Album Reviews

chris portka – trash music

July 6, 2023

California bay area-based artist Chris Portka has always dreamt of being a musician. With his roots dating back to the dirty, blistering grunge of the ’90s, a young portka followed his heart… He fought past crippling stage fright; anxiety attacks during Elliot Smith covers; and a voice that sounds like a “Rhinoceros fighting to befriend an Elephant” (his words not ours) to get where he is today. It’s safe to say that portka has devoted a fair amount of blood, sweat, and tears to make this whole music thing work. And while he makes himself at home in any jam session (whether it be on an acoustic guitar or a synth or a piano), there’s a deeper, stranger fire burning within him. As he puts it: “my roots burrow in this impressionistic improv that reflects a fierce internal conflict.” Enter trash music, portka’s latest offering. It’s a twelve song album[...]

Disco Sam – American Nightlife

July 5, 2023

In this infinite void of new music, few acts have the ability to transport your mind to a world of infectious rhythms, cheeky melodies, and fun bedroom-pop quirkiness quite like Disco Sam. He’s about to release a brand new EP, his 7th (!), one he’s calling American Nightlife. Upon listening, it’s evident that this ain’t Sam’s first rodeo, and the enigmatic frontman once again shows his irresistible appeal in this brand new batch of charming, disco-flavored bedroom-pop compositions. The EP opens with “Draws Me Inside,” and the hallmarks of Sam’s songwriting go-tos start to shine through immediately. The basslines on American Nightlife are absolutely the backbone of these tunes, bobbing and weaving around the fretboard with an itchy sort of bounce. Sam’s vocals also shine through here, a characteristic baritone that sounds like it belongs at a sweaty, sexy basement show. There’s something seductive about Disco Sam, and “Draws” is[...]

ROREY – “Apt 7d”

July 3, 2023

There’s no shortage of NYC-based acts that have changed music… The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol – basically any band you’d have seen or read about in the semi-recent Meet Me In The Bathroom documentary. With The Strokes having won a Grammy for The New Abnormal; Yeah Yeah Yeahs riding high on the success of their new album; and Interpol touring the world and playing stadiums with The Smashing Pumpkins, there’s no doubt the world is ready and willing to hear more NYC-bred, guitar-driven music. Enter wunderkind ROREY, the 23 year old grunge-popper who is turning heads with her palatable blend of ’90s influenced nostalgia triggers. We’ve had the pleasure of reviewing her latest album, Apt 7d, and it itches that deep-rooted scratching that exists in our tired millennial brains for good times (i.e. the aughts) now long past. EP opener “Burned Your Letter” introduces us to the hallmarks of ROREY’s sound –[...]

Anya Baghina – Anya Baghina

June 28, 2023

Anya Baghina, who you may know as a member of the Detroit-based act, Soviet Girls, has called many different places home – Moscow, New Jersey, nearby Ithaca, Detroit, Brooklyn, and then Russia again. Longtime collaborator Jonathan Franco has been accompanying Baghina live and in the studio since their Brooklyn days (and fellow SG bandmate Devin Poisson recorded her first three singles to cassette). Despite being halfway across the world, somehow, someway, Baghina has managed to stay in touch with her OG Detroit crew. She’s now located in Kazakhstan, and since her collaborators are so far away, we couldn’t help but be drawn to Anya’s story. Her latest offering, a self-titled album packed full of eleven jangly, indie-pop songs that highlight Baghina’s skill as a songwriter. It’s clear Baghina has put a lot of herself into these songs, so a title of Anya Baghina feels fitting to say the least. Album opener[...]

Roscoe Tripp – A Cage Made of Tin

June 26, 2023

On Roscoe Tripp’s upcoming offering, the five-song A Cage Made of Tin, the band dives deep into a refreshing indie rocking sound, leaning heavily into moody expressions of guitar, synth, and other ambiance. Lead singer Greg Fine has relinquished the reins of one-and-only songwriter, eschewing his lone wolf status for thoughtful collaboration among his bandmates. Fine’s often baritone drawl (when he’s not belting it out, of course) is reminiscent of M. Ward mixed with Thom Yorke, and it powers the songs found here with a mixture of sincere emotion and grit. Opening track, title track, and album highlight “A Cage Made of Tin” exists in the first slot for a reason… The band is clearly highlighting their evolving sound. Throughout the song, a mechanized drum roll keeps perfect time while the rest of RT crunches, moans, and wails their way through the song. Spindly guitar leads twist and twirl through dark[...]

