Having gone to college in the early 2010's, I have developed an acute aversion to anything that can be labelled "acoustic singer-songwriter." But quad flashbacks aside, it's nice to be reminded that the genre can actually be great. On her debut EP Our Friends Pt. I, Lila Tristram does just that. Tristram uses the EP … Continue reading Lila Tristram – Our Friends Pt. I EP Review
Whether it's Crystal Castles or Cannibal Corpse, band names can often give insight to what the name bearer sounds like. But multi-instrumentalist Cameron Smith uses a musical alias to let us know what he's not. Whether he's the archnemesis of a certain Kevin or trying to prove he's not a meme, one thing is certain … Continue reading not kevin – Good Enough EP Review
Prog and punk may seem like mortal enemies, but there's a London-based three-piece called Serpent Tax who play a mix of the warring styles. Usually my gripe with modern prog is that it's too easy to spot the ripoffs. Serpent Tax doesn't really sound like anyone, so that's a great start. But how exactly do … Continue reading Serpent Tax – Downpour EP Review
Spotlights are part of a legion of bands (see also: Holy Fawn, Niights) who take their shoegaze and post-metal influences beyond the My Bloody Valentine and Deftones aping of their peers to create something they can truly call their own. Their last album Love & Decay made my Top 20 list last year, so naturally … Continue reading Spotlights – We Are All Atomic EP Review
Astrid S first caught attention with her hit single “Breathe” in 2017; a catchy pop song that borders on the EDM spectrum of music. With “Breathe”, Astrid S offered top-shelf production, great vocals that hardly seem overly manufactured in production / auto-tuned if at all, and lyric writing at a higher level than the typical … Continue reading Astrid S – Trust Issues Review
