As I did with the review of Volume I, I will recommend that those of you who have not heard Isis, in particular the band's last full-length Oceanic, head out to your local independent record store and purchase a copy. Give the album a few listens and then you can come back and read the remainder of this review. And we begin on Side A with a reworking of the track "Carry" by Tim Hecker, who is best known for his work in Jetone. Hecker has reduced the song down to nothing more than a single guitar tone. But what he has done is added a lot, and I mean a lot, of distortion to the tone. As the track progresses and the distortion is pulled back you can make out in the background the sampling of a conversation. While the words are indecipherable, it creates a very somber and eerie mood. The remainder of the song is that same guitar from the beginning. This is a rather dull version, but fortunately things get better. The second track on Side A is yet another rendition of "Carry." I'm beginning to wonder if these individuals even listened to the rest of … Read more
Brooklyn strikes again with this 2-for-1 bargain from noise rock provocateurs Parts & Labor and loop-based composer Tyondai Braxton. Rise … Read more
"The Colour" are out and about - I guess. Yeah, okay. Center singer dude here sounds kind of like Robert … Read more
With the state of pop music looking more and more depressing with every year, it is always nice to hear … Read more
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The unique style of P.O.S. continues to come together - from the disjointed and experimental Ipecac Neat that caught Rhymesayers' attention, and the slightly more mainstream Audition in 2006, Never Better continues to build and unify P.O.S.'s distinct and witty brand of hip-hop. To get it out of the way early, P.O.S. is also in the hardcore/mathrock band Building Better Bombs. Yes, he raps and is affiliated with punk. Sometimes this shows in his songs, but most of the time it's more subtle and shows through his lyrical content, abrasive beats, and occasional screaming than in a direct Transplants sort of way. Thank god. Much like his previous release, Never Better starts off with an intro track - not your run of the mill skit or namedropping intro, but a … Read more
Note:If you need to really know how I feel about Ween as a band, please refer to my review on of their CD Quebec, on this very website. My other review contained a small bit on a time when I experienced Ween live. I have seen them again since, and considering this is a live DVD/CD package, I find it … Read more
Terror might be the only band that could have had a successful career in music without playing a single show. The band's demo made its way online via their website and created a tidal wave of positive reviews that praised the band as the "saviors of hardcore." After the release of the demo, the band's first set of shows included … Read more
Even if you're in a band whose career spans almost 30 years, there is a first time for everything. This is the first time the Cure have released an album on Geffen instead of Elektra Records. After self-producing many of their albums, they handed over the reigns of producer to Ross Robinson, who has produced for the likes of Limp … Read more
The Dillinger Escape Plan (DEP) certainly have been enjoying the good life since releasing their last full-length, Calculating Infinity, back in 1998. The band was hand-picked by Mike Patton to tour alongside one of the bands they openly idolize, Mr. Bungle. A mutual respect between the two bands eventually led to DEP recording an EP, which contains Patton's musical vision, … Read more
I want to bash the Killer's debut Hot Fuss so much. The press sets them up easily for a beating; there's enough hype to fuel the world for a month or two and they focus on singer/songwriter/synthesizer Brandon Flowers. How could someone from Sin City have the last name Flowers and be in a band named the Killers? I looked … Read more
A lot of my friends feel they have a duty to recommend me music. I don't mean to sound conceited, but I'm quite an educated individual when it comes to music of multiple genres. So when a friend suggests something to me, it's more often than not something I've already heard. But if I do have a weak spot in … Read more
Yo, this CD title sucks. It doesn't even really make sense. Also, fuck the packaging. It's not the average size of a jewel case, so it won't fit on my CD shelf. I have around five hundred cds, and they are taking up three full shelves on a good-sized bookcase, but next to those three shelves are a small pile … Read more
Some would call Zao the musical embodiment of a soap opera. Even in their early years, they went through two lead vocalists and countless other band members. Their defining moments, however, were when vocalist Dan Weyandt entered the band and recorded Where Blood & Fire Bring Rest, Liberate Te Ex Inferis, Self-Titled, and Parade of Chaos. The drama didn't end … Read more
Back in the late nineties a handful of bands like Shai Hulud and Poison the Well began blending technical metalcore with more melodic, Midwest-style emo, building a sound that for the time was pretty innovative. After gaining a large amount of popularity, newer bands began emulating this style and making it more and more watered down. These are bands like … Read more
I love Ryan Adams - in a musical way. When I heard that Ryan Adams's partner in crime, Jesse Malin, was releasing a second album, I was excited. They are not only cohorts in the Finger (shh...they don't want you to know), but they also share the same roots. Boy falls in love with the punk scene, but then matures … Read more
While to some, hardcore is a type of pornography that involves penetration and giraffes, for others it's a style of music, even a lifestyle. When punk and hardcore were originally birthed, they were fast, radical, aggressive, and socially conscious forms of expression. Twenty-odd years later, punk and hardcore have all but lost their edge. For one, neither is all that … Read more
LKN is the side project of Laura K. Newman, who could previously be found playing in the Pensacola, Florida act, Stellamarie. This is her second full length under the LKN moniker and with it, she pulls out all the stops to see that she gets noticed. This album was recorded in several different studios with different gear setups, which detracts … Read more
Remember those spelling/definition tests that you had to take in grade school? You know, the ones where they ask you to give the definition of a word or use it in a sentence. I always loved those, maybe because I thought they were so easy. Okay, term one: "irony." - "Michael, an individual who is not straightedge, enjoys countless bands … Read more
The West Coast seems to have an air of a free spirit that allows songwriters to write various types of music there. About two years ago, I started listening to several California pop bands including Phantom Planet (pre-garage-band-wannabe stage), Rooney, the Like, the Waking Hours, Everybody Else, and Rilo Kiley for their great pop sensibilities. Melée is a pop band … Read more
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