When Crystal Castles staggered onto the music scene with their debut in 2008, one of their most captivating qualities was the bipolar nature of their music. A danceable eight-bit sensibility framed their songs collectively, but individually, they leaned toward either melodic chip-tune pop or screechy electro-punk. With their third self-titled Read More…
Only a few years after being released from a contract with Atlantic Records that held him in a state of creative imprisonment, New York rapper Saigon has released his sophomore album, The Greatest Story Never Told Chapter 2: Bread and Circuses. In an apparent effort to blitz the hip-hop world, Read More…
The term “up-and- coming” is often thrown around to describe Kendrick Lamar. With the release of his first major label studio album good kid m.A.A.d city, it’s safe to say that the Compton rapper has arrived. Lamar follows his critically acclaimed Section.80 with a head-bobbing emotional expose that masterfully walks Read More…
Swifties everywhere have been lamenting the starlet’s move from a distinctly country sound to a broader pop appeal. Others are hailing a new pop sound that is more relevant than ever before. The fact is, neither characterization is quite correct. Rather, with the release of her new album, Red, Taylor Read More…
Just as most movie remakes fail to instill any sort of satisfaction in the hearts of true film enthusiasts, Patrick Wolf’s Sundark and Riverlight falls short as a 10th anniversary LP with a new twist on the artist’s classics. The album itself is a two-disc collection that reinvents certain songs Read More…
In Greek legend, the halcyon is a bird that can tame the sea, bringing several days of peace and calm before the winter storms. In the spirit of the myth, Ellie Goulding has crafted an enticing sophomore album named after the bird itself, which lulls you into a calm only Read More…
Jason Lytle is the bizarro Thom Yorke. Three years after Radiohead’s OK Computer came out in 1997, Jason Lytle’s former California-based band, Grandaddy, released The Sophtware Slump. Both albums dealt with man’s relationship with technology, and both defined the sound of each respective artist. The similarities end there, however. While Read More…
The band’s debut LP, Innerspeaker, showcased Parker’s eerily Lennon-like vocals as well as his ability to craft songs resembling those of legends like The Beatles and Pink Floyd not only in terms of style but also quality. However, his group’s latest effort, Lonerism, tends to highlight dense layers of synths atop the formerly prevalent effects-driven guitars, yielding a unique if not improved result. Read More…
Eight years ago, Green Day exploded from near-obscurity after their post-Dookie decline to rockstar superstardom following the release of the now Broadway-approved political epic American Idiot. Since then, and for most of their career, the East Bay natives have faced criticism for selling out their punk appeal to major-label record Read More…
Pop’s self-proclaimed punk princess/perpetual party-girl has released her latest album, The Truth About Love, at a point in her life when she should be best qualified to remark on the subject with the eyes of a seasoned veteran. Whereas her previous album, Funhouse, was a post breakup, revenge-fueled swing at Read More…
