Year: 2014
Local Review: Larusso – Life in Static
If you’re someone who still digs the alt-rock/emo scene, Larusso nail it. The vocals are passionate, the guitar lines have a nice tone and are well honed, and the production is truly top shelf. … read more
Local Review: Kemp. – Empty.
“Emo raps perfected,” boasts Kemp. on “Cougar Tails.” It’s a striking moment on a record that does get, well, emotional. Still, that line works on a couple of levels—as both a raison d’être and an endearing moment of self-deprecation. … read more
Local Review: Koala Temple – Blue Milk
Koala Temple = Tame Impala + The Strange Boys … read more
Local Review: Little Barefoot – A Hundred Different People
Little Barefoot = Stars + Colour Revolt … read more
Local Review: Insufferable Noise Machine – 7OTX (Part 1 and...
This two-disc release is full of so many different styles, it falls into a category of its own. It’s a mixture of soothing, psychedelic surf guitar, sudden bursts of white noise and death metal with growling “Cookie Monster” lyrics. … read more
Local Review: Joshua James – Well, Then, I’ll Go To...
I listened to this album six or seven times before I realized it—30 seconds into the second track, “Broke”—these are all Modest Mouse covers. Jesus, I am slow. But doesn’t that speak to how great Joshua James is?
… read more
Local Review: Joe Ecker – Into The World
Moodier than Garfield on Monday and not nearly as fun, Joe Ecker makes up for what he lacks in musicianship with a strong voice and earnest (almost embarrassing) lyrics. … read more
Local Review: Jake Burch – Bloodflower
Jake Burch sings like someone pleading for absolution, as if he’s somewhere in the astral plane, stuck between stations. Burch’s voice can move up the octave scale from a twangy, marble-mouthed drawl to an impressive Jeff Buckley howl in a strained falsetto that pushes the recording into the red in a few quick movements. … read more
Local Review: Jay William Henderson – Hymns To My Amnesia
On album opener “Marrow In The Morrow,” Jay William Henderson cries, “You fool, you fucking fool. You’ve created this torturous mess.” This is some sad-bastard music, and I mean that in the best possible way. … read more
Local Review: Juana Ghani – She Lost Her Head
Juana Ghani seem to have a penchant for bringing to life a seedy, seductive back alley in Italy or Russia through their simultaneously languid and staccato music (“Na Zdorovie”). Every song is heavy on the accordion and fiddle, which feeds directly into their distinctive style of gypsy-influenced folk punk. … read more