Decade: Pleasantries | The Risk of Taking a Different Direction is Expectation
DEcade's Pleasantries is a confident release from a band that is not resting on their laurels. Moving away from pop-punk into something bigger.
Album Reviews
King Woman: Created in the Image of Suffering | Dark Music for Dark Times
Created in the Image of Suffering deals with uneasy issues, but it’s not at all hard to listen to. It’s a unique album and King Woman's sound is refreshing.
Cream: Fresh Cream (Super Deluxe Edition) | The Ultimate Super-Group
Cream's debut album helped usher in psychedelic rock and turned Eric Clapton into a superstar. M Milner looks at the three-CD reissue of this classic LP.
MIEARS: Who Will Save You? | Review and Interview
“I love my keytar. It’s my comfort blanket when performing, but it’s not on the album at all!”
So began my conversation with MIEARS about her debut record.
Big Sean: I Decided | Nothing Profound or Interesting
I Decided, Big Sean's fourth full-length, sees little in the way of a shake-up sonically, but there are glimpses that Big Sean has upped his game.
Strand Of Oaks: Hard Love | Cathartic Rock N’ Roll For The Soul
Strand Of Oaks delivers just the right amount of emotion, psyche, and attitude to make Hard Love one of the most satisfying records of the year!
Sun Kil Moon: Common As Light And Love Are Red Valleys Of Blood | The Artist Continues to Take a Piss
Sun Kil Moon's Common As Light and Love Are Red Valleys of Blood barely resembles music. Mark Kozelek continues to use your ears a toilet.
Crystal Fairy’s Molten Sludge Should Revive Rock Radio
Crystal Fairy have created molten sludge. This super-group consisting of The Melvins, Terri Gender Bender, and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez have serious chemistry.
The xx: I See You | New Ideas are Good
Is I See You an accessible record that plays with pop sensibilities in ways The xx never attempted in the past? Absolutely.
Code Orange: Forever | Embrace the Menacing Chaos
Code Orange's Forever is that kind of thing Leatherface slices newly deflowered teens to in his remote Texan hovel. A killer hardcore album!