Aiden - From Hell... With Love
From Hell…With Love Released as a low price CD/DVD combo, From Hell… With Love captures Seattle goth-punk quartet Aiden's performance at Chicago's Bottom Lounge this past January, and it does a pretty good job of conveying the Aiden live experience. The 10-song set leans heavily on 2009's Knives but gives a nod to choice cuts from their back catalog....
Flobots - Survival Story
Survival Story Now that the buzz from their debut has settled, Colorado alt-hop collective Flobots are back with their second album, Survival Story. This time around, they've got acclaimed Beastie Boys producer Mario Caldato behind the boards. His presence is felt right away–“Cracks In The Surface” sounds like it could have been a throwaway from Check Your...
Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Rush To Relax
Rush To Relax Eddy Current Suppression Ring began in the aftermath of a Christmas work party in Melbourne, Australia. Four employees jammed as the party slowed; seven years later, they're opening for Devo. Not bad for a band who define their ambitions as "pretty low." ECSR's third album, Rush To Relax is all over the rock 'n'...
Streetlight Manifesto - 99 Songs Of Revolution: Volume I
99 Songs Of Revolution: Volume I There is a dichotomy that exists among Streetlight Manifesto. While the ska-punk septet include four horns that are often blaring in opposite directions, their arrangements are meticulously crafted and intentional. Although their records appear to scream, "We don't give a shit what people think!" (the band are championing what...
All Leather - When I Grow Up, I Wanna Fuck Like A Girl
When I Grow Up, I Wanna Fuck Like A Girl Point blank, everything about All Leather is patently built to annoy. From the name of the band (invoking bars frequented by hairy dudes in buttless chaps) to the title of the disc (guarantee to trigger red-state kneejerk reactions) to assorted song titles (the opening track,...
Bury Tomorrow - Portraits
Potraits This U.K.-based metalcore ensemble have perfectly cloned the sound of their Stateside peers. They've got the breakdowns, the doubled-up lead growls that make frontman Danni Winter-Bates sound eight feet tall and 400 pounds, the mostly clean but occasionally shouty chorus vocals from guitarist Jason Cameron and the ultra-downtuned riffage balanced out by occasional bursts...
Six Gallery - Breakthroughs In Modern Art
Breakthroughs In Modern Art Six Gallery were used to be an instrumental post-rock band, issuing two EPs before deciding they were missing a certain element. Vocalist Daniel Francis entered the fold soon thereafter–it helped the dude could play guitar and piano–and suddenly, Six Gallery have a whole new sound for their first LP,Breakthroughs In Modern...
Sleeping With Sirens - With Ears To See And Eyes To Hear
With Ears To See And Eyes To Hear We suppose it was only a matter of time before screamo completely crossed over into mainstream pop territory. First it was Auto-Tune poking its wretched prods into the so-called underground; then it was the overabundance of cheap studio trickery. Now, some might consider this screamo judgment day,...
I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody's Business - The World We Know
The World We Know Ace Enders has never really been the conventional type. Sure, the ex-Early November leader oversaw four TEN releases in only four years back in the early 2000s, but it's important to remember that 2006's The Mother, The Mechanic, And The Path was three discs' worth of content. Add that to the array of...