It was in 1994 at age thirteen that I first skipped a day of school and popped Rancid's Let's Go into my stereo. Now thirteen years later, the album still holds up as a classic. Say what you will about their jump to a major label and the last two Rancid records; the fact remains that kids years from now … Read more
Nobody can doubt Tim Barry’s heart. He’s worn it on his sleeve since he began his solo career with a 2005 demo. Depending how you count live records and demos, High on 95 is his eight record since then. Besides being prolific, his songs are largely first-person accounts of a drifter watching the world around him in wonder. The sound … Read more
Manchester is the latest album by Avail frontman Tim Barry. Barry has always had a very distinctive voice. Not just vocally, but lyrically and thematically. So as he offers up his second proper solo effort, Manchester, we are once again taken along for a ride with his slightly sweet and bitter, sometimes gravelly voice as he weaves tales of soldiers … Read more
Spring Hill is the latest solo record from Tim Barry and, to be up front, I took the last couple records off after the first few were starting to sound a bit “samey.” But it only takes a few notes on Spring Hill to see that Barry has righted that ship and really developed into a solo performer. The first … Read more
Since 2001 Tim Hecker has been exploring the more adventurous sides of electronic music. The experimental scope of the artist has moved through dark territories, taking on elements of drone, noise, power electronics, constructing unique soundscapes of immense beauty. Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again, Ravedeath, 1972 and 2013's Virgins are just some of the essential work of Hecker, … Read more
Canadian sound artist Tim Hecker is no stranger to the more esoteric side of electronic composition. Continued experimentation with increasingly nuanced ambient soundscapes under said moniker for six full-length releases, as well as countless side appearances, has inevitably led to the creation of something undeniably unique. With the release of Virgins- now Hecker's seventh effort - the bohemian Montreal resident … Read more
Tim Kasher has released four solo albums and another 10 with Cursive (and still more with The Good Life). I won’t pretend to know the full catalog -- my exposure has been more along the “best of” lines. This review isn’t a comparison or “where does it fit” essay. It’s a standalone review. I felt like I needed to get … Read more
Tim Armstrong (Rancid) has spent over a year releasing a song a day on YouTube under the moniker Tim Timebomb. While astute fans can pull his work right off the internet these days, there’s just something about holding a record and being able to play it at your leisure. Pirate’s Press Records recently dropped three vinyl singles and, as they … Read more
There was a time long long ago when Victory Records put out quality hardcore releases by bands like Integrity, The Path of Resistance, and Snapcase as opposed to the rubbish that they've been putting out as of late. In fact, the majority of what they release nowadays isn't even hardcore; it's closer to BSB (Backstreet Boys) than BFB (Blood for … Read more
Two years ago when reviewing Time for Change's debut EP, Profound, I made it known that while the band delivered some quality music, they hadn't yet found their own voice. Well, it seems as though time was all they needed. Wasting Away is a brand new 7" with four new tracks from the Southern California hardcore outfit. Time for Change … Read more
Doesn't the Bay Area have enough good hardcore bands? It's like they grow them on trees, or breed them in those large crates on the shipping docks. The truth may never be known, and I'm sure as hell not complaining; it's amazing to see these new bands playing music that strays away from the repetitive shit Trustkill profits off of … Read more
The Bay Area and surrounding areas must have an endless supply of hardcore bands. It seems every week I am discovering a new band from the NorCal scene. Time for Living is the latest band to receive my undivided attention, which they first peaked with their demo. With their Rival Records debut, they are going to garner attention from a … Read more
Time Lurker, the one-man project from France, is releasing its debut, self-titled record. Coming out from Les Aucteurs de l'Ombre, it is easy to get a first idea about what type of sound to expect. The label specializes in the more adventurous side of black metal, and its experimental and atmospheric edges, with the most famous alumni in their roster … Read more
This isn’t what I expected—there’s way more country punk twang than when I caught a short pre-Fest show from Timeshares last year. On Already Dead, the band takes that familiar Fest beard punk thing and mix it up. Using a core of gruff pop punk, they’ve tuned the guitars more clearly and chosen licks over chord progressions for their bridges, … Read more
When I first heard the NY band Timeshares, I knew they were going to be a punk band to lookout for. After excessively playing the few songs they had and their split with Captain, We’re Sinking, the guys finally released their first LP Bearable. I have to admit—it was definitely worth the wait. Each song off of Bearable varies in … Read more
Tiny Empires seek to build something new; something powerful, significant, and memorable, just as the name suggests. With their debut record Weird Headspace they’re doing just that. It’s big, grasping, and expansive work.It’s also out of the ordinary for the scene in which it originates.Lead by Eric Solomon (O Pioneers!!!) and Bryon Lippincott (New Bruises), it plays off the two … Read more
One of the pioneering acts in the glitch/IDM area of music, Tipper, hit us up with yet another record. Right off the bat, I can’t vouch that it has the same kind of punch as say Jettison Mind Hatch or Forward Escape. Although, I think it’s a little unfair to compare it to said records, as Insolito is just an … Read more
Burn, the debut full-length from Toronto, Ontario’s Titan, wastes no time in establishing itself as the devastatingly heavy powerhouse that it is. Thunderous drums and relentless guitars introduce the bleak, crushing atmosphere that stands through the entirety of the record on the almost 8-minute long “Feast,” with the chillingly powerful vocals kicking in soon after. With 10 songs spanning almost … Read more
Looking for the SPB logo? You can download it in a range of styles and colours here: