Released: June 29, 2010 Label: Ripple Music Stoner rock always conjures up images of slow, sludgy tunes played in dark, smoky rooms…but it isn’t always like that. The bands on this split EP are perfect examples. Stone Axe’s “Metal Damage” is a mid-paced tune that mixes metal heaviness with a 70s hard rock groove. It has more punch and a… Read more »
Label: Tiny Engines Released: May 4, 2010 From the phased guitar and lifting leads that open “Tiny Planet,” there is a sense of hope and happiness (even as melancholy tugs at it) that pervades Everyone Everywhere’s self-titled full-length debut. As the album runs between big, loud, ringing chords and quiet, intricate, interwoven guitar and bass lines, it finds itself in… Read more »
Released: October 13, 2009 Label: Seafoam Recordings Stegosaur opens up this 7″ by discussing the trials and tribulations of making (and selling) a record. If a commercially successful record was made by packing a lot into a short record, they’d be in great shape. Sadly, the “industry” isn’t quite like that. “A Headache” is a driving tune with a touch… Read more »
Released: February 2, 2010 Label: Daykamp Records Dirt Mall’s last album, Got the Goat by the Horns, survived more on raw energy than on innovation or spectacular songwriting. The songs were solid, to be sure, but it was the kick behind them that really propelled the album. While that album was well-worth checking out, the band had to kick up… Read more »
Released: December 15, 2009 Label: Count Your Lucky Stars After last year's What It Takes to Move Forward, Empire! Empire! certainly seems like they are the very pinnacle of emo creativity and execution, breathing new life into a genre currently choking on its co-opted mainstream success. With the genre's elder statesmen like Sunny Day Real Estate and Promise Ring defunct… Read more »
Released: April 27, 2010 Label: Legacy/Sony The downside of a “deluxe” re-issue of an album is that it forces the hand of completists, pushing the purchase of yet another version of an album they already likely have on more than one format. The upside is that it offers more bang for the buck of first time buyer and often puts… Read more »
Label: Demolition Records Released: October 13, 2009 Are you sick of the 80s? I certainly am. Having the synthpop of my youth sold back to me as if it’s a new thing is bad enough, but the more egregious offenders are the old hair metal dinosaurs who not only want to resell their corporate sound, but also the mindless, superficial… Read more »
Label: Eagle Rock Entertainment Released: October 13, 2009 When you combine Rick Wakeman with a celebration of the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII’s ascension to the throne of England, things are bound to be a bit over-the-top. Not to disappoint, Wakeman comes out in royal robes with six “wives” in period dress and the whole thing happens right in Henry’s… Read more »
Label: No Sleep Records Released: August 11, 2009 I love when a record is really busy, but doesn’t get lost in the busyness. On the four song Only Boundaries, Balance and Composure fully live up to their name, balancing intricacies with listenable sensibility and remaining composed while the music swirls. “I Can’t Do This Alone” combines a tribal rhythm with… Read more »
Label: Exotic Records Released: April 14, 2009 The band name and album title here present a question. Is this band serious or tongue-in-cheek? After all, they’ve named themselves after the saint whose visions of the Blessed Mother continue to provide awe and inspiration to the faithful 150 years later. While their name could clearly be taken seriously, the title’s less-than-reverent… Read more »