Album Reviews
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Album Review: MUNA fights for someone special on debut, About U
An all-queer dark electronic pop girl band is a phrase that you don’t hear very often. L.A.’s MUNA has made the sub-genre official with their debut album, About U. Written and performed in the same vein as Haim and Lucius, the album is full of heartbreak, social justice and empowerment tempered with…
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Review: The Menzingers carry on After the Party
Many Generation Y babies are wondering what the view is like from the other side of 30 right about now, and the Menzingers‘ new record, After the Party, posits just that. After the Party The Menzingers Feb. 3 The Pennsylvanian punk rockers fifth full-length release offers 13 compelling tracks that…
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Review: Elbow discovers new sound with Little Fictions
Formed in 1997, Manchester, England group Elbow are back with their sixth full-length release, Little Fictions. Having found their overall sound in the beginning, Elbow never veered too far away from what they showed in their 2001 debut Asleep in the Back. The band has always made a type of indie rock that combines elements of chamber music, dreamy production and Britpop. They’ve attempted to…
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QUICK TAKES: Ty Segall reins it in with second self-titled LP
SoCal native, Ty Segall has kept busy since emerging onto the lo-fi indie scene with his self-titled debut in 2008. Since then, the 29-year-old musician has released an album a year for the past 10 years and that’s not even including his various side projects, including Fuzz, Broken Bat and Epsilons.…
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Album Review: Fancey sees a Love Mirage in discoland
Todd Fancey is back, after a 10-year hiatus from work as a solo artist, with his third album, Love Mirage. The New Pornographers guitarist has admittedly been busy with his day job, but we finally get a glimpse into his psyche. Following the break, Fancey has come out the other…
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Cloud Nothings get softer but stay interesting on Life Without Sound
Cloud Nothings‘ newest album, Life Without Sound, is their most cleanly produced and softest effort yet. Cloud Nothings has blended indie rock, post-hardcore, pop-punk and emo throughout their whole discography. With each album, they shifted the potency of each genre around to create a fresh sound, but none of…
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Album Review: Japandroids suck the marrow from the Wild Heart of Life
It has been three years since Japandroids’ released their last album, Post Nothings, an anthemic punk rock record that put them on the map. Typically, bands attempt to capitalize on their newfound fame by releasing another album immediately afterward, but Japandroids did the opposite. They hid away for three years without a peep…
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Album Review: Frank Carter stumbles into Modern Ruin
Former Gallows frontman Frank Carter and his new band the Rattlesnakes are offering up yet another perplexing chapter in his musical career with the release of Modern Ruin. On a path that has weaved from his hardcore beginnings, to his brief foray into lighthearted alt-rock with now defunct Pure Love, Modern Ruin…
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Album Review: Kid Koala experiments with celestial sound on Music To Draw To: Satellite
Fewer samples and more subtlety, intertwined with the melodic vocals of Icelandic singer Emilíana Torrini, help Kid Koala create a very different album from his previous releases. Koala is a Canadian-born DJ and graphic novelist who gained recognition for his unique use of turntables and alternative sound. His work with Deltron…
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Album Review: SOHN simplifies his sound with Rennen
From traveling the world and performing at major music festivals to getting married and becoming a first-time father, SOHN has lived a memorable two years. Rennen, the German word meaning “to run,” is an apt title for SOHN’s sophomore studio album. Since his 2014 debut album, Tremors, the London native has honed his sound,…