Album Review: Street Sects ‘The Kicking Mule’
“Street Sects is the kind of band that a lot of people would call ‘problematic,’ but they’re a much-needed smack in the face in a world that seems less compassionate with each passing day.”
Album Review: Ty Segall ‘Fudge Sandwich’
“‘Fudge Sandwich’ is the kind of album that provides listeners with a new favorite track every day, no small feat for a collection of cover tunes.”
Album Review: GØGGS ‘Pre Strike Sweep’
“At 30 minutes, ‘Pre Strike Sweep’ doesn’t overstay its welcome, but instead leaves its listeners looking for the “repeat” button. Don’t make the mistake of thinking GØGGS is a mere vanity project for its members; this is the real deal.”
Album Review: The Quick ‘Mondo Deco’ Expanded Edition
“It’s hard not to listen to The Quick’s output and wonder, wistfully, what could have been.”
Album Review: Iceage ‘Beyondless’
“At times, ‘Beyondless’ is overwhelming in the scope of its genius, but the chord progressions that Johan Surrballe Wieth has conjured are something divine.”
Album Review: Drinks ‘Hippo Lite’
“The music of Drinks is uncategorizable, yet addictive. For those who crave something that genuinely challenges the ears, ‘Hippo Lite’ is a real find.”
Album Review: A Place to Bury Strangers ‘Pinned’
“With ‘Pinned,’ A Place to Bury Strangers shows that the band’s exploration of ‘one good idea’ continues to yield amazing results.”
Album Review: Bambara ‘Shadow on Everything’
“If David Lynch had set ‘Twin Peaks’ in rural Georgia, then Bambara could have composed the soundtrack.”
Album Review: The Soft Moon ‘Criminal’
“While The Soft Moon has always released music that could best be described as ‘none more bleak,’ with ‘Criminal,’ there seems to be something like acceptance. Maybe that’s the bleakest timeline of all.”
Album Review: Ty Segall ‘Freedom’s Goblin’
“These are songs that don’t feel like they’ve been corrupted by overthinking or compressed by studio gloss.”
Album Review: De Lux ‘More Disco Songs About Love’
“De Lux excels at provoking a ‘what did he just sing?’ curiosity while you’re moving back and forth to the beat.”
Album Review: Dirty Sidewalks ‘Bring Down the House Lights’
“Listening to ‘Rock & Roll (Save My Soul),’ the first track on Dirty Sidewalks’ debut album, will have a definite impact on fans of The Jesus and Mary Chain.”
Album Review: WHIMM ‘A Stare Ajar’
“This is a trio dwelling on the sharp, atonal edge of post-punk”
Album Review: Melkbelly ‘Nothing Valley’
“Melkbelly is hard to pin down; their songs flaunt a flagrant disregard for what many would consider indie rock or punk or post-punk.”
Album Review: O.R.B. ‘Naturality’
“The first two songs on ‘Naturality’ prove O.R.B.’s members have clearly got the chops to do something different with their doom-inspired template.”
Album Review: Wand ‘Plum’
“Perhaps ‘Plum’ represents the incarnation of what Wand fans didn’t know they were looking for until they heard it.”
Ty Segall Goes Acoustic at Toronto’s Night Owl Festival
“As Segall’s self-assurance increased, so did his funny banter.”
Album Review: Frankie Rose ‘Cage Tropical’
“The transformation of 1980s synth pop from a frequently mocked fad into a respectable modern genre has been glorious to behold.”
Album Review: Male Gaze ‘Miss Taken’
“Anyone who claims that most new music is terrible probably isn’t trying hard enough.”
Album Review: Dead Heavens ‘Whatever Witch You Are’
“It’s less macho than stoner rock, but more elegant than garage punk.”