Music Reviews of Punk, Indie Rock, Emo, Ska
Band Spotlight
Chiodos
Perhaps no one can explain the sheer ferocity and timid quietness it is better than when vocalist Craig Owens says “we don’t want to let the kids down” when discussing the group’s intense vocals live at shows. Well they never let a single kid down with their vicious assault on the ears and grip on the jugular...
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Current Top Ten Chart
Skinny Puppy - Mythmaker
Converge - No Heroes
The Graduate - Anhedonia
Death By Stereo - Death Alive
Comeback Kid - Broadcasting
The Snake The Cross The Crown - Cotton Teeth
Dear and the Headlights - Small Steps, Heavy Hooves
The Geeks - Every Time We Fall
Limbeck - Limbeck
WinterKids - Memoirs
03.09.2007 by J-Sin
Music Reviews of Punk, Indie Rock, Emo, Ska
Dirty Pretty Things — Waterloo to Anywhere Buy it at Amazon
Featuring the Libertines’ (the band that supposedly is no more) Carl Barat and Gary Powell who are no doubt sick of their band leader’s (Pete Doherty) antics and drug problems, Dirty Pretty Things are here with their debut. Sounding very similar to the Libertines in style—it’s “the” band garage punk—“Waterloo to Anywhere” boasts some compelling choruses that have a high degree of sing-along-ness. Punk rock that parties but knows when to say when.
- J-Sin
Scott Solter Plays Pattern is Movement — Canonic Buy it at Amazon
First off Scott Solter is awesome. Second, Pattern Is Movement is equally awesome. The two paired together are breathtaking. Backbeats rhythmically lull you into a hypnotic trance bouncing from one foot to the other. The first three tracks are reinterpretations by Solter of “Stowaway” from the upcoming analog remix album. It’s followed by their three respective original tunes. He tape loops their sound with duct tape visionary apartment rock experiments and crafty lo-fi weirdness. Did I mention that I love this?
- J-Sin
The Transit War — Miss Your Face Buy it at Amazon
The last album by The Transit War was “Ah Discordia!” and was thrilling to say the least. They bounce back with this dynamic full length produced by Grammy nominee Joe Marlett whose past work has included a couple bands you’ve heard of, Relient K, Queens of the Stone Age, and Fenix TX. The Zoloft of indie rock, The Transit War delivers magnificent catchy hooks and terrifically raw rhythms with solid vocals. Simply stated, if you don’t own this album, you’re missing out on one of indie rock’s best adventures this year.
- J-Sin
Portable Folk Band — Introduces the Royal Postal Bazaar Buy it at Amazon
The Beatles are old man. Beck is tired and stopped being good several albums ago. That’s what you start to think once you’re done listening to the manic schizophrenic psychedelic folk rock weirdness called Portable Folk Band. Eclectic lyrical content that dapples in civil engineering, insects, robberies, debt, and telescopes—in other words themes you don’t often find on a rock album. It’s part indie rock, part art house, and very delicious. Fitting melodies help give it a repeat listen or fifty.
- J-Sin
Mike Nicolai — God Fatigue In the Post Atom Age Buy it at Amazon
Members of The Replacements, Son Volt, and the Gourds have contributed to some of the songs that Mike Nicolai has recorded over the years. His music is a roots folk apartment rock with intentionally lo-fi vibes. His vocals are spotty at times but it’s apparent that he doesn’t seek perfection but to show the flaws in the human condition. Bottling up his lyrics into a drinkable form would be impossible as he tabulates bizarre stories and experiences into a maze of crazy—but good crazy, ya know?
- J-Sin
Her Next Friend — New #2 Buy it at Amazon
Coming at me from my backyard in Northern Virginia, Her Next Friend percolate indie rock with pop-punk noodlings and garage rock raunchiness. They cover the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” and do it justice. There’s certainly elements of alternative rock that makes us all miss the ‘90’s and become all nostalgic and whatnot. Good tunes that would rock any small pub nicely.
- J-Sin
The Jolenes — Get It to Go Buy it at Amazon
I get that you’re three cute chicks who are trying to rock it out with a little pop-punk and rock ‘n’ roll. But you need more than two or three chords in a song. And you need to write lyrics that don’t seem like the scrawlings of a half-retarded ten year old. The a/a b/b rhyme schemes are so predictable it just makes you laugh. Yeah I thought “Clueless” was funny too.
- J-Sin
Bridges and Powerlines — Bridges and Powerlines Buy it at Amazon
With a veneer of “The” band garage punk and a thick coating of glam, Bridges and Powerlines are as integral as their moniker suggests. Tasty guitar chords with big stop-and-go’s gut it out while the percussion stays just this side of dance punk ala Interpol or LCD Soundsystems. The band juggles gritty distortion with careful melted pop harmonies and snarling vocals. Terrific!
- J-Sin
Latterman — ...We Are Still Alive Buy it at Amazon
Insistent guitar-fuzz with jangled choruses and frazzled and dizzy punk verses would never make you think that Latterman needs to come out with an album of this title. No one would ever think, hope, or pray that Latterman dies off. A band that I’ve loved from the first moment I heard them, they recorded this soon-to-be-legendary album on an 8-track recorder and had it mixed and mastered in the basement of Phil Douglas. Happy pogo-punk at times gives the album even more unforgettable moments. Inspiring and captivating lyrics, celebratory open-mouth yelps in the vein of Hot Water Music, and pure punk attitude carve Latterman into one of those bands that reaffirms what music always meant to you.
- J-Sin
Fucked Up — Hidden World Buy it at Amazon
Despite their brazen and perhaps controversial name, Fucked Up has their shit together. But they almost seem to be Luddites as none of them own cellphones or can even legally drive a car. Having come from the varied Toronto, Canada punk scene, Fucked Up seems poised to do something dark, twisted, and yet brilliant within their “Hidden World”. You’ll note that one of their fans, The Arcade Fire’s violinist Owen Pallet plays on a couple of tracks here while Pulp/Bloc Party’s Jarvis Cocker also considers himself a fan. Punk aesthetics are certainly riff within the world of Fucked Up as the band favors the two-song singles versus a full album, which of course is the conundrum of “Hidden World”, their debut and magnificent full length album. Their singer reminds me somewhat of the dude from Mighty Mighty Bosstones but maybe I'm crazy. It’s a majestic journey of hardcore punk that derides skewed pop with a circus arrangement of violins, samples, piano, crazy vocals, and other off-the-beaten-path instrumentation. Pick this up immediately.
- J-Sin
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