Audacity
Butter Knife
Suicide Squeeze (2013)
It didn’t take long for Mellow Cruisers to appeal. Butter Knives, the follow-up from California’s Audacity, though, seems to be more of a grower.A band quick-summed-up as power-pop (though that description lacks), the new record seems to miss that one-two punch, earworm aspect. Instead, the songs are a bit more complex, less predictable, and more varied from starter “Couldn’t Hold … Read more
Audacity
Mellow Cruisers
Recess (2012)
It’s not very often I’ll say a song belongs on the radio and mean that in a good way. With the whispered beginnings to “Garza” on Audacity’s Mellow Cruisers, the song starts with a surf-whisper that builds into an uber-catchy song with rise and fall, singalong choruses and a rhythm section that pulls the listener in and pummels through 3:01 … Read more
Aughra
Proof of Dark Matter | Light the Lights
Magic Bullet (2008)
Ambient music is (in the words of one Brian Eno who is usually credited with coining the term) music that can be either "actively listened to with attention or as easily ignored, depending on the choice of the listener," and that exists on the "cusp between melody and texture." Aughra is the solo ambient/electronic/experimental project of one Brent Eyestone (proprietor … Read more
Aughra / Mosh Patrol
Is There Anyone Else Outside
Magic Bullet (2007)
Is There Anyone Else Outside is the split effort between Aughra and Mosh Patrol. Aughra is the ambient/electronic solo-project of Brent Eyestone (member of Forensics, Corn on Macabre, and Waifle) while Mosh Patrol is a similar solo project from Chris King (member of This Will Destroy You). The Aughra material on Is There Anyone Else Outside is very chilled out … Read more
August Burns Red
Leveler
Solid State (2011)
August Burns Red have become the face of American metal over the last few years with their unique brand of metalcore, but Leveler is poised to redefine the genre all together. Tactically bending genres with ease, they’ve crafted a truly ambitious album of unparalleled diversity and precision.Constellations, ABR’s last release, had shown a tremendous amount of growth with a more … Read more
Aussitôt Mort
6 Songs
Level Plane (2007)
Aussitôt Mort means "immediately dead" in the French language. Their name, as well as their sound, is marked by powerful intensity. The four musicians who make up the French group - some of whom are also in the French band Amanda Woodward - have released 6 Songs as a way for fans to get their hands on previously released vinyl-only … Read more
Aussitôt Mort
Montuenga
Level Plane (2008)
I've been waiting to hear Aussitôt Mort's first full-length since this spring. Montuenga's release kept getting pushed back, but at least three months after the intended date, it's finally here. Aussitôt Mort parted with their vocalist who appears on the 12" demo, so their songs have taken on a more instrumental quality. The songs lend themselves to minimal vocal accompaniment, … Read more
Austerity
Self Titled LP
Deathsmile (2010)
After some blind stroke of luck and the whims of fate, I picked this cassette tape up along with another because I saw it was available and had heard some whispers about the sheer magnificence of this release on the world wide interwebs (a few cryptic reviews and blubbering nonsense about its amazing-ness had me intrigued at least and now … Read more
Austin Lucas
Putting the Hammer Down
Magic Bullet (2008)
To be completely honest, I know more about Austin Lucas than I do about his current residence in The Czech Republic, which doesn't attest too much besides my ignorance of The Czech Republic. I know Lucas was born in the United States and moved, has played in crust and grind bands, and has worked with Chuck Ragan. Not necessarily the … Read more
Austin Lucas
Somebody Loves You
Suburban Home (2009)
When O Brother, Where Art Thou sold over seven million copies, you knew that people were listening and that the soundtrack would have an influence on future music. Where you probably didn't expect that influence to show was in the punk rock world. Seven years later, we have a label named after a Descendents song releasing Somebody Loves You by … Read more
Austin Lucas
The Common Cold (Reissue)
Magic Bullet (2009)
In a time of ex-punkers going the acoustic, solo route, Austin Lucas offers something that differs from his Revival Tour circuit peers. Where artists like Chuck Ragan and Tim Barry offer rootsy tunes brimming with desolation, they hold a shadow of hope and optimism. Lucas, on the other hand, wallows in despair, taking more time to focus on the details … Read more
Author & Punisher
Beastland
Relapse (2018)
Tristan Shore, the man behind the Author & Punisher project, has been on a warpath since the release of his debut, self-released record The Painted Army. By drawing inspiration from his background as a mechanical engineer Shore has created his own range of instruments for Author & Punisher, his infamous Drone Machines. As a result, these machines have allowed him … Read more
Author & Punisher
Women & Children
Seventh Rule (2013)
The enigmatic figure of Tristan Shone, a mechanical engineer/metal sculptor, is the driving force behind the Author & Punisher project. By developing custom machines, controllers and speakers (named Drone/Dub Machines) in order to produce an impressive array of different sounds, merging together doom and industrial music, Tristan Shone tried and succeeded in building his own Frankenstein’s monster.The sound of the … Read more
Autistic Youth
Nonage
Dirtnap (2013)
I nearly died one night in the kitchen of Mexican restaurant I was cooking at. When it came time to clean up the floors at the end of my closing shift, I erroneously (read: stupidly) mixed ammonia and bleach in a mop bucket full of steaming hot water. One breath of that potent mixture and I was seeing stars and … Read more
Autolux
Future Perfect
Red Ink (2004)
Are My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, and perhaps Fugazi cool with you? Do you have an incurable fondness for spacey, fuzzed-out guitar rock? Do you suffer from chronic jock itch or something equally unpleasant? If so, you should indubitably investigate Autolux's Future Perfect pronto. There's no denying that the album is positively derivative, but its eleven nuggets of joy are … Read more
Ava Mendoza, Gabby Fluke-Mogul & Carolina Pérez
Mama Killa
Burning Ambulance (2025)
Ava Mendoza appeared in the avant-rock scene in the '10s, and throughout the decade, she defined many works with her adventurous guitar playing and tonality. She made her mark through projects like Unnatural Ways, the trio with Tim Dahl and Sam Ospovat, and her split release with Sir Richard Bishop of Sun City Girls, Ivory Tower. Along her journeys, she … Read more
Avail
Dixie / 4 AM Friday / Over the James (Reissues)
Jade Tree (2006)
It's about damn time. Avail is a much beloved punk band out of Richmond, Virginia known for their blue collar style and attitude. They are the punk rock everymen. I can vividly remember my first Avail experience, as most people that I know can. It was 1998 (yes, I was a little late on the band). They were touring with … Read more
Avant Duel
Beyond Human
Independent (2012)
Spaceman comes to Earth, fronts rock band!It sounds like it might be a Weekly World News headline or the subplot to a ‘60s-era Godzilla film, yet this is allegedly what happened when, in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Von LMO, claiming to have been from the planet Strazar, rose to prominence in NYC’s no wave music scene. Following the … Read more
