Ovlov Tru Exploding in Sound Records [2018] Who: Newtown, Connecticut’s Ovlov return after 5 years to release a vibrant, noisy and fascinating album. Sound: Ovlov’s brand of melancholy muscle fuzz soars high on their new LP. TFN Final Take: It’s been a few years since the last Ovlov LP, am, came out, but time has … Read more
The Coke Dares Fake Lake Third Uncle Records [2018] Who: Bloomington, Indiana’s, The Coke Dares return with a 35 track album that will delight and amuse listeners. Sound: The Coke Dares blend humor with oddball catchy power-pop that falls somewhere in the realm of Guided By Voices meets DEVO with a dash of Ween for … Read more
Big Ups Two Parts Together Exploding In Sound Records [2018] Who: Brooklyn’s Big Ups return in a big way with their 3rd full-length LP. Sound: Big Ups continue to impress on Two Parts Together. They may be from Brooklyn but they are channeling 90’s era Louisville Kentucky post rock to great effect. TFN Final Take: … Read more
Parquet Courts Wide Awake! Rough Trade Records [2018] Who: Indie rock icons, Parquet Courts shift gears and deliver a fresh and vital album. Sound: Parquet Courts join forces with producer Brian Burton, aka Danger Mouse and come dangerously close to recording their best album. TFN Final Take: When I heard that Parquet Courts were teaming … Read more
Astral Swans Strange Prison Tiny Room Records [2018] Who: Calgary’s Astral Swans sophomore LP, Strange Prison is a haunting and stark look into the imaginative psyche of songwriter Matthew Swann . Sound: Matthew Swann’s quirky blend of lo-fi melancholic folk rock stays with you long after the album finishes playing. TFN Final Take: 2015’s My … Read more
Greed Island Nest Egg Salty Speakers [2018] Who: Dover, New Hampshire’s Greed Island 7-track EP, Nest Egg, is one of the best things I have heard in 2018. Sound: Greed Island generate a heady buzz with their brand of indie guitar rock that will remind listeners of Archers of Loaf, Pavement and Dinosaur Jr. TFN … Read more
Shell Of A Shell Already There EP Exploding In Sound Records [2018] Who: Nashville, Tennessee quartet, Shell of a Shell craft a delightful debut EP with Already There. Sound: Shell of a Shell will delight fans of Exploding In Sounds Record’s artist roster. They are a blend of Pile’s edginess mixed with a penchant for … Read more
Superchunk What A Time To Be Alive Merge Records [2018] Who: Chapel Hill’s Superchunk pull no punches and hit the current U.S. administration On the Mouth for being so Foolish. Sound: A relentless, urgent slice of Superchunk’s style of power-pop punk that never takes its foot off the gas. TFN Final Take: Superchunk have put … Read more
Kal Marks Universal Care Exploding in Sound Records [2018] Who: Boston’s Kal Marks get the new year started off on the right foot. Universal Care is my first favorite new record of 2018! Sound: Universal Care finds the band evolving into a distinctive brand of intense and monolithic noise rock. It is still Kal Marks; … Read more
Marriage + Cancer Marriage + Cancer Self Sabotage Records [2018] Who: Portland’s Marriage + Cancer continue to scald everything in their path with their caustic noise rock! Sound: Uncompromising and brutal noise rock not unlike Jesus Lizard and In Utero-era Nirvana. TFN Final Take: It’s been awhile since Marriage + Cancer’s last release, Killjoy. That … Read more
Rick Rude Make Mine Tuesday TinyRadars/Sophomore Lounge Records [2017] Who: New Hampshire’s Rick Rude make a lasting impression with Make Mine Tuesday. Sound: Make Mine Tuesday is a stunning debut album that is sure to make people who like Built to Spill, Heartless Bastards and The Pauses swoon. TFN Final Take: Another “Better Late than … Read more
Pardoner Uncontrollable Salvation Father/Daughter Records [2017] Who: San Francisco’s Pardoner blend and bend their influences into a rather epic debut LP. Sound: Uncontrollable Salvation is a fantastic blend of fuzzy power noise slathered with skewed guitars, impeccable pop moments and an abundance of shoegaze noise. TFN Final Take: Pardoner’s debut LP, Uncontrollable Salvation was an … Read more
