I’m pretty sure I became aware of Mike Krol when The Whiffs posted about playing some shows with him. Krol is a bit of an anomaly. Not only is he on Merge and collaborates with Mac Superchunk- a dream scenario imo- but he’s also been elusive of my fan boy attempts at cold dm’ing him about stuff even tho we … Read more
Ten albums into their tenure and Death Cab for Cutie are still finding ways to reinvent themselves while maintaining their identity and sound. Their 2018 release, Thank You For Today, was the first to feature members Zac Rae and Dave Depper after long-time member and co-writer, Chris Walla, left the group. This led to the songs on that album being … Read more
With a prolific band like Bellingham, Washington’s Death Cab for Cutie, (Codes and Keys being their seventh studio album release), it’s impossible for fans not to speculate how their newest album is going to sound. “Maybe it’ll sound like Transcendentalism with some Postal Service influence!” “Maybe it’ll be like Narrow Stairs... but better!” “What The Open Door EP started, Codes … Read more
With their fifth full-length, indie music darlings Death Cab for Cutie make the jump from 'the little engine that could,' Barsuk Records, to the big-time of Atlantic Records. But don't pick up that rock just yet. Death Cab isn't deserving of the bludgeoning reserved for traitors. With their latest release, Plans Death Cab stick to what they do best as … Read more
The members of Death Cab For Cutie equal far more than the sum of their parts; this much has been evident since a small, unknown label from Seattle named Barsuk released Something About Airplanes back in 1999. In the four years since that record, the band has released three 7" singles, two EPs, four full-lengths, and one compilation of singles, … Read more
So long, 1979. D.F.A. are back without the tag and without the chronological baggage that came along with their previous album, 2014's The Physical World. A ten year gap between that and their debut album was a hard thing to overcome, expectations wise. And Physical, while a very welcome return just felt slightly underwhelming, despite burners like "Right On, Frankenstein!" … Read more
For a time in the mid- to late-2000s, it seemed as if Canadian drum and bass duo Death from Above 1979 might go the way of Neutral Milk Hotel and disappear right at the height of their popularity. Coming off their exhilarating and slightly raunchy 2004 album You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine which seemed to pop up at just … Read more
To those that call this album stoner rock, metal, noise rock, a twisted take on dancepunk, or each of the above ' you're all wrong. And I wish I could tell you why in a way that wasn't already said better by someone else; as Jim Carrey put it in the critically underrated Cable Guy, 'Don't dig too deep, or … Read more
I almost don’t want to write a review for experimental rap outfit Death Grips, because I feel like I’d be giving them exactly what they want: attention. Their overly abrasive attitude – from no-show live shows to perpetually shitting on their record label via publicity stunts – comes off as an immature gimmick begging for press. But it would be … Read more
Death Grips have been making a strong and confrontational statement in music since their inception. Zach Hill (Former drummer extraordinaire for Hella), Stefan "MC Ride" Burnett, and Andy "Flatlander" Morin have been making caustic rap punk that always leaves first-time listeners at a loss for words. Their self-described "accelerated music" contains samples that range from "Up The Beach" by Jane's … Read more
This is the second album from Polish death/doom metallers Death Has Spoken who formed in 2017. Taking inspiration musically from bands such as Paradise Lost, Swallow The Sun, Hallatar and My Dying Bride to name but a few this 7 track album gives us just over 40 minutes of dark, melodic doom metal. I've got to hand it to these … Read more
I know very little about the country of Norway. Sure, I could hit up Google or Wikipedia and shoot off some facts about their leading exports or how many Olympic downhill skiers were born there, but it would be nothing more than useless information. All you need to know, my faithful readers, is that Death is Not Glamorous calls Oslo, … Read more
Death is Not Glamorous comes at you from the swamps of...Oslo, Norway? Yes, that's right, Norway. The country most well-known for producing myriad Black Metal bands has given us one of the best up and coming melodic hardcore/punk bands currently going. Having released this demo in late 2005, the band has since gained quite a following here in the United … Read more
Punk has always been international. When public intellectuals like Thomas L. Friedman began to trumpet the interconnectedness of a globalized world, American punks had already been booking tours, trading records, and making friends with their international brethren for years. It's a shining example of how the right cultural formation can dissolve political borders with ease - just as earlier rock … Read more
With poverty becoming a fashion statement (I'm sure some Vice or Pitchfork contributor has ditched the birth-control glasses and bangover for bike hats and bandanas) and crust bands taking the place of the In Flames sound-alikes, it's nice to see a band like Deathcycle is actually catering to the hardcore aspect of the music. While still intensely political and fast, … Read more
Deathcycle brings hardcore laden with throwback influence and metal finishes. They're young, angry lads who have, within the past month, announced their breakup before I even got around to Prelude to Tyranny. The first thing to strike me upon listening is Ron Grimaldi's voice. It's especially powerful and carries well above the abrasive music. Normally, he is singing over the … Read more
Jeph Jacques may be primarily a cartoonist, but he's somehow managed to turn that profession into an outlet for his musical passions as well, crafting a virtual band from his own fictional characters and recording real music for them. The result is his one-man post-metal project, the flippantly named Deathmøle, which has turned out a steady stream of albums since … Read more
In spite of its low profile, the Pittsburgh hardcore scene is one of the better currently running, consistently churning out outstanding and original bands. Because of its circumnavigating of hype, the bands that do emerge from the Pittsburgh area carry with them a sincerity not found in most bands. They never seem to succumb to trend-hitching, instead perform music that … Read more
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