Review: Jim Guthrie – Now, More Than Ever

Review: Jim Guthrie – Now, More Than Ever
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JIM GUTHRIE NOW, MORE THAN EVER Three Gut Jim Guthrie spins out warm and wistful folk that has received so many fantastic reviews I can’t quite figure out why I’m not moved. Lyrically, it doesn’t strike me as anything close to a Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel or Joni Mitchell. Musically, it doesn’t impress me

Review: Black Tape For a Blue Girl – Halo Star

Review: Black Tape For a Blue Girl – Halo Star
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BLACK TAPE FOR A BLUE GIRL HALO STAR Projekt Often regarded as innovators in the ethereal/darkwave genre, Black Tape For A Blue Girl return with an album that is dominated by male vocals rather than the angelic female approach that has been found on the majority of their recent releases. It is, however, not a

Review: Workhouse – The End Of The Pier

Review: Workhouse – The End Of The Pier
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WORKHOUSE THE END OF THE PIER Devil in the Woods Workhouse creates an instrumental world of organic soundscapes with more variety and style than you’d find in a dozen releases from a less skilled band. There are bits and pieces that run the gambit of shoegazer influences including nods to My Bloody Valentine, Ride and

Review: Clinic – Winchester Cathedral

Review: Clinic – Winchester Cathedral
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CLINIC WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL Domino The men dressed in scrubs return with more evidence of exactly why they are one of the cast of Radiohead’s favorite bands (sometimes it is hard to tell who exactly is influencing who) and how it’s just about time everyone else took notice. In many ways, Clinic are the older, more

Review: M83 – Dead Cities, Read Seas & Lost Ghosts

Review: M83 – Dead Cities, Read Seas & Lost Ghosts
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M83 DEAD CITIES, READ SEAS & LOST GHOSTS Mute There will be those who would crown this French duo as the anointed kings of highbrow hipness and perhaps, for once, the masses might not be far wrong. M83’s sound is caught directly between Sigur Ros’ stark and soaring beauty and Air’s synthesized warmth. The result

Irrebuttable: The Royal Smashings of Austin’s Invincible Czars

Irrebuttable: The Royal Smashings of Austin’s Invincible Czars
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On August 4, 2004, I snagged the boon of some face and jaw time with Austin’s Invincible Czars after they had transformed Burt’s Tiki Lounge into Burt’s Klezmorim Circus Den. It was not the standard interview where you get shoved into a corner with the tambourine player they’re about to kick out of the band

Maddox Editorial – September 2004

Maddox Editorial – September 2004
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It Rocks, But Is It Pirate-Worthy? Maddox Editorial have been trying to answer one question about pirates for years now: what is it about pirates that make them so awesome? This debate came to rest with newly discovered evidence of pirates having giant, life-threatening penises with which they regularly bludgeoned women, children and weaker men. However,

Review: Stained – Imperanon

Review: Stained – Imperanon
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Stained Imperanon Nuclear Blast Stained is the debut from Finland’s Imperanon. With an average age of 20, and considering this album is their debut, you’d expect to hear metal with training wheels, but that’s not the case—not even close. This is ten tracks of highly-technical music that will make you sit up and listen from

Review: Beyond The Embrace – Insect Song

Review: Beyond The Embrace – Insect Song
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Beyond The Embrace Insect Song Metal Blade It’s so strange to hear rock music anymore. Metal, for the most part, has moved far into the extreme, while rock music has moved far into the corporate, “MTV” world. Beyond the Embrace’s album Insect Song is a rock/metal hybrid, although they are much more metal than they

Review: Into Eternity – Buried In Oblivion

Review: Into Eternity – Buried In Oblivion
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Into Eternity Buried In Oblivion Century Media Canada’s Into Eternity redefine and set new boundaries for progressive metal with their release, Buried In Oblivion. Layered vocals with a European flair are mixed with a very aggressive, almost death approach. The two styles work well together. Musically, this band plays with the same melodic/heavy mix as