Reviews

Albums, singles and shows, reviewed.

567 stories · Page 18 of 29

MusicAlbum Review: St. Lucia– MatterSynth-pop band St. Lucia, created in 2012 by South African native, Jean-Philip Grobler, have just released their second studio LP, Matter.Jaida Gibson · Mar 21, 2016MusicAlbum Review: Grizfolk– Waking Up The GiantsGrizfolk, a five piece indie rock band that hails from Los Angeles have just released their highly anticipated debut album, Waking Up The Giants via Virgin Records.Jaida Gibson · Feb 23, 2016MusicAlbum Review: Panic! At The Disco, Death of A BachelorThe goal of Death Of A Bachelor is trying to express a celebration of life changes, which the lyrics succesfully show, but the ever-eccentric, power pop duo (including Dallon Weekes) sees Urie’s powerful voice wielded like a hammer, sometimes inspiring a mild headache.Jaida Gibson · Feb 8, 2016MusicAlbum Review: Anderson Paak, MalibuEqual parts illustrious and excessive, genuine and humble, Malibu builds on the boozy charm of Paak’s debut, Venice, doubling down on atmosphere and lush, live instrumentation.Clark Lamson · Feb 3, 2016MusicAlbum Review: The Symbols – SmileChill. Charismatic. Mellow. Funky. Rocking?Jay Wallace · Feb 1, 2016MusicAblum Review: Plum – Light Years, Dark YearsDenver rockers, Plum, have done it again as they just released their highly anticipated EP Light Years, Dark Years.BandWagon Magazine · Jan 11, 2016MusicAlbum Review: Qbala – Battle CriesWhen Fort Collins superstar emcee Kahlie “Qbala” Quinones was 27, she finally had the courage to verbalize she preferred females over males.Kyle Eustice · Jan 5, 2016MusicAlbum Review: Danny Shafer – Weddings, Floods and FuneralsShafer, initially from Chicago, has played over 200 shows a year between his solo gig and the band he’s a part of, The 21st Century, and the polished talent that comes with that level of prolificacy shows itself with Weddings.Jay Wallace · Dec 7, 2015MusicAlbum Review:Bob Dylan – The Bootleg Series Vol. 12At some point in the career of a band or artist there’s a switch made from “chart topper” to “main stay.” Their weight in social currency is edged out by a growing wealth of respect and ubiquity.BandWagon Magazine · Dec 7, 2015MusicAlbum Review: Rubedo – Love is the AnswerEpiphany can come in a myriad of strange and unexpected ways.Clark Lamson · Dec 7, 2015MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Will Butler — PolicyAs the year comes to a close, all us music geeks can finally start openly discussing the “best of” lists that have been taking up valuable storage in our brains.Clark Lamson · Dec 3, 2015MusicAlbum Review: Fuzz – IIIf you’re a regular reader of our Top Tunes Thursday column, then you’ve heard me talking about my adoration for the side project.Clark Lamson · Dec 2, 2015MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Khruangbin — The Universe Smiles Upon YouWhile I find the majority of instrumentals have a regional style, not always glaring, but almost always present. L.A. jazz, Delta Blues, the sample heavy style of production prevalent in the East coast, generally speaking there’s something you can grab on to. Khruangbin plays like a musical atlas, sending fiery frets to Japan, then Brazil, and back over to Africa. The eighth track, cheekily titled “The Man Who Took My Sunglasses,” almost creates the illusion of needing them. Blinding sun beams reflect off polished surfboards and sparkling fret boards, cutting through swirling cigarette smoke on its way. Four tracks earlier, guitarist Mark Speer cools the jets to a low roar, infusing in its exhaust at first a wiff of the Far East, then an utterly American crashing collapse of guitar, amp, and kit.Clark Lamson · Nov 19, 2015MusicAlbum Review: futurebabes – Day JobDay Job is a nostalgic nod to the days when drum machines and synthesizers ruled the land. The opening track, “Hearts for Now” grabs your attention, kicking off the EP with a beefy arpeggiated synth and an insistent, thumping drum beat.BandWagon Magazine · Nov 16, 2015MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Coldplay — Adventure Of A LifetimeThe track is joyful in a resurgent kind of way. Driving leads and a surprisingly groovy rhythm for a pop band (let alone a pop band of such drear and atmosphere) cloud your mind like the smoke from a caterpillar’s hookah. It’s relentless and irresistibly toe tapping. Jam packed into their wooing, if not predictable, brand of pop are notes of Earth Wind & Fire, Phoenix, and fretwork from U2’s The Edge as well as modern pop titans, like Pharell, Justin Timberlake, and Daft Punk, especially the latter, considering their recent poppy-funky love affair. I feel the song chip away at winter’s frost, and as frontman Chris Martin heralds chorus after chorus of “I feel alive again!” I can’t help but agree.Clark Lamson · Nov 12, 2015MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Alabama Shakes — JoeStylistically, the track actually falls nicely between the two records, meshing cozy Southern hospitality with smoldering soul. The tune kicks off slow, enchant us with us a gated chrous across shiny pickups. Not long thereafter, the incomparable Brittany Howard welcomes herself to the track. At this point, it borders on the clichéd to talk about the thundering soul machine that are the pipes of Brittany Howard, but the vocal, as is typical for most Alabama Shakes content, truly is the star of the show. Murphy works the crowd like melted ropes of taffy, jumping from croon to croan at the pluck of a string. It’s a joy to listen to her work, and the crowd feels the same.Clark Lamson · Nov 5, 2015MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Fuzz — IITy Segal’s Fuzz looks to dustier paragons of noise like Sabbath, Wolfmother, The Hives and The Eagles of Death Metal and says “we’ll take it from here.” The sounds born within the mildewed and crawling horror swamp that is Segal’s musical brain can only be truly appreciated in the context of honestly curious rock exploration. When you’re talking about pushing the guitar to its structural and audial limits, about reaching to the very corners of our musical expectations and poking a finger over the line, Ty Segall is the only one we millennials can claim for our own. Like the artful goofballs of old (Bowie, Reed) Segall is relentlessly catapulting himself from project to project, with no love lost in between.Clark Lamson · Oct 29, 2015MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Edge of Daybreak — Eyes of LoveIn 1979, a group of musicians bound by circumstance gathered in earnest to craft their first album.Clark Lamson · Oct 22, 2015MusicTop Tunes Thursday: The Garden — hahaThis week, I stumbled across Orange, California duo, The Garden. Founded by twin brothers Fletcher and Wyatt Shears, The first couple of vexing seconds told me I had found a winner. I wouldn’t describe the clattered natterings of The Garden weird (though you wouldn’t be wrong to do so), so much as unexpected. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing or listening to at the time, The Garden is a non sequitur.Clark Lamson · Oct 15, 2015MusicTop Tunes Thursday: Denzel Curry — 32 Zel / Planet ShroomsTwo weeks ago, while I was researching the newest Little Simz record (review here) I came across a list of “rappers to watch for.” Little Simz was featured for her E.D.G.E EP and…Clark Lamson · Oct 8, 2015