Alternative music, cult films, and pop culture explored through a Gen X lens — with reviews, interviews, and a deep-dive podcast.
UK Synth-pop icons OMD bring New Wave euphoria both past and present with ebullient Austin set. On a balmy June evening, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) transformed Austin’s ACL Live into a pulsating haven of synth-pop nostalgia and contemporary electronica. Touring in support of their 2o23 album, Bauhaus Staircase, the band delivered a performance […]
Few bands have sustained both creative relevance and live momentum quite like Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (best known as OMD). With a catalog that helped define the sound of synth-pop in the 1980s and a 2023 album (Bauhaus Staircase) that landed them their highest UK chart position in decades, OMD is not content to […]
Michael Gira closes his latest incarnation of SWANS in defiant, majestic fashion on ‘Birthing’, their 26th studio release. On Swans’ new album Birthing (Young God Records/Mute, May 30, 2025), band mastermind Michael Gira delivers what he describes as his “final foray… into the all-consuming sound worlds” that have defined the band’s sonic identity since their […]
Episode 55: David J Haskins Talks New Dual Releases ‘The Mother Tree’ and ‘Rhapsody, Threnody & Prayer’: musician of Bauhaus/ Love & Rockets fame waxes poetic on album and book of prose. Today, I’m joined by the legendary David J Haskins of the iconic post-punk bands Bauhaus and Love and Rockets. He’s here to talk […]
Peter Murphy ‘Silver Shade’ (Metropolis Records, May 9, 2025): Pioneering vocalist expands his sound on his new album, which includes guest appearances from Trent Reznor and more. Nearly a decade after his last studio album, Peter Murphy returns with ‘Silver Shade’ (Cooking Vinyl, May 9, 2025): a feral, adventurous record that feels like a culmination […]
Concert Review: Ministry Revisit Their Synth Pop Origins at Emo’s, Austin: Al Jourgensen and bandmates, flanked by openers Die Krupps and Nitzer Ebb, gave their ’80s new wave output an industrial makeover in a bucket list show for die-hard fans. Austin loves Ministry. The band, helmed by Al Jourgensen, who lived briefly in the Texas […]
Melvins 1983 ‘Thunderball’ Review: Buzz Osborne reunites with original drummer on a heavy, weird, short-but-sweet album. The Melvins have always thrived on reinvention. Whether pioneering sludge metal and grunge, dabbling in noise rock, or leaning into experimental absurdity, they’ve never been content to stay in one sonic lane. Their new release, Thunderball (April 18, Ipecac), […]
The Darkness ‘Dreams on Toast’ Review: theatrical UK glam rockers subvert expectations and explore new sounds on eighth album. The 2024 documentary Welcome to The Darkness showcased the survival skills of a band that peaked commercially with their 2004 smash debut album Permission to Land, broke up, reformed, and transitioned into a cult act with […]
Ministry ‘The Squirrely Years Revisited’ Review: Al Jourgensen Makes Peace With His Synth-Pop Past over 40-years later on new album. “I think I’m the only person that could probably say that they sold out before they started. I’ve hated that record for years, just on the simple principle that it’s not my record and that’s […]
Red Fang ‘ Deep Cuts’ Review: Pacific Northwest sludge rockers showcase 20-years’ worth of rarities on new double-album. ★★★★ Celebrating two decades of their refined blend of stoner and sludge metal, Red Fang’s “Deep Cuts” is a 26-track compilation that offers fans a treasure trove of the band’s lesser-known works. Released on March 14, 2025, […]
