Author: mike

American Culture at The Big Takeover

Mysterious fuzz poppers from the Four Corners Desert, American Culture, offer an excellent debut full-length that perfectly encapsulates their name. Pure American Gum explodes with pop hooks, reverbed vocals and feedback-laden guitars. Each song is a snapshot in time, a pure celebration of that naïve innocence we had in our youth that youngsters still hold… Continue reading American Culture at The Big Takeover

Shelflife at Fat Angel Sings

Shelflife Records is a Portland and San Francisco based record label run by Ed Mazzucco and Matthew Bice and has produced such bands as Burning Hearts, Days, Brittle Stars, and The Radio Dept. Shelflife traces its 1995 origins to a bedroom in a southern California suburb, where it began in conjunction with a mail order and… Continue reading Shelflife at Fat Angel Sings

Fireworks at Performer Magazine

Cut to snow-white vinyl, the Fireworks’ debut LP, Switch Me On, is a masterstroke of noise, feedback, reverb, and 12-string jangle that’s basically the best Buzzcocks record the Buzzcocks never made. The band is an eclectic mix of UK vets (Pocketbooks, Big Pink Cake, The Popguns, etc) who’ve already released a couple of well-received 7-inch… Continue reading Fireworks at Performer Magazine

Joe Jack Talcum at Razorcake

I confess: I am not, nor have ever been, a Dead Milkmen fan. I mention this because Joe Jack Talcum is the guitarist and a vocalist in the revered satirist punk outfit from Philadelphia. Being unfamiliar with the Milkmen’s albums has allowed me to be objective when listening to this collection. Ultimately, I was pleasantly… Continue reading Joe Jack Talcum at Razorcake

Crayon at Razorcake

Crayon were an early ‘90s lo-fi twee punk band from Bellingham, Washington. They thrived on zine culture and shared the stage with Superchunk and the Melvins. HHBTM have lovingly reissued their album, Brick Factory, which has been out of print for years. Besides the LP, the download code also includes twenty-one extra songs from compilations… Continue reading Crayon at Razorcake

Marshmallow Coast at Austin Town Hall

When I heard the name Andy Gonzalez (ex-Of Montreal, The Music Tapes) I had one thing in mind before I even listened to the song.  But, put your pretense aside, as the music you’ll hear form hisMarshmallow Coast has a lot more in common with early Death Cab or Pinback.  There’s a calming vocal touch,… Continue reading Marshmallow Coast at Austin Town Hall