Melvins Go Acoustic But Still Sound Somehow Like, Well, the Melvins
At its finest, Melvins’ Five-Legged Dog is downright transgressive, suggesting all sorts of alternate-history narratives for these Washington-bred weirdos.
experimental rock
Matthew E. White Takes Us on a Joyride on ‘K Bay’
Matthew E. White’s K Bay puts you on a sonic roller coaster ride of ups and downs and dangerous curves. It’s a series of constant thrills.
Crossing Boundaries: An Interview with Liars’ Angus Andrew
Liars’ founding member Angus Andrew talks with PopMatters about revisiting the band’s past work and creating a new sci-fi album, The Apple Drop.
Darkside Are Torn Between Convention and the Avant-garde on ‘Spiral’
While Darkside’s Spiral includes moments of virtuosic integration there are other moments where the album seems to lack a unifying aesthetic.
‘Irresistible Bliss’ at 25: Personal Friction Couldn’t Dampen the Musical Chemistry of Soul Coughing
Soul Coughing’s success with Irresistible Bliss shows how the early ’90s grunge music explosion led to the more expansive alternative rock boom of the mid-’90s.
The 10 Best Fugazi Songs
Fugazi’s ethics and DIY attitude’s symbolism remain crucially important to their legacy and what we can learn from them in the 21st century.
‘Attic Tapes’ Illuminates the late Tim Taylor as the Epicenter of Brainiac’s Genius
Attic Tapes might be Record of the Year material for those who followed Brainiac back in the day. And it might also be a gem solely for completists.
Black Midi Avoid the Sophomore Slump on ‘Cavalcade’
Black Midi’s Cavalcade is a great LP, and though not a fully brilliant or complete masterwork, it will leave many others imitating these guys sucking wake.
‘Amnesiac’ Remains Radiohead’s Freest Record 20 Years Later
Twenty years ago, Radiohead stepped back on Amnesiac, deconstructing their trajectory and tinkering around the edges of their sonic universe.
Black Midi’s ‘Cavalcade’ Is Spellbinding and Circuitous
Black Midi’s Cavalcade displays superlative skills, fierce chemistry, and avant-garde vision, offering spellbinding performances while also falling prey to sonic tautologies and circuitousness.
Trees Speak Conjure Up a Mysterious, Hypnotic Sound on ‘PostHuman’
Arizona’s Trees Speak offer up elements of sci-fi, prog rock, krautrock, and Italian film scores on PostHuman, and that’s a good thing.