Tin Armor:
Self-Titled 7″

As we impatiently wait for that new Smoking Popes album ( will it ever see the light of day?), it is comforting to know that Tin Armor have our back. I recently covered Tin Armor in the Band You Should Know category. Their 2007 album, A Better Place Than I Have Been was a brilliant […]

The Gaslight Anthem:
Señor and the Queen 2×7″

The Gaslight Anthem have skyrocketed from obscurity to being one of my favorite bands (and isn’t that what it’s all about?). Sink or Swim was one of my favorite albums of 2007 and my love for the band only increased after seeing them live twice last year. The band returns with a 2×7″ and four […]

Vinyl Corner - Thank God/Tigershark

VINYL CORNER

Thank God/Tigershark “Split 10-Inch” (Perpetual Motion Machine/Molsook/Tick Tock)

Thank God are prolific if nothing else. The band has released a split LP, a split 7-inch and two split 10-inches within the last year. Thankfully though there is an awful lot of substance to what the band is doing. Thank God have quickly become one of […]

Vinyl Corner - Title Fight

VINYL CORNER
Title Fight “Kingston” (Flightplan/Attic)

Under the band’s influences on Myspace, Title Fight have the following description: pool parties, skateboards, summertime, girls, long hair, and not listening to our parents. If the band’s music didn’t already have me hooked, their influences sure do. Title Fight arrive at the most appropriate time. On the brink of spring, […]

Vinyl Corner - Life At These Speeds/Thank God

VINYL CORNER

Life At These Speeds/Thank God “Split 7-Inch” (Exotic Fever/Tick Tock)

Unfortunately, instead of just being a sick split 7-inch between two exciting bands, this record will probably be looked at as the final recordings for Portland’s Life At These Speeds. Though, if there is a silver lining here it shows up quite well on Thank […]

Vinyl Corner - Empire Empire (I Was A Lonely Estate)

VINYL CORNER

Empire Empire (I Was A Lonely Estate) “Year Of The Rabbit 7-Inch” (Count Your Lucky Stars)

Empire Empire’s debut EP brought back a rush of fond memories for this reviewer. Echoing the golden age of emo, Empire Empire hearkened back to a simpler time where emotion was real and unfabricated. Bands like Mineral and Sunny […]

Antlers: Self-Titled LP

Antlers hail from Richmond, VA and enlist ex and current members of Mass Movement of the Moth!, Gregor Samsa, If You Are Who You Say You Are, and Resonance as well as the vocal touch of Erin Tobey. Perhaps it is that diverse background that leads to why Antlers self-titled debut is such an eclectic […]

Vinyl Corner - Shorebirds

VINYL CORNER
Shorebirds “Shorebirds” 7-Inch EP (Self-Released)

Shorebirds have very quietly burst onto the punk scene. That is amazing considering the pedigree of Shorebirds two main members. Chris Bauermeister played in a little pop/punk band called Jawbreaker. Maybe you have heard of them!? And Matt Canino is formerly of the late and great Latterman. After Latterman’s break-up […]

Vinyl Corner - The Catalyst

VINYL CORNER

The Catalyst “Marianas Trench” 12-Inch EP (The Perpetual Motion Machine)

If you like your rock thick, dirty and noisy then The Catalyst should be able to give you exactly what you need. The Richmond-based rock band pack about everything they can muster into the four songs that make up Marianas Trench. The band’s own description […]

Best New Music - Little Lebowski Urban Achievers

BEST NEW MUSIC / VINYL CORNER
Little Lebowski Urban Achievers “Is This A Party Or An Intervention?” (Evil Owl)

Is This A Party Or An Intervention? You get the feeling that it is certainly a valid question in the case of Little Lebowski Urban Achievers. Can we take the Big Lebowski references a little too far would […]