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Reviews by Loren

753 total search results — Page 38 of 38

Amy Beth And Thee Creeps – Shitheel EP

Review — April 4, 2026

Sometimes I like to come into a record as a blank slate. Amy Beth And Thee Creeps sent me a short email with their latest EP, Shitheel. It's a 4-song garage-punk ripper that's easily under 10 minutes. I just checked: it's five and a half minutes. With …

The Arrivals – Payload

Review — April 11, 2026

It's been a short lifetime since the last Arrivals record, Volatile Molotov, but in many ways the new Payload picks up exactly where the last one left off. It straddles the mid-tempo punk spectrum while drawing influence from seemingly all realms of the rock 'n' roll cannon. I'd state …

Sweat – Tear it on Down

Review — April 19, 2026

Tear It On Down is the third record from Sweat and it picks up where the last two left off. It's aggressive hardcore punk, but with a playful groove or swagger that really makes it feel uplifting, even when the content is not. Case in point: "Surveillance State," which …

The Sleeveens – National Anthem

Review — April 24, 2026

National Anthem is the second album from The Sleeveens, a Nashville, TN band fronted by an Irishman. The band play that perfect mix of protopunk and classic rock 'n' roll that's built on a verse/chorus/verse structure and melody without any frills. It's leather jacket music for the common folk. …

Dealbreaker – New Sides

Review — May 23, 2026

Dealbreaker popped onto my radar as part of a package tour with Pro Wrestling, who cold called me with a Penske File namedrop. This story is a bit of a Canadian roundabout, but their methodology worked: I listened to their music and dug it enough to review it. And …

Physicalist – Self Titled

Review — June 21, 2026

F.Y.P is one of the rare bands that I'd say nobody sounds like -- but in the past two months I've caught myself making that comparison twice. First while listening to the new Dumpies LP (spoiler alert: they cover F.Y.P on that same record) and now as I listen to …

Lice (Aesop Rock & Homeboy Sandman) – Vol. 4: Miami Lice

Review — June 30, 2026

This EP released kind of suddenly, back in March, right before a bunch of stuff hit the fan in my life outside of SPB. Which means the EP felt sudden, but this review has been stewing for nearly three months with a lot of repeat listening along the journey. …

Time Thieves – Come Home/If You Survive Extended Edition

Review — July 15, 2026

Time Thieves, of Chicago, IL, bill themselves as power pop in the vein of The Rentals or Fountains of Wayn or Weezer in their bio and they double down on that with the smooth as silk, uplifting melody of "Cover Your Eyes," the first song on their Come Home/If You …

Oddfellows – Oddfellows

Review — July 31, 2026

The self-titled album from Oddfellows was a long time coming. As in, the band formed in 1994. Now in 2026, they return with founding members Chris Pulliam, Mark Ryan, and Mike Throneberry, plus new addition Peter Salisbury to release their debut album just 32 years later. This lineup …

Sludgeworth – Second Time Around

Review — August 22, 2026

I never got very into Screeching Weasel and the extended family tree. Ignoring the politics of the matter, the music never really hit that sweet spot for me either. But Sludgeworth were an exception. The band released just one album, that I discovered at least 10years after its release, but …

Alien Nosejob – How A Mosquito Operates

Review — August 25, 2026

The one-man band of Alien Nosejob continues to crank out short, angry hardcore in quick bursts. I've lost count of how many records Jake Robertson has now released under the name. I'll just say that while the first couple took some direction changes, the project seems to have found its …

Real Numbers – Was It Always This Way

Review — September 1, 2026

I feel like this may be the first 12", 10-song release in my collection from Real Numbers, a dreampop meets jangle-indie rock band from Minneapolis. I'm not going to fact check my statement, because I mean it as a metaphor. Real Numbers play exactly what you'd expect based on my …

Chat Pile – Who Loves The Sun

Review — September 12, 2026

If Chat Pile were a film, they would be a dark thriller. The kind that builds tension until the end and, once we reach the third act, still might not ever show the killer. It's plodding and intense and, while I just pulled out a genre reference, the best thing …