Recent reviews

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

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

Dave Hause

Resolutions
Paper + Plastick (2011)

Dave Hause is no secret to anyone that listens to punk rock. He is known for being one of the better storytellers in modern punk. After years in a variety of near classic punk bands Dave has decided to step into the folk singer realm. This certainly is less a copycat scenario as something he has been working on for awhile. While some of his peers nod towards country (Chuck Ragan) or straight out folk rock (Frank Turner) Dave exhibits his own style. Residing in a more acoustic oriented Springsteen style he makes each song and instrument speak for him. The one thing very few people would be surprised about is the level of the lyrics. Each song tells a story much like his friend Brain Fallon. Moving lyrically from heartbreak to simple stories of going to shows each song shows a strong attention to simple details. While vocally it is notably more calm therefore never going into the throaty growl he sports in The Loved Ones. Instead the songs are sung with a strained yet calm voice that calmly tells each story. The Instruments involved add a timeless quality that speaks more of his rock and roll pedigree than … Read more

Devil's Brigade

Self Titled
Hellcat (2010)

Back in 2002 a song appeared on a Give ‘em the Boot comp. from a band named Devil’s Brigade. The … Read more

Joyce Manor

Self Titled
6131 (2011)

Who ever said louder isn’t better? Joyce Manor have been breaking down the walls of every town they play up … Read more

Angel Eyes

Midwestern
Mylene Sheath (2010)

Having more than a passing appreciation for spaghetti western films, particularly the Man With No Name trilogy A Fistful Of … Read more

Liam Singer

Dislocatia
Hidden Shoal (2010)

Liam Singer plays the role of musical journeyman having been back and forth across the states playing with a multitude … Read more

Sticks N Stones

Is It You?
Trouble In Mind (2010)

Trouble in Mind is getting to the point with their cover art. The point is: let the music stand for … Read more

Browse our review archives

Review categories

200 Words Or Less

749 reviews

Book Review

42 reviews

Classic Album

25 reviews

Multiple Authors

300 reviews

Review

4878 reviews

Video/DVD Review

19 reviews

One from the archives

Black Wing

...Is Doomed
Flenser (2015)

The name Dan Barrett is well known to anyone following projects such as Have a Nice Life, Giles Corey and Enemies List (and quite a few more.) In his latest project, Black Wing, Barrett sets on a digital-only path. While the motto of his other project, Giles Corey, has been: “only acoustic instruments allowed,” Black Wing features only digital instruments. There is a certain simplicity and ease that comes with digital, as the process of recording becomes a bit more simplified. According to Barrett himself, the whole process became more fast and enjoyable, as he did not have to worry about things such as tuning, or strings breaking and the like. The recording process itself took place just after the Have a Nice Life album was recorded, so Barrett jumped … Read more

More album reviews

At Our Heels

Misanthropy & Godlessness
Creator-Destructor (2010)

At Our Heels is a young band coming out with a strong EP last year but never getting as much recognition as that EP probably deserved. They are certainly not a hype band or even getting any real talk outside of a few vague mentions. Strangely, this does more good than bad for them. What has resulted in this case … Read more

Hotels

Where Hearts Go Broke
Hidden Shoal (2009)

Seattle has always been a city with a vibrant and active music scene and it appears they survived the grunge attack of the 90’s and are beginning to really deliver some great new bands not stuck in the genre. Hotels is just one of those bands with a new wave inspired sound that brings me back to the days of … Read more

Cave In

Anomalies Vol. 1
Hydra Head (2010)

The only phrase that could describe my emotion right now is absolutely gushing, because “Inflatable Dream” is finally playing on my record player after years of obscurity as the “lost” Cave In song that blows away many other Cave In songs, and dear lord does its blasting goodness just make my 1999 barely twenty year old self scream like a … Read more

Farewell Continental

EP #2
Paper + Plastick (2011)

Motion City Soundtrack fans rejoice this EP simply titled #2 from Farewell Continental, is a side project of lead singer Justin Pierre’s. This is actually their second EP and contains six tracks of tunes available in two media choices, vinyl or digital download. This is one of the bands still pushing the vinyl media choice, their first EP was a … Read more

Locrian

The Crystal World
Utech (2010)

Hauntingly beautiful, The Crystal World is precisely that; and I seriously cannot believe that this almost slipped beyond my notice because Locrian has just simply blown me away with this record of harrowing soundscapes and buried melodies that coax your subconscious into a dream like state. I sincerely mean it; this record is one of those have to hear records … Read more

The Bombay Sweets

Doin' the Jerk at Dawn
Heart Of A Champion (2010)

Bombay Sweets is a Minneapolis band consisting of Nathan Grumdahl (Selby Tigers, Dynamiters) and drummer Jeff Brown (His Mischief). Although the project has expanded beyond Grumdahl’s one-man-band vision, it remains his lovechild. Even with multiple instruments at play, the primary components remain Grumdahl’s guitar and voice. The project is heavily steeped in old 60s records, with R&B-derived rock at its … Read more

Airs

Rainclouds Over The Remains Of Hope
Music Ruins Lives (2011)

Have you ever listened to the record at the wrong time and have it just put you off on that record even though your reaction was not the record’s fault? Well, good for you if this never happens to you; but this scenario does occur to me from time to time, and, unfortunately, it can put my potential enjoyment of … Read more

Whiskey & Co.

Rust Colors
No Idea (2010)

Whiskey & Co.’s sound hasn’t changed, even if a couple members have. On their third record, the Gainesville band continues their old-school flavored country that spends as much time regretting past decisions as it does swilling beer at the corner bar. Like its predecessors, Rust Colors mines familiar themes- exploring the emotional gamut and adding a bit of boogie-down twang … Read more

Nahemah

A New Constellation
Lifeforce (2009)

Nahemah are a rather different band. Coming out of Spain a country not generally known for their metal and playing a style different than most. They play a style of metal that involves prog, post metal and death metal among others. While some might read that description and picture a band not being able to find a direction and coming … Read more

End of a Year

You Are Beneath Me
Deathwish Inc. (2010)

“To best enjoy this album… try new things” So starts one of the catchiest records this year this side of the Descendents and Rites Of Spring and maybe you do not fit the description given in this opening soliloquy set to music but that does not mean to stop listening by any means, but rather it puts you in the … Read more

Envy

Recitation
Temporary Residence (2010)

Knowing full well this album was dropping this year (it was on my albums to look forward to in 2010 list last year), I was surprised by its release and caught unaware that it had finally dropped to the public; and this definitely affected the way that Recitation hit me for some strange reason. I sit here and say, “You … Read more

The Arrivals

Volatile Molotov
Recess (2010)

When it comes to overlooked bands, Chicago’s Arrivals should be right near the top. The band has never been overly prolific, releasing only four records since the mid ‘90s. Yet here we are, in 2010, and the band has released another solid record in Volatile Molotov.The Genre Monster would call the Arrivals pop-punk. They play accessible, melodic songs with a … Read more

Killing Joke

Absolute Dissent
Universal (2010)

As a band, Killing Joke has had numerous peaks and valleys in their career over the past 30 plus years most recently with the death of longtime bassist Paul Raven. The band has been one of the few to successfully tap into different genres over the year’s punk, Goth, metal, rock and experimental dub to name a few. The band’s … Read more

Flying Lotus

Cosmogramma
Warp (2010)

In 1957 the Soviet Union launched the first satellite into orbit. In 1969 Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins became the first human beings to walk on the surface of the Moon. About half a century later, it has become evident that these remarkable feats of human innovation and imagination still affect our culture today. Steven Ellison’s (a.k.a. Flying … Read more

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