Year: 2013
Review: Lux Interna – there is light in the body,...
The fifth release by Joshua Levi Ian and Kathryn Mary, this beautiful album recapitulates dark neo-folk without dragging along the negatives that subgenre often implies, marrying it to the gothic Americana sound of bands like Munly or Wovenhand (whose keyboardist Jeff Linsenmaier guests here) with touches of 1990s darkwave. … read more
Review: Man Overboard – Heart Attack
With a motto like “Defend Pop Punk,” it shouldn’t be surprising when a band like Man Overboard sticks pretty heavily to the formula. … read more
Review: Ludovico Technique – We Came to Wreck Everything
Aesthetic Perfection took “Dead Inside” and helped it transcend from industrial to synth-pop, leaving me in audio bliss. E-Craft let the vocals shine through in “Heal My Scars” and mixed in their own style of futuristic synth sound and a simplistic beat. … read more
Review: Makoto – Primitive EP
As soon as I played the first song on this album, I was presented with a drum instrumental that was, well, primitive (which only seems fitting since the name of the track was “Primitive”). … read more
Review: Loves It – All We Are
“Western Swing Murder” is a jaunty little tune about a murder that masterfully pays homage to the genre referenced in the song’s title. “Rocket ship” is a quick rocker that showcases Walters’ Springsteen-like charisma. … read more
Review: Man Man – On Oni Pond
Man Man is one of those bands that nobody “kinda likes”—you either love it or hate it. We recognize the band for their ability to carve inexplicably aesthetic rhythms with a dynamic of makeshift percussive instruments condensed with frontman Honus Honus’ cathartic squawking. … read more
Review: LowCityRain – Self-Titled
As jangling new wave inspired chords cascade, driving bass and drums pump the track full of energy, a modest female vocal croons the title of the song and in these first three minutes, I’m left gasping. … read more
Review: Lynx – Light Up Your Lantern
From the moment this album opens, with heavy beats accented by a varied string section (guitars, banjo and cello), Lynx kept a hypnotic grip over me that was so powerful, I wondered if I had spent that hour in an oasis-tinged dream. … read more
Review: Marijuana Deathsquads – Oh My Sexy Lord
As is the case with a great deal of so-called super groups, this release is pretty masturbatory. With intense, pulsating, electronic jam-band beats and half scream, half rap vocals, it is overall pretty unpleasant to listen to. … read more
Review: Maggie McClure – Time Moves On
Filled to the brim with cutesy pop confessionals and whimsical, dreamy instrumentals, Maggie McClure masters the small-town-girl-meets-big-city vibe. … read more