David Musto spent 2008-2010 writing his own music blog where he wrote album and concert reviews, as well as revisited classic albums and artists and analyzed their place in the pantheon of popular music. He is currently the editor of Hannibal Collector a blog about the perils and passions of collecting. You can follow him on Twitter @TipSacredCows
This is no mere coffee table book. While there are plenty of pictures, there is also a good amount of substance with autobiographical info, recording details, and a complete gigography.
There is something instantly familiar and appealing about Chicago’s brightest new band, Bare Mutants, the prom band you’ve always wanted.
At under 7 minutes of running time, you’d be surprised at how much time you’ll want to spend listening to it.
The band could have just done properly recorded versions of these songs and fans would have just ate them up but they fleshed out and perfected these sought after tracks.
Newman takes a wide left turn from the expected.
The weren’t the Ramones but I didn’t hear any complaints.
This trio is also capable of top notch quirky indie pop.
One of the very best 7” singles this year, Nones’ debut LP should be impatiently awaited.
The band is almost exactly the abandoned love child of My Bloody Valentine and The Jesus And Mary Chain and that is awesome.
Angel Olsen cements a reputation as a skilled and soulful siren with heartstring-tugging songs.
Just when you thought the dream pop revival was getting stale, Wild Nothing shakes it all up.
A surprisingly good album full of cool tracks of the fun or sinister variety.
So, maybe they took the album title from Best Coast but Koko Beware is the new title holder of best beach band.
The most complete and enjoyable album of new material Susanna Hoffs has ever released, including Bangles records.
Jen Schande opens a nineties time capsule and reminds us what we’ve been missing.
An album that turns down the volume a bit still has some rambunctious moments.
With new bass player, the experimental rock supergroup returns with new album and tour.
In less deft hands, all the style-hopping would just seem that the artist was trying to show off but in the hands of Saraiya, it all makes a weird kind of sense.
Cold, calculating, angry, and everything you want from a Fear Factory record.
The Men deliver the best Matador subscription single so far. No surprise because they’re great.
Energy in the building was kind of uneven in the early going, akin to the slow build the the band walked out to but the slow start was more than negated by the rails coming off in the end, in the best way possible.
Powell & The Exports have served up a fine brand of soulful, catchy rock that grows on you more with every listen.
It had been a long five years, waiting for any release from Airiel, and this has not been a disappointment. Would a full-length be preferable? Yes, but in this case, quality trumps quantity.
Second album from Tortoise member and experimental guitarist balance bombast and drone.
I can honestly say that I have never seen anything quite like this and may never again. But I’m sure as hell going to try.
A lot of energy come out of the duo on the fourth entry in their 7” series.
As I think most fans of Dinosaur Jr would, I went into my first listen with great trepidation.
Ambient drone with more in common with post-rock. Records like this, when done well (as this certainly was), become kind of a Choose Your Own Adventure.
Since the death of Elliott Smith, there is been a gaping hole in my musical heart for a singer/songwriter of gorgeous emo rock. Here, Rocky Votolato submits his application.
A brief cross-section of material from Austin’s answer to Jay Reatard.
There are no Bushes to be burned but still Relapse excels when making a point and drills it into the listener’s head and the loudest voice gets heard.
Traditional pop song structures filtered through the artistic mind of Ranaldo make for great results.
Bird delivers an album that invites you in and embraces you in a completely unawkward manner.
Big, boisterous hardcore sound collides into pop sensibility and explodes to form The Men’s brilliant third album.
This record beats you like a blunt instrument and finishes you off.
One shouldn’t need prodding to listen to this abundantly melodic EP with just the proper amount of fuzz.
I won’t even attempt to follow that with some sad, blurry cell phone pics taken from the balcony. I will, however, regale you with some words.
The Melismatics are so palatable that even the most sour critic will have a tough time not becoming enamored with their irresistible brand of indie pop.
Shifting back away from the heavier rock of their latest LP, this release delivers some mostly excellent results.
What makes this film special is the rare opportunity to chronicle an emerging punk rock artist on his ride to stardom only for him to fall and never live to see his legendary potential.
The album is supposed to evoke the feeling of the end of a relationship. And since it is not as fun as the start led me to believe, I guess that makes sense.
In our jaded times, Young Jesus proves that Home can be where the heart is.
The album is good on the whole but the band’s celestial aura is fading.
Al Jourgensen’s country alter ego has delivered his best non-Ministry effort in ages.
While not nearly as bombastically poppy as their debut, there are still moments of big fun but also some surprisingly poignant moments worth experiencing.
