Recent reviews

Our latest album reviews, featuring the records we've most enjoyed (or not) over the past few weeks.

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Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)

The Sidekicks

Awkward Breeds
Red Scare Industries (2012)

Cleveland, Ohio's The Sidekicks have always had it in them to make a record like this. It’s their most polished, mature, and best to date. There is not one bad track out of the eleven here. It’s musicality at its most honest.Taking the influences from past acts like The Replacements and Elvis Costello, The Sidekicks created 2009’s Weight of Air and left a huge mark in punk/orgcore circles. But here we are in 2012, and the band has shown that they can create their own sound and leave any naysayers by the wayside. This should now be known as “Sidekicks music.”Singer/guitarist Steve Ciolek dominates this album. His falsetto singing is the best he’s ever done and he deserves whatever sheer warranted praise he gets for his voice. Not to be forgotten is second guitarist/singer Matt Scheuermann, who provides substantial backup melodies that help carry the album along without one slow, boring moment. There is energy here. It’s evenly filtered throughout the entire collection of songs and it shows immediately once opening track “DMT” starts playing. But then there is second track, “Grace,” and it’s even better—if not one of the best. What makes the song one of the best comes … Read more

Iggy & The Stooges

Raw Power: Live In The Hands Of The Fans
MVD Visual (2011)

I am a monster Stooges fan, particularly from the Raw Power era on to their incendiary demise (not a long … Read more

Pink Floyd

The Wall (Experience Edition)
Capitol (2012)

The last of the three major Pink Floyd albums to be expanded and reissued is their 1979 double-album opus The … Read more

Shambles

Self Titled
Independent (2012)

Shambles is a pop-punk band from Boston, with a love for melody, circle pits and post ironic song titles. On … Read more

The Love Below

Every Tongue Shall Caress
A389 (2012)

California's The Love Below seemed to sadly fly under the radar upon the release of their last EP. Said EP … Read more

Pharaoh Overlord

Lunar Jetman
Sige (2012)

Sweet jesus did this record ever hit my stereo at just the right time because Lunar Jetman is making its … Read more

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One from the archives

Michael Yonkers with The Blind Shake

Cold Town/Soft Zodiac
Learning Curve (2009)

The Blind Shake are a power-garage trio from Minneapolis. They play highly synchronized, precision rock with guitar, tenor guitar, and drums. Michael Yonkers is a noise-guitar pioneer, having finally gained recognition when Destijl and, consequently, Sub Pop released the 1968 recorded, but never released, Microminiature Love in 2003. The record starts with haunting, dark, and heavy guitars and Yonkers' warbly croon warning, "Don't ever say that I didn't try to help you." It's a blend somewhere between noisy post-punk and psychedelic garage, with a heavy tone that supersedes the repetitive music. The Blind Shake tend to offer incredibly succinct powerful tunes, and with Yonkers at the helm, they've added a darker tone, increased the feedback, and increased the noise elements. At the core, this is still The Blind Shake-styled, precisely … Read more

More album reviews

Graf Orlock

Los Angeles
Vitriol (2012)

Graf Orlock has never been a band to waste time. Much like any of their other releases there's never a meandering part or ambient build up. Instead it is and always has been no nonsense grind with a touch of hardcore and a tongue puncturing their collective cheeks. Their music remains dead serious but is leavened with a liberal use … Read more

Joyce Manor

Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired
Asian Man (2012)

My hopes weren’t set high in regards to the second album by Joyce Manor. Even through all the praise and acclaim their self-titled album received, it didn’t separate the fact that the band was super young and just starting out. Their debut reeked of freshness and harkened back to beginnings of bands like Jawbreaker, and Alkaline Trio. So there it … Read more

Revilers

Self Titled
Patac (2012)

Boston punk outfit Revilers have been kicking about on their local scene since 2008, and finally dropped debut album Revilers on Patac Records at the end of March. Containing thirteen no-holds-barred and vitriolic as heck anthems, Revilers builds on the EP's (Isolation, Stand or Fall - both on Patac) the band have released previously and fully realises their stance on … Read more

Special Providence

Soul Alert
Hunnia (2012)

