Latest Posts

Ariel Pink – pom pom

November 18, 2014

For all the thinkpieces, accusations of misogyny, and clickbait-facilitated outrage his words have inspired this year, LA rocker Ariel Pink’s message is quite simple. It’s not trolling or mean-spirited publicity-hounding so much as a deeply-felt need to tow the line for the rock ‘n’ roll outcasts. He is of a lineage with both Frank Zappa and Kim Fowley (the latter of which has two co-writing credits on this new record), contrarian sonic experimentalists with a knack for combining irreverent language, ingratiating melodies, and harsh noise experiments. The publicity campaign Pink launched this year around his new double album pom pom – which included everything from singing with a New York childrens’ choir to asserting in an interview, facetiously, that he was “raped in the ass” by a dominatrix – has proven oddly perfect for setting the tone of the record. While pom pom offers no apologies for Pink’s irreverent behavior,[...]

The New Basement Tapes – Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes

November 13, 2014

It seems like it’s every artist’s dream to get his or her hands on anything that came out of the mind of Bob Dylan. Whether it’s covering a beloved song or playing with the man himself, most artists name Dylan as an inspiration and graciously gush over the opportunity to be associated with him in any way. Imagine, then, the chance to interpret Bob Dylan lyrics that were written in the 60s but never realized as songs. That’s what The New Basement Tapes did, and the result is their first album, Lost On the River. The band is made up of big-name artists from big name bands: Elvis Costello, Marcus Mumford, Jim James, Taylor Goldsmith, and Rihannon Giddens. This Traveling Wilburys-esque supergroup composed new music for the decades-old lyrics, and thus had total creative license with arrangements, instrumentals, phrasing, and everything else that makes a song sound good. The whole[...]

Chief Keef and Gucci Mane – Big Gucci Sosa

November 5, 2014

Big Gucci Sosa proves two things; Gucci is still here, and as shocking as it is, Chief Keef is back. Despite constantly being in and out of an orange jumpsuit, Gucci is consistent as ever on this thing. Keef has seemingly spent the last couple years of falling out of Chicago’s drill scene, instead opting for lean-induced, lazily-composed auto-tuned madness. It appears as though Guwop has talked some sense into young Keith Cozart though, because this album features a Keef spitting some of the hardest verses of his career. Opening track “Semi On Em” leaves no one questioning to the mindset of these two trap artists. “Bitch, I’m Gucci Mane, you heard that I go coco-loco/So much money that my pitbull got a diamond choker” the trap god raps as the beat thumps and the bass bangs. Keef’s introductory verse on the project signals the listener that we are getting the throwback version of the still-young Chicago[...]

The Flaming Lips – With a Little Help from My Fwends

October 27, 2014

Trashing an album like this is not easy, mainly because of how insanely easy it is. That Wayne Coyne, amidst accusations of cultural appropriation, unchecked egomania, and sad self-parody, would record an acid-damaged track-for-track cover of fucking Sgt. Pepper’s with Miley Cyrus reveals either a profound lack of self-awareness or an eager attempt to destroy his band’s legacy. It sounds like a joke your skeptical friend might have made about the band when you tried to get him to just hear The Soft Bulletin. As a long-time Lips defender and fan, I found the move exciting in its sheer audacity, and went into my first listen of the album with much hope. I’ve always been secretly kind of psyched about the Wayne-Miley friendship, and figured that the ballsiness of the project would warrant its existence. And it’s never fun to hate on something this ridiculous. But when I first listened[...]

Stars – No One Is Lost

October 14, 2014

While watching the closing minutes of “High Fidelity,” an episode of Degrassi (circa 2006), I found myself entranced by the lyrics of its concluding song: “Live through this and you won’t look back.” After a little digging, I found out the song was “Your Ex-Lover Is Dead” by indie-pop band, Stars. Now, nearly ten years later, the Canadian band has released their latest album, No One Is Lost. And though their impact has slightly diminished since then, the quality of their sound has certainly maintained through the decade. In tempo with their typical vibe, No One Is Lost features lots of keyboard, alternating vocals between Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan, and of course, some 80’s flare. While the latest Stars album does not necessarily present anything different from previous albums, it proves a valuable steal for both long-time fans and newly acquainted listeners. There is something to be said for their[...]

