Jr. Juggernaut
Jr. Juggernaut Jr. Juggernaut [3/5]
Like humor, music is captive to the time it was made. While Jr. Juggernaut will never sound as dated as a Monica Lewinsky or Joey Buttafuoco joke, one wonders how many more bands Southern roots rock’s 15 minutes will sustain. The Los Angeles trio (including AP scribe Waleed Rashidi on...
I Hate Kate
I Hate Kate Embrace The Curse [3.5/5]
After blessing the scene with the wondrously hooky “It’s Always Better” seemingly eons ago, I Hate Kate have finally released their honest-to-God debut. Embrace The Curse is loaded with jittery, bouncy power-pop confections that are patently impossible to listen to while standing still. It seems IHK have all...
Albert Hammond Jr.
Albert Hammond Jr. [4.5/5]
Saturated with ultra-fuzzy rock pizzazz and crystalline song structure, ¿Cómo Te Llama?, the sophomore solo effort from Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr., is the breath of fresh air that rock aficionados have longed for, as well as that proverbial sigh of relief for decriers of thrilling music in the new millennium....
Ghost Buffalo
Ghost Buffalo The Magician [3.5/5]
Thankfully, Matt Bellinger-current Ghost Buffalo guitarist and former axe-slinger of the now-defunct splatter-rock act Planes Mistaken For Stars-sounds much more like himself on The Magician, GB’s sophomore release. Bellinger’s guitar work on GB’s 2006 self-titled debut album was all alt-countrified and sparse, and consequently fairly unidentifiable. Not so on The...
The Fratellis
The Fratellis Here We Stand [2.5/5]
We hate to sound like some record label douche, but on Here We Stand, the follow-up to Glaswegian power-pop trio the Fratellis’ invigorating debut, we just don’t hear a single. Perhaps we’re grading on a curve; it would be impossible to match transcendent bursts of raw rock melody like...
Jack's Mannequin announce World Tour
Pop powerhouse Jack's Mannequin have announced a worldwide tour, kicking off with the Soundwave Festival in Australia in late February. The band were originally rumored to be part of this year's Honda Civic Tour before it was cancelled. Jack's Mannequin will be in support of their sophomore full-length, The Glass Passenger. Pre-sales for fans begin...
Langerado Festival canceled
The 2009 Langerado Music Festival has been canceled due to poor ticket sales. The seventh annual event was scheduled for March 6 through 8 in Miami, Florida. Among those who were slated to perform:
Death Cab For Cutie, Ryan Adams And The Cardinals, Gym Class Heroes, Against Me!, Dashboard Confessional, Bad Brains and the...
The Bled change lineup
Original Bled members James Munoz (vocals) and Jeremy Talley (guitar) brought in a new guitarist, bassist and drummer to preserve their dream and "rock by any means necessary."
Robbie Burbidge (Starving Arms and the Funeral March) is taking over guitar for Ross Joseph Ott. Brad Murray (Starving Arms and Versus The Mirror) is on...
Earlimart
Earlimart Hymn And Her [4/5]
With its moody acoustic guitar chords and insistent beat, the intro to “Song For,” the opening track on Earlimart’s new album, Hymn And Her, could pass for something off Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged In New York. But by the time they hit the chorus and Ariana Murray’s haunting harmonies start playing...