Catfish and The Bottlemen explode out of the gates on their debut, The Balcony, with an immediacy I haven’t felt since Stereophonics Language. Sex. Violence. Other? This album sounds like the album that The Strokes, Foster The People, and countless other mid-00’s bands wanted to make but fell just short of. The difference is where most of the other potentially great bands relied on style to elevate them, Catfish & The Bottlemen appear to simply rely on strong songwriting. Continue reading Album Review: Catfish and The Bottlemen – The Balcony →

Think about someone you’ve know who was both bitingly clever and charmingly aloof; someone who knew they were magnetic but didn’t actually care if anyone acknowledged it. Remember how much you enjoyed being in the presence of that person? I Love You, Honeybear, the sophomore album by Father John Misty, is very much the musical version of that rare person from your memory. Continue reading Father John Misty – I Love You Honeybear →

Sonic Highways finds Foo Fighters mired in an identity crisis; stuck at the proverbial crossroads of their own various sonic highways. Are Foo Fighters a modern rock band or are they flag-bearers for music history? Are they still relevant or are they and peers such as Pearl Jam becoming my generation’s Bruce Springsteen and Rolling Stones aka still producing greatest hits touring machines? I contend that Sonic Highways is proof that the Foo Fighters as we have known them should take a rest in order to let the true identity of the Foo Fighters shine through.  Continue reading Review: Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways →