Contributions
Oh, Sleeper - Children Of Fire
Oh, Sleeper Children Of Fire The first impression of Oh, Sleeper’s third album, Children Of Fire, is that the Texas metalcore band have really been digging Long Live by the Chariot, especially in the vocal style. Vocalist Micah Kinard does his best Josh Scogin impression on a number of these 12 songs, right down to […]
Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster - IV
Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster IV It only takes Alabama rockers Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster two faux-swamp stompers on IV before they bust out their first cheesy power ballad in “Faith Healer (Bring Me Down).” A terribly hokey piece of gouda that would be right at home with a lower-level ‘80s glam […]
The Stripminers - The Stripminers EP
The Stripminers The Stripminers The debut 7-inch by Los Angeles-based band the Stripminers is an attempt to generate some buzz about a generally buzz-unworthy band. Led by Brett Anderson of the Donnas and Paul Stinson of the Radishes, the Stripminers would have fit right in with the second-tier ’90s alt-rock scene. Similarities to Veruca Salt […]
Victorian Halls - Charlatan
Victorian Halls Charlatan The marketing campaign for Chicago four-piece Victorian Halls is very clever in that it never mentions a certain band from the Pacific Northwest called the Blood Brothers. Defunct since 2007, the brothers of blood twisted and distorted the post-hardcore model into demented carnival tunes. Victorian Halls go for the exact same vibe, […]
The Planet Smashers - Descent Into The Valley Of...
The Planet Smashers Descent Into The Valley Of… You have to hand it to ska: It's some of the most feel-good, stupid-fun music on Earth. We defy anyone to listen to “The Hippopotamus” and not immediately burst into skanking. That tune and others from the latest by Montreal's the Planet Smashers is the perfect soundtrack […]
Eyes Set To Kill - White Lotus
Eyes Set To Kill White Lotus Once you move past the cuteness factor of Eyes Set To Kill—two sisters lead this Phoenix-based rock band—it becomes apparent that the group still have a lot of growing up to do. ESTK’s fourth album is a step in the right direction in their evolution, with a full-bodied sound […]
Premonition 13 - 13
Premonition 13 13 Listening to Premonition 13's debut album, 13, without knowing about Scott “Wino” Weinrich’s career trajectory is kinda like trying to find your way through a hot-boxed house of mirrors; it's confusing, odd and unrelenting. Wino is a living legend in the stoner/doom-metal circuit, having fronted such legendary heshers as Saint Vitus, the Obsessed and, […]
Bayonet - Bayonet EP
Bayonet Bayonet EP Most of the watchful eyes on Bayonet will be because it’s Senses Fail leader Buddy Nielsen doing the hardcore thang with a few buddies, namely Suburban Scum drummer Paul Klein and producers Jeremy Comitas and Will Putney, who also play in the Banner and Fit For An Autopsy, respectively. Nielsen is at […]
City Of Ships - Minor World
Minor World Most fans of post-hardcore remember the first time they heard Cave In’s Jupiter or Thrice’s Vheissu. The expansive sound of those two albums seemed to completely overtake everything within its grasp. Much like those two landmark releases, the second album by arty post-hardcore act City Of Ships is a full-bodied, textured affair […]