“The Avengers” soundtrack brings together a bunch of rock stalwarts for an unappetizing collection. Read our review to find out how odious this album actually is.
Spin Cycle: Santigold’s “Master of My Make Believe”
Santigold’s (a.k.a. Santi White, formerly Santogold ) 2008 debut was easily my favorite album of that year. Indeed, there was much to love about the album, with its unabashed nods to new wave while tossing in dashes of reggae, pop, and hip hop. I played the hell out of the album in the summer months, which were a personal transition for me as I migrated from Iowa City (my home of four years) to Baltimore. (I had the pleasure of [...]
Spin Cycle: Kid Is Qual’s “Ladies Choice”
Your ears are not deceiving you. What you are hearing are basses making guitar sounds. It’s the 21st Century. Things have changed. My new favorite band of 2012, Kid Is Qual slim it down to a slick three tracks for their latest EP, Ladies Choice, and still leave a lasting impression. It’s short. It’s sweet. It’ll stick in your head and never leave — not that you’d want it to. Featuring the previously released single “ Conflict Girl “, Ladies Choice adds some choice cuts [...]
Spin Cycle: “Listen Whitey!: The Sounds of Black Power 1967-1974″
“Listen Whitey!” is a compilation that unearths gems from the Black Power era of the late Sixties and Seventies. Check out our review.
Spin Cycle: Breton’s “Other People’s Problems”
Has the term “blip-hop” been coined yet? If not then I would like to formally ask for it to be added to Webster’s. Use it in a sentence? Sure. “Breton’s unique blend of hip-hop beats and electronics have created a unique sound that I have dubbed “blip-hop””. That’s as good a definition as any, right? So here we are with Breton’s full-length debut Other People’s Problems, a debut unlike any other in style and originality. Each note and beat has been [...]
Spin Cycle: Mount Carmel’s “Real Women”
Indie rockers Mount Carmel hail from Columbus, Ohio, and, like many things Midwestern, nearly fooled me into thinking they were one thing when they were really something else. Their handle sounded to me like they would be hipster pop or some other ironically-named alt-rock-nuvo-art-thing. But noooo – they are straight-up, four-chord seventies rock, those sneaks. As if I weren’t already thrown off enough, once they launched into their opening track, ”Swaggs”, and I heard those gritty vocals coming through a classic condenser mic, [...]
Spin Cycle: Torche’s “Harmonicraft”
It’s hard to listen to any of Torche’s recordings and not have the biggest, stupidest, shit-eating grin on my face. Heavy? Hells yes. But it’s such a groovy-puts-a-smile-on-my-face kind of heavy that it matters not at which decibels their glorious sounds are being expunged from my speakers thus making me deaf. Harmonicraft, for me, was easily one of the most anticipated records of 2012 and now that it’s here I can easily say that it exceeded all of my expectations. It’s [...]
Spin Cycle: Jack White’s “Blunderbuss”
Here’s a review of Jack White’s “Blunderbuss!” You know you wanna read it.
Spin Cycle: Halestorm’s “The Strange Case of…Halestorm”
“That bitch can eat her heart out!” That sums up nicely what Lzzy Hale is going for throughout her band’s new offering, The Strange Case of…Halestorm. She seems to be saying “don’t you wish you were me, girls? I completely rock and am still totally a chick about the whole thing. Keep reading Cosmo, but you’ll never get your hands on this secret sauce.” And chances are good that they never will. Many girl-fronted rock acts fall quickly into self-parody [...]
Spin Cycle: SWV’s “I Missed Us”
R&B girl group SWV is back with “I Missed Us,” their first album of new material in fifteen years. Check out our review!!
Spin Cycle: Flying Colors’ “Flying Colors”
Oh, Flying Colors, you got me. How you did it shouldn’t be a mystery, and yet it was a surprise to me, as I was fixed in a wary crouch, prepared for flight at the first sign of blasé songwriting or preachy lyrics. But you approached patiently, slowly luring me in with all sorts of little sonic treats, and the next thing I knew I was tamed, housebroken, and gladly accepting aural scratches behind the ears. [“Who’s a good boy? [...]
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