review

Bipolar Explorer Electric Hymnal (Slugg Records) I knew what I was getting into when I said that I’d like to receive a free copy of this latest release by New York City’s BIPOLAR EXPLORER, I didn’t know how deeply into it I’d be going. My last contact with the band’s leader, Michael Serafin-Wells was last December and he mentioned that they had been working on some new pieces that were inspired by the time he’d been spending in a West...

The Low Anthem Eyeland (Washington Square/Razor+Tie/Concord) To say that the last ten years have been busy ones for The Low Anthem would only betray a gift for understatement in the one who said it. In that time, the band has bounced between no fewer than three record labels in addition to releasing a couple of albums on their own. They’ve been toasted as great additions to the “new folk” and “Americana” fads, only to abandon them as quickly as the...

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into Bum City Saints’ self-titled LP. While some critics may claim that an album or artist being “derivative” is a negative trait, that’s not always true – in the right context. Sometimes, the right sequence of sonic elements can align and instantly throw listeners listener back into the mindset which they had perceived to have long forgotten; it can be exhilarating and comforting all at the same time, no matter how aggressive the...

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Means LP by Fews. Even at first sight – before a note of music is heard from the Means LP – those who happen upon Fews’ debut full-length will get the sense that they’re about to bear witness to an important musical event. The front cover poses a bunch of very tantalizing questions; on it, a camera captures a stolen frame of the bandmembers with a brick wall as a backdrop....

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the diecut “Carry On” single by Booze & Glory The catch about the genre that’s affectionately known as “street punk” is that those who make the music often do not make it for very long. The reason for that is simple: street punk is impoverished by nature – the best of the genre is made by penniless players who are making music either to entertain themselves or their friends – and loses...

Ollie Ottoman delves into the new Blu-Ray release of Hail Caesar! by the Coen Brothers.

 Ever noticed how Coen brothers movies tend to alternate in the impact they make? The Big Lebowski didn’t really catch on when it was released, but O Brother Where Art Thou is one of the most celebrated films in moviedom. No one really talks about the follow-up Intolerable Cruelty after that, but No Country For Old Men was highly visible at the Oscars. Same with...

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into a vinyl copy of Lost Time by Tacocat. Although Tacocat has gained a reputation as our lovable party garage punk band, I think of them as “Oh, that band.” You see, I have this split 7-inch of Ghost Mice and Tacocat that I think about every time I think about this band. I got this 7-inch years ago because I really like the Ghost Mice. Tacocat was a lovely inclusion and their...

A critical evaluation of Apocrypha Now! by Mark Russell & Shannon Wheeler. The folks over at Top Shelf Comix know what the comics-reading public wants, and that’s a witty retelling of the Apocryphal writings of the bible. You know these Apocrypha and Gnostic books? They were the stories of the bible that history deemed unworthy to include in the official cannon, for some reason. They were considered redundant, or false, or their authorship doubted. Whatever the case may be, they’re...

A critical evaluation of Bacchus Omnibus Edition Volume 1 by Eddie Campbell. Like most of you, I only knew Eddie Campbell from his excellent work in Alan Moore’s From Hell; one of the most thematically rich comics ever written. But, not surprisingly of course, the man is at the helm of other remarkable works. Not least of which is Bacchus. I had never heard of Bacchus, so I’m not here to be Mr. I-Told-You-So, but what I will say is...

A critical evaluation of Empowered Volume 9 by Adam Warren. I have to say, the only thing that’s gotten worse about the Empowered series is that they don’t come out as often as they used to. Is it a superhero comic? A parody of superheroes? A manga? A sci-fi story? It’s really all of those things. Adam Warren has been able to grow and mature his little baby which started out as short “sketches” of a damsel in distress into...