The Hold SteadyThrashing Thru the Passion Happy 400th Vinyl Vlog! Thank god for this album, folks. Thank GOD! I think I’ve said this before, but the Hold Steady are one of those bands that suffers from Monty Python syndrome, in the sense that it’s good, but the most annoying people in the world will not shut the fuck about it. Have you met a Hold Steady fan? If you’re not sure, then you haven’t. The real Hold Steady fans are annoying as hell. As such, it’s hard to...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Crisis Point LP by Subhumans. Mark Twain once said that, in order to truly find one’s way to genuine inspiration, “First, get your facts straight – then distort them at your leisure.” Now forty-one years after they started (thirteen since last the band release a full-length album of new material), it can be assumed that Subhumans learned all their lessons and got all their details aligned because, in listening to Crisis...
The Fleshies Introducing the Fleshies photo: sorrystaterecords.com The Fleshies conjure up distinct memories in my brain. No, not of circle pits and skateboarding empty pools. The Fleshies remind me of the Pennsylvania country side. It’s in my long drives where I would most often consume albums in their entirety without interruptions. I knew I had always enjoyed the Fleshies (or just “Fleshies” as they used to be called), but on a 2 hour drive through the aforementioned Pennsylvania countryside I...
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once More with Feeling Original Cast Recording Growing up on a tropical island in the Caribbean in the 90s has its benefits and drawbacks. The benefits are that you’re on a tropical island in the Caribbean and there’s no way your puny developing brain will be able to comprehend how good you have it for several more decades. The drawbacks (maybe?) are that, culturally, you might be a little deprived. Sure, far be it for me...
The Melvins Pinkus Abortion Technician It’s mind-boggling how such a prolific band can be so under-appreciated. Krist Novoselic of Nirvana fame has said that the Melvins are the only band left standing from the grunge-rock cacophony of the Nineties (take that, Pearl Jam), and even the new kids like Mastodon have gone on the record as saying they’re one of the greatest bands on earth. Of course, the Melvins don’t care what people say about them – they’re too busy...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the HumanWorld LP by Peter Perrett. As of 2019, saying that singer/guitarist Peter Perrett has had a storied career would be a laughable understatement. After forming (and then collapsing) Glory in 1976, Perrett formed the fantastic Only Ones in 1978 where he established one of the greatest songbooks in the history of power pop. Perrett has ridden The Only Ones, off and on, ever since then (the band has broken up and...
The Dwarves Take Back the Night Love ’em or hate ’em, the Dwarves have been at it for a long time, man. And for good reason: they are quite good at what they do. As far as garage rock is concerned, there’s probably no one doing it better than them. Their album Blood Guts and Pussy frequently makes it at the top of best-of lists. As far as filthy offensive punk rock is concerned, these guys might also have set...
Shazam! How is Shazam! not the biggest movie of the year? It certainly was a big success and made a whopping $364 million vs its $100 cost, so it is was indeed a giant hit. So much so that a sequel is being developed. But Shazam! didn’t become a cultural phenomenon like the Marvel movies have. And that’s quite a shame, because DC movies will never get the same recognition as Marvel movies no matter how original they try...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Can You Really Find Me LP by Night Moves. Without intending to date myself, how many readers remember the Nineties? It was a pretty unique time, aesthetically; Seventies fashion was retro en vogue, and a lot of that transitioned into both music and visual art as well. Oranges, browns and rich reds were really common (post-plaid) color schemes to use, and ornate gold furniture and accessories were common as well. After...
Buzzcocks A Different Kind of Tension (2019 Remaster)photo: Turntablelab.com The Buzzcocks had a major impact on me. At some point in my musical curiosity I started to understand the importance of musical homework: listening to bands to understand a reference more than out of sheer enjoyment. But with the Buzzcocks, it was love at first listen. In my unending need to understand every inch of punk rock history long ago it became painfully obvious that the Buzzcocks would be a...