Category: Reviews

  • American Sharks’ debut album was just released on the 17th of this month and the band is about to embark on an extensive tour with The Sword, which is fitting for a couple of reasons.  First of all, American Sharks’ music is a delicious blend of stoner rock, sludge metal and punk that’s like The…

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  • Given that this release is on Prosthetic Records, I was naturally expecting some loud and blazing — if not downright brutal — metal when I first listened to it. Surprisingly, much of the instrumental album by this guitar prodigy isn’t metal at all. Songs like “Viroliano Tries Metal” and “Triangle Tune” are definitely in that…

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  • Magic is a rapper hailing from “the DMV” (Washington D.C.) and he’s quite the talented guy.  His beats remind me of old House of Pain and Cypress Hill.  There was a connection between those two groups and a few others.  They called their collective group Soul Assassins.  Magic’s music is very much in that vein. …

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  • If you love synthy, ’80’s-inspired pop with sleek beats and beautiful electro-touches then you’re sure to immediately fall in love with Diana Vickers’ new album, Music To Make Boys Cry, her sophomore effort and first for the label So Recordings. Honestly, it doesn’t get much better than this. These 10 songs are sure to fire…

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  • Once in a while an album drops into your life unexpectedly, blows your mind and immediately becomes a favorite because it’s so damn good. Such is the case with myself and the new Bombus album, The Poet and the Parrot. I’d never even heard of these guys before I checked this out. I literally knew…

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  • I caught Butch Walker live at The Sinclair in Cambridge, Massachusetts on the 11th of this month. It was my fourth time seeing him and he was, in a word, brilliant. Which came as no surprise. He’s been impressing me with his knack for super emotive songwriting ever since he was in a little-known hair…

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  • At some point this morning or early this afternoon a little song called “Work B**ch,” which I will now refer to as “Work Bitch,” leaked…  And it immediately went viral, this after an awful lot of people posted fake versions of the song online all weekend… Of course, people had been saying that it leaked…

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  • The awe-inspiring, thrashing mad Century Media debut of Gothenburg’s metal warriors BOMBUS will hit stores, iTunes and Amazon on Tuesday! THE POET AND THE PARROT is the band’s sophomore  album and has already wowed critics and metal fans alike throughout Europe. To celebrate the North American release, the band is streaming the album this weekend…

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  • Yes, you read that headline correctly — red hot pop diva Diana Vickers will be finally be releasing her sophomore album, Music To Make Boys Cry, this Sunday on the So Recordings label.  At least in the UK.  But you can order the CD from her online store anywhere in the world and it’s currently…

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  • Four years ago Glasgow art rockers Franz Ferdinand released their third album, which was called Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, and it did not fare very well in most countries. Not with critics and not with fans. It was produced by the renowned Brian Higgins of Xenomania, who’s worked with everyone from Pet Shop Boys to Kylie…

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  • Those of you who read my Asian music reviews on Otaku may remember that I reviewed K-Pop star BoA’s latest Japanese-language single “Tail of Hope” not too long ago. If not, you can find my cheerful review here: http://otaku.collectiondx.com/musicreview/boa-tail-hope I basically declared it sonic bliss. Well, today an English language version of “Tail of Hope”…

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  • If I listen to a new album over and over again, I either end up liking it more and more each time or I like it less and less each time. I always have some sort of emotional reaction. But if I don’t like an album the first time I listen to it then chances…

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  • Cut Copy posted the following on Facebook Tuesday afternoon: We are very pleased to announce our new album Free Your Mind, releasing Nov 2 (Aus) / Nov 4 (UK/EU) / Nov 5 (Americas)! Pre orders are available now and come with an instant download of our title track “Free Your Mind” – get to it!…

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  • There was a time when I thought Bloc Party could do no wrong. Their first two albums — Silent Alarm (2005) and A Weekend In The City (2007) — were brilliant in my opinion. And, considering the critical acclaim and awards they received, it would seem the world agreed. The B-sides from those albums were…

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  • “Limpido” — that’s Italian for “clear” — is an amazing new duet by Laura Pausini and Kylie Minogue, which they’ve recorded for Laura’s upcoming Greatest Hits collection. It was just released today on September 10th, 2013. It begins with an enormously punchy beat and faint, fluttering synth, and then Laura sings a verse in Italian…

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