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)

Dog Date

Zinger
Pop Wig Records (2024)

The first song on this album is named “Nirvana.” It’s a fitting nod to an obvious influence, though a Mudhoney reference might honestly be more apt. Going into this record, based solely on the lead single (“Nuff Said), I was expecting more of a brash, garage-punk sound with Dog Date. My first impressions weren’t totally off base, but add a big dose of fuzzed-out grunge tones and you’ve pretty much got the idea. Dog Date play loud, guitar-driven, garage-influenced rock that keeps things short and to the point, mostly in the two to three minute range. All killer no filler with some psych and indie sprinkles along the journey. That’s the oversimplified intro. The band leans into short ‘n’ sweet, but the sounds vary throughout. You get some guitar noodling at times, feedback-meets-bass at others, and lots of monotone shouty vocals that lean more on their coarse delivery than on the dynamic up-and-down shifts of the ‘90s. This is high-strung music that fits more of an anxious or angry mood, more suited for a lightning storm than a dreary Seattle fog. The emotional pull comes mostly in the guitar instead of through singer Dylan Kennedy. It’s mostly a guitar record, … Read more

Spiritual Cramp

Spiritual Cramp
Blue Grape Music (2023)

Some bands are visual, yeah? You need to see them live, in person, to truly experience them. You need to … Read more

Planet B

Fiction Prediction
Three One G (2024)

Justin Pearson. The only person who you could hear Mike Patton say “Goddamn, that guy’s in a lot of bands”. … Read more

Vial

Burnout
Get Better Records (2024)

They’re calling Vial indie-punk on the press releases I’m seeing. That’s probably as fair a description as any, as the … Read more

The Jesus And Mary Chain

Glasgow Eyes
Fuzz Club Records (2024)

What I enjoy most about the Jesus and Mary Chain is arguably also their biggest flaw. The band’s slacker energy … Read more

Kim Gordon

The Collective
Matador (2024)

Since the demise of Sonic Youth in 2011, Kim Gordon has stayed active through multiple outlets, through all of which … 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

4865 reviews

Video/DVD Review

19 reviews

One from the archives

Mass Movement of the Moth / The Catalyst

Two Thousand And Six Six Six
The Perpetual Motion Machine/Electric Human Project (2006)

Released by two stellar labels, Perpetual Motion Machine and Electric Human Project, Two Thousand and Six Six Six is a split between two up and coming Virginian bands, Northern Virginia's Mass Movement of the Moth and Richmond's The Catalyst. Two Thousand and Six Six Six is a very collective effort, with the bands switching from song to song instead of having an A side and B side. The bands recorded together in April, and each band serves up an instrumental track to go along with their unique brands of hardcore. And while each band still seems to be searching to reach their full potential, Two Thousand and Six Six Six is still a very solid record. Mass Movement of the Moth continues with to keep the releases rolling with Two … Read more

More album reviews

Viva Belgrado

Cancionero De Los Cielos
Fueled By Salmorejo (2024)

Somehow I never reviewed Viva Belgrado before, even though I have followed them since their debut album Flores, Carne. Somehow I was always a bit late to the show and thought: ok, this time I am too late, but next time I will catch this release on time! Well, the band just released their fourth full length and guess what? … Read more

DWNKILL

Time Will Tell
Street Noise Production (2023)

DWNKILL are a band born of the monotony of the Covid pandemic which gave the band plenty of time to write, rehearse and perfect their sound. Hailing from Houston, Texas, DWNKILL are the brain child of identical twin brothers, Jesse (vocals) and Josh (drums) Rodriguez. Recruiting childhood friends Connor Clements (guitar) and Dylan McEwan (bass) their line up was complete … Read more

Chelsea Wolfe

She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She
Loma Vista Recordings (2024)

Since the 2010 release of her debut album, The Grime and The Glow, Chelsea Wolfe has steadily become one of the prominent figures in the dark intersection between gothic, doom, and folk. Not only has she amassed a discography without any true blemishes, but she has also transcended to other genres (in her collaboration with Converge in Bloodmoon: I) but … Read more

