WHO: Sleaford Mods WHAT: UK GRIM WHY: Look, that CREEM profile on them this year made them look like real wankers, but I’m trying to find a reason to hate UK GRIM and I can’t do it. Maybe they’re faking it all for a big payout or maybe CREEM blew their coverage, but UK GRIM is still in a class of its own, with politically and socially charged lyrics, with topics focused on elevating the working class and bringing the...
The Case of Leon Trotsky: Report of Hearings on the Charges Made against Him in the Moscow Trialsby Leon Trotsky I knew I was a fan of the life of Leon Trotsky but reading The Case of Leon Trotsky really made me realize that I might just be a Trotsky-head (no pun intended). There, I wanted to see how many times I could fit Trotsky in a single sentence. Way back in the 1930s, it wasn’t as clear to everyone...
National Lampoon’s Vacation Hey, there’s a lesson I want to teach you. Get close. You’re listening? Always save your Word documents. Yes, because we’re always depending on our computers to autosave them, or we don’t think they’ll automatically reboot and lose your file, or you’re convinced there’s a way of recovering your files, or you yourself accidentally rebooted your computer forgetting you had an unsaved file. Why did you do that? Because clicking “save as” is SUCH a PAIN...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Ouroboros EP by Kirkby Kiss. It might sound unlikely, but working in the music press can be surprisingly frustrating. The reason for that is simple, really – most bands believe that what they’re doing is unique enough that they couldn’t possibly be forgettable or mistaken for any other band. The problem is that, at a certain level, the name of a release can be mistaken for a band’s name and has...
WHO: OSEES WHAT: Intercepted message WHY: The OSEES are an unstoppable monster. Every year, we are almost certainly graced with a new OSEES album and multiple John Dwyer projects. Although OSEES albums are always interesting and a welcome addition to any musical rotation, they tend to become a bit repetitive, monotonous and difficult to engage with. Intercepted Message is a breath of fresh air into their discrography by bringing a more synth-pop flavor to the songs and offering an easier...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the On Further Reflection EP by Wrong War. At this point, now decades since hardcore reshaped the face of punk rock, it would be easy for someone who isn’t a part of the punk community (isn’t a fan) to not understand how anyone could get excited about “another punk 7”.” Really, that there’s a form and structure in place is impossible to deny; guitars are distorted, songs are fairly simple, lyrics normally...
Lexicon Devil: The Fast Times and Short Life of Darby Crashby Brendan Mullen (Editor), Don Bolles (Collaborator), Adam Parfrey (Collaborator) Are the Germs the best worst punk band of all time? Their album G.I. had some absolute bangers on them, but unfortunately, the band was led by a narcissistic art student who was more interested in manipulating people than actually making music. Also, the only good live show they played was their last one. Does that negate itself? I don’t...
The Flash Hey, Warner Brothers? What do you think you’re doing, exactly? I know you’ve been trying to be Marvel and desperately throwing your movies to the wall and seeing what sticks. Some of these movies have been successful, like Wonder Woman, and Aquaman, but I think you should know we’ve all given up on you. I think you’ve given up on yourself too, courting James Gunn to overhaul your entire franchise. Now, I’ve always stuck by you if...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Human Reaction LP by mssv. While Mike Watt’s early career was defined by the bassist’s time with The Minutemen, it can’t be denied that since the end of The Minutemen, Watt has been viewed as a solo entity. That isn’t to say that the bassist hasn’t played with other bands since then (there have been several), just that Watt has stood as very much an individual entity – even when playing...
WHO: Snuff WHAT: Come And Have a Go If You Think You’re Rachmaninoff WHY: My love for the band Snuff knows no bounds. They’re one of those bands from my formative punk years that have remained relevant and continued on an interesting path. Speaking of interesting is this album. This time, Snuff have reimagined their old songs in an acoustic more ballady format. The arrangements are elegant and it helps conjure a new-found love for these songs. I’m glad I’m...