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The Brokedowns

Sick of Space
Red Scare Industries (2018)

When I stop and look at the discogs, The Brokedowns have been doing what they do for a long time now. What is that, exactly? Well, it’s Midwestern punk that’s angry, funny, heavy, and harmonic. There are contradictions in plain sight in that description, and that diversity in sound is what makes the band so interesting. They seamlessly pull it … Read more

Superhero Status

Escape The Herd EP
WTF Records (2018)

This EP is voted best album of 2018 by half of the band according to the sticker on the CD. That should tell you something about the band we are dealing with today. So they do have humour, there's no denying that. The big question is: do they deserve their superhero status? And if they do, are they in league … Read more

Wild Pink

Yolk in the Fur
Tiny Engines (2018)

Any band's second album is cause for concern. It can go two ways - a retread of the first, a brand new direction, or something entirely forgettable. Yolk in the Fur is none of those. In every way, it's the sound of a New York-based Wild Pink accumulating mass, becoming something bigger than they seemingly ever intended, reaching beyond what … Read more

Pariuh

Family Witchcraft Attack
Moniker Records (2018)

I'm not sure what exactly I expected going into an album titled Family Witchcraft Attack, but I wound up being pleasantly surprised by the type of sound exhibited by Miami-based Pariuh on their 2018 Moniker Records release. Almost immediately upon pressing play, I found myself transported out of 2018's frustrating reality to a sugar-coated fantasy world reminiscent of the type … Read more

Duvel

Attempts at Speech
Fysisk Format (2018)

Welcome to Duvel’s childlike fantasy, their ruminations inspired by Norwegian life. The bleak echoing of whatever neurosis such a wonderfully Scandinavian culture produces, other than seasonal depression and too much equality, speaks through them in musical duality. This album is so childlike, oftentimes aloof, stumbling upon pure goodness as if by accident. They are Parsifal, before he got his name, … Read more

Converge

Beautiful Ruin
Epitaph\Deathwish Inc (2018)

Converge—Nietzsche’s pissed off nephew, Rilke’s furious friend—achieves a glimmering consummation in a mishmash of fourness (which, in numerology, symbolizes spiritual wholeness). They went from thrash titans to sonic gods; now they flirt with the nasty nebula they came from, dumping what we might consider B-sides, smacking a healthy appetite, and a bitter jaded cheek, awake. Seemingly, they can do no … Read more

Northwoods

Wasteland
Mothership Records (2018)

'[T]here the nightingale filled all the desert with inviolable voice and still she cried, and still the world pursues, "Jug Jug" to dirty ears.' And likewise, with dirty ears, the 'Jug Jug' of Northwoods' Wasteland will lose their hard earned respect, slowly. A respect sucked through a straw from the pool of distracted in-fighting popular music. The average listener, if … Read more

The Bils

Past Masters: Volume 1
Independent (2018)

The Bils are Bil and Michelle Bilson, a husband-wife duo that play laid back rock schooled by classic duets. Depending which paragraph of their press sheet you’re reading, they are either named “The Bils” or “The Bil’s.” For the sake of continuity, I’ll match the album art and call them The Bils.Bil is a veteran of The Sunnyboys and he … Read more

Elway

For the Sake of the Bit
Red Scare Industries (2018)

Elway kick off their latest with “Inches,” a middle finger at those of us listening to and writing about their music. So, well, I’m not the type to throw fuel on the fire so I’ll leave it at that. They’re entitled to their opinions. Tim Browne even shared some great points in an SPB guest column. The notable point in … Read more

Slapshot

Make America Hate Again
Bridge Nine (2018)

What pisses the supremely tolerant off? Intolerance. What pisses Slapshot off? Edgebreakers, trainwrecks, narcissists, whiners, whingers, hypocrites, the mentally weak, and quitters! Slapshot lists, tackles, hip checks, and pins this notion of kindness to the boards, praying for full on donnybrook. They are Brad Marchand staring at one of theSedin’s, asking for a tilly; they are Sean Avery screening Martin … Read more

Dinosaur Eyelids

Left Turn on Red
Independent (2017)

Dinosaur Eyelids may have an bizarre moniker (where did they come up with it?) but their music is far from mysterious. Garage rock may have had its heyday long ago but the influences are still keenly felt through many projects kicking around today, Dinosaur Eyelids being one of them. Stating their main inspirations as Kyuss, Soundgarden, Fu Manchu and a … Read more

Chain Cult

Demo 2018
La Vida Es Un Mus Discos Punk (2018)

I don’t know much about Chain Cult – and sometimes that’s a good thing coming into a band. Instead of a bio, the review might actually talk about the music instead. Chain Cult calls Athens, Greece home and this release, succinctly titled Demo 2018 has 6 songs and runs about 17 minutes.The first note is that, for being called a … Read more

Orphanage Named Earth

Re-Evolve
Dilapidated Records (2018)

Orphanage Named Earth is Polish band that plays romantic crust. I'll explain later on what to expect, but let me tell you up front: in a strange way it is a pretty accurate description. Orphanage Named Earth started a few years back, in 2015 and have released one demo so far. Re-Evolve is their debut and it is an album … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Courtney Barnett

Tell Me How You Really Feel
Mom + Pop (2018)

Courtney Barnett’s output is usually a sure thing – which is why it’s strange her latest, Tell Me How You Really Feel is weirdly disappointing. It’s not bad, it just lacks the punch found on 2015’s Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit. “Hopefulessness” is a strange, dissonant opener that casts a bit of a pall over … Read more

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