Various Artists
I Need You Bad
Polyvinyl (2013)
Due to its liberal usage around ye olden music-critiquing biz, “garage rock” is one of those dicey descriptors that, should you choose to follow it, can lead you down a multitude of avenues. It can walk you knowingly into a crotch punching at the hands of the Candy Snatchers, leave you pleasantly surprised and smiling thanks to the likes … Read more
Various Artists
Capitalist Kids/Tight Bros. - split 7"
Toxic Pop (2013)
If sweet and easy pop punk is your thing, this is the split for you. Capitalist Kids take Side A, fresh after releasing Lessons on Love, Sharing, and Hygiene. They play Mr. T Experience influenced pop punk/song-about-a-girl. Here, only two of the three are on that subject: opener “Special Looks,” which features the beautifully self-aware lyric, “I’ll keep writing dumb songs/ because you … Read more
Various Artists
Moloch / Ensorcelor - Split LP
Psychic Assault (2013)
This is a record resembling Clash Of The Titans. Both Canada's Ensorcelor and England's Moloch have been lurching in the darkest reaches of the metal underground for a few years. While some bands err to the side or fluid hooks in their riffs and others slink towards creating the most noise possible, somewhere in between lie these two.On one side … Read more
Various Artists
Moloch / Meth Drinker - Split LP
Feast of Tentacles (2013)
Moloch returns a second time for 2013 while Meth Drinker join them this time. Moloch remain relatively the same in that what they do is play a deep dark style of doom that embraces the blacker elements of the genre. New Zealand's Meth Drinker return the favor by playing something that can at one point resemble trudging doom and at … Read more
Various Artists
Joie De Vivre/Prawn - Split EP
Topshelf (2014)
The recent collaboration between emo acts Prawn (NY/NJ-based) and Joie De Vivre (Illinois-based) is a rad split album packed with guitar twinkles and gloomy vocals.Joie De Vivre starts off the split. Compared to past albums like We’re All Better Than This and The North End, JDV’s three songs on the collaboration are heavier and, production-wise, more lavish. Their stand out track is “Tenspopet”, … Read more
Various Artists
Crybaby/Casual - Split EP
Secret Audio Club (2014)
I hate to simplify the role of the split 7”—they’re about way more than this, in truth—but one of the greatest purposes the split 7” plays is in introducing yourself to new bands. Most of the time, the pairings are based on similar sounds or friendships and it’s a good way to branch out and find new groups. This split … Read more
Various Artists
Balsa/Sei Hexe - Split EP
String Break (2014)
Two bands hailing from the US Northwest bring a Metalcore filled split from String Break Records. Seattle's, Balsa, take control of the first half with three tracks, while Portland's all-female act, Sei Hexe, fills out the rest of the split with two tracks. Balsa opens the EP with, "Rasputin." The track doesn't hesitate to play with the core of the … Read more
Various Artists
Low Culture-Needles//Pins - split 7"
Dirtnap (2014)
I’ve probably said this before for those 3 people who read all of my reviews, but I feel that the 7” is one of the hardest items to review. Not because they’re short, but because it takes a truly special 7” to jump from an 8 to a 10. It’s a hard format to nail, but it’s fairly easy to … Read more
Various Artists
Dale Cooper Quartet & The Dictaphones/Witxes - Split
Denovali (2014)
When it comes to minimalistic ambient and dark jazz it does not get much better than these. Two great acts from France coexist within this split album. The Dale Cooper Quartet & The Dictaphones can be considered a legendary act, with a résumé of high quality albums such as their debut, Parole De Navare and their sophomore release Metamanoir. Witxes … Read more
Various Artists
Clockwork Orange County: The Rise of West Coast Punk Rock
MVD Visual (2014)
Detailing the history of southern California punk of the late 1970s and early ‘80s and in particular, the scene that revolved around the legendary Cuckoo’s Nest club which hosted live music shows, the 2012 documentary Clockwork Orange County: The Rise of West Coast Punk Rock! (which earlier had been released under the title of We Were Feared) covers a fascinating … Read more
Various Artists
NEONAUTICS v.01
SkyQode (2014)
Running nearly 70 minutes in length, the Neonautics v.01 compilation from Russian label skyQode collects sixteen tracks (many of which in album-exclusive versions) from a variety of European synthpop artists who clearly know their stuff when it comes to making catchy, danceable electronic music. Full of bouncy rhythms, lots of flashy keyboard and synthesizer, and awkward but lovable “English as … Read more
Various Artists
GC Records 15 Year Anniversary Comp: A Snapshot of the 2014 Las Vegas Music Scene
GC Records (2014)
GC Records 15 Year Anniversary Comp: A Snapshot of the 2014 Las Vegas Music Scene is two things: it’s homage to 15 years of success at GC Records and it’s a time capsule of a local music scene. Does it succeed on both ends? From a non-Vegas resident, it seems so. There is a variety of music included, largely in … Read more
Various Artists
Soaked in Bleach
MVD Visual (2015)
On March 31,1994, singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain, frontman for Nirvana and heralded as the spokesman for a generation, escaped from a drug treatment facility in Los Angeles. Eight days later, as rumors of Nirvana’s breakup spread after it was announced the band had pulled out of that year’s Lollapalooza Music Festival, Cobain was found dead in the greenhouse beside … Read more
Various Artists
Post Teens / Rose Cross - split 7"
Dead Tank (2015)
Nice little split 7” here from Dead Tank that I’ve admittedly been sitting on way too long. Technically this is a 2014 release, although I don’t think it started hitting the shops until 2015. Rose Cross is really awesome. One of my favorite discoveries of this past year. They’ve been around for a while but I wasn’t acquainted with them … Read more
Various Artists
Radon/Worthwhile Way - split 7"
No Idea/Eager Beaver (2015)
Radon has never really done a lot for me. The melodies are nice but it really never strikes a chord one way or the other. In “Headaches and Bullshit,” it’s 2:29 of their traditional sound, melodic and emotional, delivered via Dave Rohm’s Greg Attonito-styled (Bouncing Souls) vocals over melodic hardcore with an emphasis on the melodic. It does feature a … Read more
Various Artists
Crab Legs/Not Half Bad - Dorks/Nerds
Ocelot Records (2015)
Spanning the country’s geography north and south, this split from Fargo, ND’s Crab Legs and Fort Worth, TX’s Not Half Bad is a snippet of the varied sounds of the current DIY pop-punk scene and everything that unifies yet separates bands within it. Crab Legs play a coarse shout it out style that’s gruff yet melodic while partners in vinyl … Read more
Various Artists
Dead Bars/The Tim Version - split 7"
No Idea Records (2016)
A limited edition split of two not-super-active bands that are Fest staples for this writer, this EP from No Idea Records combines Seattle’s Dead Bars and Tampa’s The Tim Version head to head, or head to ass or however literally one takes the physical conceptualization of a 7”.Dead Bars get the A-side here and it’s not my favorite of their … Read more
Various Artists
Amirtha Kidambi, Elder Ones Holy Science
Northern Spy (2016)
Amirtha Kidambi is an intriguing musician, an exploratory musics creator and a stellar singer. Having participated in a number of projects, including Mary Halvorson's Code Girl, Seven Teares and Tongues, with Elder Ones we see her for the first time acting as the band leader. Around her is an excellent cast, comprising of saxophonist Matt Nelson, bassist Brandon Lopez and … Read more
