Covid and was meant as a live thing, which was subsequently …
Naked Raygun – Over The Overlords
Review — January 11, 2022
Rather than delve into the history books and deep cuts of Naked Raygun’s discography, I’m mostly going to focus on the present in this take on Over The Overlords, Naked Raygun’s latest -- and their first full-length since 1990 (their sixth overall). The heavily influential Chicago band was born …
The Copyrights – Alone In A Dome
Review — January 18, 2022
It’s been so long since The Copyrights put out an album that I kind of forgot they’re still active: seven years, according to the press release. But they’ve had a lot going on in that time (haven’t we all), dealing with personal and family issues and such. They returned last …
BÖRN – Drottningar Dauðans
Review — January 25, 2022
It seems like genre definitions change based on the era. I swear people were calling Sonic Youth post-punk for a while, but nowadays the tag seems to apply to a dystopian style with distant-emotionless vocals. Of course, genre is a tricky beast. It’s often useful for description and concept, but …
Forever Unclean – Best
Review — February 1, 2022
It’s a tough to summarize Forever Unclean in a neat little genre-name. It’s punk rock, but with elements of ‘90s alt rock, screamo and more. It’s short and concise, energetic and uplifting, yet unpredictable and far more complex than your average 3-chord beentheredonethat. The music is driving but varied: guitar-driven …
Various Artists – ...And Out Come The Lawsuits
Review — February 8, 2022
Rancid’s 1990s catalog is a unique beast. It’s Clash-influenced street punk. On paper it sounds highly derivative, but its heart always shined through making it stand out in a hard to quantify way. Tim Armstrong’s songwriting is the foundation, but it’s his one-of-a-kind drawl paired with Lars Frederiksen’s vocal …
Sweat – Gotta Give It Up
Review — February 16, 2022
I’ve had a range of thoughts about this record as I’ve played it on repeat in recent weeks. At first it didn’t really hit me -- it felt too repetitive and didn’t really jump out from the pack. But that changed as I kept coming back. While circle pit hardcore …
Human Issue – Faceless. Nameless
Review — February 22, 2022
Hunter Martinez is a scene vet, playing drums and/or guitar with Decent Criminal, Dwarves, and Slaughterboys, among others. In Human Issue, Martinez takes the lead. That’s not to say this is some dude-with-an-acoustic vanity project. Human Issue is a full-on punk band, with Martinez joined by a …
