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User
Soundoffs 1
News Articles 8
Band Edits + Tags 1
Album Edits 49
Album Ratings 300
Objectivity 73%
Last Active 02-16-11 5:19 am
Joined 09-02-06
Review Comments 1,220
| Lake Heron...AND THE REST!
Saw Lord Huron (or "Lake Herson," as my dad and a couple confused friends call them) last night. Pretty terrific show, out in this semi-wooded area where the stage itself was housed within a pretty neat-looking pavilion, which definitely fit their vibe. On the other end of the spectrum, Bully was the opener, and while I'd say I liked their blend of punk and grunge overall, they definitely made for a profoundly odd pairing. The bucolic setting, replete with camping chairs and beach towels and the like, surely didn't do their aesthetic any favors, and the crowd as a whole seemed less-than-enthusiastic. Ah well. Still intend to check out some of their studio stuff. List is a true hodgepodge, but mostly things I'm after and a couple recent digs. Also, Lord Huron. | | 1 |  | Lord Huron
Lonesome Dreams
An oldie but a goodie, and one I'm keen to revisit. It's been a while since I gave this one a close listen, but I remember--and this was borne out onstage last night in a big way--atmosphere being a truly elemental asset for this band. Honestly, and with big heart, there's not a lot of innovation or musical complexity on display, but the simple melodies and structures given the proper vibe and production aesthetic all works to really help elevate the material beyond Mumford & the Lumineers-ian beige into something quite striking, to my ears at least. Finally snagged this on vinyl at the show. | | 2 |  | Frightened Rabbit
Tiny Changes
Speaking of vinyl, ordered this bad boy from my local shop last week, and should be in to pick it up this coming weekend, hopefully. Gonna get SAD, folks! | | 3 |  | Thom Yorke
Anima
Another album I'll be on the hunt for. I did see the P.T. Anderson short film, which was pretty arresting, though I was also pretty buzzed at the time, so that could have potentially played a role in my reception. Also, appears this has a vinyl-only bonus track, which is the sort of thing I'm of two minds about, but damn if it doesn't incentivize me mapping out my payday budget. | | 4 |  | Bloc Party
Silent Alarm Live
I've only seen a couple reviews of this so far, and they seem fairly mixed, which is understandable given both the seeming surfeit of these types of tours and releases recently, coupled with the fact that half of the album's original lineup (with apologies to Gordon Moakes, but let's be honest: mostly Matt Tong) is absent. What's also a little strange is that, from what I've seen, this seems to act as the inverse of Thom Yorke's release, in that it's the CD, not actual album, with an extra song. I'd call that a bizarre choice, although I guess it's also oddly fitting for an early-aughts (re)release. | | 5 |  | Lord Huron
Strange Trails
Barring a sudden road-to-Damascus moment upon revisiting 1, this is absolutely my personal favorite LH record, and where I felt they truly stepped more meaningfully outside the indie/alt/folk nexus, or at least mastered it. It's another minor thing to hone in on, but the band's use of musical motifs across multiple songs goes a long way here, not only resulting in some major earworms, but also giving the whole thing an understated yet pervasive...well, grandiosity is a contradiction, but something akin to that. Once more, I think the importance of atmospherics is tough to overstate, and while it's unsurprising this album resulted in some of my highlights from the concert, it's telling that when the set paired ST songs back-to-back, it wasn't always a literal matching of the album's tracklist, but an organic branching of melodies and undertones both obvious ("Love Like Ghosts" into "Meet Me in the Woods") and somewhat less so ("Yawning Grave" into "Way Out There," not "Frozen Pines"). | | 6 |  | Wolves at the Gate
Eclipse
Came across this randomly in the new-this-week section, and was intrigued by the cover art. After realizing it was not, in fact, Wolves in the Throne Room, I listened to a few songs from their prior album, Types and Shadows, which sounded like some Thrice-and-Underoath-worshipping ear candy. I've heard their earlier stuff's a bit heavier, and haven't plunged into those depths yet, but color me intrigued to explore outwards in both directions. | | 7 |  | Consider the Thief
Signs and Wonders
A new/old discovery for me, by virtue of a fellow Sputniker's list on underrated post-hardcore (shout out Splinter!). SUPER Thrice indebted, particularly the Vheissue/Alchemy Index era (aka Peak Thrice) from what I've listened to so far, but I can see myself trying to staunch the bleeding of that Palms-sized hole in my heart with this for a couple of months. | | 8 |  | The Venetia Fair
The Circus
Another discovery from that very list. No doubt need to listen further, but they basically sound like a blend of Dear Hunter with hints of MCR, Coheed, and Fair to Midland, all fronted by Jason Aalon Butler. Kinda pissed I didn't know this band back when they were, y'know, not broken up. Maybe they'll see this and reunite? | | 9 |  | Lord Huron
Vide Noir
A worthy successor to the band's discography to date, and definitely one that admirably attempts some new sonic territories and tones. Features some of the band's "heaviest" songs, which is certainly a very qualified term given the context; nonetheless, when they played "Ancient Names, Pt. II," you could almost squint for a second and see why Bully had opened the show. I'll confess I was let down by Vide Noir initially, likely for the very experiments I praised above, but it's grown on me steadily, and I still intend to spend more time with this album. Looking forward to it making a nice companion piece to spinning 1. | | 10 |  | Chance the Rapper
The Big Day
Not sure if this is getting a proper widespread rollout or not, but another release I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for once I hit the shop. | | 11 |  | Rodrigo y Gabriela
Mettavolution
A recent dig, and one that will hopefully build up some momentum and esteem over the rest of the year, especially around Sputnik parts (seriously, 8 votes? Come on now...). The lack of headlines is somewhat understand, given it's the band's first release in half a decade--though, I would argue, it also happens to be their most consistent, kinetic, and impactful since 11:11, itself a full decade(!) old. If nothing else, do yourself a favor and carve out 20 minutes to check out "Echoes." One more stunning cover in a long line of them. | | 12 |  | Bully
Losing
By all accounts, their most recent album, so probably my logical entry point. | |
thecheatisnotdead
07.24.19 | Also, as far as my wishlist goes, I'd be lying through my teeth if I said I wasn't also on the prowl for Punk Goes Acoustic Volume 3. | thecheatisnotdead
07.25.19 | Will also be keeping an eye out for the new Falls of Rauros (just gave it a listen online last night, and hot damn!), as well as Oh, Hiroshima's latest. |
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