Category: Rock

  • Best Coast — the dynamic duo comprised of singer/songwriter/guitarist Bethany Cosentino and multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno — have been labeled *a lot* of different things since their mighty impressive 2010 debut, Crazy For You. Dream-pop, power-pop, alternative-rock, alternative-pop, indie rock, indie pop, lo-fi, surf pop, garage rock — take your pick. But there’s a reason why…

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  • White Lies has decided to follow up their recent album Big TV, which we’ve already reviewed here on Love is Pop, with a new EP called Small TV, which they’re currently selling 1000 copies of on CD and once they’re gone it will be gone forever. Well, except for on the internet, where it’s sure…

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  • In 2008, when twin brothers Max and Spencer Ernst were just 16 years old, they became the youngest songwriters signed by Cherry Lane Music Publishing (now BMG). Cherry Lane’s roster includes such heavyweights as Black Eyed Peas and John Legend. In 2009, singer/songwriter Chelsea Lee was signed to Atlantic Records. In 2011, she released her…

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  • As the story goes, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong was a big fan of the country duo known as the Everly Brothers, particularly their 1958 album Songs Our Daddy Taught Us. He was so into the album, in fact, that he decided he wanted to cover it. But he wanted to do it as a…

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  • Although he’s always maintained a moderate level of popularity in Europe, James Blunt is still known as a one-hit wonder here in the States. His hit? 2004’s inescapable “You’re Beautiful,” a song which critics loathed but the masses adored. I always found it amusing that it became such a bit hit because on the album…

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  • OK, so, the lame spelling of the song’s title is tacky, but Beady Eye’s new single “Iz Rite” is one hell of an infectious tune. In fact, it’s fan-fucking-tastic. Easily the best song Beady Eye has put out thus far. And one that rivals the best Oasis tracks. Basically, what we have here is a…

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  • Since the Twilight franchise concluded, there haven’t been a whole lot of must have movie soundtracks. Fortunately, The Hunger Games franchise is ripe to take over the coveted most wanted soundtracks spot in our music addicted hearts. The soundtrack to the newest installment, Catching Fire, features brand new tracks by many of today’s hottest artists.…

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  • First-rate Misfits guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein is back and at the top of his game on the pulverizing new album DOYLE: Abominator. Joining him are dynamic vocalist Alex Story (Cancerslug), masterly bassist “Left-Hand” Graham and the consummate, latter day Misfits drummer Dr. Chud. Like Newsted or Slash, Doyle is a band, but at the…

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  • I loved Avril Lavigne’s first two albums, 2002’s Let Go and 2004’s Under My Skin. Still love ’em. But, if I’m being brutally honest, I thought her next two albums, 2007’s The Best Damn Thing and 2011’s Goodbye Lullaby, were just plain terrible. Fucking awful, even. I gave them both a fair shot and listened…

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  • This review was originally published on Otaku.  I’m running it here because it was recently released here in the States. VAMPS — known as VAMPS (JPN) here in the States for Trademark reasons — is a Japanese hard rock/metal group formed in 2008 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist HYDE of L’Arc~en~Ciel fame and lead guitarist Kazuhito “K.A.Z”…

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  • Following the release of their much-loved eponymous debut, Cults’ vocalist Madeline Follin and multi-instrumentalist Brian Oblivion broke up, ending a four year relationship. Fortunately, they were grateful for their fans, and all of the accolades they had received from critics, and so they decided to continue making music together. Much like listening to The Civil…

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  • Recorded in their native Sweden, The Sounds fifth album, Weekend, was produced, engineered and mixed by Alex Newport (At the Drive-In, Mars Volta, Bloc Party, Death Cab For Cutie, City & Colour) and mastered by Howie Weinberg, who has previously mastered such iconic albums as Beastie Boys’ Licence to Ill and Nirvana’s Nevermind. It’s hard…

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  • Kill Devil Hill really caught me by surprise. Especially since they’re on Century Media Records. You see, I honestly thought this type of melodic metal was dead. At least aside from Frontiers Records, who’ve ignored all of my E-mails requesting to be added to their press list, which is really a shame because I love…

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  • Dead Letter Circus, who hail from Australia, are one of those bands who are impossible to categorize. In fact, when they first burst onto the scene in the land down under in 2007, people didn’t know what to make of them. Were they metal? Were they alt-rock? Prog rock? Nobody was certain and it was…

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  • You all know the back story by now: several years ago guitarist Derek Miller was shredding in a hardcore band while vocalist Alexis Krauss was singing in a teen pop group of all things. But they came together in Brooklyn in 2009 and quickly proceeded to make a noisey, raw and aggressive album called Treats,…

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