Unknown Mortal Orchestra : Sex & Food

Ruban Nielson, from the beginning of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, has dabbled musically in darker terrain. There’s always a sense of groove and a funky nature to the music he creates, but even on the lightest days the songs sound as if they were aged in a time capsule and then dipped in some kind of […]

Best Sleep Lay It All Out On New EP ‘For Those of Us Who Know Nothing’

For some art is something that’s fun to dabble in. Taking a painting class down at the local Y and after that first session you’ve got a pretty little canvas with a pretty little flower on it. You can hang that up in the kitchen for all to see. Or maybe taking guitar lessons from […]

Holy Wave : Adult Fear

There’s a dusty, ‘road trip to nowhere good’ vibe to Holy Wave. They make the kind of grainy, 8mm-type of garage rock that feels like one of those gloomy yard sale finds. Searching through a damp cardboard box of LPs marked “.50 or best offer” you find various copies of Herb Albert & The Tiujana […]

Preoccupations : New Material

I’ve been known to feel a bit down from time to time. I can be a bit hard on myself when I feel I’m not doing enough or trying hard enough in this crazy thing called life. But I don’t think I’ve ever been clinically depressed. I carry my share of anxiety and self-imposed guilt, […]

Yo La Tengo : There’s a Riot Going On

I got into Yo La Tengo pretty late. Like my first record experience with them was 2009s Popular Songs. I don’t know what took me so long to jump into the Ira Kaplan, Georgia Hubley, and James McNew world, but as soon as the the nearly 16-minute album closer “And the Glitter Is Gone” ended […]

Carlton Melton : Mind Minerals

Carlton Melton write and create on another level. They seem to reside not outside in the elements, but somewhere deep inside. They make a kind of subconscious psychedelia. The sound of blood rushing from your body to your brain, or the whooshing you occasionally get inside your ear as if air is escaping your skull, […]

Various Artists : Holodeck Vision One

If you at all dabble in modern electronic or synth-heavy music, then Holodeck Records should be a name you’re familiar with. The Austin-based record label is a musician-owned and operated vinyl & cassette(and digital) sort of affair. It’s ran by members of S U R V I V E, Troller, Thousand Foot Whale Claw & Future […]

Justin Sweatt : Say Your Goodbyes

Sometimes taking on an alias or persona can be a comforting thing, especially when you’re an artist. The moat and wall defense of a different name other than yours can give someone a sense of protection. It allows them to be more daring artistically and creatively than if they were standing before you, birth name […]

Steve Greene : Electronic Dreams for a Holographic Existence

Steve Greene is the synth wizard in the progressive heavy synth rock band Voyag3r. Within Voyag3r Greene is one third of a power trio that mixes elements of John Carpenter scores, Goblin, Zombi, and even hints of progressive rock from the 70s. They world build on releases like Doom Fortress and Are You Synthetic. Within […]

Of Montreal : White Is Relic/Irrealis Mood

I feel that I’ve given Kevin Barnes the benefit of the doubt far longer than anyone deserves. I’ve followed along with him and his crazy flights of fancy; through concept albums about transvestite hookers to his attempts at pop crossover to even a stage where he was into avante garde composers. Barnes’ imagination was boundless, […]