The Metroschifter
Carbonistas
Noise Pollution (2009)
Scott Ritcher was one of the masterminds behind the rise of Louisville hardcore in the early 90's. He had some extraordinary ideas on how to promote his label, Slamdek. He even had his own girls' field hockey team. Later Scott even ran for mayor, he lost, but you have to admire his ambition. The Metroschifter is Ritcher's three-piece rock outfit … Read more
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
When God Was Great
Epitaph (2021)
Okay, look: The Mighty Mighty Bosstones need no introduction, but here's one anyway. These suit-clad gentlemen may be Boston’s most important punk export. For over 30 years, they've been active in the city’s hardcore scene and introduced masses of American kids to the sounds and messages of real ska music. They never fell into the suburban skate punk trappings that … Read more
The Milkman's Union
Oh Boy
Young Scientist (2006)
Young talent can be dangerous thing to praise. On one hand, you have a young musician whose musical prowess is undeniable and you want to expose that talent in the hopes that others can experience it. On the other hand, you have to be careful at how much praise you give. After all, the musician is obliviously young and at … Read more
The Mimes
Plastic Pompeii
Lets Pretend (2021)
After all the bedroom pop to come out of quarantine, we finally have a band doing something new that sounds like a real record, not an experiment. The Mimes features Maura Weaver, John Hoffman, and Megan Schroer, who played together in Boys long ago, and more recently in separate projects such as Homeless Gospel Choir, Ogikubo Station, and Vacation.Fittingly, The … Read more
The Miracle
Not Just Words
Still Life (2006)
It's quite amazing how widespread hardcore music has become these days. Despites its relatively young age compared to other genres, it has become a worldwide entity; no longer is the music confined to New York City and Los Angeles, or the United States for that matter. Everyday new acts ready to scream their lungs out hit the stage from more … Read more
The Mock Heroic
Dignified Exits
SuperFi (2007)
Contrary to popular belief, screamo isn't dead. Granted, it could very well be crippled and unable to be even a shadow of it's former self, but it isn't dead and will probably never die. Aside from a handful of bands in the States playing the genre well, including Cease Upon the Capitol, Kid Crash, Loma Prieta, and to some extent … Read more
The Mocks
Do You Want Me Too?
Wap Shoo Wap Records (2024)
Retro music as retro as this is not something I listen to a lot. Nick Waterhouse is the closest comparison I can make that I actually listen to. So why on earth am I reviewing this album, you might wonder? Well, I discovered their label last year. Wap Shoo Wap is a Dutch label specialized in old school punk and … Read more
The Mohrs
Kings of Nowhere
Light Organ Records (2015)
Before developing into a full-fledged band, The Mohrs started out as a writing project between lead singer Jackie Mohr and Canadian Rock legend Hawksley Workman. Mohr’s former outfit Living in Red caught the music industry’s attention after being featured on the CBC’s competition/reality television show Cover Me Canada, and while many aspiring musicians have lived and died on a TV … Read more
The Mongoloids
Assorted Music
Eulogy (2009)
My review of the Mongoloids last full-length, Time Trials, was probably one of the worst reviews I have ever written. I had the vinyl version of the album and for some reason my record player wasn't working and everything sounded sloppy and off time. Don't ever buy record players from Target. Anyhow, I found a copy of Time Trials on … Read more
The Mongoloids
Time Trials
Collapse (2007)
There's something about over-hyped hardcore bands that makes me want to hear them. It has something to do with my connection with the hardcore scene that when I hear the kids talk and talk about a new upcoming band so fervently that I think when I pick up the latest offering from "Oh my god this band is amazing" number … Read more
The Mons
Trust No One
Triple Eye Industries (2017)
Trust No One, The Mons’ second album isn’t subtle. But what do you expect of a band using that name? This is aggressive, 1980s-inspired hardcore with a penchant for fast songs and straight shooting ‘tude. The opening ripper “This Is Why” is a declaration statement with a minute-long intro before it rages for a whopping 17 seconds. To pull a … Read more
The Morning After Girls
Alone
Independent (2009)
The Morning After Girls are a band from New York by way of Melbourne. I have to assume their name is more a reference to the haziness that follows a night out, as opposed to the pill bearing a similar name. Musically, they are descendants of the fuzzy psych-rock of bands like Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine, … Read more
The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation
Egor
Denovali (2012)
As the sister group of The Kilimanjaro Doomjazz Ensemble This group treads similar waters. While not a new group by any stretch this, their most recent full length of new work continues their original routing. The question many people would have is "what exactly is doomjazz?". The easy answer would correlate to the genre name itself. While it contains pieces … Read more
The Mountain Goats
Bleed Out
Merge (2022)
The Mountain Goats have made an action movie. Bleed Out is a concept album of sorts, made in a distinctly Mountain Goats way. Basically, ringleader John Darnielle wrote the record while watching movies: pausing and taking notes, so the lyrics aren’t just about familiar plotlines, but the full scope of cinematic storytelling. That info all comes in the press release, … Read more
The Mountain Goats
Heretic Pride
4AD (2008)
After hearing The Sunset Tree, I was certain that John Darnielle was incapable of writing songs that even hint at happiness. Hope is abundant, but joy is absent. His songs are stories of lives endured. Each album is an anthology of damaged characters trying to survive unfortunate circumstances. Heretic Pride makes that leap from hope to joy, the overall mood … Read more
The Mountain Goats
We Shall All Be Healed
4AD (2004)
As any lover of lo-fi already knows, the complexity of The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle and his work is vast. He records every album on a living room boombox, has a large backup band despite a very small amount of accompaniment on any given record, and has a penchant for weird lyrics of which he is the only person who … Read more
The Murder City Devils
The End
Music Video Distributors (2005)
Cost of ticket: $15.00 Cost of gas to drive to Seattle: $23.50 Doctor bill from cracked ribs received: $89.10 Seeing the Murder City Devils perform their last ever show: Priceless October 31, 2001. The Showbox, Seattle. I was there, kids and let me tell you, it was a sight to behold. For almost four years I've been telling everyone within … Read more
The Murder City Devils
The White Ghost Has Blood on Its Hands Again
Independent (2014)
Reunited bands have a tendency to disappoint. Maybe their hearts aren’t in it the second time around, maybe they’ve changed as artists and individuals, or maybe the expectations of a rabid fanbase are impossible to meet.Whatever the case, let’s put aside our memories of In Name and Blood, their last studio full-length which came out 14 years ago, and focus … Read more
