Author: mike

Joanna Gruesome/Trust Fund at Performer

It’s always a joy to get new Joanna Gruesome vinyl, and this time out fans are treated to a delicious two-fer: a split LP with three new tracks from Joanna Gruesome plus three new tracks from UK newcomers Trust Fund. The whole affair adds up to a noisy, punk-fueled skin abrasion (but in a good… Continue reading Joanna Gruesome/Trust Fund at Performer

Fireworks at Porky Prime Cuts

PORKY WAS DELIGHTED TO recently receive a copy of The Primitives’ first album of new songs in humpteen years. Until then he had almost given up hope of hearing pure pop again, then The Fireworks’  Switch Me On (Shelflife records) was dropped in the mailbox by a hard-working postie due to become redundant any day… Continue reading Fireworks at Porky Prime Cuts

Fireworks at Innocent Words

Hometown: London and Brighton, UK Members and Instruments: Matthew Rimell – vocals & guitar Emma Hall – vocals, tambourine, guitar Isabel Albiol – bass Shaun Charman – drums & additional guitar on the album Short Bio (in your own words): A muck about rehearsal, a couple of songs were enough to start The Fireworks. After… Continue reading Fireworks at Innocent Words

Emotional Response at Yab Yum

Flagstaff label, Emotional Response, released this split EP on limited edition (color) vinyl back in November, but lucky for us, there are still some copies available because I was a little late cluing in to this local label. Bad Daddies and Hard Left are both bands from the Bay Area, but I can definitely see… Continue reading Emotional Response at Yab Yum

Fishboy at Magnet

Fishboy plays a powerful mix of pop and indie rock and is currently working on a new concept album that includes a wordless booklet themed around Topsy, an elephant publicly electrocuted by Thomas Edison. Now the Denton, Texas, band has a new video for “Thomas Alva Waiting” that runs through chapter two of the booklet, titled Thomas Alva… Continue reading Fishboy at Magnet

Black Watch at Snilch Report

The Black Watch began in 1987, the brainchild of primary songwriter and frontman John Andrew Fredrick.  The band history until 2011 is detailedhere; their 2013 album was my favorite of that year.  This interview took place over email in January 2015 into February. The Snilch Report:  I just listened to the album [2014’s sugarplum fairy, sugarplum… Continue reading Black Watch at Snilch Report

Try the Pie at Impose

If you followed our Best Cassettes of 2014 list late last year, you might remember reading about a Bay Area indie-pop band called Crabapple and their incredible tape,Is It You? The drummer of Crabapple, Bean Tupou, also writes songs under the moniker Try the Pie. The project was formerly an intimate, sweet-sung solo endeavor, but for the band’s next full-length,… Continue reading Try the Pie at Impose