Nadja & Picastro
Fool, Redeemer
Broken Spine (2011)
Hate me for it, but this release was the one that kind of soured me on Nadja and (in particular) all of their collaborations because, right from the word “go”, Fool, Redeemer was an absolute chore to sit through my first full listening “party” of the album; now, let me be up front and declare that given my obsession with the duo, I voraciously devour any and all music from Nadja or rather I did until this collaboration / split with Picastro and that is part of the problem in that everything about this album both refers to it as a split and a collaboration (and this confusion might be part of the issue for me). Now, while this may not be fair to Picastro (I had never heard anything from them prior to this collaboration), but I cannot fathom what is going on this album; the stringed instruments barely sound tuned or even in key, and any sense of the blissful music for which I love Nadja seems almost completely missing from the first half of Fool, Redeemer and replaced by an at times interesting re-assessment of tubular bells with strings. The high point from the album for me … Read more
Arms Aloft
Sawdust City
Kiss of Death (2012)
When I speak of a “Kiss of Death” sound, I don’t mean it derisively. What I do mean is poppy … Read more
Propagandhi
Failed States
Epitaph (2012)
Unless you’ve only just been introduced to Canadian punk music from the past quarter century, you've already come to expect … Read more
Kendrick Lamar
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Interscope/Top Dawg/Aftermath (2012)
What better way to start my career at Scene Point Blank and as a published writer than by reviewing one … Read more
World Narcosis
Self Titled
Independent (2011)
World Narcosis is a relatively new band as this is their debut EP. The band's style relies on a slightly … Read more
