Album Reviews

Hot Spoon, Cold Mango – Paws on Ears

November 27, 2023

“What is it that you see when told stories that have no pictures?” An interesting question posed by Stephen Meeker, the individual behind Hot Spoon, Cold Mango. The curiously-named project (which also includes Stephen’s lover) was conceived after the duo used a warm spoon, fresh from the dishwasher, to dive into a nice cold container of mango sorbet. We’re not sure we have an answer to the above query, but it’s an exercise in existentialism to even attempt to come up with one. Communication with Meeker has been cryptic, but intriguing. His biographies use words that have been buried in thesauri. Questions are answered with diatribes that go in infinite directions… But it’s all a part of the mystique surrounding HSCM’s latest offering, Paws on Ears. Meeker operates behind a concept-turned-genre called “Motion Vision.” He’ll explain it below better than we ever could: “Welcome to Motion Vision, a groundbreaking musical genre that[...]

James Bannon – Heat Ghosts

November 7, 2023

James Bannon is a New Jersey-based act who just released the six-song EP Heat Ghosts (HG). Full of folksy strumming and plenty of 90s-era adult contemporary flavors, HG tells several poignant stories of love, loss, and human connections. Album opener “Kitchens Everywhere” was a lovely way for Bannon to kick things off. With the same warm energy as James Taylor or John Denver, “Kitchens” leans heavy on strong, narrative lyrics and Bannon’s vulnerable vocal presence. Of particular note here is a nimble bassline that undercuts the lovingly-strummed acoustic guitar, giving this drum-less song a bit of a rhythmic presence. “Kitchens” is a perfect summation of what you can expect from HG, as it warms you up to the heart-on-your-sleeve energies that can be found throughout the EP. Song two, “Dinner Party,” is a love story centered around the relationship of two queer high school girls. Hints of emo worm their way into the[...]

Playing With Fireworks – Runaway

October 22, 2023

Playing With Fireworks (PWF) is the moniker of Luke Underhill. The Chicago, IL native is here with a new sound, shedding his singer songwriter roots for something a bit more lush and expressive. The result of this new identity is a fresh, new EP, Runaway, a four-song offering layered full of synth explosions, powerful blasts of guitar, an epic drum presence, and Underhill’s passionately gravely vocal presence. The songs have a distinctive 1980s flair without ever sounding dated, taking the best aspect of that decade and injecting it into the contextual oeuvre of 2023’s indie rock. Here’s a bit about how the EP came to life from Luke himself: “This EP was conceived and written on long train rides in and out of the city. Watching the world fly by, waving at strangers when they board, it was a lot of time to think and write. I hope the music[...]

Vast Robot Armies – The What Gallery

October 21, 2023

Vast Robot Armies (VRA) has existed for the better part of a decade, an impressive feat for any band. VRA rose from the ashes of many respected projects, think The Life and Times; Sometimes Why; Shiner; Failure; and Sundiver – bandleader Jason Thomson used his veteran experience (with the help of bandmates Jon Agee & Joseph Wells and a few other talented friends) to create his latest offering, The What Gallery (TWG). Informed by the storied sounds of his past but never fully aping them, The What Gallery is a collection of eight songs of dark pop, sludgy indie rock, and a pounding percussive presence that demands attention. Before I dive into the music, I’d like to highlight an important underlying theme here – ego death. Jason and producer Jordon Zadorozny (Sam Roberts, Hole, Chris Cornell) set out to record an album with an unshakeable vision. It wasn’t until Thomson/Zadorozny took[...]

Chris Portka – Trash Music (Vinyl)

October 15, 2023

A few months ago, we reviewed Chris Portka‘s Trash Music (you can read our original review here) – as a creative, challenging, and utterly unique work of art, Trash Music goes down, at least in our annals, as one of the most left-field recordings we’ve ever had the pleasure of diving in to… Needless to say, when the opportunity came to get our hands on a vinyl copy of Trash Music, we couldn’t say no. Here’s a bit about our experiences revisiting Trash Music in a different medium – via the warm, comforting wash of analog vinyl. First, there’s something to be said about receiving and unwrapping a vinyl – seeing the uniquely colored wax, enjoying the “case candy,” and experiencing the art in a physical sense before diving into the aural aspect of the album. My copy of Trash Music came in a surfy, mint green (a personal favorite hue). It also came with a[...]

