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Local Reviews: Small Town Sinners
Small Town Sinners are turning out quality discs like Notorious B.I.G. personally came down from the heavens and requested it. Blood and Dust, their most recent offering, continues Small Town Sinners’ pursuit of making the most amazing heartfelt alt-country possible would definitely inspire the late, great Biggie Smalls to put on his flannel and grab his acoustic. … read more
Local Reviews: Replica Mine
It’s always a pleasant surprise to hear good, interesting dark music made locally. While we have plenty of good bands, industrial is rare at best. Sandy-based Adam Harmon, former guitarist and keyboard player for Carphax Files, is the force behind this meandering industrial experiment, a follow-up to $ra, their 2008 5-song EP. … read more
Local Reviews: Philosofist
Holy bajoley, Batman, this really is a knuckle sandwich. As they hint with their very name, Philosofist deftly combines thoughtful musicianship with execution that gets my body swaying and hand-fists punching. Each track in Obstruction Of Moustache stands by itself as its own work of art, starkly different from its siblings. … read more
Local Reviews: Mechanical Skies
The music itself has a vintage tone: a throwback to the ‘60s and ‘70s, with hints of ‘50s-era pop thrown in by the female vocalist. A distinct homage to bands like Rush and Cream on the instrumentals, with Hank Reese on vox and the addition of Jaylee Amey’s vocals certainly individualizes the sound. … read more
Local Reviews: Illegal Beagle
Illegal Beagle get points for incorporating second-wave ska and not exclusively playing third-wave ska, but the songs are grating and the recording is sloppy. Considering third-wave ska still sounds hopelessly dated, only first-wave ska could have compensated. … read more
Local Reviews: Idyll Rigamarole
It is hard to criticize music by a local “teen-run” record label, but I’ll do my best. All local artists should take note: Every artist is a local artist where they came from. That doesn’t mean they should be making records. With a name that would surely get them kicked out from even busking in Sherwood Forest, Idyll Rigamarole describes their sound as “medieval groove folk” on their Facebook page. … read more
Local Reviews: The Direction
Man, I love chicks who rock. And this chick totally rocks—lead singer Felicia Anderton ties up this package most delightfully, with a vintage voice that is somehow exactly what this rock n’ roll outfit wants. … read more
Local Reviews: The CJB
This is a great easy-listening album. It is exactly what it purports to be: a positive, uplifting, easy-to-listen-to collection of chilled-out songs. Even the saddest lyrical topics on the album are lightened up by the delivery via charming and harmless reggae-inspired riffs. … read more
Local Reviews: Bearcats
Abandoning prior cred and a full-length album of material, the three remaining members of Atl Atl renamed themselves and pushed out a quick studio recording. … read more
Local Reviews: The American Shakes
Releasing an album in the wake of such a popular local band is going to invite some comparisons to the latter’s work. Brent Dreiling, former pedal steel/steel guitar slinger for Band of Annuals (R.I.P), expands on the classic Americana of B.O.A by steering his alt-country intonations into sugary, ‘70s AM radio hits instead of the dive bar balladeering of his previous band. … read more