By - Jason Hamric   Slowdive, the iconic British shoegaze pioneers that has graced our ears for over thirty years, return with "Everything is Alive," a an amazing album that reaffirms their place in the house of dream-pop and shoegaze legends. With a history of genre-defining releases coupled with a long break that only seemed to amplify their cult status, this album is nothing short of a welcomed revelation. Slowdive […]

By - James P. Fahy You’re familiar with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, right? The Beatles album? It’s kind of a big deal. Musically, of course, but also in terms of design: The cover art -- which features a pantheon of pop culture greats (circa 1967) -- has proven itself to be as iconic as the music itself, conjuring countless imitators and parodies.  I have no idea how avowed […]

By - Kristi Houk Recommended if you like: Beta Band, Slowdive, Lush, The Daysleepers Music is seasonal. Example: I only listen to Led Zeppelin in the summertime and spring is reserved for a heavy rotation of XTC. As the first hint of autumn seeps in, I tend to lean toward more introspective, somber, heavier fare. Lucky for me, and hopefully you, Film School’s latest release, Field checks all of these […]

By - Kristi Houk Recommended if you like:  The Beach Boys, Argent, Teenage Fanclub, Mo Troper I wish you could read this review in baby pink bubble letters to really emphasize the poppy, bubblegum sound of Diners latest release Domino on Bar/None Records. Surely there’s an app for that. Domino is so overwhelmingly positive, that I kind of want to throw up a little bit. But seriously, this is a […]

By - Jason Hamric Historic rock icon Suzi Quatro and KT Tunstall team up to record "Face to Face," an wonderful album of cover songs that pays homage to the original artist while injecting a fresh new look to some of the dou's favorite tracks. But really, it’s nice to see Quatro and Tunstall having fun just because they can. "Face to Face" opens with a powerful rendition of Tom […]

By - Jason Hamric For fans of Suicide, The Velvet Underground, The Shangri-Las, noisy feedback, reverb, Creation Records and confrontation  As a devout fan of feedback, shoegaze and timeless melodies, I was eagerly anticipating The Jesus and Mary Chain's new album, "Sunset 666 (Live at Hollywood Palladium)" - It does NOT disappoint, and succeeds in being a testament to the band's enduring brilliance.  I've had the privilege of experiencing the […]

By - Kristi Houk Because of slim pickings this week, we are taking a look back at St. Vincent’s impressive, ambitious debut album, Marry Me released on Beggars Banquet Records sixteen years ago in 2007.  It’s an important record for many reasons but, for me, the intrigue lies in its often overlooked Birmingham connection. Call it pride.  The album was recorded, produced, engineered, and mixed here in Birmingham by St. […]

By - Jason Hamric For fans of MBV, Medicine, Darling Buds and swirling loud guitars  Shoegaze was my first adult musical addiction.  Sure I loved The Beatles and all of the stuff you hear as a child, but this was a musical movement by people that were my age and looked like me.  I related to what (I thought) they were saying and THE GUITARS!  It was loud and aggressive, […]

By - Kristi Houk Recommended if you like: Kate Bush, Bjork, Radiohead, Patti Smith Polly Jean Harvey doesn’t make the same record twice.  Period. I feel the need to lead with that since there have been murmurings that her latest release, I Inside the Old Year Dying, doesn’t have enough grit as her earlier albums. Sure, this record may not have the same urgency as, say, Rid of Me (1993) […]