Category: Reviews

Music, Print, Reviews

Album Review: The Burroughs – Self Titled EP

June 26, 2014

Whether they’re starting a full-on dance contest during a show with original compositions or performing rip-roaring covers of everything from Beyonce’s “Love on Top” to the Ghostbusters theme, The Burroughs are never short on energy. In under a year of operation, the band has already displayed impressive talent and limitless confidence to match a group several times their tenure. The wait has seemed longer than it actually was, but The Burroughs EP is here, and as expected, is plenty of fun.

Continue reading
Music, Print, Reviews

Album Review: Dub Thompson – 9 Songs

June 24, 2014

It’s not easy being weird. Bands that attempt it come off as either trying too hard, or simply botch the effort to produce a product that skews too heavily in one direction: either half-hearted and boring, or so aggressive and outrageous, it’s off-putting. How impressive it is, then, that duo Dub Thompson toes that line astonishing precision, edging debut album 9 Songs into territory that lies comfortably between those extremes and rarely veering off-course.

Continue reading
Music, Print, Reviews

Album Review: Anchorage – Anchorage

May 15, 2014

I don’t envy bands that have the desire to carve out a fresh niche in the music scene. With the industry populated with so many new (and occasionally fresh) acts, introducing a new sound is not easy. Denver rockers Anchorage set out to do just that, advertising broad stylistic backgrounds and genre-bending music to be a unique new player in the rock scene.

Continue reading
Music, Print, Reviews

Album Review: Afghan Whigs – Do to the Beast

Whigs_cover_nobandIt’s been 16 years since Greg Dulli released an album under his outfit The Afghan Whigs. It’s almost baffling to consider peripherally that the last album dropped in the late 90s. Dulli has remained active under his other groups, The Twilight Singers and The Gutter Twins, but with the former starting to blur stylistic lines with his original group, Dulli felt it was time to come full circle and return to his roots with Do to the Beast, which mostly delivers exactly what Dulli followers are looking for—more dynamic, elaborate instrumentation and smoky.

Continue reading
Film, Print, Reviews

Film Review: The Raid 2

May 10, 2014

Unlike last year, which seemed to be the year of disappointing sequels for me, (I’m looking at you, Iron Man 3 and Star Trek Into Darkness) I was enthralled in April with follow-ups to two of my favorite movies: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and The Raid 2. Both were films I was looking forward to, and I walked away with a level of satisfaction I haven’t really experienced with a sequel since 2012’s Skyfall.

Continue reading
Features, Music, Print

The Ultimate Freak: Sir Mix-a-Lot Still Swass

April 11, 2014

In the early ‘90s, Seattle native Sir Mix-a-Lot proudly proclaimed: “I like big butts and I cannot lie” on 1992’s Mack Daddy, his third studio album and first for Def American. However, little do people know the two albums that preceded Mack Daddy contained some of his best material. From “Square Dance Rap” and “Swap Meat Louie” to “Posse on Broadway” and “Beepers,” there’s more to Mix-a-Lot than just big butts.

Continue reading
Film, Print, Reviews

Film Review: Need For Speed

April 10, 2014

For the last few years, Aaron Paul has been known for playing a character whose catchphrase is, “Something-something-something, bitch!” Now that Breaking Bad is off the air though, he’s moving into film, and his first lead role in a Blockbuster is an adaption of EA’s car racing game Need For Speed. It’s not as horrible as other critics have portrayed it. Those that are into cars, such as myself, won’t be that disappointed, but it’s not perfect. Then again, it’s an adaption of a car racing simulator; no such film is aiming for high art. It is entertaining though.

Continue reading