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Twitch The Ripper

Bodiless
Independent (2011)

Connecticut’s Twitch the Ripper is comprised of duo Jon Dobyns and Lonn Bologna. Bodiless is their debut album, which is deeply invested in the Dark Wave genre; emphasising the synth-heavy pop and Industrial elements.The album’s opening track quickly sets the tone for the next 45 minutes that this record lasts; within the first 4 bars strong echoes of Pretty Hate … Read more

My Dad Vs. Yours

Little Symphonies
MDVY (2011)

They must be putting something in the water in Canada if the staggering amount of great bands to have appeared from the Great White North in recent years is any indication. For those of you that are mentally compiling a list, then prepare to add yet another with the post-rock group My Dad Vs. Yours. Virtually disappearing after their first, … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Less Than Jake

Losing Streak (Reissue)
Sleep It Off (2011)

It’s been close to fifteen years since Less Than Jake first released Losing Streak and now holding the rights, they’re re-releasing it with redesigned artwork and a live version of the album (a DVD in the physical release and mp3 format in the digital). Whilst Losing Streak isn’t the best of their albums, that accolade really belongs to Hello Rockview, … Read more

Lana Del Rey

Born To Die
Polydor (2012)

Elizabeth Grant, now better known as Lana Del Rey, aka the ‘Gangster Nancy Sinatra’, or as one of the more prominent faces in the ‘New Boring’ movement that threatens to dominate the charts for a considerable period of time, now releases her debut album, if you ignore the one released under her real name, Born to Die just a few … Read more

He Is We

My Forever
Universal/Motown (2011)

Indie Pop duo, He Is We, appear to be in the midst of a meteoric rise. Formed relatively recently, Rachel Taylor and Trevor Kelly, find themselves releasing their debut album My Forever on a major record label with positive critical reception and sales as a result. On the basis of the material found here, this success is no surprise.The album … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Frank Turner

Rock and Roll EP
Xtra Mile (2010)

It has been a busy year for England’s beloved folk-punk troubadour and in lieu of a new album, he’s delivered a new EP to further whet the appetite of his fans. Instead of a set of ‘rock n’ roll’ tracks, this EP is about the notion of Rock & Roll and its power; the excellent mini-essay included in the CD … Read more

Frank Turner

England Keep My Bones
Epitaph (2011)

Despite being on tour, almost constantly, for the past couple of years, once again the affable folk-punk troubadour has found the time to release a new album. This, the fourth solo effort from the ex-Million Dead front man, is quite possibly his most polished work yet as he slowly works towards a sound that fully combines both his folk and … Read more

Elliott Smith

An Introduction To...
Kill Rock Stars (2010)

It is hard to understand the purpose of a release like An Introduction to Elliott Smith. Should it be seen as a retrospective look at one of the more revered artists to come out of America in the nineties or a record label sanctioned attempt at creating the type of mix-tape people used to make pre-internet when you wanted to … Read more

The Explosion

Bury Me Standing
Chunksaah (2012)

Man, I loved the Explosion, still do actually; and it is quite nice to finally see Bury Me Standing (their third album) finally see a release to the general public on a physical format (the record leaked way back, but we will get into that later) so that people get to hear some of these awesome latter day tunes from … Read more

Ira

These Are The Arms
Golden Antenna (2011)

I hate writing about underwhelming releases, always because I feel like I'm slighting the artist, even if I respect them as a band. That's why it was difficult for me to listen, and subsequently write, about Ira's album These Are the Arms: I believe the band is incredibly talented, but this release is just not that interesting.Most of my issues … Read more

Copywrite

God Save The King
Man Bites Dog (2012)

Copywrite is a rapper from Ohio. Having made his name along with his MegaHertz group (that included Rjd2). He became respected amongst the backpack underground hip hop fans in the late 90's. While since then Copy has maintained a solo career and created a couple classic singles and a LP that many in the underground may still consider a classic. … Read more

Book Review

J-Zone

Root for the Villain: Rap, Bullshit, and a Celebration of Failure
Old Maid Entertainment (2011)

In his memoir Root for the Villain: Rap, Bullshit, and a Celebration of Failure, J-Zone, born Jay Mumford, chronicles a lifetime spent playing the lead role in an endless comedy of errors. The brunt of the stories are culled from a decade or so chasing fame and fortune in the rap game. J-Zone, an MC and producer, somehow managed to … Read more

My Ticket Home

To Create A Cure
Rise (2012)

Let me start by saying this is in no way an original album. It’s the same rehashed post-hardcore/screamo clichés you’ve heard a hundred times before. But if you can overlook this glaring issue, To Create a Cure has a lot to offer. Though My Ticket Home aren’t exactly reinventing the wheel here, they have crafted a very impressive LP debut.It’s … Read more

Mind Spiders

Meltdown
Dirtnap (2012)

Mark Ryan may not tour all that often, but you can’t fault the man’s productivity. Meltdown marks the second release from solo project Mind Spiders in a year, although the “solo” seems to be a stretch on this release. The first time around, Mind Spiders was Ryan’s project. He wrote the songs, he sang them, and he played almost all … Read more

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