Sweat

Love Child
Vitriol (2024)

Sweat hit the ground running with their debut, working up a lather on Gotta Give It Up. Two years later, the California trio is back and they still seem plenty angry. Their second LP, Love Child may have a charming title but it has just as much fire as their debut. It follows a similar style while showing more nuance … Read more

Bad Idols

Popstar
Say-10 (2023)

With the billion or so punk subgenres and comeback cycles, it’s interesting to me that more bands aren’t playing this style of Crimpshrine-inspired East Bay punk. Popstar by Bad Idols is crunchy yet melodic. It’s generally pop-structured but with gruff and deeply personal lyrics. Let’s just say the word “I” is prevalent throughout this 12-song record. I’ll also add that … Read more

The Sleeveens

The Sleeveens
Dirtnap (2024)

You know how most records start out with an absolute banger? It sets a mood, for sure, but it often feels like the band doesn’t top it as the full album plays out. I’m definitely not saying that The Sleeveens deliver a dud with the first song here, “Give My Regards To The Dancing Girls,” but I am saying that … Read more

The Umbrellas

Fairweather Friend
Slumberland Records (2024)

Slumberland is one of those labels I note, but haven’t really dove into. The Umbrellas fit my expectations of the label’s sound though. It’s distinctly modern songwriting, but with a wave of sounds from yesterday. I’ll call this power-pop washed in the folk and psyche rock of the ‘60s, with a bit of twee and British invasion and dreamy indie … Read more

Sprints

Letter to Self
City Slang (2024)

Rage meets dance-punk on Dublin four piece, SPRINTS’, first full length release. After a smattering of well received singles and a trail of blazing live performances, the group released their album following the success of their previous EP, A Modern Job. The Irish punk band’s star continues to rise in the good company of contemporaries Fontaines DC and Pillow Queens- … Read more

Daniel Turres

HERE FOR BLOOD
Screambox (2024)

Canadian made horror/comedy Here For Blood sees Shawn Roberts (Resident Evil/Land Of The Dead/Diary Of The Dead) as Tom, a wrestler who helps his girlfriend Phoebe (Joelle Farrow) out by taking on her babysitting gig for a night whilst she studies for exams. What would appear to be a normal night of playing video games and eating pizza with Grace … Read more

Every Face Becomes A Skull

Every Face Becomes A Skull
Independent (2023)

Confession time: I was going to burn this record to the ground. I wasn’t writing a review yet, just listening to the album, but I had some really not nice things to say. And then everything changed. Why? Well, I decided to see if my problems with the album could be solved by playing it from another source. I thought … Read more

Come Closer

We Died With Print
Independent (2022)

Members of Come Closer have played in Dan Padilla, Pinback, Tiltwheel, and more. While that background is helpful for setting the tone, though, it’s not really essential. They are a new-ish group and We Died With Print is their second album. J. Wang is the ringleader of the band, which is rooted in DIY basement punk but expands their sound … Read more

Paint It Black

Famine
Revelation (2023)

Paint It Black kind of burst back onto the scene the last two years. It had been 15 years since their last full-length, New Lexicon, and now we get Famine, which came out last fall. And “burst” was a word a chose purposely, because this record is fast and loud. Just as important, when it’s playing, you can’t ignore it. … Read more

The Manikins

Swedish Woods
Lövely (2023)

The Manikins previous album, 2019s Bad Times, was my encounter with The Manikins. We started off a bit weird, as I read their name as The Mankinis for a while. I expect different music from a band with a name like that. I did like that album after I ditched my assumptions and stopped messing up the band name. It … Read more

Niecy Blues

Exit Simulation
Kranky (2023)

The allure of ambient music and its applications in pop structures has always been an important topic for Niecy Blues. It has been a conjunction that the artist has been playing with on shorter releases, in both the 2020 EP CRY and the 2021 single Bones Become The Trees. But, it is with this full-length in Exit Simulation, that Blues … Read more

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