Music Reviews
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MICHAEL BEACH Mountains + Valleys CS
Gonna refrain from mentioning that Mountains + Valleys is originally a cassette release, out of -
LAS ARDILLAS s/t LP
While consulting Mr. Google about Las Ardillas, I found an article all about the fauna -
TAKASAGO ARMY Chthonic CD
Taipeian nerds show their folk roots. Again. The only problem: they are a speed metal - More from this category
Film, DVD and Video Reviews
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NIL BY MOUTH directed by Gary Oldman; Sony Pictures, 1998
I’ve generally steered away from the cinema ever since Jody Foster broke my heart with -
MONUMENT AVE. directed by Ted Demme; Miramax, 1998
What would otherwise be your run-of-the-mill, gangsters trying to break-the-cycle of-violence film is elevated by -
FAST, CHEAP AND OUT OF CONTROL directed by Errol Morris; Columbia Tristar Home Video, 1998
I must admit, I was shocked at how much I liked this film. I’ve never - More from this category
Book Reviews
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IT’S SO EASY: AND OTHER LIES by Duff McKagan; Touchstone, 2011
Veteran journalist Ed Quillen once pointed out that “Ray Charles did his most brilliant work -
EVERYBODY LOVES OUR TOWN: AN ORAL HISTORY OF GRUNGE by Mark Yarm; Crown Archetype, 2011
It was the age of needy validation in music, fueled by MTV and massive major -
HÜSKER DÜ: THE STORY OF THE NOISE-POP PIONEERS WHO LAUNCHED MODERN ROCK by Andrew Earles; Voyageur Press, 2010
There’s been a plentitude of reading opportunities for anybody interested in digging into Our Precious - More from this category
Music Features
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SCRATCH ACID live at Webster Hall, New York City; November 7th, 2011
Most musicians never start one good band, but Dave Yow and David Sims did it -
DEATH RATTLE #5
As the Winter hung around for a bit longer this year–winding up being my favorite -
DEATH RATTLE #4
Cold wind biting means only one thing and that is that it is goddamn cold - More from this category
Other Recent Articles
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MANNEQUIN MEN s/t LP
Whereas the first Mannequin Men albums reminded, particularly within Kevin Richard’s sneering vocals, of the Old Haunts (and, specifically, their vocalist, Craig Extine), this third record from the Chicago group is a more comfortable record; it’s got a rough, mildly bluesy sort of pace, no real attitude to show. There’s a strange sense of hopelessness [...]
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ENSLAVED The Sleeping Gods CD EP/12″
With downloading off the internet making it absurdly easy to destroy your computer with all the free music available, a great band is arguably less about a single anymore, or even a record, and more about a complete body of work. Enslaved fits well into this somewhat lily-livered, everything-at-your-fingertips world, because you’re not exactly sure [...]
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WOODEN SHJIPS West CD/LP
I hate being a reductivist, but—damn! Wooden Shjips most recent release West really REALLY brings to mind prime Spaceman 3… and then again, no. On the one hand they recreate that lovely, raw, roaring Spaceman 3 signature sound, bursting with fuzz-drenched power-chords driven by the simplest of drum pulses. The song shapes start as classic [...]
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DEAD LUKE Meanwhile….In The Midwest LP
It’s such a fine line between stupid and clever. So said David St. Hubbins and Nigel Tufnel. For some reason, this quote has relevance while wrapping the heart-brain around Dead Luke’s second album. You wonder if the whole “swirling reverbed, layered” sonic-psychedelic Dagwood sandwich has run its course, if stuff like this is gonna be [...]
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PUJOL Nasty, Brutish and Short CD/LP
PUJOL’s Daniel Pujol releases teaser records the way Ariel Pink, the Mae Shi, and the Beatles used to release LPs—his EPs and singles have been in constant supply over the last couple of years, and he’s gotten quite lucky, as an early-20-something to get picked up by Jack White’s Third Man label while still in [...]
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