Alternative music, cult films, and pop culture explored through a Gen X lens — with reviews, interviews, and a deep-dive podcast.
‘Newly Sentient Being’ Review: SWANS’ “Big Sound” incarnation reaches its ultimate apotheosis on epic live album. SWANS’ new live album, Newly Sentient Being (Oct. 2, Young God Records), is the monumental final document of the band’s “Big Sound” era, capturing a group at the apotheosis of 15 years of extreme sonic expressionism, where beauty and brutality, […]
Godflesh “Decay” Review: Industrial metal titans wind down their unholy reign with an album both apocalyptic and transcendent. There has always been something inherently hostile about Godflesh. Since Streetcleaner detonated into the industrial-metal landscape in 1990, guitarist/vocalist Justin Broadrick and bassist Ben Green have made music that sounds less like something designed to entertain than […]
John Carpenter’s ‘Cathedral’ Review: The Horror Master gives his synthwave sound a metal makeover on graphic novel soundtrack. John Carpenter is more than just a filmmaker behind some of the most iconic and influential horror and sci-fi films ever made. His creativity has never been confined to the director’s chair. He’s a filmmaker, composer, musician, […]
Hair Metal Veterans Turn Up the Heat in Central Texas Leander’s Haute Spot lived up to its name this week, with soaring temperatures making for a sweaty evening under the Texas sky. Fortunately, the scorching weather did little to dampen the enthusiasm of fans who packed the venue for a double bill featuring West Coast […]
Guitarist/producer of The Butthole Surfers talks long awaited album, band doc, and group’s turbulent history on our latest podcast episode. In this episode, I’m joined by Paul Leary, guitarist, producer, and founding member of legendary Texas alt-rockers the Butthole Surfers, to discuss the long-awaited release of the band’s “lost” album, After the Astronaut. Originally recorded […]
Toadies ‘The Charmer’ Review: Texas alt-rockers get vulnerable and atmospheric on long-awaited release produced by the late Steve Albini. The setup alone tells you this isn’t just another legacy-band release. Toadies finally got into a room with the late producer Steve Albini (Nirvana, PJ Harvey). not decades ago, when it might’ve made obvious commercial sense, […]
Influential alt-rockers conquer demons and shake up their signature sound on eclectics new album. Three decades after first warping the boundaries of alternative rock, Failure remain a band defined by instability in the best possible sense. Their music has always lived in a tenuous nexus where melody and dissonance coexist, resulting in a beautiful tension […]
Concert Review: Puscifer keep Austin weird during intense, spirited set, performing new album in full, interspersed with fan favorites. Puscifer has always walked a tightrope between satire and sincerity. The multimedia project, fronted by Maynard James Keenan alongside co-vocalist Carina Round, builds soundscapes spiked with absurdist lyrics that provoke and entertain. This approach has proven […]
Album Review: Puscifer – Normal Isn’tFeb 6/Puscifer Entertainment / Alchemy Recordings / BMG More than two decades into its existence, and closer to a quarter-century if you trace its earliest incarnations, Puscifer has quietly become Maynard James Keenan’s most prolific and responsive creative outlet. Where Tool moves with tectonic patience and A Perfect Circle operates […]
These rock albums threw us a lifeline in 2025, a year that felt like a decade. 2025 was a year that reminded us why we keep coming back to music: it can shock, soothe, confront, thrill and carry us through. And it proved a sonic balm that helped us get through a 12-month dumpster fire. […]
