The sly style of Goldenboy during “Underneath the Radio†is something that has not been heard in this style since the shoegazer style lost some of its pull after the turn of century. The disc’s first track is “Ice Breaker Bluesâ€, and also ominously the longest track on the disc. However, Goldenboy is able to include enough in the way of extra material to keep individuals hanging on to every…
Former Husker Du co-founder, drummer Grant Hart has a bit of a reputation for being a tad bit erratic when it comes to releases, so the fact that he hasn’t put out a proper album in 10 years, should come as little surprise. Hot Wax, his fourth solo effort, is not a drastic departure from his previous solo works. Not nearly as aggressive or groundbreaking as the songs in Husker…
England’s X-Ray Spex may not have garnered as much respect or attention as The Sex Pistols or The Clash, but they had their hand in influencing a generation of future punk and indie rockers, from Concrete Blonde to Le Tigre. Recorded in 2008, the CD/DVD Live at the Roundhouse England beautifully captures the energy from this late 70’s pop-punk band, reunited after more than a decade a part. X-Ray Spex,…
“My American Dream†comes forth with Room Full of Strangers taking on Glenn Danzig-era Misfits to craft something that will play well on any hard rock radio station. The act is not that straightforward, as it becomes obvious after a few listens that Room Full of Strangers calls forth the spirit of a scintillating blend of rock and heavier acts. “The Night That Could Never End†continues this trend, with…
“Something About You†is the first track on “You Know What To Doâ€, and it showcases Mel and the rest of her band to be extraordinarily diverse , touching upon a number of styles and influences all the course of five minutes. There are nods to current pop, nineties alternative, Caribbean music, and even the soulful crooners of the 1920s. This turns “You Know What To Do†into an EP…
There is no time really to take a breath once Ash Gray and the Girls start up their “This Could Be A Wild Nightâ€. This is due to the fact that the EP’s opening salvo, “Your Gun Is Outâ€, brings together all sides of rock and pop and places it front and center. Whether it be a nod to the Beach Boys, Ramones, or even sixties teeny-pop, the surprising thing…
Goldenboy – Right Kind of Wrong / 2004 Fastmusic / 10 Tracks / http://www.goldenboyrocks.com / http://www.fastmusic.com / Reviewed 17 October 2004 Providing a type of pop-punk that draws together Weezer, Green Day, SR-71, as well as the SoCal punk of the mid to late nineties, Norway’s Goldenboy have a professional air around them that shows a devotion that not many American bands have. “(Not) Going Home Alone†highlights the heavy…
Goldblade – Punk Rockers In The Dance Hall / 2006 SOS / 17 Tracks / http://www.goldblade.com / http://www.sosrecords.us / Reviewed 31 October 2006 When I first encountered Goldblade, they were present on the “God Save The Queen†DVD that came out last year. I had no clue what exactly they were on this DVD, as the rest of the acts on there had been around or had been defunct for…
“Timid Creature†is the first track on “Out Of Orbitâ€, establishing Alphanaut as an act that can skillfully move through a number of musical genres, eras, and influences. This means that the track touches upon acts like Depeche Mode, New Order, and even Lou Reed at points. There is a retro feel to “Out Of Orbit†that keeps individuals listening in, while Alphanaut takes complete care to make each track…
Gods Among Men – Self/Titled Gods Among Men – Self/Titled / 2004 Sardonic Sounds / 7 Tracks / http://www.godsamongmen.net/ flophaus@hotmail.com / Reviewed 04 April 2005 Two distinct paths are laid out for the listener during Gods Among Men’s first track on their self-titled disc, “Third Languageâ€. Ruth’s smoother version of vocals provide support to the viola, an element that would seem wholly out of place alongside brash drumming and rough…
Gods – I See You Through Glass / 2005 Hand of Hope / 10 Tracks / http://www.cultofgods.com / http://www.handofhoperecords.com / Reviewed 31 May 2005 Gods is a hardcore band that has influenced immensely by the current styling of rock that has plastered itself throughout the entirety of harder-themed radio. Unlike a great deal of these over-hyped new-rock bands, Gods really comes through on “I See You Through Glass†with a…
The Go-Betweens – Oceans Apart The Go-Betweens – Oceans Apart / 2005 YepRoc / 15 Tracks / http://www.go-betweens.net / http://www.yeproc.com / Reviewed 09 May 2005 “Here Comes A City†shows a band that is well-versed in the old forms of rock, having vocals reminiscent of Mick Jagger even as the music has a cousin in “China Girlâ€. What is immediately striking about The Go-Betweens is the fullness of their songs.…
Gnarls Barkley – St. Elsewhere / 2006 Downtown / 14 Tracks / http://www.gnarlsbarkley.com / http://www.downtownrecordings.com / Reviewed 16 July 2006 The United Kingdom picks up on bands well before the United States. Case in point is Gnarls Barkley, the collaboration between Danger Mouse and Cee-lo that was on the top of the charts in the UK for over two months. “Crazy†was the first single and “Smiley Faces†was just…
Hellshock – Warlord EP / 2005 Profane Existence / 2 Tracks / http://www.profaneexistence.com / Reviewed 11 October 2005 Two tracks really make it nearly impossible to gauge the sound of a band, and while the two tracks of the Warlord EP (Warlord and Legion) are both of an extend track length (at least for a punk type of sound), this hypothesis still holds water. The music that Hellshock puts down…
Glitter Pals – Unleash The Compassion / 2005 Lovepump United / 4 Tracks / http://www.glitterpals.com / http://www.lpurecords.com / Reviewed 24 September 2005 The tension that starts off “Unleash The Compassion†is so thick that someone could cut it with a night; this is primarily due to the vocals of Mookie, which are paralleled bnicely by the guitar work (also by Mookie) that opens up the second track “Unleash The Compassionâ€.…
Gliss – Love The Virgins / 2006 Mountain Lo-Fi / 12 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/gliss / http://www.tough-cookie.co.uk / Reviewed 25 September 2006 I can’t tell exactly which approach Gliss is trying to take with their “Love The Virginsâ€. During “I Want Youâ€, there is a heavy late nineties approach to things (reminding listeners of acts like Placebo and Stabbing Westward), but the emotional output of the lead singer is something that…
A Global Threat – Where The Sun Never Sets / 2006 BYO / 18 Tracks / http://www.aglobalthreat.net / http://www.byorecords.com / Reviewed 16 March 2006 To say that this album sounds different from “What The Fuck Will Change†is a gross understatement. The sound of A Global Threat seems to be a little more mature, and the production value seems to be much more compressed than the last album. In a…
Glimpse attempts the fairly minimalist style to their music, preferring instead to let the vocals shine through and drive a great deal of the melody in each song. Sure, the drums might be splashing through the track in the background of the song, but one doesn’t notice them half as much as the ultra-smooth lyrics of Josh. Starting off the disc with “Stayâ€, Glimpse chooses to go with a pseudo-ska…
Moving their center slightly to include the latest developments in emo-rock, Glimpse has gained some much needed ground in the nine months since I’ve reviewed them last. While still extremely radio friendly, Glimpse has taken on the smooth / screaming dual vocal styles of bands like Boys Night Out and The Goodlife, something most audible in their “Here With Youâ€. Moving through the disc, Glimpse shows that they are still…
Bringing back the sound of Matthew Sweet may not be the best idea, but Gladshot is able to create a disc of hits that walk along the same path. Mike’s vocals are all the instrumentation that Stand needs, as all the rest of the instrumentation is definitely secondary. Deborah’s piano lines, especially noticed in a track like “Hotel Room†are warm, earthy, and emotional, adding a second aural presence to…