Andrew Jackson Jihad
Knife Man
Asian Man (2011)
Andrew Jackson Jihad runs the folk-punk gamut—they’ve put out a split with Ghost Mice, play The Fest more or less annually, and they’re a two-piece mostly acoustic band comprised of Sean Bonnette (guitar) and Ben Gallaty (bass). Now that I’ve lumped them in with a number of other acts, it’s time for the separation.The Phoenix band is distinct in their instrumentation, vocals, and song structures. Having a passing familiarity with the band, the vocals have always grated on me, while the honesty of the lyrics was able to somewhat override the off-key delivery. With the release of Knife Man, their fourth studio release, I figured it was time to see how the duo has developed.Their songs still revolve around intimacy and immediacy above all else. There is a directness that makes it easy to picture a concert, standing face to face with Bonnette and Gallaty in a personal environment. The lyrics cut straight to the point, often directly at the second-person “you,” while the minimal instrumentation serves as a vehicle for their message. Unfortunately, that message doesn’t particularly move me.The band has definitely grown, incorporating a lot more electric instruments, giving the sixteen songs on Knife Man a varied sound, … Read more
Smother Party
Casa Limon
Variant (2011)
Brooklyn's Smother Party come armed with an intriguing name and an interesting sound. Apparently gaining the band name from an … Read more
Atlas Sound
Parallax
4AD (2011)
Bradford Cox is in many ways like a ghost. There’s his whispery vocal style, like that of a specter, haunting … Read more
Pete Rock & Smif N Wessun
Monumental
Duck Down (2011)
Aptly-titled, Monumental brings together a legendary producer and two of the underground’s most revered MCs: Pete Rock—half of the duo … Read more
