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Ormen Lange

Black
Stayposi (2013)

Chicagoan quartet Ormen Lange (probably named after the mightiest Viking longship, not the natural gas field on the Norwegian continental shelf) are far from a unique band--how many lightly progressive sorta instrumental artists can you name off the top of your head? Probably enough to feel as disillusioned as I. But despite my admitted jadedness with the genre, I still … Read more

Sigur Rós

Kveikur
XL Recordings (2013)

I came to know Sigur Rós through their early material, all very long, dreamy recordings with just a hint of pop rock bliss to ground them. Ágætis byrjun and ( ) are the albums that made the band a household name, and it's difficult not to look back on them and feel like, in some capacity, that's what the band … Read more

Princess Music

Odobenidae
Hot Congress Records (2013)

Princess Music's members all hail from various chamber orchestras, which would lead you to believe that their debut would be a collection of classical recordings. The album cover, however, seems to suggest something else entirely--it looks like it'd be more at home on the cover of a kitschy indie rock album than that of a classical quintet. But that's exactly … Read more

Eddie Spaghetti

The Value of Nothing
Bloodshot (2013)

For Eddie Spaghetti’s third solo LP, he’s taken a moment to quiet it down and get introspective while seeking answers to life’s big questions: meaty topics such as “If Anyone’s Got the Balls” and just who is “Fuckin’ with My Head.” Or, in other words, his solo work may be a separate project from Supersuckers, but the content doesn’t stray … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Temple

On the Steps of the Temple
Independent (2012)

There is one readily surprising thing about Arizonan post-metallers Temple: despite the loud ensemble sound projected in their music, the entire album is the result of the work of just two musicians. Unfortunately, that's just about the only surprise to be found on their otherwise unremarkable 2012 debut, On the Steps of the Temple.The issue is that, for all of … Read more

Bell X1

Chop Chop
Belly Up (2013)

Before delving into the intricacies of Bell X1's latest release Chop Chop, it is important to note that they have written what is arguably one of the best songs to come out of the Irish indie music scene in recent years. "In Every Sunflower", from 2007's Music in Mouth, is the kind of song that if you're not on the … Read more

S/V\R

Sur Les Femmes I & II
Union Finale Records (2013)

S/V\R is the project of S. de la Moth of Menace Ruine and audio explorer/percussionist Chanoine V. The band’s earlier release entitled Celebration Noire, released through Handmade Birds, was excellent and now, after some time spent on meditation and soul searching the noise/industrial duo strikes back with their latest offering, Sur Les Femmes I & II. Split into two parts, … Read more

Ef

Ceremonies
And The Sound Records (2013)

Ef are an unusual band, and not just for their inexplicable fear of breaking their precious consonant-to-vowel ratio. Their take on the inexorably-expanding post-rock scene is a highly unique one, especially at a time when more and more bands are starting to sound suspiciously homogenous. And as if any more proof of their immense creativity was called for, we have … Read more

Marillion

Sounds That Can't Be Made
earMUSIC (2012)

All bands have an expiry date; some bands are just more aware of that fact than others. And when an act has been around as long as Marillion has, it's not uncommon for their age to begin to show. Whether or not that is a bad thing is uncertain--some classic rock acts have put out some of their best material … Read more

Rumspringer

Stay Afloat
Dirt Cult (2013)

Every so often bands live up to their buzz. Rumspringer popped onto my radar through the defunct Dangerous Intersections series of 4-way splits from Traffic Street Records. I had one song at home on the comp., but it never got me deeper into the band’s catalog. Here comes 2013 and the band has released Stay Afloat on Dirt Cult Records—a … Read more

The Transplants

In A Warzone
Epitaph (2013)

I grew up on Rancid and they introduced me, eventually, to a much wider world of punk rock than what I caught on late night Headbangers Ball and 120 Minutes episodes. Or, for those who didn’t get where this is going from that intro sentence: I feel that I have to qualify why I’m listening to In a Warzone, the … Read more

Kayo Dot

Hubardo
Ice Level Music (2013)

It starts off inconspicuously enough, a series of instrumental swells that set the sombre and dark mood for the rest of the album. And then the growls enter, delivered as if part of a spoken word piece, each individual syllable pronounced as if there was all the time in the world. The swells become broader and more intense, a series … Read more

Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine

White People And The Damage Done
Alternative Tentacles (2013)

Heisenberg's uncertainty principle dictates that nothing in this universe has a truly defined position or trajectory and by trying to define it, the momentum of the object becomes even more unstable and unpredictable. The lesser known certainty principle is this: there will never be a Dead Kennedys reunion with Jello Biafra at the helm. Ever. It's not going to happen. … Read more

What-A-Nights

Self Titled
Drunken Sailor (2013)

What-A-Nights are a Japanese four-piece punk group, mostly falling on the pop-punk side of the spectrum, with some tight Buzzcocks sensibility seeping in. Their self-titled full-length, first self-released in Japan and now brought to the larger masses by Drunk Sailor Records, brings ten songs of soaring melody, hooky guitar, and positive vibes.The songs, while labeled as pop-punk, utilize the guitar … Read more

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