Chief Broom – Hidden in Plain Sight

September 30, 2023

The story of Chief Broom (CB) is sadly a tragic one. Centered around the songwriting of Shadrach Tuck, this revolving cast of Boise, Idaho natives create songs that focus on “the fragility, monotony, beauty and horrors of everyday life.” Crafted in the wake of the death of co-founder TJ Tuck (Shadrach’s brother), Hidden in Plain Sight (HIPS) is a continuation of his musical journey – a fitting, if closing chapter on the life of a man who touched the Boise music scene in profound ways. TJ’s presence is felt all throughout HIPS – Shadrach and his revolving cast of characters (including mainstays Will Cheeseman and Frankie Tillo) saw to it that TJ was immortalized through painstaking attention to detail. Both TJ’s drumming and artistic vision are integral to HIPS – recorded by band father Terre Tuck’s at his home studio, this album has the sincere feel of a homebrew creation with a grand[...]

Casual Confrontation – Marriage Culture

September 22, 2023

Casual Confrontation is the stage name of Frankie Diez, a Romanian born artist who grew up in Puerto Rico and Miami before landing in Nashville. He’s here with his latest album, Marriage Culture, a sprawling and expansive 17-song offering that promises a look at the institution of marriage from all sides. A producer and classically trained pianist, Frankie has released and produced three albums previously under his own moniker and also had cowriting credits with other artists. He touts his songwriting and producing prowess and that he also “…aim[s] to help artists say exactly what they want and need to say in the form of a song, giving them a space to let their words, feelings, and emotions flourish without boundary or judgement.” This sentiment translates well in Marriage Culture – Diez explains below: “‘Marriage Culture’ explores the concepts of marriage as an institution, one’s desire for connection with others[...]

Idledaze – Sandbox

September 20, 2023

Sandbox is a seven song EP from Whitewater, Wisconsin-based one man band Idledaze, released in anticipation of a full length album due out spring of 2024. Idledaze performs as a solo act but also does cover projects as a the Idledaze Trio with a setlist that spans everything from Alice in Chains to Zeppelin. Sandbox as a whole trends toward a bluesy flavor with a country-tinged edge, especially with the fun 90’s feeling video made for the track “Hot Feet” that you can see over on YouTube. Interspersed throughout the rollicking bass lines and meandering guitar is Idledaze himself amongst a montage of oil paintings and a Chicago go-go dancer (hence the name, not a reference to Quentin Tarantino’s favorite body part). Evidently a big oil painting guy, the album art for Sandbox is based on artwork done by his sister. The first track “In The Mood” feels like an[...]

Ravetank – Echoes From Feedback Mountain

September 5, 2023

When you get a heads up that an album you’re about to enjoy is classified as “absurdist noise folk,” you kind of already know what you’re getting yourself into… Or maybe, its more likely that you don’t actually have any possible clue. Either way, the latest LP from Bath, UK-based duo Ravetank is a journey in ambient noise and never ending discord. Ranging from whirring wind sounds and quiet meditations all the way to ear-destroying squalls of feedback and atonal guitar monstrosities, Echoes From Feedback Mountain (EFFM) is certainly a mediation on the fine line between noise and melody. After a full listen to EFFM, you might be surprised to learn that Ravetank is only two people. They recorded the backbone of EFFM live in order to capture the most authentic possible presentation of their sound. From there, they added a series of overdubs, including “bass, some guitar, feedback loops, and contact mic’d[...]

James Beastly – Junk Values

August 30, 2023

James Beastly. The man, the myth, the legend. One listen through the blistering punk/alternative/slacker/??? vibes of his latest album, Junk Values, and you’ll be thinking the same thing. He’s self-described as “too indie to be punk and too punk to be indie” and we couldn’t have said the words better ourselves. Junk Values is just that eclectic. Either way, James’ iconic personality and unique tastes truly shine through on this collection of ten, genre-defying songs. James evokes wild punkers like WAVVES and FIDLAR (are both of those bands capitalized? Maybe we should start capitalizing JAMES BEASTLY) on album opener “The Arc of Youth.” Proco Rat (TM) guitar tones lay underneath cosmic and psychedelic guitar leads while James takes center stage with his unhinged but still-digestible delivery. This is punk rock for the ages, and James nails the aggressive vibes here perfectly, but it’s just one step on the journey you’re[...]

