Wild Flag Wild Flag Merge By Al Kaufman Supergroups of any type rarely live up to their hype, but since the hype for Wild Flag was practically non-existent, and since the women in this band don’t care about such petty things, their debut album far surpasses any expectations that may have been garnered.
Puscifer Conditions of My Parole Puscifer Entertainment LLC By Ellen Eldridge What were you expecting? TOOL?! The biggest reason anyone should give Puscifer a chance isn’t because this is another Tool or A Perfect Circle. Puscifer, much like Caduceus Cellars, channels a new catharsis for Maynard James Keenan, a man striving to continually reinvent himself; […]
Army Navy The Last Place Fever Zone By Al Kaufman For a band that doesn’t have a label, and has never had a pop single, Army Navy sure has a lot of friends in high places. Frontman Justin Kennedy was in a band with his high school buddy, Ben Gibbard, before Gibbard left to start […]
Coy Bowles Love Takes Flight Southern Ground Records By Amanda Miles When an integral player from a well known band launches a solo project, the artist knows they are taking a calculated risk. Coy Bowles of the famed Zac Brown Band is proving some risks are worth taking. Coy’s debut album on Southern Ground Records, […]
Ryan Adams Ashes & Fire PAX-AM/Capitol Records By Scott Roberts If anyone deserves to make a slow, quiet, introspective record after going through several tumultuous years at a non-stop pace, it’s Ryan Adams, and he has done just that with his new release Ashes & Fire. The North Carolina singer-songwriter, undoubtedly one of the most […]
Five Finger Death Punch American Capitalist Prospect Park By Ellen Eldridge The way bands like Five Finger Death Punch pack a powerful punch inside a pop melody takes listeners by surprise. Remember, pop refers to popular so calling a band like Five Finger “pop” shouldn’t be considered an insult. Bands seeking a heavier audience, or […]
Mutemath Odd Soul Warner Brothers Records By Ellen Eldridge My interest in Mutemath reached its peak when I heard the term “mathrock,” because I assumed Mutemath would use more than the standard 4/4 time signature. I expected something of an intellectual band rich with musical texture, and style. Honestly, I don’t know why I thought […]
Man Overboard Man Overboard Rise Records By Al Kaufman Now that Blink 182 have gone all mature with their new release, Neighborhoods, it’s good to know that there are bands like Man Overboard (who take their name from the Blink 182 song) to hold high to pop-punk, smarmy teen trophy. Man Overboard, a five-piece out of New […]
Hannah Miller O Black River Self-released By Al Kaufman “I’m not ready to settle. I’m still looking for where I belong,” purrs Hannah Miller on her fifth release, O Black River. The angelic-voiced one now calls Nashville home, but she grew up in Alabama and cut her musical teeth in Columbia, S.C. Her music has […]
Frank Turner England Keep My Bones Epitaph By Al Kaufman Frank Turner loves two things; England and rock and roll. The folk punk rocker sings about both with wild abandon on his fourth CD, England Keep My Bones. Turner sets the tone on the rousing opener, “Eulogy.” “Not everyone can be Freddie Mercury, but everyone […]
Mastodon The Hunter Reprise Records By Ellen Eldridge Admittedly, the name Mastodon sounds like one of those maniacal, hard-hitting bands with a growling singer; the type of band that turns off chicks, and attracts angry, sweaty men. The opening line to The Hunter calls, “I burned out my eyes,” while a melodious guitar riff cushions […]
Machine Head Unto The Locust Roadrunner By Ellen Eldridge Machine Head’s Unto The Locust showcases a novel of songs with each song representative of its own short story in the collective collaboration of music and words. The church-like chanting of the opener, “I Am Hell,” lures one into the novel with an overcast sense of […]
We Are Augustines Rise Ye Sunken Ships Backbeat/Turnout By Al Kaufman Too many people think that if they have had a hard life, all they need to do is write about it and people will think they are geniuses. Sure, the melody may never get going, the lyrics may be a bit clunky, “But it’s […]
Primus Green Naugahyde ATO Records/Prawn Song By Ellen Eldridge Those who aren’t yet familiar with Primus have a ton of catching up to do, but should instantly recognize the band as the creators of the “South Park Theme.” The drawn-out success of Frizzle Fry (1990) carried the band through its lesser albums in the ‘90s, […]
Chadwick Stokes Simmerkane II Ruff Shod By Al Kaufman Chadwick Stokes is a busy guy; so busy he uses more than one name. Under the name Chadwick Urmston, he fronts the indie rock band Dispatch, and the alternative, politically-charged State Radio, a band not afraid to throw some reggae and funk into the mix. As […]
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