Wednesday, 1 July 2015

Short Attention Span Record Reviews: July 2015 Referendum Version




VOTE "LOUDER"

AUTHOR & PUNISHER – Melk En Honing 
Mad scientist makes his own instruments and uses them to create the most punishing industrial noise imaginable. (8)

BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME – Coma Ecliptic 
BTBAM’s music is quite impressive like a Santiago Calatrava-designed building is impressive, you look at a Calatrava building thinking “wow, that’s impressive”, but imagine having to look at a Calatrava building FOR 70 FUCKING MINUTES STRAIGHT. (6)

BOSSE-DE-NAGE – All Fours
So you like Deafheaven-style hipster black metal and you’re looking for something new because Liturgy is so 2011? Well here it is, enjoy. (8) 

FAILURE – The Heart Is A Monster
90’s cult alternative rock heroes, Tool protégées and one of Cave In’s major spiritual guides release comeback album after an 18-year hiatus. (7) 

FUCKED UP – Year Of The Hare
Another 30-minute long art-punk EP consisting of just 2 songs. Not as strong as “Year Of The Dragon”. (7) 

MISCHIEF BREW – This Is Not For Children
Folk-punk aficionados who enjoy the Dropkick Murphys, Gogol Bordello, New Model Army and beer will cream their shorts with this one. (8) 

MUTOID MAN – Bleeder
Cave In mainman and Converge drummer go full-on metal on your ass and this riff-orama sounds absolutely huge. (8) 

NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA – Skyline Whispers
Melodic hard rock shamelessly plagiarizing the pre-hair metal era of “Perfect Strangers”, “Slide It In” and “Frontiers”. If you can’t tap your foot and shake your booty to this you’re dead inside. (8) 

REFUSED – Freedom
“The Shape Of Punk To Come” almost shaped the punk to come in 1998, and in a perfect world this divisive comeback album would finish the job. (9) 


VOTE "OTHER"

CRAIG FINN – Newmyer’s Roof 
The Hold Steady mainman releases 5-track EP as an appetizer for solo album coming in September, focuses on a stripped-down, less epic sound. But those lyrics… (7) 

JENNY LYSANDER – Northern Folk 
Laura Marling and Anais Mitchell fans should check this fantastic Swedish lady out. Also for all the weirdos out there who go ecstatic over obscure late-60’s acid folk, this is in the same vein. (8) 

KACEY MUSGRAVES – Pageant Material 
“Pageant Material” is “Last In Line” to “Same Trailer Different Park”’s “Holy Diver”: Exactly the same album as its predecessor, only slightly less great because it’s exactly the same album. (8) 

KRISTIN DIABLE – Create Your Own Myth
The fantasically named Kristin Diable tries to create her own myth with her Dusty-flavored debut which mostly sounds like a darker Amy Winehouse. (8) 

RICKIE LEE JONES – The Other Side Of Desire 
Rickie goes to New Orleans to overcome her writer’s block and comes up with a decent piece of country- and blues-infused late-night listening. (7) 

TERAKAFT – Alone (Tenere) 
If you’re into Tinariwen’s “desert blues” vibe and groove then this is going to be right up your alley – the two bands sound virtually indistinguishable, at least to western ears. (7) 

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Truckers, Kickers, Cowboy Angels: The Blissed-Out Birth of Country Rock, Vol. 4 1971 
Another fun instalment in this series documenting the birth and rise of country rock and really, you should buy all of them. This one’s got Commander Cody, Gene Clark, Alex Harvey, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Flying Burrito Bros, The Band, New Riders Of The Purple Sage, JJ Cale, Delaney & Bonnie, Little Feat, Ry Cooder, Poco, Sir Douglas Quintet and many others. (9) 

WILLIAM D. DRAKE – Revere Reach 
Prog rock in the very English and most bucolic sense of the term from former Cardiacs keyboardist. Very un-rock ‘n’ roll but interesting. (7) 

WILLIE NILE – The Bottom Line Archive Series: 1980 & 2000 
Two live sets from the same venue, separated by 20 years, from a NYC singer-songwriter cult hero who knows how to rock a crowd. Raw, gritty and street-smart. (8)

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