Couch Cult – The Couch Cult EP

August 22, 2023

Couch Cult started the same as many new acts – a passion project that rose, like a phoenix, out of the ashes of the pandemic. This particular trio watched, ostensibly, from a basement window as the world woke up again. This re-awakening of the world inspired their latest album, an almost self-titled affair they’ve entitled The Couch Cult EP. They explore themes of “altered perception, introspection, and the struggle to find authenticity in an ever-changing post-pandemic world,” a common and relatable struggle for those of us still trying to pick up the shattered pieces of a world we’ve been forced to leave behind. The album opens with “Psilo,” a not-so-obvious nod to the psilocybin found in a certain variety of mushrooms. There’s been lots of disassociation post-pandemic, and this song, thematically, hits the nail on the proverbial head. But rather than focus on one’s failures, this song urges the listener[...]

Made of Mana – Made of Mana

August 18, 2023

Made of Mana (MoM) is a jazz-infused quartet from San Francisco, and their self-titled EP was recently released July 28 – in anticipation an LP coming later this year. MoM is made up of four lifelong friends (Phil, Sean, Dane, Alec) who have worked together previously with MoM being their latest and greatest effort. The band’s influences include Jimi Hendrix and John Mayer – you’ll be able to tell when you hear blistering guitar solos aplenty and good ole fashioned finger work. I gotta say, this album is smooth; the first track (and latest single) “Tired of Waiting” is a masterclass in jazz-adjacent rock with the tightest of guitar/drum combo I’ve heard in awhile (listen for the solo around 2:40). Speaking to the track, the band had this to say via their website: “We spend so much of our lives being told to be patient, when we really need to[...]

Unca John – Midlife Crisis Vanity Project

August 15, 2023

Midlife Crisis Vanity Project (MCVP)… Without even writing any words of my own, the title kind of says it all. Unca John is a Baltimore-based singer-songwriter hiding behind his secret identity as an economics professor. He’s emerging out of the shadows to debut his art, the ten-song MCVP. It’s full of classic rock, jangly pop, and retro song structures that have a wholesome exterior disguising a darker depth within. Expect lots of sardonic wordplay and dark humor from Unca John as he navigates a confusing time in his life through disarming song and dance. MCVP opens with the quick-witted pop rock of “How The Hell?” “Hell” also happens to be one of the album’s strongest tracks – pairing cascading, plucky keyboards with crunchy and catchy guitar chords and rhythms. John explores falsetto accompaniments and honeyed harmonies here alongside his tried-and-true songwriting approach. It’s tough to give a true comparison to other artists, but[...]

The Freeloaders – Cheap & Used

August 14, 2023

Pittsburgh-based act The Freeloaders are a band that knows their roots. There’s never a wrong time to acknowledge where you come from, and this quartet certainly does that (and does it well) on their latest LP, Cheap & Used. This ten song collection is full of songs that nod to rock and roll heavyweights like The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, and Neil Young while also channeling 90s guitar rock like Radiohead, Cracker, and the Jayhawks. The Freeloaders have an all too familiar origin story – as childhood friends who grew up playing covers of the aforementioned bands, they cut their teeth perfecting the classics… That is, before the pandemic hit. Whether it was an itch from being stuck at home or just a change of heart, this quartet decided to buckle down and start creating their own songs. Cheap & Used is the result of that burning desire to make art, an[...]

Liquid Pennies – A Wake-Ending

August 13, 2023

St. Petersburg based act Liquid Pennies specialize in an indie-psych sound that toes the oh-so fine line between concise and abstract. After hammering out a new batch of tunes on stage, in between shows, and even on a live radio performance, they’re back with a four-song EP they’ve titled A Wake-Ending, which was recorded with Ryan Boesch of Candor Recording (of The Melvins, Eels, Andrew W.K., The Foo Fighters, and Nora Jones fame). Boesch helped the band encapsulate the fervor of their live sound – something they nailed on this interesting and wild group of new songs. Opening song “Discretion” opens with a whirr of feedback hum before launching into a shoegaze inspired guitar jangle from guitarist Chas Binns. Very quickly, you realize A Wake-Ending is going to be a wild ride, as rolling and rollicking drums from Christian Kovar start rattling the space between your ears. Dylan Carney’s bass acts as[...]