Good Shade
Way Out
Dirtnap (2019)
Dirtnap is a fascinating label in how they’ve developed a certain sound to their releases, regardless of what part of the world or what particular scene the musicians hail from. Sure, there’s the Marked Men connection with many of their releases, but that’s only a piece of what the label has put out.Good Shade is Shane Natalie, a one-man band … Read more
Goon Moon
Licker's Last Leg
Ipecac (2007)
Let's not beat around the bush. Licker's Last Leg is the album Queens of the Stone Age should have put out instead of the bands recent Era Vulgaris. Why the comparison? Well, there's the obvious one founder/vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Chris Goss has long been the unofficial fifth Queens of the Stone Age-er for quite some time, appearing on or producing every album … Read more
Gore
Mean Man's Dream (Reissue)
FSS (2008)
A great deal of hyperbole flies around regarding re-issues, which in it of themselves can be very tricky propositions, particularly ones that may or may not be integral to have a re-issue. Gore no longer exists as a unit, but the three piece's legacy resonates today in heavy (be it metal, be it some other genre) music and serves as … Read more
Gorgoroth
Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam
Regain (2006)
Disclaimer: Whenever a reviewer has no idea how to end a review - a more common occurrence than the reader might think - the reviewer is forced to employ the cheapest of literary tricks: the disengage. By taking the reader out of the narrative flow with an aside that is thought to be clever, but in reality is fooling no … Read more
Gorillaz
Demon Days
Virgin (2005)
It's been four years since Gorillaz, the world's first animated group, debuted with Gorillaz, a wacky blend of pop, rock, and hip-hop. A fun, terrific debut guided by one of the best single's to hit MTV in the past half-decade, "Clint Eastwood." I myself am not too overzealous when hearing a great single, but damn, that track sucker-punched me pretty … Read more
Gospel
The Moon is a Dead World
Level Plane (2005)
I, for one, was initially startled by The Mars Volta. Their melding of prog-rock and post-hardcore required the status of a level-32 dwarf. Maybe it was Cedric's multidimensional vocabulary or Omar's guitarscapades, but they got boring real quick. Simply put, the Mars lacked Volta. My replacement and newest musical addiction was run by a thousand engines and possessed by one … Read more
Grabass Charlestons
Dale & the Careeners
No Idea (2012)
Is this the same band that released Ask Mark Twain? Well, kind of. Dale & the Careeners is the first Grabass Charlestons full-length since 2005, and their first with singer Will Thomas wielding the axe instead of the kit. Really, after giving this record several listens it seems that talking about the band’s earlier releases will mostly put people on … Read more
Grace Gale
A Few Easy Steps to Secure Heli-Camel Safety
Blackout! (2005)
At any point in time you may catch me watching television, usually an Aqua Teen Hunger Force DVD, Comedy Central, or Cartoon Network. However, lately, I've been watching The Food Network almost nonstop. No, seriously. So with my diligent viewing of shows like 'Food 911!' and 'Inside Dish with Rachael Ray' I've decided to present you with the following recipe. … Read more
Gracer
Voices Travel
Revelation (2006)
I feel sorry for emo kids these days. Rather than being a certain clique that listens to a certain type of music they have become an entire entity within themselves. What we have in 2006 are a bunch of mopey teenagers with Livejournal accounts, bad haircuts and their mother's cheapest strands of pearls. Instead of being a community of kids … Read more
Graduation Speech
Controlled Burn
Jetsam-Flotsam (2022)
I mostly enjoy acoustic albums during my cruising time to work by bike. I can't explain what makes the acoustic sounds special when you listen to it in the morning. Maybe I'm a typical kind of guy who is slow to wake up and acoustic tunes are perfect to build up my mood. Graduation Speech is a moniker project initiated … Read more
Graf Orlock
Destination Time Tomorrow
Level Plane (2007)
First and foremost, I would just like to state that Graf Orlock, or as tourmates Comadre jokingly refer to them, Crap Orlock, kill it live. Their drummer is fucking on point, and vocalist Kalvin Kristoff is as humorous as he is intense. Plus, it doesn't hurt when you have a basement full of sweaty punks yelling out movie lines like, … Read more
Graf Orlock
Destination Time Yesterday
Level Plane (2006)
The connection between abrasive, warp speed music and film samples isn't new - for a whole wave of turn of the century hardcore bands, the familiar samples punctuating minute long tantrums were usually the most memorable part of the entire enterprise. But Graf Orlock takes this connection to an entirely new level. Named after the vampiric villain in Nosferatu, Graf … Read more
Graf Orlock / Greyskull
Split
Dood (2005)
Unless you're backless, you have a backpack. What do you have in your backpack? I'd imagine there's a collection of paper, pens, and hidden condoms. Then again, maybe you have one of those packs equipped for bicycle riding. Oh, watch out for that bump! Just kidding. You're in the comfort of a house on a computer on a chair. Under … Read more
Grails
Doomsdayer's Holiday
Temporary Residence (2008)
Having only just been introduced to the wonder and at times awe inspiring music of the outfit known as Grails, I may be privy to not having my opinions of their records tainted yet by the "their first or early records were better" attitude. Thankfully so because their fifth album, Doomsdayer's Holiday, might just be the band's best record to … Read more
Grails
Take Refuge in Clean Living
Important (2008)
Elusive is the best adjective to describe Grails (a now four-piece outfit from Portland, Oregon) and their unique take on instrumental music. And while that might not sound like a good description, it only does so in the most accurate way; there is no other manner to ascribe the long passages of music which are created by a band that … Read more
Grand Vapids
Guarantees
Independent (2015)
Athens, Georgia has a long history of producing some great musicians and music, known for being the birthplace of groups like the B-52’s and R.E.M. as well as the adopted home of the Elephant Six Collective. One of the latest bands to emerge from the storied Athens scene is Grand Vapids, a quartet whose 2015 debut Guarantees features ten tracks … Read more
Grandaddy
Sumday
V2 (2003)
Once again, Grandaddy travel down the familiar road of attaching a human face on technology for the sole purpose of denouncing it. In a shockingly ironic way, Sumday's pleasant, mid-tempo/mid-range vocal melodies and soothing rhythms make it ideal music for programming. With lines like "I'm wondering if I'll ever know/if I'll be better than I was before/when I surface through … Read more
Grave in the Sky
Cutlery Hits China: English for the Hearing Impaired
Heart & Crossbone (2007)
Grave in the Sky is a three-piece from Israel that plays thick, but still raw doom-y music. The tempos are slow and the sound is a crawling, bleak wall of sound. Cutlery Hits China: English for the Hearing Impaired is a super raw sounding album. Even though it does not completely sound like them, Grave in the Sky play a … Read more
