Written By: Hunter Stroope

Genre: “Synth Punk”
Label: Castle Face Records
Release Date: January 21, 2014

Pow!: An Analog Synthesis of punk and psyche, a fuck-all attitude on par with local success’s Ty Segall and Warm Soda, and the armed messengers sent from the local complaint department. They have recently released their debut album High-Tech Boom on Castle Face Records, carrying with it a constant theme, (or dare I say concept? I will…) and that theme is “We prefer San Francisco as a cultural collage, seen through the clear lens of Ray Ban, not through the pixelated dystopian view of the Google Glass (holes).” Continue reading →

It’s so interesting to think about all the things that have happened, and all the people that have lived before us. There is an old saying that goes, “there’s nothing new under the sun.”

Soon memorabilia from the ’90s will become vintage. Soon our parents will pass away, and maybe we’ll  be raising children of our own who have never seen a LAN line telephone or have written a letter to a pen pal. Hell, there’s a chance in the next few years, children will not enter a post office until they are adults…. Continue reading →

an essay about social media, introspection and telepathic connections brought on by the desperation of long distance. 

When I was a young girl, up until I was about 17, I never spoke. I hid in closets to avoid family gatherings and carried books and journals around like they were the only possessions I had in the world. I lived in my head and read Shakespeare and Camus like they were my Bibles. My classmates constantly and comfortably told me I’d never fit in. I was too quiet, and I didn’t “talk like Black people.” Everyone was so matter-of- fact about my being weird and odd. Kids in my neighborhood confidently called me ugly (even though I never really thought I was). I knew the Hunchback of Notre Dame was ugly. I knew the Phantom of the Opera, the Elephant man and Frankenstein were ugly, I didn’t think I looked like any of them. Continue reading →

With the Disappears‘ August 2013 album, Era, the band has produced a tighter and more decisive album that holds nothing back. Era sounds like an interesting mix of Kraut and industrial rock, also honing in on more experimental elements that excite and overstimulate the senses in the best ways. We spoke to founding member and vocalist, Brian Case about his past projects, how he perceives his own unique voice and this current experience touring Era. Continue reading →

Baltimore based trap, downtempo…almost (but not) new jack R&B duo, Chiffon has just released a stellar EP called Marble. If any of that descriptive terminology confused you, it’s ok because R&B done well is a complex thing. This heavily vibey, post apocalyptic EP takes experimental music to another level. Continue reading →

A somewhat unwise actress once said “Stop trying to make Fetch happen, it’s not going to happen.” Well I am here to disagree- perhaps the slang term will never catch on, but Crisis Arm‘s newest album “Fetch” is certainly happening. Continue reading →

The Veldt is a legendary shoegaze rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. They were a staple and irreplaceable component of the shoegaze community as the band was discovered by Robin Guthrie of The Cocteau Twins. The Veldt experienced realized success by touring all over the world after signing a record deal with Polygram Records, following the release of their first album Marigold in 1992. The Veldt’s core members (and twin brothers) Danny and Daniel Chavis continue to play music together as the the NYC based 5 piece band, Apollo Heights, who continues to tour interchangeably as the Veldt to this day.

We’ve caught wind that The Veldt will be releasing their first album since 1998 entitled, Resurrection Hymns. We’re anticipating the release from this enigmatic and historically relevant band.
Continue reading →

I’m going to spare you a long introduction because I don’t want to create any innuendos that suggests I didn’t scribble half this list in my little red journal while riding the train yesterday afternoon, and the other half by racking my brain over the last year for albums that I remember playing over and over as my three week obsessions. With that said, I don’t have many three week album obsessions, so this list, to me– is special.

I did go back and listen to all of these albums through again to make sure this list is authentic for the bands and anyone who values my opinion. So, I love you all. Let’s get to it: Continue reading →

Junior Kimbrough is the poor loner’s answer to B.B. King, Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy. Kimbrough, born in 1930 in Hudsonville, Mississippi, was a very laid back romance-centric southern composer who had a knack for writing simple, underground make out blues ballads. There’s nothing showy about Kimbrough. His love songs like Meet Me In the City are made up of upbeat rockabilly-folk guitar riffs and enchantingly endearing lyrics.

If you want authenticity and to hear a simple man play music with his heart on his sleeve, Junior is an artist to explore. Continue reading →