Sleepies Melt To You Mirror Universe Tapes [2017] Who: Brooklyn-based SLEEPiES release yet another winner with this 4-track EP. Sound: Melt To You EP is another product from the SLEEPiES machine that spits out cool music. Release after release, this band just hit the spot when you need some sketchy-yet-catchy post-punk rock. TFN Final Take: … Read more
Spirit Of The Beehive Pleasure Suck Tiny Engines [2017] Who: Philadelphia-based Spirit of the Beehive deliver a superb album packed with lo-fi psychedelic charm. Sound: Pleasure Suck is a giant leap forward for the band. Their earlier LP and EP were good, but this album emits a warm druggy vibe that is part slacker rock, … Read more
Washer All Aboard Exploding in Sound Records [2017] Who: Brooklyn duo, Kieran McShane and Mike Quigley, expand and improve their sound with this excellent sophomore effort. Sound: All Aboard builds off Washer’s solid debut and ends up being one of the best post-grunge albums of 2017. TFN Final Take: I was already a Washer fan. … Read more
PLAX Clean Feeling Super Secret Records [2017] Who: Austin-based quasi-punk band comprised of members of Spray Paint, OBN IIIs, Skeleton and Sweet Talk. Sound: Clean Feeling may be the best indie-punk album of 2017. Twitchy and heavy in perfect doses. TFN Final Take: Last year I fell head over heels in love with Austin’s Spray … Read more
B Boys Dada Captured Tracks [2017] Who: Brooklyn-based trio, B Boys follow up their debut EP with a solid debut LP. Sound: B Boys’ sound takes elements of taut post punk and goofy punk and blends them together for a sound that falls somewhere in-between Wire and The Spits . TFN Final Take: B Boys’ … Read more
Dove Lady One DZ Tapes / Inflated Records [2017] Who: DC-based spastic noise rock duo. Sound: Dove Lady dish out a disarming array of influences and styles on One. ‘Debut of the Year’ honors should be a lock for this fantastic album. TFN Final Take: Dove Lady’s One is a wildly unpredictable debut album. Over … Read more
Christian Fitness Slap Bass Hunks Prescriptions Music [2017] Who: Andrew Falkous’ one man band project, Christian Fitness, is a vital off-shoot of his past work with Mclusky and Future of the Left . Sound: Slap Bass Hunks continues Christian Fitness’ trend of releasing creative post-hardcore noise rock. Four excellent albums in four years. TFN Final … Read more
Elf Power Twitching In Time Orange Twin Records [2017] Who: One of the more resilient acts from the fabled Elephant Six Collective, Elf Power is still making incredible music. Sound: Twitching In Time is one of Elf Power’s best albums. Their blend of psychedelic power pop remains timeless and always welcome. TFN Final Take: Fourteen … Read more
Flotation Toy Warning The Machine That Made Us Talitres [2017] Fire Note Says: Flotation Toy Warning returns after a 13-year hiatus and deliver a staggering masterpiece. Album Review: To say that I have been eagerly awaiting this album for some time would be a bit of an understatement. 2004’s Bluffer’s Guide to the Flight Deck … Read more
R. Ring Ignite The Rest SofaBurn Records [2017] Who: Kelley Deal (Breeders) and Mike Montgomery (Ampline) join forces for their debut LP. Sound: Ignite the Rest is a stunning full length debut from R. Ring. It is so good that I have quit whining about wanting another Breeders LP…almost. TFN Final Take: To be truthful, … Read more
Pile A Hairshirt Of Purpose Exploding In Sound Records [2017] Fire Note Says: Pile’s A Hairshirt of Purpose is an iconic slab of indie noise rock. One of the best releases for 2017! Album Review: Boston-based Pile pull off another stunning effort with A Hairshirt of Purpose. I have been listening to this album for … Read more
Moon Duo Occult Architecture, Vol. 1 Sacred Bones Records [2017] Moon Duo Occult Architecture Vol. 2 Sacred Bones Records [2017] Who: Portland, Oregon’s Moon Duo return for their fourth album which was released in two separate volumes. Sound: Moon Duo have a heavy psychedelic krautrock sound that is layered with clever flourishes of synth and … Read more
Smug Brothers Disco Maroon Gas Daddy Go! Records [2017] Who: Smug Brothers, a Dayton-based quartet, return with their 10th release. Sound: Disco Maroon sees the Smug Brothers carry on their tradition of delivering ultra-catchy rock to their listeners. TFN Final Take: Even though they are 10 releases into their discography, the Smug Brothers continue to … Read more