REVIEW: SISTER CITY – SMALL TALK (2013)
A fragrant, calculated desperation clings to the sonic atmosphere of Small Talk; it appears that Sister City needs a good Oedipal hug and tug from an early 90’s Weezergroupie. The musical tricks that Adam Linder, lead songwriter, employs are surprising, calculated, and infectio
EDITORIAL RESPONSE: STOP SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT MACKLEMORE’S “THRIFT SHOP”
Brandon Soderberg’s recent SPIN.com article, “Stop Saying Nice Things About Macklemore’s ‘Thrift Shop,’” is a catching read. He describes the (currently) #1 track as, “…a rap from a white guy celebrating common sense and sustainability — spending money at the local Go
REVIEW: DROPKICK MURPHYS – SIGNED AND SEALED IN BLOOD (2013)
I planned on running some errands after writing a review for Dropkick Murphys’ Signed and Sealed in Blood. (Un)Fortunately, the whiskey breath oozing out of the record put me past 0.08%. A raucous collection of Irish-punk drinking songs for every occasion, the record celebrat
REVIEW: RA RA RIOT – BETA LOVE (2013)
Ra Ra Riot’s debut album, “The Rhumb Line,” showcased an uncanny ability to transform frenetic, new-wave, baroque-funk grooves into an endlessly hormonal evening on the 3rd night of college, inexhaustibly expounding on fashionable existentialism in an effort to make out with the near-sigh
INTERVIEW: ANDREW JOSLYN (SEATTLE, WA)
When listening to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis‘, “The Heist,” one is struck by the string infusion and orchestral nuance across the record, a lingering, melancholic subtlety provided by Seattle-based composer/violinist Andrew Joslyn. His mark has been made on the Seattle music scene, imprin
REVIEW: FRANKA DE MILLE – BRIDGE THE ROADS (2012)
When the pizzicato arpeggios of the cello are accentuated by neoclassical piano and a lilting, reedy accordian melody on Track 4 (“Gare Du Nord”) of Franka De Mille’s album, “Bridge the Roads,” it’s pleasantly hard to breathe. The two opening tracks, “Come On” and “Fallen”
REVIEW: CROCODILES – ENDLESS FLOWERS (2012)
A senior quote in my high school yearbook read, “Sometimes you just gotta take a look at that wave and be like ‘Let’s party.’ ” Bear in mind, I went to a high school over a thousand miles away from the nearest beach. This particular senior was the epitome of effortless cool, a painful remi
Review: Wintersleep – Hello Hum (2012)
Wintersleep‘s LP, Hello Hum, demands a glass of Canadian Club and a massive window, covered in frost, overlooking the Cape Breton Highlands. Unfortunately, I had to resort to a humid St. Louis roof and a bottle of Jack Daniels. Simply a disclaimer; nothing more. The record begins with a
REVIEW: SIX-GUN RHYTHM – EP (2011)
To comment on Six-Gun Rhythms’ self-titled EP, one could easily rail against the over-produced, sterility of modern music, hailing Six-Gun Rhythm as a glorious return to gutsy, trashy, power pop/folk rock. There are easy comparisons to The Strokes and The Fratellis, or any other band beginni