Emma H. Sundstrom

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Split Cranium: Split Cranium

On the surface, Split Cranium is just one in a tired tradition of crust punk bands, but before tossing this record in the trash, give it another listen. Far from parroting of subgenre clichés, Split Cranium affectionately reinterprets them through an artist's lens.

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Young Hines: Give Me My Change

Young Hines can carry a tune and maybe even write one, but the remarkably unremarkable Give Me My Change just doesn't add up.

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The Avengers: The Avengers

Formed in 1977, the Avengers were pioneers of West Coast punk. This phenomenal double-disc release of their classic recordings make these Avengers the real superheroes of the season.

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White Fence: Family Perfume Vol. 1 / Family Perfume Vol. 2

While Family Perfume treads familiar lo-fi psych-folk ground, it does it well, as well as anyone since the weird ramblings of Elephant 6’s Olivia Tremor Control and Apples in Stereo. Good melodies, weird noises, basement tape production – what’s not to love?

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Bigg Juss: Machines That Make Civilization Fun

After a seven year interlude, Bigg Jus is back, as angry and as erudite as ever. Sputtering polyrhythms on the verge of chaos, Machines That Make Civilization Fun is a claustrophobic, paranoid soundtrack to suit the age of Occupy Wall Street and the Arab Spring.

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Evans the Death: Evans the Death

Evans the Death make classic indie pop: short, sweet, melody-driven songs with a noisy, messy intimacy. With their staggering self-titled debut, they've written a perfect pop album.

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Useless ID: Symptoms

The best Useless I.D. could possibly be, if you're over the age of 15, is a guilty pleasure. Their newest record of formulaic pop-punk doesn't even merit that status.

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The Men: Open Your Heart

Recalling Yo La Tengo (circa 1997) and Sonic Youth (circa 1988), the new album from the Men delivers delicious noise pop, but it promises to wear thin with time.

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Sachiko & Fukuoka Rinji: αTOMOΣ

Fifty minutes of pure ambient drone, αTOMOΣ is enough to give you bad dreams, in a good way.

Emma H. Sundstrom

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Majutsu No Niwa: Frontera

Majutsu No Niwa offers few surprises on their sophomore record. As with so many psychedelic albums, Frontera's length outstrips its substance.

Emma H. Sundstrom

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Dinowalrus: Best Behavior

With their sophomore release, Brooklyn's Dinowalrus trade no wave for New Wave. As a Madchester revival album, Best Behavior is a success, but if you're looking for something new, this release falls short.

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Mirrorring: Foreign Body

A collaboration between Grouper and Tiny Vipers, Foreign Body is tense and haunted, full of whispered melodies and dark washes of electronic noise.

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Bowerbirds: The Clearing

Folk outfit Bowerbirds' third album flirts with jazz and rock without clouding the rustic simplicity that first put the band on the map.

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Pop Ten

MetalMatters: July 2019 - It's Never Too Hot for Dark, Heavy Music

Fear the Capitalists, Not the Pagan Witch: William McGregor on His Film, 'Gwen'

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