Mikey Erg
Love At Leeds
Don Giovanni (2022)
Sometimes I dread writing about an artist for the fourth or fifth time. What new thing can I say? Fortunately, Mikey Erg isn’t just prolific -- he mixes it up, a lot. Last time around, I opined that the last two tracks seems to show a new direction and I’m going to argue that ‘90s rock-influenced tone is exactly where … Read more
Mikey Erg
Mikey Erg
Rad Girlfriend Records (2021)
Mikey Erg deserves an honorary degree from somebody. The projects he fronts all have a healing, therapeutic quality, which is something we all need as the calendar flips.Billed as a “return to punk” after doing solo singer-with-a-guitar thing, the self-titled record is a statement that begins with its Clash nod cover. It’s loud and direct. It’s personal in that unique … Read more
Mikey Erg
Tentative Decisions
Don Giovanni (2016)
It took all of three seconds into Tentative Decisions, about 10 seconds before his unmistakable voice, to ID the record as being made by Mikey Erg. Drummer/guitarist/vocalist in bands ranging including but definitely not limited to The Ergs!, The Dopamines, Worriers, The Slow Death, and so many more. Erg’s work has long been built on a pop-punk foundation, emotional indecision … Read more
Miles Away
Rewind, Repeat...
6131 (2007)
If you were to listen to the latest offering from Miles Away, Rewind, Repeat , and yet knew nothing of the band, the last place that you would guess they were from would be Australia. If anything, you would have come up with either the Pacific Northwest or Boston. And while both are logical guesses based on the style of … Read more
Mind Eraser
Glacial Reign
Painkiller (2006)
I will put this simply. There are too many powerviolence bands. You can find more Myspace pages with Infest and No Comment under their influences than were ever records pressed from either band. I've realized this is a pretty egregious style of music (kind of like moshcoreââ¬Â¦which these kids call stupid and neandrathalic). So who out there is stopping the … Read more
Mind Spiders
Furies
Dirtnap (2018)
While I’ve always enjoyed Mind Spiders, they’ve kind of felt like a side project, an idea that hadn’t really grown into a full-fledged band yet. On each of their releases so far, I listen and think, “I like this, but it’s not really my thing.” Then the next album comes along, I give it a spin, and think, “This keeps … Read more
Mind Spiders
Inhumanistic
Dirtnap (2013)
Maybe Minnesota is just a long way from Texas, but it seems that Mind Spiders are more of a studio band, releasing a record a year but only hitting my town once in the past three. Or maybe it’s just the 1000 miles in between. That’s really neither here nor there, though, as far as talking about the sound delivered … Read more
Mind Spiders
Meltdown
Dirtnap (2012)
Mark Ryan may not tour all that often, but you can’t fault the man’s productivity. Meltdown marks the second release from solo project Mind Spiders in a year, although the “solo” seems to be a stretch on this release. The first time around, Mind Spiders was Ryan’s project. He wrote the songs, he sang them, and he played almost all … Read more
Mind Spiders
Prosthesis
Dirtnap (2016)
Mind Spiders continues to be a very accurate name as the sound evolves.The one-time “solo” Mark Ryan project was to be his creative space for worlds outside of the garage-punk perfection of bands like The Marked Men. It began sounding a little like The Marked Men + keyboards and, oh, how it’s grown.Today Mind Spiders are a band, albeit still … Read more
Mind Spiders
Self Titled LP
Dirtnap (2011)
The Marked Men were the best band you’ve never heard. Well, one of them anyway. The beloved-by-some, under-the-radar-of-most band from Denton, TX may have taken the dreaded “hiatus” last year, but the members didn’t go into hiding. Instead, guitarist Mark Ryan returns with a solo project under the moniker Mind Spiders. On the eponymous debut Ryan plays the majority of … Read more
miniaturized
miniaturized
Independent (2023)
This self-titled record is the debut by miniaturized. While it’s their first record, the musicians have also played with the likes of Pinback, Rocket From the Crypt, No Knife, and more. You’ll pick up on hints and patterns from some of those groups here, but this record is an exploration of new styles and territories. While the band formed for … Read more
Ministry
Relapse
13th Planet (2012)
Al Jourgensen has managed to create a genre early on in his career and according to most has never quite surpassed the classics of the genre he helped to create. In a sense it would be a hard task for anyone to do such a thing. Imagine a 50 something year old man trying to recreate "Thieves" would that be … Read more
Ministry
Rio Grande Blood
13th Planet (2006)
Al Jourgensen doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve; he rips it out of his chest and smothers the bloody, still-beating remains in the face of anyone and everyone he can get his hands on. Since forming the industrial power-house that is Ministry, Jourgensen has been the driving force behind album after album worth of seething, stomping anger. In a … Read more
Minsk
The Crash & The Draw
Relapse (2015)
I was quite surprised when I heard that Minsk were going to release a follow-up full-length to their previous album, With Echoes In The Movement of Stone. Following that album, the band participated in the Hawkwind Triad split alongside US Christmas and Harvestman, before going silent for the next six years. They even officially disbanded in 2011, leaving quite a … Read more
Minus Story
Heaven and Hell
Jagjaguwar (2005)
Following up what was my #1 record of the year last year, Minus Story recently released an EP titled Heaven and Hell on Jagjaguwar. Six tracks and five songs, this EP contains four Minus Story songs, one Misfits cover, and one ghost story. The title track starts the record off in a very good way. Right away you'll notice the … Read more
Minus the Bear
Menos el Oso
Suicide Squeeze (2005)
Let's play a game. It's called 'name a better band than Minus the Bear.' Ready, go! Wrong! Ok, you might be right. But let's see you start a review in a more exciting way. You asshole. This is only the second full-length from Minus the Bear. Or as Michael affectionately calls them, 'Amazing' the Bear, nyuk nyuk nyuk. Although, they … Read more
Minus the Bear
OMNI
Dangerbird (2010)
It’s no secret Seattle’s Minus The Bear is at the forefront of the complex indie-pop movement. With their fourth full-length, Omni, the band continues their stay at the top, but in a different way than before. On this new album, the band turns up the pop factor more, with the inclusion of more organ parts and straightforward pop-rock songs. “Summer … Read more
Minus the Bear
They Make Beer Commercials Like This
Arena Rock (2004)
It was roughly a year and half ago at the South by Southwest Music Festival that I was able to witness one of the greatest shows of my life. After running amuck through the streets of Austin, I finally came to rest at the showcase I had been anticipating since its announcement. I was lucky enough to accidentally witnessed Hella, … Read more