Steve Gunn – Way Out Weather

October 13, 2014

Weather is probably the most common topic brought up amongst strangers. And its broad, unrevealing nature was something Steve Gunn had in mind when putting together his new album, “Way Out Weather. “Way out weather is a common song,” Gunn sings on the album’s opener. The Philadelphia-turned-New York City musician’s previous release, Time Off (2013), was the work of a purist not influenced by the exhausting nature of the city. It featured tumbling travis-picked acoustic guitar accented with light bass and guitar solos that wouldn’t dare wake up a sleeping baby, leaving the spare character of his songs almost wanting to be colored with something more. With his new album, Way Out Weather, they have been. Keys, banjo, and a sweeping pedal steel give a panoramic, widescreen feel to each of the album’s nine songs. Songs like “Wildwood” and “Fiction” bounce along some old country road. These are traditional roots-rock[...]

Vince Staples – Hell Can Wait

October 8, 2014

One thing that can be said about Los Angeles rapper, Vince Staples, for certain is that he does not have a bad verse to his name. Although he is a friend to the Odd Future crew, musically he couldn’t be more different. The 21-year-old has the soul of one of his West Coast gangsta-rap forefathers, notably rapping last year on Earl Sweatshirt’s “Hive” “If this was ’88 I would’ve signed to Ruthless, ‘9-4 woulda had me walking down Death Row,” a nod to some of the most famous, dark labels in hip hop history. Whether it was on either of his Shyne Coldchain mixtapes or last year’s Stolen Youth, a collaboration with Mac Miller’s production pseudonym Larry Fisherman, Staples has consistently brought introspective gangsta rap to his bars. Hell Can Wait continues this style, and this EP is a strong prelude to the debut album that Staples says is coming next year. Buzz for[...]

Weezer – Everything Will Be Alright in the End

October 7, 2014

Make no mistake: despite the well-trodden narrative of 21st century Weezer as the sad, emotionally dead carcass of a once-great rock institution, the past 14 years have been good to Rivers Cuomo and co. Though critical and fan consensus regards their work in the 2000s as unequivocally terrible (which it is, by and large), none of that really affected the band in any discernible way, either commercially or emotionally. They continued to pump out shit albums with shit covers and shit lyrics, and even managed to find their biggest hit along the way with 2005’s “Beverly Hills.” They continued to tour, they sold Snuggies, they had their own goddamn yearly musical cruise. You saw them live when they came to town, you rolled your eyes as they played “We Are All on Drugs,” and then you started screaming when the iconic opening drum fill to “Undone (the Sweater Song)” kicked[...]

Thom Yorke – Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes

October 3, 2014

Over the years, Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has garnered attention as a sort of outspoken purveyor of electronic music. Upon being asked what he would pick if he had to choose between using a guitar or the medium of electronic production for the rest of his life, he infamously responded with the latter. Eight year after his first solo album debut, The Eraser, Yorke has finally released another, Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes, for all to access and purchase via Bit Torrent (a sort of statement on digital music circulation in itself) late last week. The 8 track album, teeming with choppy and subdued production and foreign yet string-like synthesizer arrangements, ambiguously fuses human expression with the paradigm of technology. It’s Yorke in his most experimental leanings, the score to the anatomy of a loading motherboard. As a digital manifestation, these shadowy, slightly paranormal instrumentals prove to be the ideal backdrop to[...]

She Keeps Bees – Eight Houses

October 1, 2014

She Keeps Bees is a homemade band. Essentially an alias for minivan loving front woman Jessica Larrabee, the act has been self-releasing EP’s and LP’s alike on their own since 2008. Eight Houses, the third LP release from the Brooklynite ex-pats, marks only the second LP released on a proper label. In the past, Bees have glided between folk and blues garnering comparisons to Patti Smith and Cat Power. As flattering as that may be, it is a bit of a lackadaisical nod. A more accurate comparison would be The Heartless Bastards and even Bad Company. What works on this record is its simplicity, with the main focus being Larrabee’s booming and penetrating vocals. Her gentle, supple guitar riffs, and the drumming of Andy LaPlant take side stage to the golden goose that are Larrabee’s vocal chords. She manages to deliver strong mono harmonies, which is a feat on its[...]

