Music Reviews

SUBSTANTIAL - Sacrifice

By Adrian “A-Dubs” Warner - Eclectricity - 09/11/2007

I discovered Substantial a few years ago when I saw his name on a 12” single posse cut. I found him and the others on the track to be typical, talented underground rappers. When I heard he released a full length CD, I was very intrigued. Then, when I heard the first few tracks of Sacrifice, I discovered he was perhaps a bit more talented than I thought. He has a track named “That Damn Good” and I am inclined to agree.


LADYHAWK - Shots

By Simon Howell - The Listening Ear - 03/08/2008

Vancouver band Ladyhawk's self-titled debut was a bit of a revelation. Here, lo and behold, was an honest-to-goodness emotionally driven rock band with a chunky, early-‘90s indie-rock sound, that didn't sound at all contrived. Better yet, they had great songs to back up their chutzpah and passion. Shots finds them, like label mates Okkervil River, continuing to find solace and strength in sounds left behind by their hipper contemporaries.


HOT CHIP - Made in the Dark

By Simon Howell - The Listening Ear - 02/04/2008


THE GUTTER TWINS - Saturnalia

By Comma Chameleon - Semicolon Cancer; - 03/04/2008


WINSLOW - Easy Access EP

By Omar Goodness - Hooked On Sonics - 03/01/2008

Mixing a variety of pop punk styles, local punk pop quartet, Winslow have put together a nice batch of catchy hook-driven tunes on their debut six song EP. The lead off track, and the best of the bunch, "Another Stiff in a Jacket," has some great jerky guitar work reminiscent of early ‘90s So-Cal skate punk; the Get Up Kids-esque "Next Time Around" skips along with a nice piano line and melody, and closer "Arthur Rightus" speeds through at a brisk pace, reminiscent of early Blink 182 and Face to Face.


VHERNEN - Vhernen

By Jessica Valentine - The Incinerator - 12/29/2007

Hearing the sounds of howling wind and rainfall to introduce a black metal album is in no way unexpected. Being confronted a minute later with the growing sigh of an electric cello, however, is -- that is, unless you’ve already taken a peek at the insert art of Vhernen’s self-titled debut full-length album. I must say, the surprise is a pleasant one.


PATHS OF POSSESSION - The End of the Hour

By Jessica Valentine - The Incinerator - 10/17/2007

If you're considering getting into Paths of Possession, chances are you're a fan of famed vocalist George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher's work with Cannibal Corpse. I'll say this now: If you're looking for your next "Hammer Smashed Face," inquire elsewhere.


MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

By Simon Howell - The Listening Ear - 01/22/2008

"I'm feeling rough, I'm feeling raw / I'm in the prime of my life." Beginnings don't get much more confident than "Time to Pretend," the ebullient opener to Brooklyn synth-pop duo MGMT's (pronounced "management") debut album. The track explodes with Technicolor synths, Dave Fridmann's typically commanding production work and an infectious sense of purpose -- even as it tosses out inanities about getting "models for wives." It's a sign either of brilliant things to come, or a band a little too eager to grab your attention.


SAM SHALABI - Eid

By Simon Howell - A Listening Ear - 01/22/2008

About four years ago, when I was still ecstatic to have moved to a city in which great music was in abundance at a seemingly endless variety of used record stores, I picked up the Shalabi Effect's self-titled debut. Why? Principally because it had a shiny cover with a nebula on it, and it was a two-disc record for eight bucks, which seemed like an unbeatable bargain. Needless to say that seventeen-year-old me was inadequately prepared to process the two hours of drone-based recordings contained inside that inviting slipcase.


THE PACK A.D. - Tintype

By Simon Howell - The Listening Ear - 01/22/2008

Too many bands get the particulars right but offer little in the grand scheme of things. They dazzle you with colorful cover art, witty liner notes, slick production, or a clever name. So it was refreshing to discover B.C. duo The Pack A.D.'s Tintype, which eschews all of these superficialities to deliver a surprisingly multifaceted blend of blues-rock, undercut by a compelling moody streak and aided by its bare-bones production (courtesy of drummer Maya Miller). 


KATE NASH - Made of Bricks

By Simon Howell - A Listening Ear - 01/08/2008


SALLY SHAPIRO - Disco Romance

By Simon Howell - A Listening Ear - 10/30/2006


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