The songs of 'Guidance' are pretty much textbook Russian Circles: they utilize metal progressions and climax / anti-climax song structure to create a powerful sound. ...
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Review: Various Artists ‘You Heard Us Back When…’ (2016)
A really good compilation can give the listener not only glimpses into bands’ worlds, but a clear snapshot into the current state and direction of a music scene. Vol. 10, then, sounds less like a classic sampler and more like a showcase that these bands will use for attention and enhancing the possibilities for their bands. ...
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Review: Streetlight Manifesto, Dan Potthast, Sycamore Smith July 16, 2016 at Vinyl Las Vegas
Whenever people ask me how Streetlight Manifesto’s last Vegas show went, I tell them, “It was pretty awesome to see a bunch of jazz band geeks beat the shit out of each other.” ...
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Review: A reinvigorated Blink-182 made their return to Vegas July 23, 2016 at The Joint
Is there really such a thing as a casual Blink-182 fan? A cursory glance at the nearly 4,000 fans who sold out the band’s July 23 show at the Joint leads me to believe the answer is “no.” ...
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Review: Ray Rocket ‘Do You Wanna Go to Tijuana?’ (2016)
Okay, I definitely cheated a little when I said that this album sounds like an acoustic Teenage Bottlerocket record, since that’s essentially what it is. But at the same time, it’s so much more. ...
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Review: Audacity ‘Hyper Vessels’ (2016)
Right off the bat, 'Hyper Vessels'’ opener “Counting the Days,” reacquaints you with the brilliantly messy and ever-urgent pace of the band’s sound. ...
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Review: Pears ‘Green Star’ (2016)
'Green Star' sounds like an unintentional hardcore opera, with several songs leading into one another, as heard with openers “Hinged by Spine” and the artfully named “Cumshots,” which showcases exactly how epicly the band can shred. ...
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Review: The Front Bottoms ‘Back On Top’ (2015)
The Front Bottoms are at it again and I would say that they are certainly back on top, (wink wink). Their new album 'Back On Top' comes in strong with the indie rock/folk pop sound and it couldn’t be any more perfect to jam out to in this beautiful weather. ...
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