A deeper look at the grooves pressed into The Drowns’ Under Tension LP. While we could easily start this review of The Drowns’ debut album discussing the disparity between looks (the album cover – which is terrible) and content (the music on the album), let’s just start with this endorsement: no matter how much praise Under Tension receives, it deserves more. There are plenty of flaws in the packaging, but the music is absolutely peerless in its quality. From beginning...
A deeper look at the grroves pressed into the hot pink, limited edition pressing of Father of All Motherfuckers by Green Day. After a span of sixteen years spent examining a series of high-concept creative endeavors (American Idiot started the trend in 2004 and catapulted Green Day onto an echelon of rock stardom that no one imagined possible for the band before, followed by another concept album in the form of 21 st Century Breakdown and a three-album vanity project,...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the “Green Fuzz” 10” single by Naked Giants. After releasing their debut album, Sluff, in 2018, even the softest, newest and least tested critics figured they had Naked Giants’ career path pegged and charted. They figured that a future full of odd, poppy, rocky and fairly danceable music was in the cards for this band, until such time as tastes shifted and then the group would just implode under the weight of...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into The Twin LP by Sound Of Ceres. It may sound odd (or even erroneous) to claim that an album as methodically-paced and dreamy in demeanor as Sound Of Ceres’ sophomore album is comes off as being both exciting and fascinating, but there’s honestly no other good way to characterize it. As a whole, listeners will find it easy to sink into and get lost within the lush and beautiful sounds which emanate...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Teacher’s Pet 7” single by Ramoms. When Ramoms’ first single (Problem Child) came out last year, I think that I came out both positively and honestly in my review of it, but I also think that I may have inadvertently understated the quality of what I heard. Yes, there was a great, straight out cover of a Ramones song present (“Rockaway Beach”), a great rewrite of a classic Ramones cut (“Blitzkrieg...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Constellate Instrumentals LP by Tensei. When Tensei released Constellate last year, I can say happily that I was won by the album really quickly; the urbqn vibes couples with the jazz undertones and the smooth confidence of the vocal performances tapped into most of the points that I like best about hip hop and fusion. Before long, I can safely say that I was singing Tensei’s praises to every receptive with...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Summer Bliss and Autumn Tears LP by Steven Bradley. Especially considering the low cost and high quality of digital recording platforms, it has become incredibly easy for every aspiring musician to make the album of their dreams. My intention is not to disparage or downplay any artist’s talent or creative aspirations, I’m just saying that it’s cheap and easy to make a record in the twenty-first century; the thing that isn’t...
Kurt Baker Combo Let’s Go Wild Kurt Baker is from Maine but now lives in the plains of Spain and rock ‘n’ roll is the name of his game. How’s that for a biography? There’s a certain element of New England pride I have talking about Kurt Baker and his catchy brand of punk rock ‘n’ roll, so there’s a certain sadness in my heart when I think the man has left us to continue his life of music overseas....
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into The Drew Thomson Foundation’s self-titled debut album. “What is the secret to making a pop record in the twenty-first century?” Such was the root of a conversation I had with my daughter last week, but it all began with talking about how much music has changed in what could be perceived as a very short period of time. Since it has bearing on the dialogue, it’s worth pointing out that it was...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Serfs Up! LP by Fat White Family. While I can safely say that I did enjoy Fat White Family’s sophomore album (Songs For Our Mothers) when I reviewed it in 2016, it proved to be for the wrong reasons. I liked it, but I missed the point (or at least I think I did); it wasn’t until I sunk a stylus into Serfs Up! – the London-based band’s third album –...