Album Review: The Veins by The Veins

Album Review: The Veins by The Veins

Deep, heavy, thoughtful, moody Australian shoegaze with a semi-disturbing video-art project to match. Our favorite song: Harrowing. (Reviewed on our our #27 podcast, We Fry on a Guitar with Your Mother, Son.)

EP Review: Summer Jelly by Holy Ghost Tent Revival

EP Review: Summer Jelly by Holy Ghost Tent Revival

 

Four feel-good summery songs by six guys (and a mysterious woman) who make a study of feeling good. This band sounds like beer city. Our favorite song: Who Knew. (Reviewed on our our #27 podcast, We Fry on a Guitar with Your Mother, Son.)

Album Review: Life of the Appetite by Fleurs

Album Review: Life of the Appetite by Fleurs

Sounds that you’ve heard before, like you’ve never heard them before: The Strokes do INXS. Watch out, New Haven. Our favorite song: Scuzz. (Reviewed on our our #27 podcast, We Fry on a Guitar with Your Mother, Son.)

Album Review: Avenade with Here’s to the Prejudice

Album Review: Avenade with Here’s to the Prejudice

It’s embarrassing to make rock music alone in your bedroom. Unless, of course, you can totally pull it off. This kid can do anything he wants. Bravo, Avenade. Our favorite song: Indulge Yourself. (Reviewed on our #26 podcast – We Are in Bed.)

Single Review: Ugly with Redemption, On the Road to Damascus (Acoustic)

Single Review: Ugly with Redemption, On the Road to Damascus (Acoustic)

Some young punks from England doing schoolboy harmonies in a 6-minute ballad about the crusades. The ultimate irony is no irony at all. This song is what madrigals probably sounded like, back when real people sang madrigals. Can’t wait for the album. (Reviewed on our #26 podcast – We Are in Bed.)

Single Review: Christine Hoberg with All That Hate (Danecdote remix)

Single Review: Christine Hoberg with All That Hate (Danecdote remix)

In the grand tradition of Suzanne Vega, Christine Hoberg is an intense songwriter, with a huge vocal range, who sounds best when supported by a humongous beat. (Reviewed on our #26 podcast – We Are in Bed.)

EP Review: Clean Living by Hot Work

EP Review: Clean Living by Hot Work

Four sort of do-woppy songs meant to improve your life and keep you from becoming a piss-stain. The magic is in their honest Australian cheerfulness. Our favorite song: Honey. (Reviewed on our #26 podcast – We Are in Bed.)

Album Review: B-Sides This It Is What It’s Not by Woy

Album Review: B-Sides This It Is What It’s Not by Woy

Ten interesting, listenably-weird songs, all clocking in at either 1:11 or 3:33. As with everything on this album, that timing is deliberate and also seems to point at nothing. Our favorite song: View from Mars. (Reviewed on our #26 podcast – We Are in Bed.)

Album Review: شبح by Vienna Ditto

Album Review: شبح by Vienna Ditto

One half of this band is a hauntingly beautiful singer, and the other half is a commanding electronic music artist. That combination exists all over the place, but never like this. They both have so much skill that neither outshines the other, and the music is both listenable and totally unpredictable. Don’t break up, Vienna Ditto! Our favorite song: Dreamed Me a Riot. (Reviewed on our #25 podcast, Ugly.)