Jason Heller

Contributions

Ghost Thrower - …Has A One That Got Away EP

Ghost Thrower …Has A One That Got Away EP During Therefore I Am’s brief but blazing existence, guitarist Travis Alexander helped build a brick wall of defensive belligerence. On Get Miserable, the debut EP by his new group Ghost Thrower, he started dismantling that wall. On the band’s second EP, …Has A One That Got […]

ÆGES - Roaches EP

ÆGES Roaches EP The intro to “Roaches”—the title track of ÆGES’ two-song debut EP—feels like a salvo of rabies injections to the gut. Then the needling feedback and dissonance stop, and the melody starts. Featuring an all-star lineup that includes Undertow guitarist Mark Holcomb and Pelican drummer Larry Herweg, ÆGES traffic in a tense interplay […]

Craig Wedren - Wand

Craig Wedren Wand Like a serpent wrapped around a candy cane, Craig Wedren’s slithery voice knows how to insinuate itself into pop music in sick, unsavory ways. Granted, his best-known project, Shudder To Think, turned rock hooks into theses on deconstruction. But his new album, Wand, relies on simpler songs—even if his vocals are anything […]

Kasabian - Velociraptor!

Kasabian Velociraptor! Kasabian have been topping charts and grabbing awards in their native England since their self-titled debut dropped in 2004, but they’ve also managed to snag a decent cult following among stateside Anglophiles along the way. The group’s new album, Velociraptor!, probably won’t change that dynamic. Produced by Dan The Automator, who helped catapult […]

Brent Hinds Presents - Fiend Without A Face + West End Motel

Brent Hinds Presents Without A Face + West End Motel Calling Fiend Without A Face + West End Motel—a side-band doubleheader from Mastodon frontman Brent Hinds—a vanity project might be a little harsh. After all, Hinds’ unearthly growl has never been vain. But there’s a dull self-indulgence to the two-band release that makes it tough […]

Black God - Black God EP

Black God Black God EP Much the same way that Drive Like Jehu were reconstituted—sort of—as Hot Snakes, three-fourths of Louisville’s hardcore powerhouse Black Cross have reunited as Black God. (The band’s name even seems to be a mashup of Black Cross and By The Grace Of God, one of singer Rob Pennington’s former outfits.) […]

Joe Lally - Why Should I Get Used To It

Joe Lally Why Should I Get Used To It Since Fugazi went on hiatus eight years ago, bassist Joe Lally has recorded with all kinds of luminaries—including former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante and members of Frodus—in a variety of projects. But his least intriguing efforts, ironically, have been his solo albums. That […]

Franz Nicolay - Luck And Courage

Franz Nicolay Luck And Courage   There aren't too many rules for being a decent singer-songwriter, but here's one: Your voice has to be compelling. It doesn't have to begood, exactly, but it does have to hook ears and serve as some sort of sympathetic vehicle for lyrics and melody. On that level, Luck And […]

Bottomless Pit - Blood Under The Bridge

Bottomless Pit Blood Under The Bridge In an interview taped for the upcoming documentary Couldn't You Wait: The Story of Silkworm, Pavement's Stephen Malkmus talks about how Silkworm—despite having respectable (if criminally overlooked) runs on indie giants like Matador and Touch And Go—never seemed to be remotely motivated by careerism. When Silkworm drummer Michael Dahlquist […]
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