Music
▼ National Reviews
Review: Cosmic Psychos – Down on the Farm
Down on the Farm was originally released on Mr. Spaceman Records in 1985, then it was bundled up with the self titled Cosmic Psychos LP (from 1987) by the legendary Amphetamine Reptile Records in 1991 before seeing another once-over by Goner this year. … read more
Review: Contortion – Live Grenade
Hailing from Southern Cali, this still-independent band has an impressive history under their belt, opening for some heavy hitters of metal and placing in competitions at both Coachella and Ozzfest, and now they’ve released this 5-song EP for their hungry fans. … read more
Review: Cold Summer – Self-Titled
Starting the album with “Car Crash (In Progress),” featuring the only funky bass rhythm on the album, Cold Summer’s debut album is rough and extremely unpolished but still manages to leave me wanting more.
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Review: The Claudettes – Infernal Piano Plot…HATCHED!
The Claudettes have produced an album that is a welcome throwback to old-swanky-time piano duels, jam-packed with soul and funk.
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Review: Circus Devils – When Machines Attack
The second of two Circus Devils, released two days before indie-rock statesman Robert Pollard’s 56th birthday, is much more jagged and jarring, but still bears the warped rewards of Pollard’s twisted stream-of-consciousness wordplay, not just in subjects like “Arrival At Low Volume Submarine.” … read more
Review: Circus Devils – My Mind Has Seen the White...
What makes it all quintessentially Pollard is he doesn’t forget the rock: Amid all the dream sequences, there’s “Deliver Ice Cream (You Must)”—as if the ‘Emperor’ of Wallace Stevens’ poem was throttling an ice cream truck that cranked out a wicked riff. … read more
Review: Chrome – Half Machine From The Sun – The...
Helios Creed and Damon Edge cleaned out their pockets, gathered funds and purchased their music rights back from corporate grasp to release a piece of lost post-punk history. … read more
Review: Chimaira – Crown Of Phantoms
I just can’t get behind this album as much as I’d like to. I’ve been a fan of these dudes for years, and it’s not that the album is poorly played or written—it’s just not as dynamic as I’ve heard them prove to be in years past. … read more
Review: Carnivores – Second Impulse
A drumbeat just shy of lo-fi, a thin, spineless guitar with a tone so frail and twangy it feels cute (which is not a bad thing) and a 60s-sounding synth unite Second Impulse despite the vocalists switching from one track to the next. … read more
Review: Broken Hope – Omen Of Disease
There’s been a lot of waiting and anticipation for this record—though maybe misplaced anticipation, because there are quite a few death metal bands from the 90s that I feel did a lot better than what Broken Hope ever did, but that’s just my taste. … read more