Year: 2013
Review: Tough Age – Self-Titled
There’s a lot to like about Tough Age. They’ve got a nice surf-rock vibe with a dash of angst pulled right from a dingy garage. The whole album has an old-fashioned sound as warm as old tube amps and the band travels over a lot of terrain. This album is a great sonic trip up the coast. … read more
Review: Toxic Holocaust – Chemistry of Consciousness
I was pleased to hear that Joel Grind didn’t take Chemistry of Consciousness in the way that Conjure and Command hinted at, which, for me, might have been cultic stoner-thrash, but staunchly returned to volatile, acidic ooze and frantic bloodlust. … read more
Review: Traams – Grin
Krautrock by way of Chichester, England with a dusting of American math rock in it’s blood, Traams stand in good post-punker company (along with say Parquet Courts and Disappears) by making honest-to-god indie ROCK with a serrated, post millennial edge. … read more
Review: This Will Destroy You – Live In Reykjavik, Iceland
This album, when listened to in a good pair of headphones, gives a taste of TWDY’s live presence in a perfect setlist comprised of the best of the band’s discography. I’m seething with jealousy over the lucky audience that witnessed this performance in Iceland, but grateful the band thought to record and share it with the rest of us. … read more
Review: Tomorrows Tulips – Experimental Jelly
There’s something unmistakably nostalgic about Experimental Jelly. It contains the bummer pop feel of The Velvet Underground classic, “Pale Blue Eyes.” Seemingly subdued songs like the ones throughout Experimental Jelly provide a feeling that I refer to as a “slow burn,” which allows them to be mellow, but penetrating as well. … read more
Review: Tonight Sky – Self-Titled
As the name suggests, the influences behind Tonight Sky (created by Jason Holstrom) involve a lot of stargazing and space stuff. With that, Holstrom weaves electronic melodies with danceable beats, layered with ambience invoking the nature of space—empty and vast. … read more
Review: Tracy Shedd – Arizona
All 13 tracks are quiet vocals over strummy, uncomplicated acoustic guitar and vapid, romantic lyrics. Cat Power sets the bar pretty high in my mind for the genre of “chicks with guitars and pretty voices,” and while Shedd fits the criteria, her approach lacks any sort of edge or defining quality. … read more
Review: The Warlocks – Skull Worship
Most of the record, much like their prior effort, The Mirror Explodes, is a shoegazy affair redolent of ethereal My Bloody Valentine static and dreampoppy vocal melodies. But for the fans of the jaunty hooks and crunch of Phoenix, don’t be daunted by the airy melodies of this one, for this is easily corrected with volume. … read more
Review: Throwing Muses – Purgatory/Paradise
As one of the more rocking acts on the initial 4AD Records lineup, Throwing Muses combine hummable melodies with jagged guitar lines and punkish rhythms. … read more
Review: Tom Brosseau – Grass Punks
North Dakota prodigy, Tom Brosseau, is soaring into the New Year with his newest album, Grass Punks. Compared to prior albums like What I Mean To Say Is Goodbye and Posthumous Success, Grass Punks falls on the simpler side of things. … read more