Just because a CD will hold 80 minutes of music doesn’t mean it should. Ten songs totaling just over 25 minutes in length, Long Gone and Nearly There, the debut album from Washington D.C.-based quartet Julie Ocean makes a case for fast over fatuous, poppy over prog, and concise over complicated. The album is being released by Transit of Venus, distributed in the U.S. by RedEye.
Lemuria – Get Better / 2008 Asian Man / 12 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/lemuria / http://www.asianmanrecords.com / Lemuria excites me. I had little expectations for the band coming out of just looking at the CD, but it really took me sticking the disc into my player and hearing “Pants†to really get behind the act. There is not really a referent to any of the band’s unique style. Two vocalists –…
Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles Deon Dirks, A.K.A. Young Grim grew up during the late 80’s and became a fan of hip hop the moment he was introduced to artists and groups such as the Beastie Boys, Fat Boys, LL Cool J, and Run DMC. However, it wasn’t until he heard NWA that he fell in love with hip hop, because NWA spoke to his reality. They…
Dan In Real Life / 2008 Buena Vista Home Entertainment / 98 Minutes / http://www.video.com / Individuals in comedy, such as Will Ferrell have distinctive features but change up their hairstyles, behaviors, and even looks for each role that they are in. It seems as if Steve Carell has found eirself in a specific role. I don’t know if I would call it a form of typecasting, but there definitvely…
For longtime visitors of my site, you may remember that a review of this zine was up for about a week. This is because the person that was giving me the free webspace couldn’t maintain the upkeep, and was forced to drop the domain. Anyway, this zine really hits home for me, as the main topic of the magazine, as one can imagine, is living alongside some of the worst…
Prosthetic Records is proud to announce the addition of Pennsylvania-based CENTURY to the label’s roster. Boasting a forward-thinking approach to heavy music, the band has already garnered critical praise from 2006’s ‘Faith and Failure’ and plans to release its latest effort, the concept-based ‘Black Ocean’ April 29 worldwide, and a day prior in Europe.
Mar 23 2008 8:00P Music Hall of Williamsburg (with Xiu Xiu) Brooklyn, New York Mar 27 2008 8:00P Black Cat (with Xiu Xiu) Washington DC Apr 2 2008 8:00P Canal Room (Headlining) New York, New York Village Voice – “[Music for Tourists] It’s soft, honest, and wholeheartedly intimate†Time Out NY – “His strong command of the piano and quirky operatic voice call to mind Regina Spektor. Like her, he…
High Maintenance #2 ($3, PO Box 63022, Philadelphia, PA 19114-0822) Another of the glossy zines that I always tend to get for review, this one is actually not that bad. Interspersing heavy musical content with different approaches, High Maintenance makes it easy for the average reader to get through the magazine in just under an hour, and without stopping to put the zine. Highlights of this issue include the listing…
In just the first two years together Kelowna, BC’s SLEDDOGS, consisting of Kenny Byrka lead vocals, electric bass, electric piano, synthesizers, Michael Donley; electric guitar, backing vocals, and Eric Funk; drums and percussion, backing vocals, have made a significant mark on the Canadian rock landscape. Following a hectic 2006, SLEDDOGS settled into a West Coast groove to test the waters for their highly anticipated follow up with producer Steven Drake,…
The South Florida store Merchandize Liquidators provides individuals with an easy way to get wholesale clothes for a price that individuals will be happy with. Whether it be men’s clothing or a number of other types and styles of clothing, they will have everything an individual could want. Check them out.
When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold Out April 22nd On Rhymesayers – SXSW Listening Event Friday, March 14th at 2pm. If five releases from Atmosphere in less than a year doesn’t have you already convinced that Minneapolis’ Slug and Ant are the hardest working men in the biz, 19 North American tour dates through April and May across the US and Canada should set the record…
Hermana, Resist #2 / Half-Sized / $3 / 44 Pages / Noemi Martinez, PO Box 809, La Blanca, TX 78558 / noemi@chicanawriter.com / Before receiving this zine, I really heard some great stuff about Hermana, Resist and Noemi. I even went as far to do a link exchange with Noemi and eir’s website, CS-Tiendita. However, when I actually read through the zine I was shocked about how intensely personal Noemi…
On their third full-length, the long-awaited “A Long, Lovely List of Repairs” (Adrenaline Music Group/Alternative Distribution Alliance), Portland, Oregon¹s Amelia – Teisha Helgerson (vocals/drums), Jesse Emerson (bass) and Scott Weddle (guitar/vocals)  deliver a beautiful, spellbinding album of rustic pop, Americana, and heartbreaking rock. Critical praise has followed Amelia throughout their career, with publications such as Performing Songwriter Magazine describing their music as “Ša lush mid-tempo world of vibrato guitar,…
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OST: Bonneville / 2008 Lakeshore / 15 Tracks / http://www.lakeshore-records.com / The style of “Bonneville’s†soundtrack is interesting. The first half of the disc consists of tracks by a number of individuals both famous (Donovan, Amos Lee) and either forgotten or less popular (Chelo, Nick Kershaw). The second half of the disc consists of tracks by Jeff Cardoni, an up and coming composer that has scored things as diverse as…
On April 15, 2008, Osaka natives Water Fai will release their debut album, Girls in the White Dream. Influenced by Mogwai, Styrofoam, and Electralane, Water Fai bring a much needed feminine approach to the post-rock genre, so often dominated by male artists.
About Further Down Born in the Arkansas hills and with a deep-rooted appreciation for blues-tinged Southern rock as well as radio-ready album rock, five-piece rock band Further Down has arrived. With the release of the band’s third full-length album, 7 Years Hard Luck (August 21, 2007), Further Down is on a mission to bring rock to its roots and back again to the present. Further Down features rock royalty in…
Second single features Little Brother and production from 9th Wonder The Song: On Akrobatik’s second full-length solo release, the only thing more impressive than the star-studded guest list – Chuck D, J Dilla, Talib Kweli, to name a few– is the fact that he is not once overshadowed by the surrounding hip-hop giants. “Be Prepared,” featuring Little Brother and produced by 9th Wonder, exemplifies Ak’s ability to showcase other artists…
Here’s What I’ve Hidden Under My Tongue #1 / $1 / :10 / 28S / D.J.T., 108 Route 30, Newfane, VT 05345 / DJT’s zines are always some of the most emotionally affecting that I have the chance to read, and this time deals with eir dealings with diet, both before and after hormonal therapy. In the inaugural issue of this zine, the societal construct of what it is to…
I was always a singer. There is a dusty reel to reel tape somewhere of me singing Be Bop a Lula at about three years old. I didnt know all the lyrics then! Musicians of my age were perhaps the first generation of teenagers to actually like the music their parents listened to and so I had a good solid education of the Beatles, The Stones, The Kinks, The Who,…