Music Reviews
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Mar 2 Reviews
Transitions
ConceptsReview by Ben Rickaby
Back in the ’60s, music producer Phil Spector came up witha recording technique dubbed the “wall of sound.” He got the Beatles to use it, and the overly-layered-but-incredibly-deep influence...
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Mar 2 Reviews
Diamonds
Hawk NelsonReview by Ben Rickaby
I saw Hawk Nelson back in 2009 when they were touring with Skillet. The band joked from the stage that they loved touring with Skillet specifically because it meant...
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Mar 2 Reviews
Mere Image
Least of TheseReview by Nathan Key
When Mere Image, the debut album from Least of These, came across my desk, I had high expectations because they are from Denton, TX. Denton is a strange place....
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Mar 2 Reviews
Empire
Derek MinorReview by Justin Mabee
Empire, the fifth full-length release from rapper Derek Minor, is the equivalent of Kanye West’s 2013 hit album,Yeezus.That’s the closest example of what I believe Derek Minor has accomplished...
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Jan 14 Reviews
F.E.A.R.
Papa RoachReview by Collin Simula
Confession time: I never kept up with Lost. I remember seeing the first episode, feeling somewhat underwhelmed by the premise and never really thinking about it again — until...
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Jan 14 Reviews
Grace Through the Wandering
Aaron GillespieReview by Collin Simula
I have a love-hate relationship with worship music. On one hand, the idea of a group of people in the same room, a multitude of different voices, cultures, backgrounds...
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Jan 14 Reviews
The Humble Beginnings of a Rovin' Soul
6'10"Review by Ben Rickaby
If Flatfoot 56 is a rambunctious mosh pit, then 6’10” — the folky side project for frontman Tobin Bawinkel — is like going for a stroll on a summer...
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Jan 14 Reviews
Rise: Ascension
A Skylit DriveReview by David Stagg
A Skylit Drive’s new acoustic album is proof of something a number of musicians would swear to you they already knew: Symphonies are freaking metal. It never seemed like...
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Jan 5 Reviews
Split Decision
A Common Goal/False IdleReview by Garrett Hollowell
I’ve been a fan a Sef Idle — the frontman of puck rock group False Idle who also dabbles in the acoustic punk world — for awhile now, and...
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Dec 1 Reviews
Knives to the Future
Project 86Review by Sean Huncherick
Thunder, heavy breathing, troops marching and string section open Project 86’s highly anticipated Knives to the Future with an intro fit for a movie soundtrack. The trouble with ambitious...
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Dec 1 Reviews
Correspondence (A Fiction)
Levi the PoetReview by Jordan Gonzalez
Spoken word is a frustrating genre. It’s not recited poetry and it’s not exactly rap. It’s been around for centuries, used by a plethora of ideologies and showcased in...
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Dec 1 Reviews
Heavy is the Head
SullivanReview by Sean Huncherick
In 2007, Tooth and Nail Records’ ridiculously catchy alternative-rock group Sullivan called it quits on their headlining tour promoting their then-recently released sophomore album, Cover Your Eyes. Following the...
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Dec 1 Reviews
Punk Goes Pop, Vol. 6
Various ArtistsReview by David Stagg
A long time ago, right here in the U.S., listening to pop music as a scene kid would get you hung out to dry. Britney was a coveted charm,...
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Dec 1 Reviews
Ixora
CopelandReview by Sean Huncherick
Copeland broke up in 2008, the same year melodic indie bands like Fleet Foxes were just getting their start. Had they stayed together through the early 2010s, I have...
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Dec 1 Reviews
The Birthright
Brother WolfReview by Collin Simula
About ten years ago, I remember a new sound entering the metal- and hardcore scene. The down-tuned, first-five-frets-of-the-lowest-string previously only heard on nu-metal records. (Or in Meshuggah songs, but...
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Nov 3 Reviews
Dear Youth
The Ghost InsideReview by Nate Lake
I’ve long admired Jonathan Vigil and the rest of The Ghost Inside for writing passionate, emotional songs that encourage positivity. I was happy to see them continue this trend...
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Nov 3 Reviews
What Was Done, Vol. I
The Classic CrimeReview by Sean Huncherick
When you play the same songs 200 days a year, you’ll start to spice it up with new riffs, chords and lyrics, sometimes ones you wish you could have...
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Nov 3 Reviews
The Night God Slept
Silent PlanetReview by Collin Simula
Another metalcore record. Another album full of clicky-kick drum sounds, staccato breakdowns, guitar amps with the “mid” knob turned to 11 and throaty, syncopated vocals. This is what I...
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Nov 3 Reviews
Broken Vessels
Silence the OceanReview by Nate Lake
Broken Vessels is the first full-length record released by Ohio metalcore act Silence the Ocean, and it begins with a soft keyboard pattern leading into an impressive growl as...
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Nov 3 Reviews
Cold Blood / Simple Math
Despite My PrideReview by Nathan Key
On my first rollercoaster at Six Flags Great America in Illinois, I distinctly remember the ups and downs, the loops and drops, the dips and hard turns making me...
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