Music Review: Dick Diver, Melbourne, Florida
Published on March 13th, 2015 in: Music, Music Reviews, Reviews |By Tyler Hodg
Returning with their third LP, Melbourne, Florida, Dick Diver looks to further prove themselves as an up and coming group to watch out for. The Australian band’s sound is pop at its core, with all the fixings that make up an indie band nowadays: slower, spacey songs with way too much reverb. Although Melbourne, Florida has a current style to it, unfortunately it isn’t up to the quality of what else is out there at the moment.
Music Review: Will Butler, Policy
Published on March 13th, 2015 in: Current Faves, Music, Music Reviews, Reviews |By Tyler Hodg
One year after the release of Arcade Fire’s Grammy-nominated, Juno award-winning album Reflektor, bassist Will Butler momentarily slips away from the band to release his debut solo album titled Policy. Venturing out on your own musically is sure to be a difficult—and possibly terrifying—task, but Will Butler was able to successfully pull it off. Saying that Policy is better than most of Arcade Fire’s music would be false, but it holds its own when compared to the critical darlings.
Music Review: Joe Pug, Windfall
Published on March 13th, 2015 in: Current Faves, Music, Music Reviews, Reviews |
Austin-based indie folkster Joe Pug has weathered a lot of comparisons to Dylan in his career: his lyrics; the unusual timbre of his voice; his gently strummed, chiming guitar. All of the necessary ingredients are here, though on his latest, Windfall, vocally he sounds surprisingly like Jakob Dylan (which, let’s face it: Bob sings like a rusting hinge).
Music Review: Moon Duo, Shadow Of The Sun
Published on March 6th, 2015 in: Music, Music Reviews, Reviews |
Although they’ve been releasing music since 2009, I only became turned on to Moon Duo recently. Their fetching single “Animal,” and its hilarious video, quickly won me over. Yet Shadow Of The Sun opens with the minimalist, psychedelic wash of “Wilding,” full of Hammond organs and tambourines. The jewel-toned guitars throughout add a bit of recklessness to an otherwise fairly straightforward drone.
Music Review: Marilyn Manson, The Pale Emperor
Published on March 6th, 2015 in: Current Faves, Music, Music Reviews, Reviews |
For many, Marilyn Manson is synonymous with the ’90s, even though he has continued to make music well into this new millennium. That’s been both a blessing (he redefined “shock rock” on his own terms) and a curse (he hasn’t had a hit single since 1998 and his record sales have decreased with each subsequent release). Confession time: I lost interest in him not long after Mechanical Animals so I had some homework to do before writing this review of The Pale Emperor, his ninth studio album.
Music Review: Young Buffalo, House
Published on March 6th, 2015 in: Current Faves, Music, Music Reviews, Reviews |
Though they’ve been kicking around for ages (since 2009), Oxford, Mississippi’s Young Buffalo is only now releasing their debut album. It’s a good thing they waited, because House is the kind of debut bands dream of. Full of shimmering synths and pleasing harmonies, the songs are hooky, well-written treats.
Music Review: Lady Lamb The Beekeeper, After
Published on March 6th, 2015 in: Current Faves, Feminism, Music, Music Reviews, Reviews |
On After, Lady Lamb The Beekeeper (a.k.a. Aly Spaltro) unleashes her magnificent, versatile voice in miniature symphonies that are rich in detail and often deliciously surreal. Her songs are packed with moments of everyday (a steaming mug of coffee, watching TV) and a strong feeling of place (her current home in Brooklyn), coupled with inventive melodies. And that voice. Her voice is everything: rough, raw, delicate, fragile, astounding.
Music Review: Rob Zombie, Spookshow International Live
Published on February 27th, 2015 in: Current Faves, Music, Music Reviews, Reviews |By Tyler Hodg
Hot off the trail of his recent world tour, Rob Zombie has released Spookshow International Live, his first live album since 2007. Known for his horror-styled theatrics and energetic live shows, it should come as no surprise that Rob Zombie’s latest offering is nothing but fantastic—if you’re in a heavy music kind of mood, that is!
Music Review: Rain City Rockers, Anime EP
Published on February 27th, 2015 in: Cartoons, Music, Music Reviews, Retrovirus, Reviews, TV |By Tyler Hodg
Never has so much nostalgia been so perfectly packed into a five-song, seven-minute EP. Then again, how often does a compilation of re-recorded anime theme songs get released?
Any ‘90s child (or geek) will be delighted to hear the fresh air breathed into some of his or her favorite TV themes. Send thanks to Andrew Conroy and his punk-rock “supergroup,” consisting of Tom Thacker (Sum 41, Gob), Anthony Bleed (Die Mannequin), and Darrin Pfeiffer (Goldfinger), for creating this amusing celebration of the golden age of anime shows. The themes for Pokémon, Dragon Ball Z, Digimon, and Sailor Moon are some of the catchiest songs to ever grace TV intros, so it comes as no surprise that Rain City Rockers’ Anime EP is delightfully mirthful.
Music Review: The Sweet, Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be
Published on February 27th, 2015 in: Current Faves, Music, Music Reviews, Reissues, Retrovirus, Reviews |
Cherry Red Records continues to release some of the most fascinating compilations and reissues with a two-disc version of The Sweet’s debut album, Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be. The reissue, 28 tracks of music that range from bubblegum to The Sweet’s much heavier B-sides, is a mixed bag. On one hand, listening to the evolution of the band as they go from Archies-flavored pop to some quite heavy rock is fascinating. On the other, some of the songs are painful. Still, The Sweet were a great band, even when they were churning out silliness.