Harlem :: Hippies

I’ve been looking forward to HIPPIES, the second full-length project from Harlem, for a little while now. I became acquainted with the trio fairly recently from its appearance on a compilation of Austin, TX bands entitled CASUAL VICTIM PILE (“Beautiful & Very Smart,” from Harlem on that collec... Read More

Frightened Rabbit :: The Winter of Mixed Drinks

THE WINTER OF MIXED DRINKS is a seminal project of sorts for Frightened Rabbit. What began seven years ago as a solo project for guitarist Scott Hutchison has turned with this release into a five piece band with guitar, drums, bass, and keyboard. This change is occasioned by part in the layered soun... Read More

The Unthanks :: Heres the Tender Coming

HERE’S THE TENDER COMING will redefine how you think and feel about British folk music. For me, this is the second time this has happened. The first time was when I walked into Disc Records in Fairlawn, Ohio in 1970 and heard UNHALFBRICKING by Fairport Convention. Yes, The Byrds did it at the same... Read More

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club :: Beat the Devils Tattoo

Beat the Devil’s Tattoo, the latest from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, arrives in town with just as much menace and cacophony as their namesake, Marlon Brando’s outlaw bike gang, in the legendary American film The Wild One. Crossing the murder ballads, blues and traditional Americana with breaki... Read More

Fear Factory :: Mechanize

Many fans breathed a sigh of relief when Fear Factory reunited with founding member Dino Cazares returning and former Strapping Young Lad drummer Gene Hoglan joining the ranks on percussion. Opening track Mechanize proves that the band is back full force, the old sound returning with maybe a littl... Read More

The Brian Jonestown Massacre :: Who Killed Sgt Pepper

Whether you are going to like WHO KILLED SGT. PEPPER by Anton Newcombe’s Brian Jonestown Massacre aggregation is going to depend a lot on your mood. For me, I can’t get this occasionally wonderful piece of shit out of my head, which is either a good thing or a bad thing; that‘s where the mood ... Read More

Massive Attack :: Heligoland

Trip-Hop, as a genre, is growing more outdated every day. Or maybe it is dissipating into the various trippy sub genres electronic music has graciously adopted the last decade or so. Its up to forerunners Tricky, Portishead and Massive Attack to smack us around a bit and remind us how it all it bega... Read More

Titus Andronicus :: The Monitor

Titus Andronicus is the title of one of Shakespeare’s less-known tragedies. It is also the name of a band from New Jersey which in March 2010 begins one of those ambitious but grinding tours which will either make or break or a band. From perusing their web and myspace pages, and listening to THE ... Read More

Priestess :: Prior to the Fire

Take a slab of basic, proto-British metal from giants like Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, add liberal pinches of stoner ethos , and flavor with pinches of prog sensibilities, and you might get a sense of where Priestess is coming from. Their second album, Prior to the Fire, was released in the... Read More

Panda Riot :: Far and Near

Panda Riot's upcoming EP , Far and Near reminds me more than passingly of early the 1990's new wave bands that graced the 4AD label -- unusual, mysterious and more than a little bit 'out there.' By their own definition the band's sound is "Dream Pop," also an apt description of the aforementio... Read More

Peter Gabriel :: Scratch My Back

Peter Gabriel has made a career out of doing the unexpected, both on and off stage. Early on it was costumes, then it was riding the bleeding edge of world music, then a bit later on it was some of the most awe-inspiring videos ever to grace MTV, and stage shows that were more multi-media, mul... Read More

The Morning Benders :: Big Echo

BIG ECHO by The Morning Benders is one of the strangest projects I’ve heard in a while. I mean that as a compliment. It’s not immediately accessible, but still welcoming and intriguing on the first pass through. BIG ECHO, in other words, is like the woman who won’t let you get past first base ... Read More

Pavement :: Quarantine the Past Best of Pavement

Pavement, after a ten year hiatus, is just now (March 2010) beginning a series of festival dates as a prelude to a (at this point) short reunion tour to begin in September 2010. This does not mean, we are advised by multiple sources, that the band is reuniting. Tours of this type either 1) make the ... Read More

Cloud Cult :: They Live on the Sun and Aurora Borealis

‘Buy-one-get-one’ and ‘two-for-one’ deals are concepts I usually associate with chicken noodle soup and Cap’n Crunch cereal. Once in a while however, there are some really decent deals to be had in the music biz too. Here’s a case in point: Cloud Cult is reissuing their first... Read More

Rihanna :: Rated R

Rated R: This material may not be suitable for bubblegum pop “Umbrella” lovers because it’s edgy, raw and way more interesting. Rihanna’s latest album goes beyond the carefree pop of the dance floor into darker, more intriguing territory. From start to finish, most of the songs bring someth... Read More

Alkaline Trio :: This Addiction

Having released six studio albums prior to This Addiction, Alkaline Trio has made their indelible mark on the world of Punk music time and time again. As one of the newest additions to one of the most respected punk labels, Epitaph Records, Alkaline Trio will, in the coming years hold a new position... Read More

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists :: The Brutalist Bricks

I will admit at the outset that I am not a fan of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists (TL/Rx). I would be and should be, but for one factor: the vocals. There is something about Leo’s voice that I find grating, an affectation that I just cannot handle. This is stupid and foolish; I can take Robert Pollard... Read More

Corinne Bailey Rae :: The Sea

Four years later, Corinne Bailey Rae continues to impress. On her sophomore album, The Sea, Rae displays a refreshing level of confidence and ease as an artist. The Sea is a more experimental album, but not so “out there” that she fails to connect with her listeners or ostracize her well e... Read More