A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the black vinyl 30th Anniversary reissue of Alice In Chains’ Jar Of Flies EP. After seeing the multitude of “deluxe” variants of Alice In Chains’ Jar Of Flies EP that have been released in celebration of its thirtieth anniversary (on multi-colored vinyl, on vinyl with little replica houseflies pressed into it and so on), it’s refreshing to see the record reappear remastered and reissued on the most apt color vinyl possible: on...

Creation Rebel Hostile Environment I thank the Clash for many things, and one of those things is getting me into Reggae. I grew up in a tropical island where reggae was a soundtrack to your day, not something you actively sought out. Why would you? Is there anything besides Bob Marley? Yeah, that’s the mentality I had, Then I heard the Clash, and I didn’t get it. Then I dug deeper and I had a revelation. Listening to the...

I’ve been a fan of Jon Snodgrass for over 20 years and have only seen him live once. Embarrassing, I know. Especially considering how much I owe the man. Armchair Martian is such a no-brainer for anyone into pop punk, especially the Descendents/ALL/Fat Wreck variety, and I was hooked from the beginning (hey, when’s a new album coming out?), but I didn’t think country music could be cool until I heard his band Drag the River with ALL frontman Chad...

WHO: Jon Snodgrass + Buddies WHAT: Barge at Will WHY: Jon Snodgrass’ appeal is very specific. His songs sound like they would fit perfectly in an ALL or Descendents album, but his drawl gives it all a country-western quality. Also, the man has a sense of humor that he doesn’t mind showing in his music. Barge at Will is a rocking collection of songs that sit comfortably in a beer-soaked bar, much like you would find in a Hold Steady...

Lisa Frankenstein Look, I don’t know much about Diablo Cody, except that she’s got a niche audience. I saw Juno and thought it was fine. Just fine. I know she did Jennifer’s Body, which has a cult following. She’s also worked non-stop on movies and TV shows both as a writer and creator, so she’s the real deal, right? I think the main draw of Lisa Frankenstein is that it’s got Cody’s involvement… and that 80s aesthetic. The concept sounds...

Sailor Moon RComplete Second Season We seldom get second chances in life. I’m not talking about the big stuff, I’m talking about the stuff that matters: the little things. As an anime fan in general, I always dismissed Sailor Moon as being silly, for children, or just simply embarrassing (having established the short skirts and speed lines trope which prevails judgement of the anime genre). However, it’s presence (read: ubiquity) in Japanese pop culture is inescapable, and as...

Pissed Jeans Half-Divorced (Sub Pop) Who says punk can’t be funny and bring the brutality at the same time? I’m thinking of a band that does this as successfully as Pissed Jeans and drawing a blank. And, I don’t count grindcore bands because no one can understand what they’re singing about. But with Pissed Jeans, the content is right there. You have to pick it out, but it’s surprisingly easy given Matt Corvette’s barking growl. At the same time, it’s...

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the One More Time… LP by Blink-182. It would be easy to find a cynical angle to approach the existence and sound of One More Time…, Blink-182’s ninth studio album and first to feature singer/guitarist Tom DeLonge since 2015. Did DeLonge’s return have something to do with singer/bassist Mark Hoppus’ cancer diagnosis in 2021? Was it because everyone in the band had discovered the sting of post-Blink projects not performing as well...

METZ Up on Gravity Hill(Sub Pop) Sometimes I truly think something is the matter with me. I’ve heard about METZ for a while. Way back when their first album came out, they were all the rage. My friends were all talking about them. Especially how great of a live show they put on. Of course, I checked them out and I’m pretty sure I liked them, but I didn’t quite understand the buzz. They were interesting enough where I kept...

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into Judas Priest’s Invincible Shield 2LP. In the fifty-five years since their foundation, Judas Priest has seen no small number of changes to their form and style while still remaining an inimitable mainstay of the metal community. The band has never been afraid to re-evaluate their sound and style as they go, and that fact is very clear on Priest’s nineteenth album, Invincible Shield. Now, on one hand, that Invincible Shield is being...