Year: 2014
Review: JG Thirlwell – The Blue Eyes Original Motion Picture...
Those who may be unfamiliar with Thirlwell’s name have heard his work if they’ve ever watched The Venture Brothers. The Blue Eyes is a dark affair, heavy on noir swells, plucked strings, drawn noise, and bass whispers. It sets and maintains a mood. I haven’t seen the film, but enjoyed the score. … read more
Review: Jupe Jupe – Crooked Kisses
This quartet from Seattle is somewhere between Metronomy and the more emotional side of Duran Duran. Jupe Jupe’s presence, overall, is a bit too mellow for me, but it’s hard not to appreciate such a well-crafted album. … read more
Review: Kevin Seconds – Off Stockton
Kevin Seconds has been making quality music since the late ‘70s. If you know him, it’s most likely from his work with Reno’s hardcore outfit 7Seconds. … read more
Review: Joe Mattzie – This Box Makes Noise
First things first: Joe Matzzie has a love for music. The inside of his newest album cover reads, “This record was made with love.” … read more
Review: Jonny “Two Bags” Wickersham – Salvation Town
The sideman, usually with a guitar in his hand, has finally stepped out of his role as six-string slinger for Social Distortion and put together his first solo full-length. … read more
Review: King Buzzo – This Machine Kills Artists
Osborne has been King of The Melvins for the past 30 years, and has produced a metric shit-ton of sound, ranging from demonic grunge to obnoxious noise. … read more
Review: Kepler – Attic Salt 12”
It sounds like every mellow-rock and indie band in the last 25 years congealed into one unimaginative band. Maybe part of it was because I had to fuck around with a record player for 30 minutes to be able to play it. … read more
Review: King Dude – Fear
TJ Cowgill, aka King Dude, caught my attention with 2011’s Love, a spacious pagan folk record examining themes of death, nature and Lucifer’s light. Now, joined by drummer Joey D’Auria and session musicians, Cowgill supplements Americana and Brit-folk explorations of existential fear and imminent demise with a completely unexpected musical mode—punk rock n’ roll. … read more
Review: King Dude & Chelsea Wolfe – Sing More Songs Together…
What can I tell you about this two-track collaboration that you aren’t already certain of? TJ Cowgill sounds like Michael Gira; Chelsea Wolfe is un-fuck-with-able, and the combo is, for a second time now, nothing short of incredible. … read more
Review: Kite Party – Come On Wondering
Kite Party are one of the few recent emo post-hardcore bands to surface from the underground shortly after the genre’s demise. Even though the divide between lovers and loathers of the music probably died with its popularity in the mid 2000s, Come On Wandering has enough stylistic integrity to make music snobs start bickering over Sunny Day Real Estate again. … read more