Scott Helland’s Guitarmy of One ‘The Spy Detective Collective’
The Spy Detective Collective from Scott Helland’s Guitarmy of One will strike a chord with those schooled in ’60s-era surf-rock and Henry Mancini themes.
Justin Vellucci
Justin Vellucci is a staff writer for PopMatters and MusicTAP, a contributor to Pittsburgh Current, and a former staffer for Popdose, Delusions of Adequacy and Punk Planet. His music writing has appeared in national magazines like American Songwriter, alt-weeklies such as Pittsburgh City Paper, The Brooklyn Rail and San Diego CityBeat, blogs Swordfish, Punksburgh and Linoleum, and the Gannett publication Jetty. He lives in Pittsburgh.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor ‘G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END!’
G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END! the best record the Montreal Godspeed You! Black Emperor have put together since 2000’s Lift Yr Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven. And that is no small feat.
Gaadge Hit All the Right Notes on Excellent Debut ‘Yeah?’
Gaadge’s debut LP Yeah? is the sound of a new Pittsburgh. This version of the “Paris of Appalachia” is more cosmopolitan, more contemporary but still reserves a kind of understated magic behind its Fort Pitt-like cement walls
Tomahawk Take Some Amazing Departures on ‘Tonic Immobility’
Tomahawk’s ‘Tonic Immobility’ doesn’t sound resigned to repeat the familiar tropes and traps of the past. There are amazing departures, incredibly textured asides, and several flights of fancy.
Human Impact Are Best When They Just Roar on ‘EP01’
With the one-two sock to the gut of “Transist” and “Contact” on ‘EP01’, Human Impact reaffirm the grime and wonderful nastiness of last year’s debut and drip with joy to revisit the site of the crash.
Ohio’s Stella Research Committee Cook with Open Powder Kegs
Stella Research Committee cook up a record that will make you question your expectations of art-rock… maybe even rock-art.
After Nearly 20 Years, Chicago’s Nonagon Releases Debut Full-length
Nonagon perform wonders on their debut LP, They Birds, by letting songs breathe more than in their furied post-hardcore past.
Norwegian composer Kaada Wows with Muted Takes on Classical Canon
From Satie to Mendelssohn to Edvard Grieg, Kaada’s electro-acoustic versions are illuminating on Misinterpretations.
Slint Release Alternate Mixes of “Breadcrumb Trail” and “Good Morning, Captain”
Slint are sounding even better as the long years go on and on. It's a testament to the source material that we're still revisiting, remixing, and re-releasing all these decades later.
Good Bison’s ‘Scattered Storms’ Is Positively Sun-Splashed
With touches of reggae upstrokes and even Tropicalia, Good Bison's debut EP is positively sun-splashed, lending Pablo Alvarez's various crises and neuroses a slight touch of irony, even satire.
Post-rocker Chris Brokaw Is Onto Something with ‘Puritan’
Chris Brokaw's Puritan continues to make an excellent argument for the songwriter's inclusion among the heavy hitters of post-rock.