May 18, 2010

Wasted Potential It's not a particularly new concept, but this split acoustic album from Brendan Kelly of the Lawrence Arms and Joe McMahon from Smoke or Fire hits the spot just fine. Featuring six songs each of the respective gent's band's songs reworked in an acoustic setting, along with a cover tune from each, Wasted Potential showcases...

Young Giant If it didn't state so boldly in the band's press material that frontman Dan Eaton and drummer Jake Ryan logged time in noisecore act the Chariot, you would likely never put those two bands together from the sound of Queens Club's full-length debut. It has a similar energy and drive, sure, but of...

Prehistoric Knife Fight EP Continuing where 2007's This Sinking Ship left off, Smoke Or Fire bang out two new songs of throbbing, melody-soaked punk rock. They don't shoot for the stars or strive to make grand artistic statements. This is proletarian punk, made by four dudes holing up in a room together (that likely smells like an...

Here’s To Your Future Steve Brodsky shouldn't be making solo albums. With Cave In recently reformed, he ought to be in the studio or on the road with the band 24/7. That's an unlikely scenario–and Brodsky seems to have plenty of time on his hands–which means the singer/songwriter has unleashed his latest solo full-length,Here's To...

Vagabonds You can't blame a band who can clearly write some inspired riffing for forging ahead when their vocalist bails for greener pastures, but for Amber Pacific, the loss seems devastating. After a solid showing on 2007's Truth In Sincerity, frontman Matt Young exited the ranks in order to admirably pursue a career in education as...

Revolutions Per Minute Conscious hip-hop is barely conscious in 2010. While hip-hop culture has never been more fully immersed in mainstream culture the world over, much of it wants for artists who refuse to fall in the trapdoors of rap clichés. Talib Kweli could and should be the David to confront this Goliath of commercialized/exploitative...