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Starter Jackets

Dead Malls
Rad Girlfriend Records (2022)

Starter Jackets are a throwback. That’s no surprise given that they’re named after one of those brands that the jerks in my high school wore in the ‘90s. I was more a baggy skater jeans dude, but I’m old enough to get the joke. Moving to the present, with that nod to the past, it’s not surprising that the band … Read more

Mikey Erg

Love At Leeds
Don Giovanni (2022)

Sometimes I dread writing about an artist for the fourth or fifth time. What new thing can I say? Fortunately, Mikey Erg isn’t just prolific -- he mixes it up, a lot. Last time around, I opined that the last two tracks seems to show a new direction and I’m going to argue that ‘90s rock-influenced tone is exactly where … Read more

La Fraction

De L’Autre Côté
Crash Disques, Fraction Productions, General Strike, Gestalt, Konstroy, Maloka, Mass Productions, Mescufurus, Stonehenge Rds, Tranzophobia, Trujaca Fala, Twisted Chords (2022)

La Fraction returns after years of absence! If you responded with the same: “huh?” I ushered when I learned this, there is not much to be ashamed about. I had never heard of this band before. However, after listening to De L’Autre Côté I am a bit sad I did not hear of this band earlier. Better late than never, … Read more

Gentlemen Rogues

Francy b/w I've Got A Match
Snappy Little Numbers (2022)

Apparently, Gentlemen Rogues don’t like stupid-looking hats. I am not sure what constitutes a stupid-looking hat, but I imagine a loud purple fedora adorned with a pink band around it and maybe a fake feather to compliment it. I have to point out that long-distance relationships rarely work when combined with international love connections. Didn’t you watch 90 Day Fiance!. … Read more

Icare

Charogne
Hummus Records (2022)

Swiss band Icare once started out as a studio project with no real intention to play live. Somewhere between their debut (Khaos) and their sophomore album, Charogne, this changed. The band wanted to play live. Of course you do that by playing one 43 minute long song. That sounds like solid logic right? It is a ballsy move indeed. What … Read more

OC Rippers

Wasteland Blues
Ruined Records (2022)

“Fear is a hungry beast. The more you feed it, the more it grows” J. Ripper Tenebrific cloaked figures flutter in the darkest corners amongst the dustballs. They lurk with us appearing weak or feigning injury much like the most outstanding actor of the wildlife…The Killdeer. The aegis crooked hand of doom reaches out to lovingly unsuspecting sacrificial lambs led … Read more

Love Forty Down

Don't Be A Stranger EP
SBÄM Records (2022)

I don’t come across a lot of punk bands with “love” in their name. Whether it’s justified or not, that led me to expect something a bit more dramatic and heart-on-sleeve than this. The music is more post-hardcore meets melodic punk, a la Hot Water Music meets Iron Chic. It’s built around singalong, harmonized choruses with some build-up and progressions … Read more

Double Cheese

Thee Black Album
Dirty Water Records (2022)

Royale With Cheese! Brie De Meaux, Pyrénées Sheep Fromage, Comté, Bleu d'Auvergne, Époisses de Bourgogne, Le Chevrot. So much French Cheese and so little time. Nothing like a fine aged cheese that has the aroma of a baby’s shit-filled diaper accented with the smell of unwashed construction worker's feet and top offed with the ripe order of a hippie full-flavored … Read more

Rip Room

Alight and Resound
Spartan Records (2022)

San Francisco trio Rip Room play a meandering art-punk style that’s forceful but equally unpredictable, largely built around bass licks and rhythm switches that give it an off-kilter dance vibe complemented by some angular guitar riffs that serve more as accent than lead. Musically I hear a good chunk of early post-punk meets math rock, but simplified into a 3-piece … Read more

Up For Nothing

Escape Route
It's Alive (2022)

While Up For Nothing has apparently been around since 2002, this is my first exposure. It’s interesting to learn about a band after listening on repeat, as I had the impression they were young ‘uns. They should take that as a compliment. Rather than sounding jaded, it sounds vibrant. Up For Nothing is a punk band from Brooklyn. The style … Read more

NYIÞ

᛬ᚢᛁᛋᚿᛁ•ᚼᛆᛏᛁ•ᚼᚱᛅ᛬
Cyclic Law (2022)

In recent years the Icelandic black metal scene has produced a stunning array of artists. From the dissonant majesty of Svartidauði, to the immediacy of Misþyrming and the psychedelic edge of Wormlust, the scene has truly blossomed. As it is usually the case, this tendency towards the extreme and experimental has not been isolated to the black metal form. Other … Read more

Partial Traces

Lost In The Days / Shallows EP
Independent (2022)

Open chord guitar and warm synth start the single in a typical indie manner. The poetry that fills the space is earnest and serious, beaconing the listener to keep up. When the small drum machine picks up you feel a sense of relief. References to travel, reflections and an illusive love are all present again, but don’t feel too overused. … Read more

Tim Kasher

Middling Age
15 Passenger Records (2022)

Tim Kasher has released four solo albums and another 10 with Cursive (and still more with The Good Life). I won’t pretend to know the full catalog -- my exposure has been more along the “best of” lines. This review isn’t a comparison or “where does it fit” essay. It’s a standalone review. I felt like I needed to get … Read more

Various Artists

Forever Reigning - A Tribute To Slayer
Satyrn Studios (2022)

Forever Reigning - A Tribute To Slayer is the debut release from US based Satyrn Studios. It features 8 up and coming underground metal acts covering 12 of Slayer's best tracks and really is a true celebration of heavy metal! After their arrival on the scene in 1981 Slayer have been the real titans of thrash metal, smashing their way … Read more

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