699 total search results — Page 20 of 35
The Dopamines – Tales of Interest
Review — May 29, 2017
It’s been a while since Ohio’s The Dopamines released a new record –2012 by the looks of things, and I honestly missed that one, so my most recent reference is 2010’s Expect the Worst. I know they’ve become parents or grown up or something along those lines, leading …
MakeWar – Developing A Theory of Integrity
Review — June 5, 2017
One of the reasons I gravitate toward the pop-end of the punk spectrum is because it lacks pretention. The structures are straightforward and honest, often predictable to such a fault that it’s become cliché. That’s why an album like Developing A Theory of Integrity is so refreshing. The overall sound …
Caves – Always Why
Review — June 12, 2017
Generally speaking, I’ve spent a lot of time the past half-decade (or maybe decade) listening to two subsets of DIY punk: gruff melodic three-chord arrangements, and pop-punk with soaring melodic layers. I won’t say I limit myself to that by a long shot, but it’s sort of what I gravitate …
Naïve Sense – Self Titled EP (2017)
Review — June 19, 2017
“If I am unable to transform you into a Naïve Sense fan, then I have not done my job.”So begins “Win a Trip to Vegas: Heavy Metal Bikini Contest/Men’s Support Group,” in a sound clip before the EP’s second to last track. It’s a bold proclamation for a bold …
Nothington – In the End
Review — July 4, 2017
Few things are stable in this topsy-turvy world. One constant has been Nothington. With the release of In the End, the San Francisco band’s fifth full-length, they’ve continued down the road they started with All In. It’s classic chord-driven punk with a working class, heart on its …
Cayetana – New Kind Of Normal
Review — July 10, 2017
Normally when I hear obvious shades of the 1990s, my first thought is straight from an ad campaign of the era: been there, done that. It’s an oversimplification, but you get the point. The real problem is mimicry instead of taking influence. Cayetana have some clear influences from the alt …
Needles//Pins – Goodnight, Tomorrow
Review — July 17, 2017
Needles//Pins are one of those hard bands to pin down. They just sound like what rock ‘n’ roll is supposed to be, you know? It’s catchy, gritty, relatable, and working class. It’s to the point without being mindless or jingoistic. Goodnight, Tomorrow is their second LP, the follow-up to …
P.O.S. – Chill, Dummy
Review — July 24, 2017
A new kidney hasn’t made P.O.S soft and introspective. On his return to action album Chill, Dummy, he’s as angry and pointed as ever. The album rages, with moments of reflection that turn outward instead of in.The Minneapolis rapper has had an interesting evolution. He sprung up as …
Whiskey & Co. – Ripped Together, Torn Apart
Review — August 7, 2017
Whiskey & Co. are something of an outlier on the No Idea Records roster, but it’s still a cultural fit. Their boozy, swaying country may not be in the same vein as the gruff punk “Gainesville sound,” but it’s a fitting morning after with its laid back, introspective vibe. Ripped …
Rancid – Trouble Maker
Review — August 21, 2017
It’s strange to me to realize that Rancid just released their ninth album. It’s a mark of age, not to mention that they haven’t been the most productive band on the block since the 3-year spree of LPs 1-3 from 1993-1995. Mostly it just makes me feel old, which is …
Lost Balloons – Hey Summer
Review — September 4, 2017
By now it feels like hitting repeat, but for the uninitiated, Lost Balloons has to be introduced through the Marked Men timeline. The beloved Texas garage-punk band went on hiatus sometime back, when member Jeff Burke relocated to Japan. He’s since returned to the US and plays sporadically with Marked …
The Slow Death – Punishers
Review — September 25, 2017
Punishers is the third LP from The Slow Death, fronted by ex-Pretty Boy Thorson & the Falling Angels mouthpiece Jesse Swan Thorson and backed by a rotating cast that includes Falling Angel Dave Strait, Dillinger Four’s Paddy Costello, The Ergs! Mike Yannich, and a slew of others depending …
The Mons – Trust No One
Review — October 9, 2017
Trust No One, The Mons’ second album isn’t subtle. But what do you expect of a band using that name? This is aggressive, 1980s-inspired hardcore with a penchant for fast songs and straight shooting ‘tude. The opening ripper “This Is Why” is a declaration statement with a minute-long intro …
Worriers – Survival Pop
Review — October 16, 2017
It seems like Worriers nailed down their sound on day one, when they rose from the ashes of The Measure S.A.. The Lauren Denitzio-fronted group plays a melodic and quirky style of indie-poppish-punk. On Survival Pop, that sound takes a stronger pop turn, with ear-pleasing hooks paired to politically-charged …
The Capitalist Kids – Brand Damage
Review — October 31, 2017
Even with a name like Capitalist Kids, the Austin band has always been more about love songs in the vein of Mr. T Experience and Lookout Records before hitting the political sauce. Well, the Drumpf era has hit us all in undeniable ways. Brand Damage is the band’s fourth full-length …
Sciatic Nerve – Sciatic Nerve
Review — November 6, 2017
Sciatic Nerve is a band that doesn’t care what you think. They don’t have “band sound,” or so the press release claims. To get all meta on them, their stated brand-less concept is a concept itself. But I digress. The important thing is that it’s a group of long-time friends …
Hard Girls – Floating Now
Review — November 27, 2017
Hard Girls are a complex band – or maybe they’re not. They sing about hard life choices, serious moments, and buying candy and cigarettes. A post-punk influence and precise arrangement style seamlessly blend into a more traditional pop structure. At its simplest definition they’re a punk band, but that doesn’t …
Tim Barry – High On 95
Review — December 4, 2017
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 …
Iron Chic – You Can't Stay Here
Review — December 11, 2017
Iron Chic has its own kind of poetry. It’s not quite the Off With Their Heads level of self-hatred, but it’s highly self-deprecating to the point of feeling playful and overblown in its drama. Throughout the entire 11-song You Can’t Stay Here there are dozens of snippets I could grab …
