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Polar Bear Club

Clash Battle Guilt Pride
Bridge Nine (2011)

Clash Battle Guilt Pride is Polar Bear Club’s third release and second on Bridge Nine. The veteran band sets their tone early with “Pawner,” a sparse, sprawling song with big hitting moments where vocalist Jimmy Stadt runs the gamut of emotions. While the tempo lulls are a bit under spoken for the heavy-minded group, the emotive bursts of “I gotta … Read more

Leatherface

Viva La Arthouse: Live In Melbourne
No Idea (2011)

On the Stormy Petrel World Tour in 2010 bassist Graeme Philliskirk made an arrangement with The Arthouse in Melbourne, Australia to record Leatherface’s set, unbeknownst to the rest of the band. This recording led to Viva La Arthouse, a record that captures Leatherface live and without the self-awareness you’ll often hear on such releases. In addition, it serves to document … Read more

[The] Caseworker

Letters From The Coast
Hidden Shoal (2011)

Dream pop as a genre seems to have made a slight comeback in recent years. While this may be due to many factors more bands are embracing the harmonies of The Cocteau Twins and Chapterhouse. This seems to be a good thing as many of these bands bring other little things into their music as well (Atlas Sound, The Pains … Read more

The Blind Shake

Seriousness
Learning Curve (2011)

It’s Seriousness indeed for The Blind Shake. The Minneapolis three-piece plays concise, to the point garage rock. From their matching trek suits to drummer Dave Roper’s emphatic beats, the band has an air of professional dedication when they take the stage that’s distinct in a genre that seems to pride itself on sloppiness. The band has been alternating records between … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Triac

...Always Meant To Hurt You
A389 (2011)

Triac has had a rather long history much of which seems unnoticed by those who aren't on top of their game. Over the course of a handful of releases and a massive appearance on Volume 2 of the "This Comp Kills Fascists" series the band have made themselves known to the metal underground worldwide. Where does this leave the band? … Read more

Mastodon

The Hunter
Reprise (2011)

I was a bit of a latecomer to the Mastodon party. I hadn't discovered them until Crack the Skye, and from that, you can imagine my surprise going back through their discography afterwards. Mastodon's sound, though it has a distinctive flavour, is constantly changing, and their newest release, The Hunter, is no exception.The Hunter is a serious departure from Crack … Read more

Celestiial

Desolate North (Re-Issue)
Handmade Birds (2011)

Allow me to be quite frank with this one, please; if you do not own the vinyl release of Desolate North from Celestiial (no that is not a typo) that Handmade Birds put out, than my friend, you are doing it all wrong because this record is a singularly beautiful release (and I am not just talking about the artwork … Read more

Steve Reich

WTC 9/11
Nonesuch (2011)

Steve Reich occupies a weird place in modern music. He's one of the most-respected modern classical composers and right on the cusp of the avant-garde, winning prestigious accolades like a Pulitzer and a Grammy. Yet at the same time, he's something of a rock star in the classical world. He writes pieces that successfully connect with a younger generation of … Read more

Antonymes

The Licence To Interperet Dreams
Hidden Shoal (2011)

Antonymes is one Ian M. Hazeldine. The North Welsh based artist has in the last two years released more than a couple works of almost ambient music. I say almost since it has some characteristics of the ambient genre it also bases much of its work in the classical realm as well. The pieces have been everything from short singular … Read more

Larry And His Flask

All That We Know
Silver Sprocket (2011)

Larry and His Flask have been getting more and more attention over the past year and a half. They reached a new plateau this past Summer--making a big splash on the Vans Warped Tour, and being labeled as the band to see. Towards the end of the tour they released, All That We Know, which has come to be the … Read more

Planning For Burial

Late Twenties Blues
Self Released (2011)

Alright laugh all you want at my horrid addictions, but until you plunge into Late Twenties Blues yourself, you will not have the faintest idea why this tape is on its fourteenth spin already today in my tape deck (not kidding, I am going to have to get another copy as a backup for this in case I completely wear … Read more

Wreck and Reference

Black Cassette
Music Ruins Lives (2011)

I’ll say this, Black Cassette from Wreck And Reference is good, real good; in fact, this debut has a bunch of people really going out of their way praising this “record” (OK, OK I know this is either on cassette tape or CD but stop hassling me and just listen for minute) and for good reason because the band eschews … Read more

Long Distance Calling

Self Titled
Century Media (2011)

Long Distance Calling are everything that Mogwai wants to be and can't exactly accomplish. They artfully blend elements of progressive rock, post-metal and even alternarock into a result that works so perfectly that it's nothing short of sublime. They've had two prior releases to this album: their debut album Satellite Bay in 2007 and their follow-up Avoid the Light in … Read more

Have Nots

Proud
Paper + Plastick (2011)

Ska-Punk is a loaded genre. That is to say there are only a handful of bands who could balance on the tight rope most tend to fall on either side more often than not. So needless to say for every Clash record there are 3 subpar version of Less Than Jake as well. So when I hear something described as … Read more

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