Post Death Soundtrack – Veil Lifter (Album Review)
The phrase “ignorance is bliss,” coined by 18th-century poet Thomas Gray, seems to be an undeniable truism. However, bliss needn’t always be the end goal. One could make the case that it’s more interesting, exciting, and human to illuminate what terrifies you. One proponent of this idea is the rockContinue Reading
Album Reviews: Nicholas Skalba, Hari Sima & Mínim, Storm Clouds
Photo by Pin Han Lim Nicholas Skalba – (circadian) ambience and soundscapes ambient Nicholas Skalba is a multi-instrumentalist composer from Chicago now based in Los Angeles. Having earned a master’s degree in scoring music for film and television from Columbia College Chicago, Skalba’s work is emboldened by theoretical know-how andContinue Reading
Single Reviews: 10 July 2024: sparring, Simon Herberholz, Ally Nicholas, Leftover Luck, Lumari
Photo by Aysegul Alp sparring – In The Fish Tank experimental There’s a supernatural quality to “In The Fish Tank”, the debut single from obscure Mexican artist sparring. It seems to float in the air and bend a finger towards some stellular realm, though often veers towards somewhere closerContinue Reading
Decoy – re:selection (EP Review)
Not for the faint-hearted, Decoy are a Baton Rouge hardcore outfit that brings the intensity up to 11 on their recent EP, re:selection. The band are made up of the tortured and ostensibly possessed vocals of Jonah Smith, the shredding guitars of Matt Rumfellow and Bobby Burnette, the grounding andContinue Reading
Strawflower – Greetings from the Stardust Motel (Album Review)
LA surf rockers Strawflower make a convincing argument for leaving it all behind in the name of debaucherous pleasures on their debut album “Greetings from the Stardust Motel”. Featuring a classy and mostly laid-back sound, the group flits between chillaxed beach vibes and darker forays into alternative rock, unanimously deliveredContinue Reading
pb – neither prose nor poetry (Album Review)
The dulcet folk stylings of British-American folk songwriter pb, stage name of Phoebe Workman, are on full display across her debut album neither prose nor poetry. Through personable writing, up-close-and-personal performances, and fully-fleshed-out arrangements replete with sweeping orchestral strings, classy percussion, and stellar production, the album features songs collected fromContinue Reading
Dying Habit – The Chaos Of Silence (Album Review)
British composer Leopold Stokowski once said “A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence.” On their sophomore album The Chaos of Silence, Welsh four-piece Dying Habit investigate the cathartic nature of music through songs that create images of tension with aggressive riffs, jerky rhythms, andContinue Reading
Single Reviews: 26 June 2024: Tez, Houston in the Blind, Yodashe, Akrobat, A Number From the Ghost
Photo by Cody Whear Tez – Feathers indie rock Canterbury four-piece Tez makes a compelling case for emotional vulnerability in their recent single “Feathers”. Touching on themes of “the recognition of spirits, good karma, and appreciation” the self-aware single sees frontman Owen Mellett wear his heart on his sleeve whileContinue Reading
Mountains of Jura – Mountains of Jura (Album Review)
Never judge a book by its cover unless it’s not a book but the second self-titled album from Californian hypnotists-cum-psychedelic-indie rockers Mountains of Jura. The cover art of their latest release is a brilliantly detailed drawing of a lynx by Paula Spence. This image perfectly depicts the group’s roaming, confident,Continue Reading
Mortal Prophets – Brian Eno In Heaven (EP Review)
New Yorker John Beckmann has had a productive few years. Since 2022, the genre-averse artist has released four albums (one of which was an opera titled HANUSSEN) and numerous EPS and singles. Going under the nome de plume Mortal Prophets, Beckmann incorporates experimental traditions and sensory indulgence into his cinematicContinue Reading