Since first appearing on record store shelves five years ago, Elliott BROOD has infiltrated the minds and hearts of listeners twice already, both times in a similar, but dramatically affecting, way: with a bit of the deep south in them and the shadows of the gothic...
The are moments (this might be one of them) when one has to ask, “At what point does high concept become an enactment of self-indulgent drivel?” Sure – multi-passage songs are not unheard of in the context of concept albums – everyone from Pink...
There are lots of ways to try and argue around it, but it's difficult to honestly deny that Cuff The Duke was one of the least likely inductees into the wave of Canadian rock that crashed against the US border about eighteen months ago, thus forcing the American...
When Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs first got in bed with each other and dove under the covers three years ago to re-examine the work of acts like The Mamas And The Papas, The Beatles, The Velvet Underground and Neil Young, the effect was a touch of magic. With sugary...
Andrew Jackson Jihad/Cobra SkullsUnder the Influence Vol. 6(Vinyl Collective, 2009)1. “Two-Headed Boy”2. “Subterranean Homesick Blues”Availability: Vinyl Collective will gladly sell you a copy. (www.vinylcollective.com ) Vinyl Collective has...
After it has been in place and thriving for a while, it's very easy to forget when a given institution wasn't there and punk rock is no exception. By now, it's a safe assertion that punk's presence has become virtually universal – there are a...
I have a method for reviewing albums. Start with some really strong coffee, boot up iTunes, and type haphazardly. And generally, as I listen through, I hunt for gems. The songs that really pop from the rest of the album, either because of their sound, rhythm,...
I have a method for reviewing albums. Start with some really strong coffee, boot up iTunes, and type haphazardly. And generally, as I listen through, I hunt for gems. The songs that really pop from the rest of the album, either because of their sound, rhythm,...
I have a method for reviewing albums. Start with some really strong coffee, boot up iTunes, and type haphazardly. And generally, as I listen through, I hunt for gems. The songs that really pop from the rest of the album, either because of their sound, rhythm,...
Modest Mouse is one of those bands that capture the randomness of life while pulling out the ridiculousness and sometimes beautiful coincidences that really don’t make sense. Then they put it all together in high doses of imagery, confusion and cartoon-like song...