The name Kodaline is enough to stop most people for a second or two as they ponder the possible meaning of this neologism that is pronounced “code – ah – line,” but the word actually represents two distinct things. In the World of Warcraft, it’s the name of the computer[Read More…]
Music
Against Me!—Transgender Dysphoria Blues
The Florida-based punk rock band Against Me! formed in 1997 and firmly established itself in the punk world with the release of five albums between 2002 and 2012. In 2012, lead singer of the band, Laura Jane Grace—formerly Tom Gabel—announced that she was a transgender woman. Following this admission, the[Read More…]
Young the Giant—Mind Over Matter
Following the very successful release of their self-titled debut album in 2010, southern California quintet Young the Giant has a lot to live up to with their second full-length release, Mind Over Matter. Purveyors of a radio-friendly brand of indie rock, the band has become known for catchy pop hooks,[Read More…]
Warpaint—Warpaint
There is more space on Warpaint’s latest, self-titled album than on their previous release, The Fool and Exquisite Corpse. Former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante—who mixed and mastered Warpaint’s debut EP—is replaced by Flood and Nigel Godrich, who handle most of the technical duties this time. There is[Read More…]
Braving the cold for J. Cole
Just months after the release of his sophomore album Born Sinner, Roc Nation artist J. Cole hit the stage at Montreal’s Metropolis on Jan. 23. With his work held in high regard by many rap legends, Cole backed up the hype with his performance, and made every minute of waiting[Read More…]
Mogwai—Rave Tapes
One of the lesser-known bands under the post-rock genre, Mogwai has recently released their eighth LP, Rave Tapes. Perhaps unlikely to garner many new fans unfamiliar with their experimental tastes, the album is a testament to the band’s evolution into a progressively more electronic sound—and the synths serve them well.[Read More…]
Bruce Springsteen—High Hopes
Bruce Springsteen has spent his career using extraordinary elements to spice up the seemingly mundane. Be it through the illumination of small-town New Jersey life through deceptively sparse poetry, or the energizing of simplistic song structures with larger-than-life guitar riffs, Springsteen has often found a way to milk material to[Read More…]
The Pixies—EP-2
Last Monday The Pixies released their new album, EP-2, apparently as a second park to their album of September 2013, titled EP-1. This new release seems to complete a transition from the band’s old alternative rock style to true blue hard rock—their new sound is now well-developed, with many moods[Read More…]
Switchfoot—Fading West
With a rich catalogue of intricately-written songs and a 2011 Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album in their back pocket, this Alternative Rock band from San Diego has delivered yet another brilliantly uplifting album. Right from the get-go, the thundering beat of the opening track, “Love Alone is Worth[Read More…]
Rosanne Cash—The River and the Thread
On Rosanne Cash’s latest album The River and the Thread—her first new record in eight years—the veteran country music singer-songwriter proudly displays her virtuosic talents as a vocalist, lyricist, and a tasteful composer with an acute sense of how to use musical devices to keep her tunes interesting. The themes[Read More…]