King Diamond
The Spider's Lullabye (reissue)
Metal Blade (2015)
When King Diamond's album The Spider's Lullabye, his sixth, was first released in 1995, it was a unique entry in the catalog as it was the first of Diamond's albums since his Fatal Portrait debut that was not a full concept album. It also marked the debut of a whole new band, with the exception of guitarist Andy La Roque, … Read more
King Khan & The BBQ Show
Invisible Girl
In The Red (2009)
In his two-piece with Mark "BBQ" Sultan, King Khan & The BBQ Show brings garage rock as it's meant to be played: layered with harmonies and catchy choruses, but oozing with distortion and dirty, sleazeball rock and roll. King Khan & The BBQ Show have perfected simple, fun rock and roll. When "Anala" first hits your player, it's not a … Read more
King Khan & the Shrines
Idle No More
Merge (2013)
In King Khan & the Shrines, King Khan goes big band. Not in the jazz sense, but in a horn-laden variety a la Memphis rock with some James Brown thrown in for good measure. It’s leg-kicking, camelwalkin’ rock with horns that fill out the sound over a funky groove.While the energetic frontman has a knack for rock ’n’ roll, especially going back … Read more
Kingdom
Kingdom
Independent (2006)
After the 90's, it seems that any vegan straightedge band seems hell-bent on pigeonholing itself into being a metalcore or melodic death metal band, with good reason, too. Abnegation's foray into death metal, Verses of the Bleeding, sucked and Earth Crisis's attempts to become like Pantera were lukewarm at best. Kingdom tries their hand at stepping outside of the box … Read more
Kingdom
The Rage That Guides
Eulogy (2009)
Remember the mid 1990's and the vegan straightedge hardcore scene with its horribly over-sized clothes (big pants, basketball jerseys), staunch politics (hardline anyone?), and some of its more notable bands (Earth Crisis, One King Down, Morning Again, Culture, Birthright, Unconquered, and tons more)? I ask this question because not only do I, but because Kingdom is like a huge nostalgic … Read more
Kingdom
Threads
Dead Truth (2011)
In a time where the only things that garner a hardcore band’s attention is how heavy they are, it’s hard to find bands with an actual proactive message. Everywhere you turn, the next hype band has little to nothing to say lyrically but are the most talked about based on their music, which is usually beatdown at its most basic … Read more
Kings of Convenience
Declaration of Dependence
Astralwerks (2009)
After almost five years since their last outing, the Norwegian duo Kings of Convenience have returned with their third full-length, Declaration of Dependence. Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe are best known for weaving simple acoustic melodies into lush pop songs akin to a modern day Simon and Garfunkel. Although a return to this musical style is nothing new these … Read more
Kings of Leon
Because of the Times
RCA (2007)
Kings of Leon: the South's answer to rock and roll. Their dirty, sometimes bluesy, sometimes alternative rock can get even the drunkest college kid pumped and ready to roll. That drunken college kid "" I call him Joe Jack "" won't be disappointed with their newest album Because of the Times. On Because of the Times, the rock-o-meter is definitely … Read more
Kira Jari
Spooky Freaky EP
Dirt Cult (2019)
Spooky Freaky is a good debut from an intriguing new-ish band from Texas. Even if the EP name makes me think of “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah” each time I read it.The band is similar in sound to a lot of bands I enjoy: Tiltwheel and Leatherface, for example — which is why it bugs me a little to say that one of the weaknesses on … Read more
Kiss It Goodbye
Choke (EP)
Revelation (1999)
Waiting for a follow up record from Kiss It Goodbye felt like an eternity, and rumors were rampant regarding a single recorded for Seattle based record label Sub Pop; when the band decided to call it quits (prematurely I might add), that single was scrapped by Sub Pop and left unheard until it was released by Revelation (who released the … Read more
Kiss It Goodbye
She Loves Me Not...
Revelation (1997)
Is it the sound of a quarter life crisis? Is the sound of frustration and anger? In their short lived existence, Kiss It Goodbye released just this full length album (and two singles), but She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not... is nine bursts of concentrated aggression that more or less bludgeon listeners' ears with the viciousness of a mass … Read more
Kiss the Gunner
Why are We so Dead?
Harvest Earth (2007)
I can remember being seven years old and staring bleakly at the television screen while Magic Johnson announced to the world that he was HIV positive. It was late afternoon on a grey fall day and I was sitting on the living room couch with my father, unable to fully grasp either the gravity of the situation or the defeated … Read more
Kissed by an Animal
Kissed by an Animal
HANDSTAND RECORDS (2019)
Kissed by an Animal is getting the vinyl treatment a year after release of their self title album from 2019. To describe these guys, well it’s hard to nail down a specific style that the Brooklyn, NY based band is trying to hit. To be honest, this album is hard to get use to in general.To prepare for a review … Read more
Kissing Chaos
Enter With a Bullet
Fueled By Ramen (2003)
I fall somewhere in between Zed and Shane on this CD. I found some minor enjoyment in it, but there are a lot of musical flaws. It simply doesn't fit together very well. A lot of bands are trying to mix a lot of different sounds, but they shouldn't have to struggle to do it, this band clearly has problems … Read more
Kissing Chaos
Enter With a Bullet
Fueled By Ramen (2003)
The latest addition to FBR's roster. I gave this 5 song EP a listen not knowing what to expect. I think I might have been better off not knowing what it was. This band seems very unsure of what they want to be. Not terribly bad music (besides the terrible drum screw up 1:14 into the third song) but they … Read more
Kissing Chaos
Enter With a Bullet
Fueled By Ramen (2003)
With a name like Kissing Chaos you just want to get a teddy bear and kiss it. Or maybe I just made that up for a creative intro to a review. Which is ironic, because this isn't the most creative CD. They do use violins for the end of a song, and that would have been original if it hadn't … Read more
Kississippi
Sunset Blush
Alcopop! Records (2018)
Philly duo Kississippi released their anticipated debut album Sunset Blush and unlike some records, it lived up to the hype. The album starts off with the song “Once Good,” perfectly blending elements of indie and folk with Zoë Reynolds’ voice beautifully texturing the track. “Cut Yr Teeth” is a sonically dreamy track complete with stellar lyrics. Reynolds is mesmerizing as the vocalist … Read more
Kite Party
Baseball Season
Animal Style (2012)
Kite Party reside and make music in Philadelphia, PA. They’ve released some well-received EPs over the last half-dozen years, and seem to have done a lot of live performing too. Their debut full-length, Baseball Season, was self-released in 2011, then picked up by Animal Style Records and re-released in early 2012.My initial reaction upon dropping the needle and hearing the first … Read more
