Pinned In Place
Ghostwritten By
Razorcake (2016)
One (of many) differences between indie rock and punk is generally the sense of humor as it relates to self-awareness. Considering that other reviews namedrop Built to Spill frequently in the RIYL section for Pinned in Place, it’s a nice touch to start the record with the song “Built to Chill.” It’s both self-referential and a sweet name that describes … Read more
Pinned In Place
Rubbernecking at the Gates of Hell
Reflective Tapes (2018)
I’ve been debating how to describe this one for a while. Pinned in Place aren’t exactly happy campers, but compared to most of what I’ve been reviewing lately their music feels downright optimistic with the sunny guitar lines and harmonies that define their sound. That said, the record is named Rubbernecking at the Gates of Hell for a reason.The opening … Read more
Pirate
Left Of Mind
Bird's Robes (2011)
How on Earth do you achieve a goal as lofty and vaguely-defined as “to break out of the norm and push boundaries?” Well, Sydney-based progressive four-piece Pirate aimed to find out with their 2011 debut EP, Left of Mind, which was created with that exact goal in mind. Whether or not they actually succeeded is a different case entirely.I'll admit, … Read more
Pissed Jeans
Honeys
Sub Pop (2013)
I enjoyed King of Jeans. It wasn’t great and it didn’t break much ground, but it was a solid play that I still throw on from time to time. What I find peculiar with its follow-up, Honeys, is that I don’t find myself thinking back to the last record often. Instead I mostly think about how I should be listening … Read more
Pissed Jeans
Hope for Men
Sub Pop (2007)
Ask somebody why they like the music they like, and you can get more or less the same answer. We have certain expectations from music, and we judge its quality by how well it meets those expectations. But then along comes a band like Pissed Jeans, throwing a proverbial wrench into the formula of musical enjoyment. Not seeming to care … Read more
Pissed Jeans
Hope for Men
Sub Pop (2007)
The music of Pissed Jeans is what The Wonder Years might have been like if Kevin had been born with Thalidomide birth defects, facing the trials of growing up with flippers instead of hands. Their music is a feedback dissertation for bed-wetters, reprobates, and anyone who's ever felt left out, shit on, or ignored. "Boring Girls" was a shit-kicking one-chord … Read more
Pissed Jeans
King Of Jeans
Sub Pop (2009)
Ugly and violent. Pissed Jeans don't mess around, starting 2009's King of Jeans with "False Jesii, Part Two," and never letting up on the noisepunk from start to finish. While the first song is possibly the best on the record, it's not because the record falls apart, but because it so competently and powerfully sets the tone, kicking immediately into … Read more
Pitch & Bark
Two EPs: Nowhere Near Ohio & Father Hoxy
Bernlore Records (2020)
Elegant desert-shoe-gaze-rock from Santa Fe, New Mexico FFO Pigrow, Storming The Beaches With Logos In Hand and Father John Misty. The landscapes and artistry of Santa Fe, New Mexico comes through well on this older “post rock” cassette. The region’s Kokopelli imagery is a reminder to celebrate fertile land and the gift of life. Pitch & Bark seem to lock … Read more
PitchBlack
Walking on Burning Ground
Producciones Paganas (2025)
Formed in the mid-2000s, PitchBlack have always been one of Danish metal’s most overlooked heavy hitters. A band is sitting between old-school melodeath grit and European thrash aggression, building a reputation on intensity instead of trends. They debuted with Designed to Dislike in 2007, followed it with The Devilty in 2011 (which landed them spots at Copenhell and Download UK), … Read more
Pitfall
Another Day at the Zoo
Neutral Territory (2008)
Massachusetts is always churning out quality hardcore and Pitfall is no exception. Another Day at the Zoo is the band's first official release following a promising demo. The band delivers punishing and relentless hardcore that draws similarities to Outbreak and Think I Care. The band sums things up best on the track "Edge of the World" with the lines, "These … Read more
Pity Party
Concrete
Independent (2020)
Hello 1990s. Pity Party, from Oakland, play fuzzed out drudgy punk. While most press I read about calls the band pop-punk and even emo, I’d put them a less crisp category. DIY indie-punk, maybe? But with some harsher sounds that parlay a little more anger and anguish. Grunge doesn’t feel quite right, but close. I hate to drop the Riot … Read more
Pixies
Head Carrier
Pixies Music (2016)
When the Pixies released 2014's Indie Cindy, it was their first release in the band's history to not include Bassist/Vocalist Kim Deal. It was evident, very evident that without her, it was going to be an uphill climb. Deal's immediate replacement came in the form of Kim Shattuck, formerly of The Muffs. While a very capable musician and vocalist, it … Read more
Pixies
Indie Cindy
Pixies Music (2014)
Indie Cindy is the first new Pixies full-length since 1991 (Trompe le Monde). After the band reunited a few years back for the tour circuit the rumors of new material started to flow, the band continued to tour, and nothing came out. Eventually, shortly after the departure of original bassist Kim Deal (The Breeders), the band put out three EPs … Read more
PJ Harvey
Let England Shake
Vagrant/Island (2011)
I got into a discussion with someone recently over the validity of this latest release from Polly Jean Harvey. They seemed almost offended that PJ would use the overall theme of war in writing her new release as if it were some sort of parlor trick to try and make “important music”. I argued that Roger Waters has built an … Read more
PJ Harvey
White Chalk
Island (2007)
Beginning with her 1992 debut album Dry, much has been made of Polly Jean Harvey seemingly reinventing herself with every release that followed. For anyone else, this would be a gimmick, a hook - thus making the work less than sincere. But the calculation ends with the realization that the music is more honest than most anything created by other … Read more
Pkew Pkew Pkew
Optimal Lifestyles
Dine Alone (2019)
There’s a lot I want to say about this album, but I’m torn because I try to keep things more positive. I’ve given it a lot of thought and a lot of listens, and I just don’t like it. At its best, it’s a pop-punk version of The Hold Steady – and that’s not in that oversimplified “recommended if you … Read more
Place Position
Went Silent
Blind Rage Records, Bunker Park, Poptek, Sweet Cheetah (2026)
There’s a certain kind of band that makes sense immediately once you see them live. Place Position is one of those bands. Before Went Silent ever landed on my speakers, I caught them at a show I played in Dayton, and they were the kind of band that quietly steals the night. There were no theatrics, no posturing, just total … Read more
Plague Widow
Self Titled
BuriedInHell (2012)
Sacramento three-piece Plague Widow came to form late last year, and have through some kind of sorcery already unleashed an uncompromising and punishing EP. Fifteen minutes of pure intense grind with a tiny hint of death, Plague Widow EP is disgustingly ferocious and absolutely relentless. With an intro track that is longer than 95% of the songs on the EP, … Read more
