Sonic YouthLive In Brooklyn 2011Silver Current Records [2023] Sonic Youth will undoubtedly secure their place in the history books due to their profound influence on the alternative and indie music scenes, especially throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Renowned for their sound experimentation, they seamlessly integrated elements of noise, feedback, and unconventional guitar tunings. By challenging … Read more
Guided By VoicesScalping The GuruGBV Inc. [2022] If you were to poll fans of Guided By Voices what they thought were three consecutive years that highlight the sweet spot of recordings from the band, 1993-1995 would be one of the top answers. One obvious reason of course is that the classic LPs Bee Thousand (1994) … Read more
BEN CRAVEN LINKSWebsite | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Bandcamp
Wet LegWet LegDomino Recording Company [2022] “Excuse me?”, “What?” is the inquisitive back n’ forth question that gets repeatedly posed between Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers on the catchy single “Chaise Lounge” from the British indie band Wet Leg. Its surprise not surprised delivery tone is just one of the cool moments you will hear … Read more
JPL Review History: Sapiens – Chapitre 2/3 – Deus ex Machina (2021) / Sapiens – Chapitre 1/3 – Exordium (2020) JPL LINKSWebsite | Facebook | Bandcamp | Quadrifonic Records
Kendra MorrisNine LivesColemine/Karma Chief Records [2022] Kendra Morris has been releasing music for over a decade, putting out several albums, EPs, and singles since 2011 while collaborating with the likes of Czarface and Chico Mann along the way. She joined the ever-expanding roster of Colemine Records imprint Karma Chief in 2021 with her excellent single … Read more
The Killers Pressure MachineIsland Records [2021] Well-paired back-to-back songs are a constant feature of The Killers’ discography. On their 2004 debut Hot Fuss, the songs “Mr. Brightside” and “Smile Like You Mean It” are united by a very specific bitterness. On Sam’s Town, the urgency of “When You Were Young” tees up the desperation and … Read more
TransatlanticThe Absolute UniverseInside Out Music [2021] For fans of Progressive Rock the name Transatlantic resonates like few others. They need no introduction to the faithful but to the rest of the world they better known by their day jobs: Neal Morse (ex-Spock’s Beard), Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater), Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings) and Pete Trewavas … Read more
Bob Dylan Rough And Rowdy WaysColumbia Records [2020] At this point, there’s really no easy way to explain the unique place that Bob Dylan has marked out for himself in the rock music pantheon to those who set themselves beyond the reach of his artistic influence. In 2016, when Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize … Read more
JPLSapiens – Chapitre 1/3: ExordiumQuadrifonic [2020] The first thing you hear is the devil’s interval – the tritone being playing by a French Horn that just seems too appropriate. It’s little more than a nod to Tales From Topographic Oceans but it sets the stage for everything to come. Jean-Pierre Louveton (known simply as JPL) … Read more
Fiona Apple Fetch The Bolt CuttersEpic Records [2020] The title of Fiona Apple’s fifth album is telling. Drawn from the British crime-drama “The Fall,” which featured Gillian Anderson as a detective who, discovering some shackles where a woman has been abused, cries out: Fetch The Bolt Cutters. Those words become a metaphor for an artist … Read more
Black Market BrassUndying ThirstColemine Records [2020] Black Market Brass is a Minneapolis-based group performing their own brand of originally composed Afrobeat/Afrofunk music, and Undying Thirst is the group’s sophomore album and Colemine Records debut. The instrumental group is comprised of eleven musicians that form such a powerful force together that this record will blow you … Read more
