HTRK, pronounced “Hate Rock,” a band name that takes a vowel-less and thusly opaque acronym for their dark dream project, uncovers more of their damaged sexual sensibilities and ideas of surviving modern musicianship. Where as 2009’s Marry Me Tonight was the band’s tongue-in-cheek assertion of a pop album Work (work, work) is a devastating statement of lust and despair. Upon …

On a brisk November evening, the Doug Fir was in that advanced state of sold-out where the entire basement lounge becomes a sea of jostling shoulders. Packed tight was a multitude wishing to revisit the splendor of the early Aughts, most notably and more particularly to celebrate a special anniversary: release of Minus the Bear’s debut LP Highly Refined Pirates, …

Just a few weeks ago, I was bemoaning to a friend my disappointment in Hysterical, the third record from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. “It sounds like what would happen if the Violent Femmes recorded with Coldplay’s production team,” I told her, airing my dislike for the record that came out four years after the band’s sophomore effort, Some Loud …

[xrr rating=4/5] I despise the beach. I hate the sensation of scalding sand between my toes. I dislike the salty, seaweed-inflected odor that stays with me for days after leaving the sandy shore. Exposure to unadulterated sunlight makes me sneeze. Thus, it takes a small miracle for me to willingly listen to and enjoy a beach-combing, surf-pop inspired record in …

[xrr rating=4/5] For a band named Talkdemonic, you won’t find much in the way of vocals or malevolence. Sure, their fourth album Ruins (released by Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock’s label) at times exudes foreboding tones – especially on their more heavily distorted tracks – but with a transcendent blend of viola, percussion, and all manner of electronic gadgetry, Portland …

Eager to prove they’re immune to the sophomore slump, Wild Beasts are currently in the midst of an incredible opening run from a band, with three excellent albums issued one after the other. The most recent, Smother, expands on the evolution that occurred between their debut Limbo, Panto and follow-up Two Dancers. We caught up with the group’s co-lead vocalist …

Revisit is a series of reviews highlighting past releases that now deserve a second look. Isaac Brock doesn’t believe in sophomore slumps. The talented-as-he-is-troubled frontman of Issaquah, WA’s Modest Mouse has had a storied history of substance and domestic abuse problems, but that guy can write a fucking song like no one’s business. Their 1996 full-length debut This is a …

With the release of a single song on his bandcamp page a few months ago, Trevor Powers rose from total obscurity to musical prominence under the Youth Lagoon moniker. The track “July” starts small and hushed and builds to a sound that could fill the rafters of the loftiest cathedral. The few songs Powers has released since then have only …