The Juliana Theory to play two reunion shows in 2010
Without giving much away in terms of hard details, defunct emo/rock five-piece The Juliana Theory announced via Facebook that they will be playing a pair of reunion shows to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their sophomore full-length, Emotion Is Dead.
A snippet of the Facebook post reads:
August 2010 marks the...
The Mars Volta - Octahedron
The Mars Volta Octahedron For their fifth studio album, the Mars Volta replace much of their plasma-ball energy to mine progressive-rock history with measured dynamics, vintage Mellotrons and Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s cosmic lyricism in tow. Great-but where’s the fire? There are moments of atmospheric inspiration, but Octahedron doesn’t powers up until past its halfway point, with...
Living With Lions
Living With Lions Make Your Mark [3.5/5]
Living With Lions’ first full-length helps disassociate the comparisons to fellow Canadian melodic-hardcore pop-punks Daggermouth that became common in reviews of the band’s Dude Manor EP. Thanks to slick tempo changes and an intermittent spouting of dual vocals, the band make their own mark with their debut...
Golden City
Golden City Golden City [4/5]
Christie Front Drive remain one of the most underrated bands of the mid-’90s emo explosion, never capturing the same audience as peers the Get Up Kids and Braid, but doubtlessly influencing as many aspiring near-punks before their implosion in the late ’90s. CFD braintrust Eric Richter briefly ventured into...
The Friday Night Boys - Off The Deep End
Off The Deep End [2.5/5] The Friday Night Boys take you on a colorful Ferris wheel-ride rife with breathless hooks and punchy pop rhythms polished to a blinding sheen. Their puppy-love romantic entanglements go ’round and ’round, and while they may not get anywhere, it can be a fun spin, provided you haven’t already done...
Eyedea & Abilities
Eyedea & Abilities By The Throat [3.5/5]
The duo of MC Eyedea and DJ Abilities have always possessed more potential than they’ve realized, and By The Throat doesn’t change that balance. The blame belongs more to Eyedea than Abilities, who fashions a bevy of hot, throbbing tracks keyed to chunky percussive beats with the...
Dinosaur Jr.
Dinosaur Jr. Farm [3/5]
Fans have long debated the merits of Dinosaur Jr.’s various lineups but the seminal band have always been the J Mascis show–a deafening, overdriven rhythmic drone and crash-bang drums under the frontman’s not-quite-discordant guitar workouts and nasal vocals that float like bong smoke. Farm, the second album from the reformed...
The Felix Culpa to release new album in January
Progressive post-hardcore quartet the Felix Culpa have announced the details of their long-awaited sophomore album. Titled Sever Your Roots, the 14-song disc will be self-released by the band on Jan. 23, 2010 in both digital and limited-edition physical forms. The band have booked a record-release show for the same night at the Metro in Chicago...
The Dear Hunter
The Dear Hunter Act III: Life And Death [4.5/5]
Casey Crescenzo, the multi-talented fountainhead of the Dear Hunter, has assembled a masterwork in Act III: Life And Death, ostensibly the midsection of his ongoing, six-act tale of a born-loser boy who falls for a whore. Life And Death expands the Danny Elfman-does-gypsy-vaudeville sound pioneered...