Talk about a phoenix rising from the ashes of it all, am I right? Consummate post-rock guitarist David Pajo returns to excellent form on A Broke Moon Rises, a new five-song mini-LP released a few days ago via Drag City. The record comes less than two years after Highway Songs, a confusing mish-mash of odds…
Review: Mark Deutrom – “Brief Sensuality & Western Violence” (Reissue)
In the age of Trump, we are consumed with allegations of Fake News, the painting of journalists as enemies of the American people, and online jingoism taking the place of studied reportage. Remember when it was all just about CNN or the nightly news grabbing the 15-second soundbyte and running with it? Well, Mark Deutrom…
Review: T-Tops – “Disease” EP
Talk about a punch to the gut. Something is roiling in Pittsburgh and the punk trio T-Tops is most definitely tapped into it. The group’s new EP — Disease, out now on Bandcamp — is a blistering, four-song set, with a rhythm section that pounds itself into your ear-drums and a frontman (guitarist/vocalist Patrick Waters)…
Review: Hontatedori – “Konata Kanata”
If the vitriol and raw energy of punk rock is like a fever dream, then the Tokyo trio Hontatedori — which premiered its U.S. debut, Konata Kanata, two days ago via David Grubb’s Blue Chopsticks imprint – is a wonderful antithesis: absinthe-soaked, doe-eyed, dreamy, and lined with enough crystalline guitars to fill the lonely sea….
Concert Review: The Gotobeds/Wax Chattels/Rave Ami/Late.
Three Pittsburgh bands and an ear-pounding trio from New Zealand filled Lawrenceville’s bare-bones warehouse space The Shop with delicious noise Friday, and the crowd in attendance even stole a few choice listens to songs from the next, much-anticipated record by local heroes The Gotobeds. Yes, yes, yes, the duo Late. performed its brand of synth-rock…
Review: Jeremy Enigk – “Return of the Frog Queen”
Sub Pop Records recently reissued Jeremy Enigk’s Return of the Frog Queen, a circa-‘96 solo debut whose first printing remains, justifiably, a much-sought-after cult classic. It also has become, over the years, a rather interesting point of departure from Enigk’s tenure with the on-again/off-again Sunny Day Real Estate and a lightning rod for dialogue about…
Review: High Plains – “Pilot Hill”
High Plains today quietly released a follow-up to Cinderland, its brilliant debut and, hands down, one of last year’s best records. But, before you go all googly-eyed on me, take pause – this is not the group’s second LP proper but, instead, the digital release on Bandcamp of a tour-only cassette. And that’s an important…
Review: Joan and The Rivers – “Meat Sweats Vol. 1 and 2”
If you like your modern-day interpretations of 60s trash-rock booze-drenched, then you’ll want to tune into Joan and The Rivers, a San Jose-based, EP-prone trio that released two, you guessed it, EPs – Meat Sweats Vol. 1 and 2 – last month. But, wait, wait, is that a little bit too reductive? Are these guys more than…
Concert Review: Richard Buckner – Live In Pittsburgh, 06/07/18
It was 1998 when I first heard Richard Buckner, and I instantly was transfixed. The record in question was Since, his MCA collaboration with stalwarts like Syd Straw and David Grubbs, and it was breathtaking stuff, alt-country (or post-country) at its finest — but also overflowing with engaging song-gems beyond the boundaries of the genre….
Review: Spencer Kilpatrick – “Lungs”
Fans of early Amos Lee – in other words: well-crafted acoustic soul – mustmustMUST tune into Spencer Kilpatrick, a Reno, Nev.-based songwriter who previewed the single “Lungs” on Soundcloud just this week. Like Lee, Kilpatrick – who’s getting primed to tour nationally, starting tomorrow – has an in indescribably smooth and endearing timbre, something transient…