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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)

Various Artists

Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely State)/Into it. Over it. – Split
Count Your Lucky Stars (2011)

There has been resurgence within the indie-emo genre lately, and these advocates of punctuation are taking cues from American Football and Sunny Day Real Estate.The A-side features Empire! Empire!’s, “If We Had Found You Any Later, You Would Have Drowned!” This murky track opens with a beautiful and bleak intro. A little over a quarter of the way into the song, Keith Latinen sings a drawn-out verse that suggests “…youth is wasted on youth.” The song is slow but well written.On the B-side, you’ll find Into It. Over It.’s fifth release in their, “Twelve Town” series. The first of two tracks is, “Brenham, TX.” An upbeat romp with catchy melodies and stronger vocals than Empire! Empire!’s track. The next song is “Buffalo, NY.” This is a mid-tempo number similar to something Death Cab for Cutie would write. It’s the weakest of all three songs.Both bands have something to offer with this split. Empire! Empire!’s side grows on you the more you focus on the guitar work. Into It. Over It.’s side grabs your attention quicker and gets you dancing. However, they leave you bored by the end. Read more

Various Artists

Planning For Burial / Lonesummer- Split
Music Ruins Lives (2011)

Could there possibly be any more strange a pairing than the two artists that participate in this split release? Sure, … Read more

Buffalo Moon

Black Magic/Low Tide Moon
Moon Glyph (2011)

At their heart, Buffalo Moon plays whimsical indie pop with a playfulness that is grounded by moments of straight-faced seriousness. … Read more

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 … 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

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One from the archives

Beastmilk

Climax
Magic Bullet / Svart (2013)

Having appeared on our Top 5 Modern Goth Records list for 2013, it seems only right that we talk a little bit as to how bloody good Climax is. Because it is good. Really bloody good. Beastmilk aren’t breaking the mould with their cold, goth-tinged rock and roll but they sure are making it feel fresh and intoxicating. The Finnish band, led by Kvohst of Hexvessel (and formerly of black metal bands Code and Dødheimsgard), deal in a kind of post-punk gloom and take elements from such luminaries as Joy Division, The Cure, Danzig and Sisters of Mercy all while feeling quite twenty first century and adding a slick, glimmering sheen of apocalyptic doom to proceedings.Climax is a debut that echoes and dances with the past but still maintains a … Read more

More album reviews

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 Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, and the truly epic The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly), I am compelled to check out any band or group that carries any of that iconography or is themed similarly, if only to … 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 of different bands of many different types. He has a strong background in piano, theremin, and harpsichord among other instruments. These instruments let Singer provide a colorful and full backdrop for his calm story songs. After a few solo albums … 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 itself. Or maybe it’s just a copout since they think everybody will download it instead. Anyway, with their fifteenth release, the label sticks to their favored style: Midwestern pop-flavored garage. Sticks N Stones may stick rather firmly to genre conventions, … Read more

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

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