1186
Histeria
Drunken Sailor (2025)
If you read enough press releases, you start questioning if you even know what genre names mean. Post-punk has been one of the most abused terms of the past 2-3 years and it seems to mean wildly different things to different people. To me, it’s always meant an ear for angular guitars and noise atop more traditional song concepts. 1186 … Read more
Aesop Rock
Black Hole Superette
Rhymesayers (2025)
Aesop Rock has a reputation for esoteric and abstract raps. It's certainly an earned reputation, but that background makes it interesting when you peel off the layers of his latest, Black Hole Superette and realize that many of these dense songs are actually about the mundane: walking the dog, cohabitation... hell, even fishkeeping. While there's a lot of day-to-day routine … Read more
Art Brut
Sorry, That It Doesn't Sound Like It's Planned! Battling Satan, 2009 - 2020
Edsel Records (2025)
I’ve never reviewed a box set before but Art Brut released my favourite sprechgesang anti-art-punk album of the early aughts so I figured I’d give it a go. 2005’s Bang Bang Rock & Roll placed Art Brut among the “Art Wave” scene but was more post-punk revival than “Indie Sleaze”. Argos has cited Jonathan Richman and Axl Rose as his … Read more
Circuit des Yeux
Halo On The Inside
Matador (2025)
Haley Fohr's artistic vehicle, Circuit des Yeux, defies categorisation. Stamping the indie folk label on her was superficial, something dispelled easily once you have experienced the lo-fi distortion of "The Girl With No Name." It might be that under the layers of sonic disfigurement, a folk ethos is present in Fohr's narrative sensibility, but it is no longer the same. … Read more
Dauber
Falling Down
Recess (2025)
The lazy approach would be to call Dauber "ex-Screaming Females," but that barely scratches the surface. If I had to pick one band to namedrop a comparison to, it would be labelmates Night Court. They play a familiar style but with a lot of quirks that set it apart from the genre standard-bearers. It's driving and energetic -- more importantly, … Read more
Death By Unga Bunga
Raw Muscle Power
Jansen Records (2025)
I’m pretty sure I became aware of Mike Krol when The Whiffs posted about playing some shows with him. Krol is a bit of an anomaly. Not only is he on Merge and collaborates with Mac Superchunk- a dream scenario imo- but he’s also been elusive of my fan boy attempts at cold dm’ing him about stuff even tho we … Read more
Deseos Primitivos
Lineas de Muerte
Shadowplay Records (2025)
Some reviews are written after years of listening to a band and knowing nearly everything about them. Sometimes I listen to a record on repeat for weeks before I even look up the correct song titles – Deseos Primitivos (Primitive Desires) is the latter. This promo came to SPB as literally a one sentence quote about the band and its … Read more
Errth
Errth
Uncle Style Records (2025)
What makes a gruff vocal melodic punk band stand out? That's the question I'm asking myself as I listen to Errth's debut on repeat. I've been playing this record for probably a month straight and I dig it. It checks the heart-on-sleeve style I enjoy but I'm struggling to figure out why, exactly. I think on this, it's the tones … Read more
Golden Shitters
Brutal Planet
Ugly Pop (2025)
People in the indie punk scene in Canada can usually be linked by six degrees of separation. I’ve never met Golden Shitter guitarist Matt Ellis IRL but I became acquainted with him when he played in the short lived Plastic Heads with Jon Sharron. Having played with everyone from Chokehold to Brutal Knights, along with the criminally underrated Valley Boys, … Read more
Gus Baldwin & The Sketch
The Sketch
Permanent Teeth (2025)
When The Sketch opens, I find myself quickly thinking of “Got The Time” by Joe Jackson. For the most part, that comparison fades by the time the power chords kick in at 10 seconds, but I also bring it up because (at least in my mind) that’s a classic track that doesn’t get enough fanfare. No artist wants constant “sounds … Read more
Kreiviskai
Motinai
Infinite Fog Productions (2025)
Kreiviskai's origins are deeply rooted in the neofolk sound and ethos. Their debut record, Zemmis : supnãi, focuses on the musical lineage of Tver, embracing the traditional instrumentation to produce a somber and moving piece. Their follow-up record, Nonregnum expands outward, focusing on various historical events and introducing further influences. The pull of neo-classical is palpable, while the abrasive industrial … Read more
Li Jianhong
Shuttle Raven of the Dream
Utech (2025)
Li Jianhong's philosophy surpasses the direct relationship of a musician with their instrument of choice. Instead, Li has advocated for Environment Improvisation, where the urge to create and improvise is established by the artist's surroundings. Looking at Li's website you can find numerous instances that inspired him to settle down and start improvising, drawing energy from the surroundings. The music … Read more
Miller Lowlifes
Pinch Hitters
ADD Records (2025)
The debut album from Florida punk band Miller Lowlifes features a vintage baseball theme, best enjoyed with a can of cheap domestic beer in hand. The metaphor fits, as Pinch Hitters focuses on the American dream -- and where it stands in 2025. The vintage educational TV audio clips add to this past-meets-present theme. It's an album that's equally about … Read more
Painkiller
The Equinox
Tzadik (2025)
Painkiller sees three absolute masters of extreme music join forces. John Zorn of Naked City and a billion other projects, Mick Harris who transcended from Napalm Death drummer to illbient guru with Scorn, and producer extraordinaire Bill Laswell. Their first two records, Guts of a Virgin and Buried Secrets are strange meditations traversing between free-jazz, grindcore and dub. Still hungry … Read more
Painkiller
The Great God Pan
Tzadik (2025)
Painkiller, the trio of John Zorn, Bill Laswell, and Mick Harris shows no signs of slowing down. The Great God Pan is their third full-length, since their reunion in 2024, and in many ways it is an unexpected offering. In keeping with their interests in the metaphysical realm, Painkiller find inspiration from the famed Arthur Machen horror novella. Here, the … Read more
Raging Nathans
Room For One More
Rad Girlfriend Records (2025)
The Raging Nathans are a unique band. They play '90s influenced punk that checks a ton of familiar boxes. It will appeal to fans of the old "EpiFat" sound, as it's been pejoratively called... but they seamlessly add a new element of emotion that's often carries blunt, harsh and personal emotional truths in their songs. Sometimes it's subtle, but usually … Read more
Rodeo Boys
Junior
Don Giovanni (2025)
Rodeo Boys play in the punk circuit but there's so much going on in their music. I'll broadly summarize it as guitar music. This description, of course, might be biased from my first impression when I caught the last 5 minutes of a set at Fest which was basically just Tiff Hannay shredding on the floor in an impressive close … Read more
The Men
Buyer Beware
Fuzz Club Records (2025)
I wanna say the first time I heard Brooklyn NY’s The Men was back in 2010, ironically around the time I moved back to Vancouver, Canada from Brooklyn. I don’t recall having seen or heard of them when I lived there but that is not surprising. One of the reasons I moved back was that I wasn't going out much. … Read more
