Review: Vermouth – RetroFuture Pop Exotica

Review: Vermouth – RetroFuture Pop Exotica
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The cover of this album is a good hint as to what to expect from this album: Justine Kragen sits on a barstool dressed in all black with fishnet tights, as Steve McDonald stands behind a tiki-bar with a tiki-torch and tiki-lights, toucans, maracas, while an overabundance of the color maroon surrounds them.  … read more

Review: Various Artists – Sticks Over My Shoulder

Review: Various Artists – Sticks Over My Shoulder
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In the late 70s, documentary maker George Mitchell traveled the back roads of Georgia searching out the remaining bluesmen who could still play … read more

Review: Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires Of The City

Review: Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires Of The City
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Modern Vampires of the City is truly a coming of age album that feels like VW made for themselves, more than their audience … read more

Review: Ulfer – White Mountain

Review: Ulfer – White Mountain
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Ahhh… one of these. You know, sweeping soundscapes and an oh-so Icelandic dose of studied aural ambivalence that’s supposed to concoct awe-inspiring sonic portraits of mountains, glaciers, frost-encrusted forest temples home to cherubic pixies, ice queens and … you know. Icelandic stuff.  … read more

Review: Two Hours Traffic – Foolish Blood

Review: Two Hours Traffic – Foolish Blood
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On this fourth album from Canada’s Two Hours Traffic, it’s safe to say they’ve taken their ability to create breezy and catchy pop-rock to the next level. … read more

Review: Touche – It’s Fate

Review: Touche – It’s Fate
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Apparently “singer” Alex Lilly and instrumentalist/vocalist Bram Inscore, who comprise this girl/boy LA duo, didn’t do their research when picking a name for their group. … read more

Review: Terror – Live by the Code

Review: Terror – Live by the Code
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Besides the unfortunate misstep of “You’re Caught” (ugh) Terror’s flown the flag of dependability in hardcore’s ho-hum parade (cynics may call it “predicatable”), and though the band has endured lineup and style changes a-plenty in this new Keepers of the Faith era, the band continues to keep it fresh, exciting and, to many, life-affirming. … read more

Review: Sleeping In Gethsemane – When The Landscape Is Quiet Again

Review: Sleeping In Gethsemane – When The Landscape Is Quiet...
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I don’t like posthumous releases, mostly because they tend to break my heart. … read more

Review: Skid Row – United World Rebellion: Chapter One

Review: Skid Row – United World Rebellion: Chapter One
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Simpleton historians cling to the idea that “hair metal” met its final death-blow the second “Teen Spirit” debuted on MTV, but they’d really only be half right. … read more