THE LOUDER STUFF
EARLY MOODS – A Sinner's Past
Sounds like a cross between Saint Vitus and Count Raven. BTW “Early Moods” can be anagrammed as “Doom Slayer”, which is probably a more appropriate name for these guys. (7)
GUN – Hombres
Nobody plays anthemic, melodic hard rock like this anymore. A very strong album, right up there with “Taking On The World” and “Gallus”, with Dante Gizzi’s transition from bassist to lead vocalist/frontman a great success story. (8)
HEAVY TEMPLE – Garden Of Heathens
This fucking rocks (or, rather, RAWKS) in a High On Fire/Yob sort of way, plus I’d listen to a band with a frontwoman named High Priestess Nighthawk any day. (8)
WHOM GODS DESTROY – Insanium
This is basically a new version of Sons of Apollo and the fantastic Croatian guy replacing Soto on vocals is the only real surprise here, other than that it’s the Dreamy Theatery stuff you’d expect. But my question is, how come every single fucking band that copies Dream Theater has a better singer than Dream Theater? (7)
THE OTHER STUFF
CINDY LEE – Diamond Jubilee
This one has been getting 9+ reviews from virtually every music critic in the solar system but I assume that’s because they were teenagers in 2000 and they got all nostalgic when Cindy Lee, in a genius zero-budget marketing move, decided to only make the album available on GeoCities. But really, 128 minutes of low-fi late 90’s indie pop influenced by 60’s girl groups? My attention span is too short for that. (7)
ENGLISH TEACHER – This Could Be Texas
Some people call it post-punk but it’s really just some very cool music that’s a bit all over the place, I haven’t enjoyed an album like this coming out of the UK since, I dunno, Wolf Alice’s “Blue Weekend”? Which is a pretty good point of reference BTW, along with Black Country New Road. (8)
SHABAKA HUTCHINGS – Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace
WTF is wrong with you man, you used to be fun. People could actually dance to your jazz, and now you’re doing this cosmic hippy shit? (5)
WILLIE NILE – Live at Daryl’s House Club
Bruce Springsteen without the budget, Lou Reed without the high art, Bob Dylan gone power pop, I love this guy. (8)
AARON LEE TASJAN – Stellar Evolution
Maybe you know Tasjan as an Americana artist but his versatility is well documented (he even played guitar in the 21st century version of the New York Dolls) and this is a fantastic glam pop album. (8)
VARIOUS ARTISTS – My Black Country: The Songs Of Alice Randall
Tribute album to trailblazing African American female country songwriter, a companion release to her autobiography with the same title. Rhiannon Giddens, Adia Victoria, Sunny War, Valerie June and others pay their respects. (8)
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