Album Reviews

Sunflower Bean’s Twentytwo in Blue, Reviewed

Sunflower Bean turned heads with their first full length album Human Ceremony, released back in 2016. Their debut’s breadth and urgency was illustrious of the band’s burgeoning appetite for a life beyond New York City’s DIY scene, and was ultimately successful in helping them realize the musician’s cliched dream of making it out of one’s hometown. After putting out music for only a year prior, the record was an impressive start for bassist and singer Julia Cumming, guitarist Nick Kivlen, and drummer Jacob Faber. The Brooklyn based trio were young and ambitious then— as they still are now, although their energy has become undeniably more harnessed— and these characteristics were central to Human Ceremony’s sound and thesis. The album was appropriately all over the place musically, with tracks ranging in style from shoegaze to surf rock to psych pop, and influences like the Velvet Underground and Black Sabbath obvious (in some cases on the same songs). Now, Sunflower Bean is back and more polished than ever on their sophomore release Twentytwo in Blue.

April Artist Retrospective: Sidney Gish; Ravyn Lenae

(courtesy of https://sidneygish.bandcamp.com/album/no-dogs-allowed)

As we start on a new month and this truly, unexplainably terrible Nashville weather seems to be slowly improving, I thought it might be a good opportunity to take a quick look at two artists who are leaving the youth™ movement in music at the moment. Both Ravyn Lenae and Sidney Gish have blessed our ears with some excellent music in the last few months, and exciting things are surely in store for them as they progress and develop their skills. I’m going to limit things to one standout track from each respective project, but both of these releases are great front to back.

New Dr. Dog singles hint to Most Experimental Album yet

Despite starting out back in 2003 with the album Toothbrush, most music fans know Dr. Dog for its funky fresh 2016 album The Psychedelic Swamp or its mellow, slightly folkly 2017 album Abandoned Mansion.  And if you aren’t a music listener at all, there’s still a 99% chance you’ve heard Dr. Dog’s version of “Heart It Races” from 2007, the band’s most played song that features one of the recognizable, catchiest bass lines.

Upcoming Releases All the Cool Kids Are Excited About

In regards to emo and pop-punk, 2018 has not been off to a particularly bangin’ start. I imagine you’re probably thinking something along the lines of: that’s because those genres died, like, ten years ago. But that’s where you’re wrong. Whatever wave of emo is currently happening is still sputtering on, asphyxiating slowly resultant of its cultural irrelevancy. Despite the poor state of the scene at present, however, there are still a few upcoming releases everyone can look forward to, both in and out of the genre.

Worst Party Ever Surprisingly Lit

Southern Florida may not have much going for it, but its local music scene is nearly unparalleled.  Breeding some of the most quintessential emo/pop punk/hardcore bands of all time (read: New Found Glory, Yellowcard, Underoath, Mayday Parade, Anberlin, A Day to Remember, and the like), no one really feels ~the pain~ as much as this slowly sinking state. Sarasota-based emo/punk band Worst Party Ever is no different. Worst Party Ever have been progressively banging out some exceptionally depressing tunes since 2014.  In 2016, they put out Anthology, a compilation (or, dare I say, an anthology) of all 21 of their recorded songs. And they’re all amazing.

WRVU In-Depth Look: Ranking Every Song on the SATURATION Series

Last weekend I was able to fulfill a year-long dream of mine when I saw BROCKHAMPTON in concert in Indianapolis. If you listened to music in 2017, you probably heard about this group at least once. The 15-member “boyband” took the nation by storm at the tail end of what already was a fantastic year for music. Driven by outstanding production that’s somehow simultaneously progressive and nostalgic and verses from off-kilter personalities such as the unapologetically gay frontman Kevin Abstract, the charmingly sluggish Matt Champion, and electrifying Merlyn Wood, BROCKHAMPTON truly stands out among the hordes of hip-hop projects released each year. In this list, I will attempt to rank every song BROCKHAMPTON released in their SATURATION series, from worst to best. (Note: This includes songs only, not Skits, Scenes, Cinemas, or any of the bonus tracks included in the box set.)

Car Seat Headrest’s Brilliant Re-make of 2011’s Twin Fantasy

Car Seat Headrest started in 2010 as the DIY project of Will Toledo, named for his habit of recording in his car. Over the next three and a half years, Toledo would self-release 8 LPs, including Twin Fantasy (2011), which quickly gained a cult following. In 2015, Will Toledo expanded his lineup upon signing to Matador Records and the following year released Teens of Denial, his first album of new music since signing. Teens of Denial was met with widespread critical acclaim, and, as a result, Car Seat Headrest’s audience expanded greatly beyond the cult of Bandcamp fans Toledo had already amassed. After the immense success of Teens of Denial, Toledo’s choice to do a complete re-record of Twin Fantasy rather than release new music may be unexpected, but it’s completely welcome to those who love Twin Fantasy.

Shakey Graves Releases The Sleep EP Ahead of Upcoming Album

Alejandro Rose-Garcia, better known by stage name Shakey Graves, has long since been an Austin icon. A self-proclaimed ‘Texas gentleman,’ his prophetic lyrics and unapologetic DIY sound have earned his catalog regard as one of folk-rock’s greats. His signature suitcase kick drum, perfectly homemade and casual, epitomizes the distinctive one-man band style of his past recordings and live performances. Undeniably, Rose-Garcia has come a long way from those early days of Bandcamp releases and solo shows. The 2014 drop of album And the War Came marked the beginning of his transition to a more polished sound and filled out live set, of which  he shared his thoughts on while opening for City and Colour in June of 2016. “There’s nothing wrong with needing a little help from your friends,” he explained. Although the recent re-release of The Donor Blues and Nobody’s Fool EPs one summer later seemed to indicate a potential return to his earlier bedroom style, upcoming record Can’t Wake Up suggests the contrary.

WRVU Look-Back: The Decemberists and German Romantic Opera

If you’re a Decemberists fan, you’ve probably sung along to the folk anthem “Down By The Water” on a Sunday drive. If you’re an avid fan, you became intimate with their chart-topping 2011 release The King is Dead and have been a regular listener ever since. And if you’re a hardcore, there-for-every-show-marry-me-Colin-Meloy fan, then there’s a chance you’ve heard of their 2009 album The Hazards of Love.

Ravyn Lenae’s New Empowering Sound on Crush EP

Ravyn Lenae’s Crush EP Cover. Photo by Jingyu Lin. Source: Atlantic Records.

Chicago songstress Ravyn Lenae collaborates with The Internet’s Steve Lacy to deliver an EP brimming with intoxicatingly confident vocals over futuristic funk beats – a combination well-suited for arriving the week before Valentine’s Day.

The Dangerous Summer Self-Titled Album Review

The Dangerous Summer performing at Grimey’s New & Preloved Music (source: Karina Schechter)

Fresh off hiatus, The Dangerous Summer’s comeback has generated a pleasantly surprising amount of hype within the scene.  Their self-titled was released on January 26, 2018 through Hopeless Records, and general response to it has been positive, albeit far from glowing.