Sleepies Time v PleasureSelf-Released [2020] Who: Sleepies awake from their three year hiatus to deliver a unique take on their sound. Sound: Sleepies branch off from their established jangly post-punk sound and dive into the early years of stripped-down post-punk with stunning results. I have been a fan of Sleepies since I heard the herky-jerky … Read more
Ty Segall Pig Man Lives Volume I See Note / Drag City Records [2019] TFN Album Review: Ty Segall has been consistently releasing his style of garage indie rock music since 2007. Pig Man Lives Volume I is his new 4 LP vinyl only release compilation that captures his demos that span from 2007-2017. For … Read more
Kneeling In Piss Tour De Force FAH-Q/Anyway Records [2019] Who: Columbus, Ohio-based Kneeling In Piss have a hell of a debut album on their hands. Sound: Kneeling In Piss are occasionally jangly, occasionally punk, often lo-fi power pop and all the time fun. TFN Final Take: Alex Mussawir’s Kneeling In Piss emerged from the ashes … Read more
Orville Peck Pony Sub Pop Records [2019] Fire Note Says: Orville Peck is the Great North American queer cowboy wonder. Album Review: Saddle up partner, because we’re going on a wild ride with one of the biggest breakout stars of 2019: Orville Peck, a gay Canadian country singer who hides his face behind a be-fringed … Read more
Smug Brothers All Blur And Spark Gas Daddy Go! Records [2019] Who: Dayton, Ohio-based Smug Brothers release another charming and quite satisfying album. Sound: All Blur and Spark is an impressive kaleidoscope of songs that were born from the GoFundMe endeavor to press their last album, Attic Harvest, to vinyl. TFN Final Take: All Blur … Read more
Dumb Club Nites Mint Records [2019] Who: Vancouver’s Dumb are a lot smarter than their name implies. They have released one of the best records of 2019. Sound: Dumb are often compared to their post-punk contemporaries, Parquet Courts, and not without reason, but they are so much more than that. In some aspects, they are … Read more
SIZ Liquid Flippin’ Freaks [2019] Who: SIZ hail from Bordeaux, France and they are all about some 90’s grunge/fuzz-tinged with a steady dose of heavy shoegaze and psychedelic rock. Sound: Liquid is a satisfying blend of different genres of 90s indie rock, and at the same time sound like they belong in the same collective … Read more
Snapped Ankles Stunning Luxury The Leaf Label [2019] Who: Snapped Ankles are a pseudo-techno/punk band out of London and out of this world. Sound: Stunning Luxury continues Snapped Ankles’ blend of tribal techno mixed with motorik rhythms and post-punk ethos. TFN Final Take: 2019 continues to impress me with a constant stream of great new … Read more
The National I Am Easy To Find 4AD [2019] Fire Note Says: If I Am Easy to Find was a debut record, it’d be the best of the year. Album Review: There is a timeline in which, after the release of their breakthrough 2014 record Trouble Will Find Me, The National grew content, decided to … Read more
Plains Peace in Restland Self-Released [2019] Who: Plains are a Newmarket, New Hampshire-based quartet . Sound: Peace in Restland, Plains debut LP, is an engaging blend of psychedelic Americana folk and punk. TFN Final Take: I decided to check out Plains on a whim after seeing their name on a show poster as a supporting … Read more
Smug Brothers Attic Harvest Gas Daddy Go! Records [2019] Who: Dayton, Ohio-based Smug Brothers make a dream come true and finally release an album on vinyl. Attic Harvest is a dream for us listeners, too. Sound: Attic Harvest features a new lineup for Smug Brothers, but not to worry, Smug Brothers still showcase catchy and … Read more
Mike Krol Power Chords Merge Records [2019] Who: LA-based Mike Krol is all about the power chords and hooks on his new LP. Sound: Power Chords is a delightful balancing act of garage rock, fuzz , power pop and earnest lyrics. TFN Final Take: Power Chords is the first Mike Krol album I have heard. … Read more
The Neal Morse Band The Great Adventure Radiant Records [2019] Fire Note Says: American Prog warriors unleash sequel to 2016’s The Similitude Of A Dream in convincing fashion. Album Review: Prog is a tough sell and, especially in the US, the market for it is extremely limited. There are, however, a few brave artists who … Read more