Contributions
Larry And His Flask - All That We Know
Larry And His Flask All That We Know Larry And His Flask are typical of most ex-punk rockers that fall in love with bluegrass/old timey music and trade in their tattered jeans and Jawbreaker T-shirts for long-sleeved flannels and crisp dungarees. Their sartorial aesthetic may have changed, but when they pick up an acoustic guitar […]
White Wives - Happeners
White Wives Happeners The side project that's not really a side project (according the band), White Wives boast a lineup of heavy-hitters, including Chris #2 and Chris Head from Anti-Flag, Tyler Kweeder of American Armada and Roger Harvey, who plays under the name Dandelion Snow. And while the quartet of buddies from Pittsburgh do their […]
Vanna - And They Came Baring Bones
Vanna And They Came Baring Bones 2011 finds post-hardcore quintet Vanna on the far side of changes that could have scuttled a lesser band. They left their former home at Epitaph Records right around the same time that their original lead singer, Chris Preece, decided to leave the band. Rather than confuse things, this […]
Blindside - With Shivering Hearts We Wait
Blindside With Shivering Hearts We Wait Scandinavian rockers Blindside have been through the proverbial music industry ringer in the 17 years since they started playing music together. They moved up the ranks from the indie world to the big leagues, signing with Elektra Records where they found their biggest success (Billboard chart listings, appearances […]
Mixtapes - Hope Is For People EP
Mixtapes Hope Is For People EP Punk, especially in its post-millennial form, is as self-aware a genre as you're going to find, with the highest levels of authenticity reached by those bands that point their gaze as far into their navels as they can manage. That it does so over a bed of über-catchy […]
Breanne Düren - Sparks EP
Breanne Düren Sparks EP You may not recognize the name of Breanne Düren, but you've likely heard her voice. The young singer added her vocals to Owl City’s platinum-selling album Ocean Eyes and is now a touring member of that group.But while Owl City majordomo Adam Young has pretensions of indie authenticity, Düren's aim […]
The Republic Tigers - No Man's Land EP
The Republic Tigers No Land’s Man EP The Republic Tigers seem to exist in some alternate universe where all music is created via focus groups and number-crunching accountants looking to maximize returns on their investment. And considering the label they are associated with—Chop Shop Records, an imprint of Atlantic started by a someone who […]
The World/Inferno Friendship Society - The Anarchy And The Ecstasy
The World/Inferno Friendship Society The Anarchy And The Ecstasy When the World/Inferno Friendship Society arrived on the scene in 1996, did anyone anticipate that they'd still be alive and kicking some 14 years later? The band's sound—a mixture of cabaret pop, punk and jumped-up circus music—didn't seem like the most sustainable idea around. At […]
Autolux - The Bouncing Wall/Census EP
Autolux The Bouncing Wall/Census EP In this hyperactive musical landscape, with listeners jumping from one sonic square to another like Q*bert, unless you are selling hundreds of thousands of units or better, you have to keep reminding people of your continued existence. Los Angeles-based three-piece Autolux created one of the most engaging and fascinating […]