Babe Rainbow – Fresh As A Head of Lettuce

June 25, 2023

Psychedelic. Permaculture-farming. Surf-cultists. These are just a few of the self-described terms that Babe Rainbow uses to self-identify, and they are a perfect encapsulation of their sun-soaked, indie-psych sound. The quartet is here with their latest EP, Fresh As A Head of Lettuce, a four-song offering that figuratively surfs the far reaches of your mind with otherworldly textures – like a self-actualizing acid trip without any of the mind-altering anxiety. In case you missed it, we’ve already featured the opening track “Super Ego” in a previous write up (that you can read here), and for good reason… The song is laced with whistle-tone synths that glide through your speakers and into your mind like a sweet and salty sea breeze. Warped vocal textures help you escape the boring realities of your life while the tasteful bassline bobs and weaves in a way that’s impossible not to inspire bodily movement. Follow[...]

Aleesha Dibbs – Paradise Lost

June 25, 2023

Aleesha Dibbs might be one of the hardest-working musicians in the world… At the very least in the top 5%. Having cut her teeth in a ton of different bands, (Dive Bell, Prudence, Lorelei, Double Vision, Mvlholland, Lisa Mitchell, and Angus and Julia Stone just to name some), she’s ready to spread her wings and release her debut solo EP. She’s titled it Paradise Lost and it’s a collection of gauzy, airy, and pleasantly-haunting electropop. It’s clear that this has been a transformational experience for Aleesha – over the course of Paradise Lost, you hear an already talented musician/songwriter coming into their own. EP opener “Batallion” is a slow burn that introduces the listener to the hallmarks of Aleesha’s work – expect ethereal synth work; splashes of electronic percussion; industrial ambiance; and, of course, Aleesha’s dark and lilting vocal presence. “Batallion” has abandoned factory vibes – with its bass drum beating mechanically[...]

Arson Whales – Galactopus

June 21, 2023

As the pandemic raged and live music opportunities closed, the members of Arson Whales (AW) found each other at the perfect time. Since founding in 2021, the group has honed their sound, falling somewhere on the spectrum between psychedelic rock, nu-disco, and good-old-fashioned indie rock. As time has passed, the band has made more music together – they’ve found a sweet-spot, a soft blend of sounds that work well together while making use of singer Linda Brancato’s wonderfully raspy voice. They’re gearing up to release their latest album, the eleven-song LP Galactopus, due out July 7th with pre-orders hitting on June 30th. This is AW’s first full-length and they’ve packed it full of mind-altering psychedelic flavors while never losing sight of the importance of tasty melodies. Album highlight and live staple “Zephyr & Sycophant” is an upbeat, nu-disco flavored song with a psychedelic touch that perfectly scratches a brain itch that you didn’t[...]

Sweet Freedom – Divilmint

June 20, 2023

Lots of bands grind the cover game for years and years, playing the hits to fans in bars, at private parties, or at the state fair. Hours and hours of practice, honing the rough edges of a carefully curated group of songs, all to bring some much-deserved enjoyment to a drunken bachelorette party or someone’s employer’s happy hour event. It’s a good time (mostly, I’m speaking from experience) and you’re making money doing what you love after all. Enter Kilkenny-based band Sweet Freedom (SF), who know all about the cover grind. As they put it, they’ve “completed cover band mode on the Expert setting several times over,” which means they’ve certainly closed out the night with “Hey Jude,” “Desperado,” or maybe even “Closing Time…” Probably too many times to count. They’ve decided it’s time to “take a punt on the originals scene,” so we’ve been gifted with their latest offering, Divilmint. Released[...]

The Last Domino – Two Thirds Of Our Lives

June 19, 2023

Multi-instrumentalist The Last Domino, also known as one-man-band John Orr, has been working on his latest album, Two Thirds Of Our Lives, for the last eleven(!) years. It’s fitting that the long-awaited album has such an aptly-named title – released on its namesake (February 3rd, of 2023 – 2/3 in every sense of the word), the album is a conceptual look at how we spend our lives… Asleep, awake, and alive. The Indianapolis-born, LA-based artist jam packs Lives with ’90s adjacent riffing – heavy buzzsaw guitars; ear-shredding drum bombast; and a thudding, grungy bass presence can be found everywhere. Orr’s menacing vocal presence is omnipresent, sauntering and slinking through his songs like a snake slithering through the shadows before striking at lightning speed. Album opener “One Third: Asleep” channels Nine Inch Nails with it’s haunting delayed guitar and electronic elements. Orr embodies the deep baritone of Trent Reznor and/or Depeche Mode here[...]

