SXSW 2013: Beliefs @ Empire Control Room 03.16

SXSW 2013: Beliefs @ Empire Control Room 03.16
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Being able to see Jesus and Mary Chain play with Beliefs would be unbelievable for both the band and me. For one thing, Beliefs came about because of their affection for ‘90s shoegaze at a party years ago, so naturally one would think that if Jesus and Mary Chain played with Beliefs the band would be ecstatic.  Also, Jesus and Mary Chain would rub off on Beliefs a little more to strengthen some of the band’s weakness seen on Saturday. … read more

Top 5: Cult of Luna

Top 5: Cult of Luna
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Ascending out of the black abyss after five years of quietly lurking in the adumbrative shadows, Cult of Luna released their album, Vertikal I, which transcended the norm and boundaries of the typical metal wavelengths. With all the cultivation and care that went into Vertikal I, however, the album did not illuminate the full spectrum of sound that the band had intended to highlight. In 2013, Vertikal I was made whole, as Cult of Luna introduced three extra songs and a remix on a separate EP: Vertikal II.  … read more

Top 5: Horseback

Top 5: Horseback
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Jenks Miller, the father behind Horseback’s latest album, Piedmont Apocrypha, has again created a twined nest of experimental sound by combining a base of seething feedback and altering levels of oozing drone. The album as a whole lifts up the listener in a cradle to help see Miller’s vision of music as a single, fluid entity with this nongenre specific album. … read more

Record-Buying Recommendations: Pull Out Your Parents’ Record Players

Record-Buying Recommendations: Pull Out Your Parents’ Record Players
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“They still make records?” is the question heard almost every time these analog music-storage discs come up in conversation, as if people are trapped in a locked groove. Vinyl is “back,” although it never really went away—there’s been a large resurgence in buying records from a generation who’s been raised acquiring music instantly over the Internet. … read more