TITLE: Vinyl Vlog 097 A deeper look at the grooves pressed into B’lieve I’m Goin Down by Kurt Vile. DATE: 11-13-15 WRITER: Ollie Ottoman I don’t think that this has been a bad year for music by any means, It’s just that none of the releases I’ve been listening to have been catching my attention like they did last year. It’s strange – 2013 had the same apparent stagnation to it but, of course, that doesn’t mean 2015 hasn’t had...

TITLE: Vinyl Vlog 096 A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the 2015 vinyl reissue of Signals by Rush. DATE: 11-09-15 WRITER: Bill Adams Just one year after they began to challenge both themselves and their audience with new songwriting ideas and compositional presentations on Moving Pictures, Rush elected to ride that wave of inspiration with Signals – their ninth LP and second of a new era. Right off, there’s no question that Signals takes its lead from Moving...

TITLE: Vinyl Vlog 095 A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the 2015 vinyl reissue of Moving Pictures by Rush. DATE: 11-08-15 WRITER: Bill Adams   It is often regarded as an inconvenient truth, but the fact is that it becomes increasingly difficult for a band to change or take artistic risks as they get further into their career. A lot of that difficulty may come from the band’s perceived responsibility to their fans; the people watching and listening...

ARTIST: Bob Odenkirk – DATE: 11-08-15 REVIEW BY: Ollie Ottoman ALBUM: Amateur Hour LABEL: A Special Thing Records How exactly did Bob Odenkirk blow up like this? And actually, why did it take him so long? And why is he most famous for his smallest contribution to show business (a supporting character onBreaking Bad)? All these questions pop into my head when I think of the place Bob Odenkirk has in pop culture these days. The man has created...

TITLE: I Wanna Be Literated! 092 A critical evaluation of An Outline of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell DATE: 11-05-15 WRITER: Ollie Ottoman One of the great pleasures in reading Bertrand Russell for me is when he discusses the role of philosophy in a society where science has been the approach to finding out what is real and true in our universe. As science plays a greater role in our lives, there seems to be less space for philosophy. The other...

TITLE: Vinyl Vlog 094 A deeper look at the grooves pressed into Mingus Dynasty by Charles Mingus DATE: 11-03-15 WRITER: Ollie Ottoman  I really have no business reviewing or listening to jazz records. I’m a punk –  or at least I feel like one –  and it’s not that I feel too good for jazz, but that I feel like jazz is too good for me. Or maybe I’m jaded and think that music needs lyrics and artists don’t need...

TITLE: The Classics 020 A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Sony Legacy vinyl reissue of Foo Fighters’ debut album.. DATE: 11-02-15 WRITER: Bill Adams It feels strange to be discussing the twentieth anniversary of Foo Fighters’ debut album now – just months after Universal Music Enterprises celebrated the same anniversary for the release of Nirvana’s In Utero album. It seems weird because, while the original releases of those albums were only twenty-two months apart, they feel as...

ARTIST: Shannon & the Clams – VENUE: Great Scott – Allston, MA – 18/10/15 DATE: 10-29-15 REVIEW BY: Ollie Ottoman How can anyone in their right mind not have a smile on their face when listening to Shannon and the Clams? I know the band gets me smiling, and it has nothing to do with their live persona, their charming low-fi sound, their heavily rockabilly-inspired music or their matching costumes. At least that’s not the case not anymore. These...

ARTIST: The Brains – DATE: 10-21-15 REVIEW BY: Bill Adams ALBUM: Out In The Dark LABEL: Stomp/Warner Music Since they first stumbled out of a Quebecois crypt ten years ago, The Brains have always attempted to reach as many ears as possible. Of course, their first introduction was made as a psychobilly band – but it didn’t take long for the group to begin reaching for more inspiration from beyond the constraints of rockabilly. With each successive album, elements...

TITLE: The Classics 019 A deeper look at the grooves pressed into a vinyl copy of Milo Goes To College by the Descendents. DATE: 10-24-15 WRITER: Bill Adams Fans and critics have been arguing which punk band has been the most influential for decades, but the decision has yet to be made. Claims have been made that The Clash are the most important group to punk because they made so many crossovers into the mainstream, while others that punk rock...