Helen Kelter Skelter – Chroma Crawl

June 18, 2023

It’s been an odd and unpredictable few years for Oklahoma-based act Helen Kelter Skelter (HKS). And yet, it’s an all too familiar story. Tours get scrapped, shows get cancelled, trajectory runs askew, and futures seem bleak (I’m talking about the pandemic, in case you couldn’t read between the lines)… Luckily, it hasn’t stopped these psyched-out Oklahomans from doing what they do best. Crafting stonerish, psychedelic-infused, heavy music made for speeding down the highway or deeply enjoying the trip on your substance of choice. A decade into their career, HKS is here with their latest EP, a five-song blast of heavy guitars and droning vibes they’ve entitled Chroma Crawl. Over the course of 19 minutes, you’ll be taken on a trip through the sun-scorched Oklahoma desert. This Buffalonian blogger is wondering aloud if there are even deserts in Oklahoma (we only have endless mountains of snow here), but if there isn’t,[...]

Jon-Olov Woxlin – JUNK TRUNK

June 18, 2023

When you hear the Americana-soaked music coming from Jon-Olov Woxlin, your initial impression might be that of a man living in the southern United States (think Mississippi or Louisiana or something like that). In actuality, Jon-Olov is from Gothenburg, Sweden, making his distinctive brand of mile-a-minute folk all the more unique. His latest offering, the 12-song JUNK TRUNK, highlights Jon-Olov’s penchant for cleverly-worded folk rock with an onus placed on spontaneity. Expect bouncing basslines, plenty of acoustic guitar strumming, and Jon-Olov’s ear-catching baritone throughout – each track on this album is simply three instruments and Jon-Olov’s vocals. It’s stark and it’s simple, but it works for Jon-Olov & co. Album opener “Exit Sign Explicit” finds Jon-Olov borderline rapping overtop an acoustic guitar backbone. Are his songs political? Are they religious? It’s hard to tell while he’s spitting lyrics at a surprisingly brisk pace… What’s even more surprising is that this[...]

Jovi Skyler – Nothing To Do

June 11, 2023

The latest ten-track LP released by Jovi Skyler titled Nothing To Do brings back the spirit of the ’90s spirit with the added bonus of a warped psychotropic feel. The album grabs your attention with its thunderous guitar riffs, pounding drums, and fierce vocals that make one feel empowered. From the moment the opening track blasts through the speakers, it becomes clear that this album is a force to be reckoned with. Jovi takes his fans on a journey through introspective ballads, adrenaline-fueled anthems, and everything in between. Opening track, “If You Think So” sounds like The Beatles mixed with Nirvana and a touch of Sonic Youth (and also a hint of Kurt Vile) – spindly riffs lay overtop super-intense drum rolls while Jovi huffs and whispers in a way that would make 1993 proud. His lyrics to “Think” explore themes of love in relationships, even though they might not[...]

Pearl Jam – Gigaton

March 31, 2020

These days, the only time you ever hear the word ‘grunge’ in and around music is as part of the sentence ‘grunge is dead.’ That’s not exactly true, but or is it a large-scale exaggeration. It’s now more than twenty-five years since Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain took his own life, and the sad anniversary of that event last year was the first time mainstream media outlets had written about grunge in forever. To them, Nirvana was the whole grunge scene. Without Cobain, the scene was gone. Those of you with your ear to the ground and a more open mind will know that was never the case. Grunge carried on and still carries on to this day, and the biggest name still active in the field is Pearl Jam. It’s been a very long time since Pearl Jam released an album (2013’s ‘Lightning Bolt,’ which attracted fair-to-good reviews), but now they’re[...]

Pop Punk’s Not Dead: Goo Goo Dolls Serves Up a Miracle Pill

January 17, 2020

If you’ve never heard of the Goo Goo Dolls, then let’s get you up to speed. The Goo Goo Dolls were formed in 1986 by Buffalo natives Johnny Rzeznik, Robby Takac, and George Tutuska. The Goo Goo Dolls would go on to enjoy a successful music career, as they churned out notable hits that ruled the airwaves in the late-1990s such as Iris and Slide. Both songs reached the top 10 of the Billboard Top 100 during their respective runs on the charts. Unlike other bands of that era, the Goo Goo Dolls have put together a pretty sizable body of work that encompassed the mid-2010s, with their last album Boxes being released in 2016. In fact, the band has been pretty active, as the Goo Goo Dolls were last on the road back in 2017 as part of their Long Way Home tour with Phillip Phillips. More recently, the[...]