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200 Words Or Less

Brooke Bentham

This Rapture EP
All Points (2017)

Even though 21-year-old Brooke Bentham is firmly entrenched in the burgeoning South London music scene, her music sounds as though it has been dusted with sand from a Californian desert. With a sound that recalls Angel Olsen and First Aid Kit, her music soars and dips though the ravages of a shattered relationship with arresting lyrics and fluid guitars.These affairs … Read more

Trachimbrod

Leda
Dog Knight Records/Zegema Beach Records/Through Love Records (2017)

Would you have told me 20 years ago I would enjoy music like Trachimbrod I would have stared at you in amazement only to laugh at you. Hell, that would have been my reaction until about ten years back. But I’ve learned to broaden my scope and thus have learned to appreciate a lot of different types of music. A … Read more

Acephalix

Decreation
20 Buck Spin (2017)

Setting out with a retro vision of death metal glory alongside a punk sensitivity, Acephalix erupted into the scene with their debut album Aporia. Primitive and relentless, the band appeared to have instantly captured the essence of the genre with their debut record, something that was apparent even more on their sophomore album, Deathless Master. Punk influences begun to subside … Read more

Various Artists

ESC Life / Remedy - split EP
PDV Records/Laserlife Record/LastExit Music/Ill in the Head (2017)

This is a sweet and short three track 7’’ released by two befriended bands. This EP had me interested when I saw ESC Life was on it. I was looking forward to hearing more from these friendly Croatians after their excellent album Access All Areas from 2015. It was about time I got to hear something new from them! And … Read more

Video/DVD Review

Various Artists

Sad Vacation: The Last Days of Sid And Nancy DVD
MVD Visual (2017)

Ah, Sid Vicious.The sung hero of my formative years and fashion sense of the time (including pad lock necklace and safety pin piercing, inspiration for much mischief and muse for many often amazingly bizarre lyrical explorations of punk bands, e.g. the German’s OHL formal and very polite plea “Hey Sid Vicious, wir benötigen Sie!” and The Exploited’s plaidoyer that could … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Sciatic Nerve

Sciatic Nerve
Anxious And Angry/ Gunner Records (2017)

Sciatic Nerve is a band that doesn’t care what you think. They don’t have “band sound,” or so the press release claims. To get all meta on them, their stated brand-less concept is a concept itself. But I digress. The important thing is that it’s a group of long-time friends who came together to have fun and play music. That’s … Read more

The Capitalist Kids

Brand Damage
Eccentric Pop Records (2017)

Even with a name like Capitalist Kids, the Austin band has always been more about love songs in the vein of Mr. T Experience and Lookout Records before hitting the political sauce. Well, the Drumpf era has hit us all in undeniable ways. Brand Damage is the band’s fourth full-length and here, relationships fall apart and the rivers of political … Read more

Rallidae

Turned, And Was
Gold Bolus Recordings (2016)

The other week a friend and I went to a jazz club - the Lilypad in Cambridge, MA. We didn’t know who was playing there that night - we were mostly looking for a way to kill time after stuffing ourselves with Indian food - but it turned out to be pianist Burton Greene. I hadn’t heard of Greene - … Read more

Book Review

Raymond Pettibon

A Pen of all Work
Phaidon (2017)

Chances are that if you are remotely into underground culture, you will have quite a few records, shirts or other things adorned with artwork by Raymond Pettibon.For nigh to thirty years, Raymond Pettibon has been creating art that not only comments but has become an integral part of American culture and its implications. With a view from a unique angle, … Read more

Bell Witch

Mirror Reaper
Profound Lore (2017)

Beginning the dissection of a record is often the most difficult thing to do when it comes to writing a review. Knowing how to start, to draw in your reader and keep them interested is tough; you know what you want to say, how the record makes you feel and you may even have an insight into the intentions of … Read more

Succumb

Succumb
Flenser (2017)

Established in 2014 as Cloak, this California-based extreme metal act produced an interesting hybrid take on black/death metal. Changing the name of the band in 2017, after their debut demo as Cloak, and bringing on board drummer Harry Cantwell, known from his work with Slough Feg and Bosse-de-Nage, the quartet left behind its black metal affinity in order to focus … Read more

Spinifex Gum

Spinifex Gum
My Shore Productions (2017)

Spinifex resin is a gum coating of some species of Spinifex grasses. The resin was traditionally used in tool making by Australian Aborigines. To produce the gum, the spinifex is threshed until the resin particles fall free. These particles are heated until they fuse together to form a moldable black tar, which is worked, while warm. When set, this gum … Read more

Myteri

Myteri
Alerta Antifascista (2017)

How do you keep up to date with new music? I have the luxury of being a reviewer. I’m informed on a constant basis (and get to cherry pick the releases I wish to review. Seriously, I love this job!), but next to that I keep an eye out for certain labels. There’s a couple of labels that are very … Read more

Worriers

Survival Pop
Side One Dummy (2017)

It seems like Worriers nailed down their sound on day one, when they rose from the ashes of The Measure S.A.. The Lauren Denitzio-fronted group plays a melodic and quirky style of indie-poppish-punk. On Survival Pop, that sound takes a stronger pop turn, with ear-pleasing hooks paired to politically-charged and empowering lyricism. In many ways, this record is a call … Read more

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