Live Review: Brand New at Verizon Field, 7/22/16

IMG_2660

Complacency is the killer of brilliance. Too many bands of have exchanged their golden ages of creativity for steady paychecks collected by touring a greatest hits package. You know the bands I’m talking about; the ones who play decently and create an illusion of variety by simply making one or two slight adjustments to a setlist night after night. This last Friday at Verizon Field, Brand New gave a master course in how to remain vital even in the face of a creative lull. Continue reading Live Review: Brand New at Verizon Field, 7/22/16

Album Review: Diarrhea Planet – Turn To Gold

goldish front cursive

There are people who will swear that Badmotorfinger is a better album than Superunknown – those people are wrong. On Badmotorfinger there may be some moments that are better, or even a song that is better, but as a cohesive, digestible piece of art, Superunknown is simply a superior album. When Diarrhea Planet releases Turn To Gold next week, fans of the I-like-their-old-stuff-ilk are sure to come scurrying out of the woodwork but the fact of the matter is that Turn To Gold is the best album Diarrhea Planet has released…so far. Continue reading Album Review: Diarrhea Planet – Turn To Gold

Album Review: John Congleton and The Nighty Nites – Until The Horror Goes

image

At its core, John Congleton’s, Until The Horror Goes, is a meditation on dissonance.
This record, more than most, is impossible to accurately separate into its components, words and music. Taken alone, the music is frequently off-putting. Taken alone, the melodies are incredibly catchy. Taken alone, the lyrics could read like the prose of a young writer who just discovered Nietzsche. But together, together they tear down the facade each individual part component creates and reveals the true nature of the artist. Continue reading Album Review: John Congleton and The Nighty Nites – Until The Horror Goes

Milestone Albums: The Toadies – Hell Below/Stars Above

Toadies_-_Hell_Below_Stars_Above

***disclaimer, this is a day late due to St Patrick’s Day and a Deftones concert last night***

Today marks the 15th anniversary of The Toadies defining masterpiece, Hell Below/Stars Above. The world was a strange place back in 2001; “punk” music was basically family-friendly and rap-rock dominated the airwaves with an iron-grip not seen again until Adele popped her head up a decade later. Hell Below/Stars Above was the wrong music for the wrong time, nobody heard the album, and The Toadies never had a chance. For the few of us that did happen to hear the album though, it was a game-changer. Continue reading Milestone Albums: The Toadies – Hell Below/Stars Above

Album Review: Titus Andronicus – The Most Lamentable Tragedy

TA

 

Comparing the new Titus Andronicus(hereafter +@) album, The Most Lamentable Tragedy(hereafter TMLT), to another album in existence is an exercise in futility. A fairer work of art to compare it to would be James Joyce’s Ulysses in terms of sheer verbal density, wealth of motifs, and commitment required by the consumer. Stated bluntly, TMLT is a rock opera masterpiece that because +@ are committed to taking the listener on a very specific journey oftentimes at the expense of modern pop conventions. Continue reading Album Review: Titus Andronicus – The Most Lamentable Tragedy

Album Review: Fear Control – The Monster

FearControl-TheMonster

 

Heavy metal is a stubborn genre that it is generally not accepting of any sort of deviations from the norm (please see exhibits A – Metallica/Load and B – Machine Head/The Burning Red). Heavy metal has only ever had one commandment – Play harder, louder, and faster. This puts obvious constraints on a band wanting to play metal music some thirty years after the emergence of the genre. The peak of human riff speed has already been achieved and the throat can only be so guttural before it gives out. So what’s a new band supposed to do? Continue reading Album Review: Fear Control – The Monster

Honeymoon Break…

Hey Everyone! Just a quick update, we are back from the honeymoon and I have the wife all moved in now. In my absence I heard a guy named Kendrick Lamar released an album or something? Seriously though, I’ve got some reviews coming up for Kendrick Lamar, Courtney Barnett, Modest Mouse, and the shows I saw in the 24hrs I was able to pop in at SXSW on the way back home. Talk to you soon!

peace,

daniel