A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Jealous Butcher reissue of the Meaningless LP by Jon Brion. Sometimes, as good as a record might be, it just cannot buy a break. Take the Jealous Butcher reissue of Jon Brion’s Meaningless LP, for example; even a cursory listen effortlessly illustrates the album’s power pop perfection but, released as it was alongside albums like Gorillaz’ self-titled debut, Ani DiFranco’a Revelling/Reckoning, Sum 41’s All Killer, No Filler and Exciter by Depeche...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Burn All The Ships LP by Headstones. Since returning in 2013 with Love + Fury, the Headstones have illustrated that they can orchestrate a comeback with greater competence than most other bands. Over the last twelve years, the band has come back in a manner similar to how Hard Core Logo did in Bruce MacDonald’s mock/rockumentary before stripping their sound to bare bones, picking up acoustic instruments and revisiting their early...
Lilith’s Army Doll LP (Criminal Records) A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Doll LP by Lilith’s Army. While the claim that, as a musical form, Riot Grrl has evolved over time is an easy one to make (Sleater-Kinney has taken their sound and inspiration in several directions, and L7 has mutated a couple of times too), Lilith’s Army joyfully proves that remaining exactly where the music was thirty-five years ago – deep within a rough and ready...
The Brian Jonestown Massacre “Makes Me Great” b/w “Out Of Body” 10” (A Records) A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the “Makes Me Great” b/w “Out Of Body” 10” single by The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Since beginning to self-release their records twenty years ago, Brian Jonestown Massacre has unilaterally chosen to not only take control of their output, they’ve occasionally proven that they’re not above getting very, very self indulgent in service of their muse. That often means...
The Peawees One Ride LP (Wild Honey/Spaghetty Town Records) A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the One Ride LP by The Peawees. While it would be difficult to call what The Peawees do on their debut album particularly unique or innovative (from front to back, the band makes the most of its own barroom rock aesthetic, and seasons in horns to make the standout cuts on the album sparkle and shine), actually listening to One Ride can win...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Nuisance EP by Clean Lines. At this point, the city of Seattle has become synonymous with grunge – but on their Nuisance EP, Clean Lines prove that there are other, greater musical possibilities which also come from the Evergreen State. Within just four cuts’ time, Clean Lines don’t just crib some ideas from The Briefs and call it a day – rather, they ambitiously utilize recognizable sounds and rethink some well-tread...
David Bowie TOY:Box (6 X 10” box set) (ISO Records/Parlophone) A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the David Bowie TOY:Box (6 X 10” box set) After David Bowie’s death in 2016, the singer proved to still be able to make news with the series of releases that he had intended to see come out – and were actually followed through upon...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into Bambies’ Snotty Angels LP. Rare is the band that is capable of taking a very well-established sound, tweaking it ever-so-slightly and landing on something that is instantly rewarding and gratifying for those who hear it, but Bambies – a teeny tiny band on an even smaller label – have made an album which lands them among that aforementioned select few. The band’s sophomore album is just bombastic; from front to back, the...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Music That Humans Can Play LP by Autogramm. That Autogramm has so meticulously presented themselves as being perched on New Wave’s pinnacle of power and influence now – about forty years after that form peaked – cannot possibly have been by accident. From front to back and top to bottom, Music That Humans Can Play goes out of its way to return to that moment in time when movie soundtracks were...
A deeper look at the grooves pressed into Scott Collins’ Purple Pain LP. There aren’t many artists making music right now who are capable of introducing themselves as clearly having both their heart on their sleeve as well as a chip clearly on their shoulder, but that’s exactly what Scott Collins does on his Purple Pain LP. From the moment stylus catches groove and “Killer Crush” opens the running of Purple Pain‘s A-side, Collins straddles a line between defining warm...