On Friday night, The Islands, which include two ex-members of The Unicorns, played the first Unitarian Church in Philadelphia. There was fantastic turn out of young and old alike, and all enjoyed a great set of new and old Islands songs. Their new album, The Arm, is gritty departure from their first album, Return to the Sea, but I think Islands are moving in a fresh direction.  While most of the set was from the Arm, the audience was treated to all of their favorites and there was much rejoicing. Read the rest of this entry »

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Nouns is the best album of 2008 so far by any standards. The duo No Age bring their sound with refreshing consideration to punk-attuned audiences with no qualms. Hailing from Los Angeles, their guitar and drums combination with insightful lyrics layered on top provides the recipe for a great half hour of listening. In particular, Nouns emphasizes No Age’s lo-fi melodies that provide a for cushion for lyrics that hold meaning and mentality. Read the rest of this entry »

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The newest album from Be Your Own PET does not disappoint. “Get Awkward” is more of the spazzy, fun, fast party rock fans have grown to expect from female lead singer Jemina Pearl. While the songs are not the stuff of genius, they are quite enjoyable nonetheless. This album in particular is more coherent then previously released material from the band, which has consisted of a string of e-p’s and singles. Their self-titled album did not impress me, but their sophomore effort does. Read the rest of this entry »

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If the beginning of the first track of the album sounds like “Bela Lugosi is Dead” played at 45 rpm instead of 33, it a given that “Blood Visions” is going to be great. It was released in October of 2006, so it may be old news, but recently discovering Jay Reatard has refreshed my seriously stale music library. This is the first solo album from the group, and while the cover may be a tad unsavory for some tastes, Jay is wearing nothing but a Speedo and is covered in what appears to be fake blood, by no means should the music be judged by the CD cover. Read the rest of this entry »

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The Kills new album, “Midnight Boom”, is a great art rock follow up to their album “No Wow”. Fans of the Kills will not be disappointed in the single “Cheap and Cheerful”, which stays true the the Kills’ grungy, dirty style while still presenting new material. Read the rest of this entry »

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