The Architects – Border Wars Episode II

September 30, 2014

The Architects, the four piece who hail from Kanas City, MO, jog back and forth between classic rock and melt-your-faces-off dirty, grimy punk rock on Border Wars Episode II, the latest installment of their elaborate concept album endeavor which comes equipped with a coinciding comic book with art by Mallory Dorn. Its predecessor, Episode I, was more straight forward rock n roll with a few grimy tracks thrown in there. Episode II, though, is the Architects album that you may think twice about taking home to your parents. With songs like the sappy “Killer Crush,” “In the Snow,” and “Criminal,” Episode II really lets the Architects talent shine through, stating “hey, we can write super catchy pop rock songs with depth and substance, but why do that all the time?” The central force behind this record is the vocals of Brandon Phillips, driving song after song up the city on the hill. This album[...]

Yung Lean – Unknown Memory

September 26, 2014

This one hurts. This one really hurts. And it hurts because the pieces are there, but it just falls short of what it could’ve been. I do like this album, but I can’t help but listen to it thinking of what I wanted it to be. I would say that I’m crying about this, but with Yung Lean being associated with the Sad Boys, crying might be considered a good thing. I had such high expectations for this project, the debut album from one of my favorite artists Yung Lean-doer. The worst part about reviewing this album is the sincerity behind it. I know listening to it that Lean tried his best to make a really good album. He cut down on the jokes, and cut down on the rapping super hard, instead opting for a lot of autotune singing. I really liked it on “Ghosttown,” but my expectations were[...]

alt-J – This Is All Yours

September 23, 2014

If you’ve already listened to An Awesome Wave (2012), then it should come as no surprise that England-based trio, alt-J, is the farthest thing from generic.  With the release of their latest album, This Is All Yours, their peculiar sound seems only to have intensified, resulting in a compelling listening experience. As is characteristic to alt-J, An Awesome Wave is brimming with harmonies, layering, and, of course, the inevitable struggle to decipher what Joe Newman is actually saying.  This, however, does not distract in any way from the quality of their sound. In fact, it amplifies its strangeness in such a way that is magnetic. The album’s main quirk lies in the fact that there is a large disconnect between the tracks. While some songs (“Arrival in Nara,” “Pusher,” “Warm Foothills”) are almost hauntingly delicate, other songs possess verve and comedic relief.  “Every Other Freckle” particularly speaks to this dynamic;[...]

Death From Above 1979 – The Physical World

September 8, 2014

What do you do after mysteriously and quietly disbanding one of Canada’s most buzz­worthy acts? Well the answer turns out to mysteriously and quietly reunite and record an amazing sophomore album. Death From Above 1979 is back with a decade of experience behind them, and it shows in The Physical World. The guitar hits hard, the lyrics bite down, and all of the tracks feel gritty. The album is fresh while still accessible to the fans that have worn out 2004’s You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine. There is a mix in The Physical World that will hit a lot of different cords. I hear flashes of the White Stripes, Them Crooked Vultures and even Fall Out Boy, but all blended together in a way that creates its own unique sounds. The duo does not betray its roots with the new album, and that is exceptionally clear in their radio releases “Trainwreck 1979” and “Government Trash.” If[...]

Interpol – El Pintor

September 8, 2014

After nearly twenty years of creating music, inclusive of a four year hiatus, New York City’s Interpol has produced an astonishingly flat album: El Pintor. At best, El Pintor is pedestrian; at worst, it is banal, unimaginative, and something of a cop-out. Perhaps it was the hiatus (2009-2013) that threw the band off kilter. Quite possibly, they are losing their touch, or maybe, after gathering such an ardent fan-base for nearly two decades, they merely stopped trying. Reminiscent to a bad amalgam between The Strokes and R.E.M., it sounds promising. The ultimate result, however, lacks any novelty. Upon first listening through the album, I initially had the impression that I had heard it somewhere before. This is, of course, because the album is indistinguishable from any other run-of-the-mill alternative rock album out there. In fact, what is probably most disheartening about El Pintor is not necessarily that it’s bad, but that it left me with no[...]