Those Bastard Souls Debt And Departure V2 By: Robert H. So there's a mixed bag of good news and bad, Grifters fans. First, some bad: word has it that the Grifters are, at least, temporarily, on hold, if not permanently disbanded. Dave Shouse evidently feels that his songwriting is going in a direction other than […]

[Read more →]

Andrea Parker Kiss My Arp Mo' Wax By: Eric G. Kiss My Arp is an amazingly stylized and brilliantly crafted debut album by DJ and sometimes vocalist Andrea Parker. She began her career as a DJ back in 1993 and released her first single for Mo' Wax almost four years ago, entitled "Melodious Thunk." Parker […]

[Read more →]

Fracosos El Sexy Dyspepsidisc By: Eric G. Fracasos is an upstart band from Evansville, Indiana with many influences but little direction. Any band that evolves out of something called ‘Fernspank’ is already off to a bad start. El Sexy is full of genre-hopping, slightly self-indulgent instrumental interludes, acoustic guitars that sound like they were recorded […]

[Read more →]

The Timeout Drawer Record Of Small Histories Some Odd Pilot By: Eric G. Space rock has never sounded so good. The Timeout Drawer is a trio from Chicago that plays mostly instrumental, emotionally textured rock. The analogue synths are layered with affected guitar tones very much reminiscent of Robert Smith’s chiming style, particularly in the […]

[Read more →]

Pinehurst Kids Viewmaster 4 Alarm By: Eric G. Having ‘kids’ in your band’s name is kind of a stigma these days in light of the whole emo/punk debacle (the Getup Kids, etc.), but the Pinehurst Kids really have nothing to do with that unfortunate genre, excepting the aforementioned name problem. Pinehurst Kids are a trio […]

[Read more →]

Frederik Schikowski Einblick Ins Familienalbum Irritant By: Eric G. Lo-fi electronic music seems like a contradiction in terms, but Frederik Schikowski has created an album’s worth of the catchiest and trashiest lo-fi electronic pop I’ve ever heard. The beats sputter, sounding primitive and deliberately overdriven, but I find myself bopping along. The tone is aggressive, […]

[Read more →]

Various Artists At Home With The Groovebox Grand Royal By: Eric G. At Home With The Groovebox is a higher-minded concept album than all those run of the mill tribute records that flood the market this time of year. Only Grand Royal could put out a tribute to the Roland MC-505 Groovebox; otherwise, known as […]

[Read more →]