Whenever I tell a friend about The John Holmes Book Club I get one of two reactions: a hearty chuckle over the absurdity of the band’s name or a dumbfounded “who is John Holmes?” The Cameron Switzer-led quartet barged ontoRead more…
RVIVR – The Beauty Between
I got turned on to RVIVR from reading a Top 5 list from 2013. I think it was something like “The Return of Pop Punk.” Most of the bands on the list were pretty blah but one of them stuckRead more…
Wordburglar – Welcome To Cobra Island
“Welcome To Cobra Island” is brilliant. It just is. It’s a rap album dedicated to the “Real American Hero” line of G.I. Joe that began in the 80’s. Historically there is no shortage of albums paying tribute to comic bookRead more…
Sun Kil Moon – Benji
So you want to write lyrics young Padawan? Here’s your options: Write something so vague so that listener can insert whatever meaning they want – “We all live in a tan submersible”. Write something so universal that you can bet yourRead more…
Def3 & Factor – Wildlif3
Wildlif3 is the brand new album from Def 3 & Factor. Forget about Drake this is real Canadian hip hop. Def3 and Factor have been working together for a while and have consistently created quality music. Def3’s appearances on theRead more…
Things I found on the internet, vol. I – Powerwolf
The internet was supposed to do all sorts of things for music, like blow away the old gatekeepers, make all sorts of weird little genres somehow magically palatable to the public, and liberate the listening public from the tyranny ofRead more…
NXNE – Dee1 and Calez
This was meant to be the story of me checking out some new hip hop at the annual NXNE festival. I trawled through the list of shows and picked out some performers that I really wanted to see. Unfortunately IRead more…
Eels – The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett
I’ve always struggled to provide a truly objective opinion on new Eels records. This is the case because I’ve been a fan for such a long time. As such, I’ve never been able to judge any new record on itsRead more…
Aesop Waits – Tom Shall Pass
I randomly happened upon this mash-up of raps from Aesop Rock’s None Shall Pass and music from Tom Waits. I am not familiar enough with Tom Waits to know how much has been done production wise to make it fitRead more…
Atmosphere – Southsiders
Minnesota duo Atmosphere consisting of vocalist Slug and producer Ant are stalwarts of the independent hip hop scene. Despite some commercial success they have always stayed true to their brand of sound and DIY work ethic. Southsiders is their 8thRead more…