A lot of cool music can come from unexpected places. I’ve never been to Hungary myself, but they must be doing something right over there if they’re producing bands as good as the instrumental, prog-rock powerhouse Special Providence, especially considering their latest album, 2012’s Soul Alert.The most noticeable thing about the music is that nearly everything, especially the main melodies, … Read more

Dirty Three

Toward The Low Sun
Drag City (2012)

The things I like about this album start with the art itself; guitarist Mick Turner's beautiful artwork perfectly captures his music's mood and sound. In fact, it's the best visual summary I can give of Dirty Three's newest album, Toward the Low Sun.Primarily, the album seeks to obtain this extremely casual, laid-back atmosphere, as if just a collection of rough … Read more

Young And In The Way

Amen / I Am Not What I Am
A389 (2012)

Young And In The Way is a band from North Carolina with some influence from second wave black metal as well as the steadily growing holy terror movement. This double LP combines their 4th release, I Am Not What I Am with their 3rd release, Amen. While holding up as a satisfactory release for any fan of the genre, neither … Read more

fun.

Some Nights
Fueled By Ramen (2012)

I'm just gonna say right now that I'm a huge fan of The Format and fun. I could go on and on about how easily I can gush over either band. Aim & Ignite was one of my favorite albums in years. I became overly excited and anxious anticipating Some Nights. I was interested in seeing how a hip-hop influenced … Read more

Tenement

Blind Wink
Cowabunga (2011)

Appleton, WI’s Tenement are a busy beast. The two-plus-piece band (featuring numerous guest musicians) released Napalm Dream in 2011, which I gave a heavy Replacements recommendation on. December 2011 saw the band already unleashing another record, this time the collection Blind Wink, available on varied formats from the likes of Cowabunga (LP), Hang Up (CD), and Dead Broke (cassette). With … Read more

The Hussy

Weed Seizure
Tic Tac Totally (2012)

Just a year ago I was writing about Cement Tomb Mind Control. Here we are in 2012, and the Madison, WI two-piece is already dropping their second full-length,Weed Seizure, on Tic Tac Totally Records. Considering the backbone of The Hussy is to play l-o-u-d garage rock, there isn’t a dramatic shift here in style. The changes are more in nuance.With … Read more

Tyburn Saints

You And I In Heaven
Independent (2012)

It’s truly a pleasure to be listening to new music from Tyburn Saints. Their last full length, 2010’s For the Benefit of Strangers, was a nice throwback to jangly lo-fi artists like The Jesus and Mary Chain and Galaxy 500. With this EP, the band has fully embraced the sonic landscapes of shoegaze and dream-pop, thus giving a more rewarding … Read more

Killington Fall

Keep Your Eyes To The Sea
Independent (2011)

I've reached the point where most post-rock albums start to sound the same. While I won't say I'm completely blasé, unless a band is pulling something out of left field, it's really difficult for a band to stand out. Alas, that is where British rockers Killington Fall find themselves with their 2011 release Keep Your Eyes to the Sea.Don't get … Read more

Various Artists

Drainland / Enabler - Split EP
Halo of Flies (2012)

Splits are, in general, a simultaneously good and bad thing. For each split that flows and feels strong through out (maybe even introduces you to a new band) there are probably 10 more that feel more like a way for bands to get rid of otherwise discarded songs. So with a bit of trepidation i grabbed this split and put … Read more

Enabler

Year One
Creator-Destructor (2011)

Enabler play a style of hardcore that takes clear influence from crust and metal (ala His Hero Is Gone). Over their first year they managed to release two EPs. Now to help those that lack tape decks and record players, Creator-Destructor has compiled these releases for the greater public. Year One contains the EPs Eden Sank to Grief and War … Read more

OSI

Fire Make Thunder
Metal Blade (2012)

OSI are extremely tough to nail down, and that's not just because they seem to have ins with every major progressive band in the books. Jim Matheos and Kevin Moore, the only two actual members of the band, come from such Fates Warning and Dream Theater respectively, and their guest musicians over their career have included names like Mike Portnoy … Read more

Reviews by score
Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)