It’s sad to say goodbye. Goodbye to the Summer, goodbye to carefree days and nights, goodbye to sun and sand. But, life is unavoidable so it’s good to make the best of it. Nothing says RESPONSABILITIES like the Ground Control Back to School Guide. Not because we’re not fun, but because we’re trying to BRING fun to the new school year. You’ll see some old favorites and, luckily, some surprises this year in the guide. We’ve never steered you wrong,...

Pearl Jam Dark Matter Whoa! Did we miss this one? I can’t imagine! I saw this record on my shelf and was sure we had reviewed it, but I can’t find it in the archives! Is it there and I missed it? Did we never review it? Does this mean I might re-review it? Possibly! Much to your enjoyment and my enjoyment (because I enjoy reviewing good records). Yeah, it’s a shame because this is a damn fine record. Pearl...

WHO: Ty Segall WHAT: Possession WHY: After conquering garage rock, Ty Segall has continued on his orchestral glam-rock path. Those noisy roots are evident even on his newest album Possession. There will always be a new album with Segall and you can always expect it to be of good quality. Possession has the more complex sounds of Manipulator, employing organs and strings. It sounds like Segall has grown up but can still push himself and keep his edge. Only he...

Photos by Collin...

Lou Reed Metal Machine Music There’s this Venture Brothers episode where they make fun of Andy Warhol’s Factory collective. I got what they were parodying and just felt like it was a tribute them. What do I know about art, anyway? Then I heard the audio commentary from the creators and them skewering both Warhol and his minions. It was incredibly gratifying to know that there were other (smarter) people out there who thought both Warhol and...

Sinners I can’t help but blame myself for watching these kinds of movies. And by “these movies” I mean movies that are highly acclaimed, and I don’t do my homework to figure out where my expectations should be. I’m so disappointed in this movie, but who I really should be disappointed in is myself. Do I even have the energy for a “long” review about Sinners? Let me start rambling and see where it takes me. Sinners was the...

WHO: Panda bear WHAT: Sinister Gift WHY: I definitely had an Animal Collective phase. I don’t think I “outgrew” them, because I occasionally revisit them and remember I enjoy that music. I even thought Time Skiffs was a cool album, so there was no harm in giving the new Panda Bear album a shot. Sinister Gift is more rock, pop, and less experimental, but still “weird” by contemporary standards, so sonically it’s in a unique space. It also has those...

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I grew up on the New Bomb Turks. Getting into punk rock, I was a frequent listener of the Fat Music and Punk-O-Rama compilation CDs. What a deal! 20+ songs from different bands for $4! I remember those days fondly and how I would skip to my favorites. The New Bomb Turks were on these comps but, strangely, never made an impact. Come to think of it, I can’t believe these guys were ever an Epitaph band. Did you know...

Thelonious Monk Live at the It Club Record Store Day Exclusive I remember distinctly talking about Jazz with one of my professors in graduate school. This was years ago when I was an even bigger idiot than I am today. But, I was smart about music. I wanted to branch out. Jazz was, and remains, a mystery to me. But as a punk rocker (a good one that welcomed a wide range of music), I wanted to learn more. I...