Issues: Issue 300 - December 2013
Review: Panama – Always EP
It is hard to categorize this Sydney-based quartet, fronted by the talents of the classically trained Jarrah McCleary, and having now listened to the original—and fairly mellow—versions of three tracks comprising this, their sophomore EP, I would say: “disco-lite.” … read more
Review: Phantogram – Self-Titled EP
There’s no real pretense here: All four tracks have been plucked from the new full-length, with the main single, “Black Out Days,” being the standout with its infectious chorus and striking rhythm. … read more
Review: MGMT – MGMT
It’s hard to take music that sounds so wonky seriously, like a few tracks on this record, but when it’s catchy and bizarre, you know there’s some magic in it. MGMT are clearly having fun with this album and it makes for one of the most interesting releases of the year. … read more
Review: Mick Turner – Don’t Tell The Driver
Don’t Tell The Driver would be the perfect album to ease a panic attack. The instrumentation felt loaded with a Southwestern vibe, making it feel as though I was traveling alone by horseback across the desert landscape, especially in “The Navigator.” … read more
Review: Mount Eerie – Pre-Human Ideas
Phil Elverum voices everything on the album, his voice ranging from very deep to melodically high-pitched. Though on the surface it may seem simple, Pre-Human Ideas sets out to prove that the electronic can, in fact, be quite natural, and that recomposition doesn’t have to be familiar. … read more
Review: Melt-Banana – Fetch
Fetch will have you scrambling after their lightning-paced rhythms and the frenetic phrasings of vocalist Yasuko Onuki, and Ichirou Agata’s guitar explorations—which are all over the place in terms of the fretboard and effects—that range from video game noises to natural sounds. … read more
Review: Moon Honey – Hand-Painted Dream Photographs
Baton Rouge, La. combo Moon Honey might lay to rest comparisons of that city with colorful New Orleans. Indie bands have dabbled with orchestral instruments before, but this product is psych rock with the theatricality of ’70s glam. … read more
Review: LowCityRain – Self-Titled
As jangling new wave inspired chords cascade, driving bass and drums pump the track full of energy, a modest female vocal croons the title of the song and in these first three minutes, I’m left gasping. … read more
Review: Lynx – Light Up Your Lantern
From the moment this album opens, with heavy beats accented by a varied string section (guitars, banjo and cello), Lynx kept a hypnotic grip over me that was so powerful, I wondered if I had spent that hour in an oasis-tinged dream. … read more
Review: Marijuana Deathsquads – Oh My Sexy Lord
As is the case with a great deal of so-called super groups, this release is pretty masturbatory. With intense, pulsating, electronic jam-band beats and half scream, half rap vocals, it is overall pretty unpleasant to listen to. … read more