I saw Waxahatchee perform in a bowling alley this past fall. Used to the punk shows and crowd-sweat that had been there before, the small-ish turnout made the place look way more cavernous than I remembered. I’d forgotten that the small tour she was on was going to provide more low-key affairs, more solo-act than…
Out of all the albums that were coming out this year, there were really none that I was excited for. The slippery slope of bad music and mediocre comebacks seemed to be riding all the way from 2014 to now, and my ecstasy waned for the most part... Until I heard that Tame Impala was…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hoDzskv3rw&feature=youtu.be Sometimes it's hard to go anywhere with a review other than the most blunt statement, and in the case of the Oklahoma-based band Ripple Green's new single "Time Piece," all I can say is that it's damn good rock. They're not necessarily reinventing the genre here, but they're taking the best of what's been…
There was a lot of anticipation leading up to the release of Nate Ruess’s first full-length solo album Grand Romantic. The singer/songwriter has been critically received for his work in both Fun (stylized fun) and The Format since the early 2000s. However, it was the mainstream success of Fun’s 2011 track “We Are Young” that…
I'm not going to lie, I didn't have the highest expectations for Max Gowan'"Big People." He's an 18-year-old singer-songwriter who recorded and produced the record mostly by himself in his room. However, after my first listen through, one thing is clear. Max Gowan has something going for him. From his gorgeous use of lo-fi to…
Like any subculture, punk rock relies on the spark of youth to propel it forward. Yet there comes a time in every young punk's life when he or she must face an enemy more terrifying than the threat of conformity could ever be: getting old. Perhaps no one knows this better than Jeff Rosenstock, former…
There's something ernest in a Broadway actress releasing an album that clearly highlights the influence of the Great White Way on her music. Despite its strong roots in bluegrass, americana, and folk, there's the overarching image of Chilina Kennedy sitting on stage performing any of her thirteen affecting songs off of her debut album "What You Find in a…
"Fairly Local" and the music video are perfect compliments to what I believe Twenty One Pilots' new album is going to be. Dark, unsettling, and just what the band needs. First of all, let me quickly profess my love for Twenty One Pilots. I've been following them since the independent release of their self titled, seen…
Swervedriver is one of those bands that emerged during the early 90's when the shoegaze craze was at its peak. Although almost no one knows about them as they were shadowed by the likes of My Bloody Valentine and Ride, they released some critically-acclaimed stuff in their prime. Mezcal Head was the first album I heard from them and everything in…
If there’s one thing I’m a sucker for, it’s fantastic album production. And since I now possess an ample platform for my opinions to be kinda heard, I’m going to honor some of my favorite production moments. It’s one thing to have top-notch, impressive production throughout an entire song; I can name plenty of those.…
