Music Review: Swans, Filth (Deluxe Edition)
Published on June 12th, 2015 in: Current Faves, Music, Music Reviews, Reissues, Retrovirus, Reviews |
Since Michael Gira’s band, Swans, has come back onto the scene, they’ve garnered more critical acclaim than ever, and new fans are running alongside the bandwagon, flailing arms up in the air, and hoping to swing aboard. Now that Swans debut album Filth has been remastered and re-released as a special three-disc set, this is a perfect opportunity for new fans to climb on up and get acquainted with the old stuff.
Music Review: Himmel, A Long Cold Winter
Published on June 12th, 2015 in: Music, Music Reviews, Reviews |
Luca Bluefire is the mastermind behind the dreampop project Himmel. Their debut album, A Long Cold Winter, is a fascinating mixture of New Wave nostalgia and modern psychedelia and even when it becomes overly derivative, it’s still worth a listen.
Music Review: Mastodon, Crack The Skye (Vinyl Reissue)
Published on June 12th, 2015 in: Current Faves, Music, Music Reviews, Reissues, Reviews |By Tyler Hodg
Six years after the release of Mastodon’s Crack the Skye, the band has re-issued their landmark album as part of a new vinyl series. Crack The Skye is pretty unanimously loved by fans of the band, as well as those who love the (somewhat broad) genre of metal. What is specifically extraordinary about Mastodon and this album in particular is that you don’t have to enjoy the band’s heavy style to respect them, because their talents as songwriters and musicians are just too obvious to overlook. Crack the Skye is the epitome of well-crafted music, is arguably the best work the band might ever do, so this limited edition re-issue is definitely something worth highlighting.
Music Review: Uncle Lucius, The Light
Published on June 12th, 2015 in: Culture Shock, Current Faves, Music, Music Reviews, Reviews |
Guitarist Mike Carpenter of Uncle Lucius calls his band “Southern rock for the thinking man” and that’s quite correct. There’s a rich vein of social consciousness running through The Light, with thought-provoking lyrics on each track. Lest that make you shy away from The Light, don’t; those lyrics are enveloped in some excellent tunes, played by a band that doesn’t shy away from kicking ass.
Gallant: How The New R&B Saved My Life
Published on June 12th, 2015 in: Current Faves, Music |By Paul Casey
Brainwaves living in stills / Your nightmare’s just floating on film, babe
You found it in the white lies, back of your mind
You know it’s not the same reel that you dusted off before
So set it in a tape deck / Put it in a VCR / Show me how you got in this predicament
Did the Devil let you down? / I could tell you it’s the apex / I could tell you it’s the Alhambra
Take another shot of your adrenaline / Pray you’ll get that far
—Gallant, “Manhattan”
Music Review: Little Richard, Directly From My Heart (Best of the Specialty and Veejay Days)
Published on June 5th, 2015 in: Current Faves, LGBTQ, Music, Music Reviews, Reissues, Retrovirus, Reviews |By Hanna
With so many musical legends gone, it’s amazing that Little Richard is still with us. Now, his status as one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll stars is firmly established. Even contestants on RuPaul’s Drag Race have imitated him (Kennedy Davenport won this season’s Snatch Game with her Little Richard impersonation), so that all parts of his career, including his part in LGBT history, are being celebrated.
Music Review: Husky, Ruckers Hill
Published on June 5th, 2015 in: Current Faves, Music, Music Reviews, Reviews |
Australia’s Husky have made one of the best albums I’ve listened to this year. Ruckers Hill is transporting, moving, and packed with glorious, goosebump-inducing harmonies. Vocally, frontman Husky Gawenda bears more than a passing resemblance to Paul Simon, and as a result, many of the harmonies reach that Simon and Garfunkel sweet spot. There’s a retro feel to Ruckers Hill, but with modern sensibilities. The songcraft is as tight as the harmonies.
Music Review: KaiL Baxley, A Light That Never Dies
Published on June 5th, 2015 in: Current Faves, Music, Music Reviews, Reviews |
While KaiL Baxley has interesting autobiographical details about which a book could be written (Golden Gloves champion, as a child held dance offs with his neighbor James Brown), what is the most fascinating is his new album A Light That Never Dies. A follow up to his 2013 debut Heatstroke/The Wind And The War, his latest is a genre-bending masterpiece, an album with many layers, all shot through with Baxley’s fascinating voice. A Light That Never Dies just gets better on repeated listenings. It’s definitely a “headphones on” sort of record; there are rich nuances and instruments buried down in the mix, and Baxley’s voice is swoon-worthy.
Music Review: Ella Squirrell, Loop EP
Published on June 5th, 2015 in: Current Faves, Feminism, Music, Music Reviews, Reviews |By Tyler Hodg
Soulful. Seductive. Satisfying. Sound appealing? If so, Ella Squirrell is the artist you’re looking for. In her first release, an EP titled Loop, Squirrell’s music embodies the aforementioned descriptions while feeling impressively progressive at the same time. There is a sense of folkiness in the tracks, most notably found in her lyrics, but the incorporated pop elements, like the polished production and vocal melodies, carry a heavier weight. When listening to it, Loop is over before you know it and does a successful job of convincing you that much more of it is exactly what you need.
Music Review: Todd Grebe & Cold Country, Citizen
Published on May 29th, 2015 in: Current Faves, Feminism, Music, Music Reviews, Reviews |
Hailing from Alaska, Todd Grebe & Cold Country make good, old-fashioned country music. Their newest, Citizen, has the feeling of a classic, with witty lyrics, outstanding music, and Grebe’s unconventional voice. Produced by David Ferguson (known for working with Johnny Cash), Citizen has a crisp, brisk sound, in which every instrument sounds brilliant.