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Skin Like Iron

Skin Like Iron
Independent (2008)

I can't help but wonder what the music world would be like without experimentation. Sure, the first to try something different is often shunned, but their willingness to try something different is what makes them so great. While perhaps not a genre-defining move, the direction that Skin Like Iron have taken with their music is one breath of fresh air … Read more

Trees

Lights Bane
Crucial Blast (2008)

A monolithic drone keeps you on guard. You're waiting for whatever is coming, but you don't know that "what" is. The artwork of Trees' Lights Bane hints at something intense, but there's an ambiguity that accompanies it. The album, the Portland quartet's debut, has only two tracks listed, and each of them are over twelve minutes in length. Lights Bane... … Read more

Off With Their Heads

From the Bottom
No Idea (2008)

Remember when the Dropkick Murphy's were good, when they were still a bunch of drunken rabble-rousers instead of highbrow hooligans cashing in on the idea that if you give any goon a Guinness or Smitwicks, it'll make them Irish? Can't remember that far back? It's been a few years. Want a refresher on what good, rowdy, bar friendly punk rock … Read more

Lizzy Borden

An Appointment With Death
Metal Blade (2008)

Lizzy Borden are only one of very many grizzly old metal bands that have either picked up the sticks again and decided to have one last shot at glory or that have ultimately experienced a revival of sorts and made their sound more in sync with the modern times. This new attention to their music and the other musicians' new … Read more

Elvis Costello

Momofuku
Lost Highway (2008)

It can be kind of intimidating to just jump into the oeuvre of an artist like Elvis Costello. It's like playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey, but the wonderful old donkey has magic powers that let him move from one decade to the next - he's hard to get a handle on. Honestly, record reviews don't always help that … Read more

Racebannon

Acid or Blood
Southern (2008)

My first thought when I look at Racebannon's Myspace profile is that their vocalist, Mike Anderson, has a bit of the curly-haired Ween look to him. That thought is quickly replaced as I scroll down at the four long-hairs, with dark symbols on their foreheads and doused with blood. The lasting impression is that Racebannon are some theatrical dudes who … Read more

The Cool Kids

The Bake Sale
C.A.K.E. (2008)

When hip-hop exploded in the 1980's it was characterized by flashy outfits, breakdancing, and of course, ghetto blasters. The music was primarily comprised of ridiculously big bass, rather simplistic beats, and free-flowing rhymes. Over the years hip-hop has been repeatedly flipped on its end and repackaged for all to enjoy. Many might just see Chicago-based duo The Cool Kids as … Read more

Deerhunter

Microcastle
Kranky (2008)

Dear 1992, Wow. It's really been a long time. I bet you're kind of surprised I'm writing to you at all. We didn't really know each other when you were around. But I was pretty busy. I had that gig taping firecrackers to GI Joes and that other one where I kept buying six soft tacos, no cheese, at taco … Read more

Alkaline Trio

Agony & Irony
Epic (2008)

Dear Matt Skiba, I recently picked up your band's latest release in the cut out bin at my favorite used CD store. After your last official long player, Crimson, which by the way sucked, I have given up all hope that your Alkaline Trio would ever release anything worth my time. Now here we are, Matt, with your first major … Read more

Puscifer

V is for Viagra: The Remixes
Puscifer Entertainment (2008)

Remix album - blah blah - no one buys them - yadda yadda - only useful for DJs - hamana hamana hamana. Now that that's out of the way, we can talk about this Puscifer release. For anyone not in the know, Puscifer is a solo-ish project by Maynard James Keenan of Tool and A Perfect Circle fame. To those … Read more

sBACH

sBACH
Suicide Squeeze (2008)

Like his Hella counterpart Zach Hill - well, his original counterpart prior to the band's recent additions - Spencer Seim has recently ventured out on his own. Working under the moniker sBACH, Seim offers up his first compilation of solo recordings. As one listens through sBACH it becomes rather apparent that Seim has either played a major role in the … Read more

Zach Hill

Astrological Straits
Ipecac (2008)

Zach Hill is quite the accomplished drummer. Hill co-founded the genre-bending duo (now a fivesome) Hella with Spencer Seim. In addition, Hill has found time to collaborate with a plethora of talented individuals on multiple projects: Team Sleep with Chino Moreno, Goon Moon with Chris Goss, Omar Rodriquez-Lopez, Mike Patton, and many others. Needless to say, Hill is a known … Read more

Battle of Mice / Jesu

Split
Robotic Empire (2008)

Wow, this split is a long time coming after its initial announcement roughly this time last year as being one of the last of a slew of Jesu-related releases to come out last year. Instead listeners are only now being able to listen to these recordings from both groups. Battle of Mice is a project from Josh Graham (ex-Red Sparowes, … Read more

Baby Guts

The Kissing Disease
Guilt Ridden Pop (2008)

I have to wonder what rock critics would've done without L7 and Babes in Toyland, as it seems every writer feels compelled to make comparisons to these bands whenever a female-fronted group is being discussed. That said, Minneapolis' Baby Guts show a bit of the ol' influence themselves. This is no sludgy L7 stuff and there's no pitch-shifting Bjelland on … Read more

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