Label: Lujo Records Released: November 6, 2007 If I tell you that a band reminds me of ELO in any way and you’re turned off, it’s understandable. When I say it this time though, don’t tune out, because you’ll miss something very cool. Here I go. Mouse Fire reminds me of ELO. Now let me allay your fears a bit…. Read more »
Label: MVD Entertainment Group Released: January 22, 2008 This is the story of the Smiths through the eyes of Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke. Who you ask? The guys who sued Morrissey and Johnny Marr a few years back. Oh yeah, they were also the rhythm section of the Smiths. Under the circumstances, I expected Inside the Smiths to a… Read more »
Label: Released: January 29, 2008 It’s not often that I find a record that offers as much musically as it does lyrically (unless, of course, it’s bad at both). On Highway Prayer, it’s hard to decide which Twilight Hotel does better. The songs fill the whole spectrum from the fun, upbeat opener, “Viva La Vinyl,” a song about record collecting,… Read more »
Label: WeirdBeard Records Released: November 2007 Before they had an album out, I wrote about the material Mongrels had up on their Myspace page. It was a raw, manic mix of garagey soul (or soulful garage). Either way, they tapped into the excitement of the late 60s Detroit that would profoundly influence much of 70s hard rock, even if few… Read more »
Label: Lujo Records Released: February 12, 2008 For this review, Chuck and I decided to collaborate. We both queued up the album at the same time and had a conversation about our thoughts. It came out more as the anatomy of a review, but the result was at least interesting. We’ll be trying this again (maybe every other week) to… Read more »
Label: Kill Rock Stars Released: January 29, 2007 We Brave Bee Stings and All begins and ends like it may be a simple twee pop album. Both songs have a thin, light pop sound that could be mistaken for a novelty. What happens between those two songs, however, is anything but. There is no doubt that a twee influence runs… Read more »
Label: Jump Start Records Released: October 23, 2007 There are two things that outsiders often attribute to punk rock: angst and nihilism. While both of these are prevalent even today, to assume that these two things the very core of punk dismisses an awful lot, among which is One Win Choice. They replace angst with anger and nihilism with hope…. Read more »
Label: Joyful Noise Recordings Released: January 22, 2008 In a nutshell, Lafcadio could be described as King Crimson meets Dillinger Escape Plan meets Black Flag meets Black Sabbath meets Shel Silverstein. If you’re not immediately turned off by the threat of that, then their new album Kibosh is probably for you. At times, they are as refined (though not quite… Read more »
Label: Smithsonian Folkways Released: March 23, 1999 Lead Belly is widely considered one of the greatest influences on modern American music, yet I know few who actually listen to him. That doesn’t diminish his influence, but it does call into question whether he is directly relevant today or a generation or two removed. The follow-up question would then be, if… Read more »
Label: Bad Reputation Released: January 15, 2008 For those not familiar with the Gypsy Pistoleros, they play sleazy, gritty glam with a touch of Latin flair (although not quite as prevalent as they sell it, it certainly amounts to a lot more than just some Spanish lyrics). Unlike the many bands from the hair metal heyday of the 80s that… Read more »