Alternative music, cult films, and pop culture explored through a Gen X lens — with reviews, interviews, and a deep-dive podcast.
The Feelies ‘In Between’ Review: New Jersey jangle pop pioneers return with their first album in 6 years. [rating=4] The Feelies are one of those groups that remain criminally underrated in the pop culture landscape, yet are revered by diehard fans and have inspired scores of musicians. And while their latest release In-Between may not […]
Remembering Bill Paxton’s New Wave Band Martini Ranch: a look back at the late actor’s little-known musical career. The death of Bill Paxton has sent shock waves through Hollywood and to his legion of fans. His untimely passing has put his memorable career into the spotlight, and a poignant reminder of his impact. Generation X […]
Crystal Fairy ‘Crystal Fairy’ Review: supergroup featuring members of The Melvins, Le Butcherettes and At-The-Drive-In create a beautiful, bruising noise on hallucinatory self-titled début album. [rating=4] When the news that Le Butcherettes Teri Gender Bender, Melvins’ King Buzzo and Dale Crover and At the Drive-In/Mars Volta’s Omar Rodriguez-Lopez were joining forces for the new group […]
Le Butcherettes’ frontwoman talks Crystal Fairy’s début album featuring The Melvins’ Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover and At The Drive In/Mars Volta’s Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. When Le Butcherettes supported The Melvins on their 2015 tour, vocalist Teri Gender Bender found a kinship between Melvins’ members King Buzzo and Dale Crover. This friendship would result in a split […]
Albums Revisited: Skinny Puppy’s Cleanse, Fold and Manipulate at 30–full of addictive mixtures and living on fear By Peter Marks Where it all changed and where their heaviest era began. There’s a widely held view that Skinny Puppy did not reach their full potential until 1988’s ‘VivisectVI’ and I’m more than happy to dispel this […]
20 Albums Turning 20 in 2017: the best alternative releases of 1997 The alternative rock landscape had changed by the late 90s. Grunge was pretty much dead, no longer considered a viable commercial option for record labels. Nirvana were over, Soundgarden had split and Alice in Chains were hobbled by Layne Staley’s heroin habit. Pearl […]
Albums Revisited: Alice in Chains’ ‘Sap’ Turns 25: Seattle Grunge stars acoustic EP remains one of their most satisfying efforts. February 4th marks the 25th anniversary of Sap, Alice in Chains 5 song EP, which filled the gap between 1990’s Facelift and their 1992 full-length epic Dirt. And while Sap didn’t get the same attention and […]
Electronic music pioneers return with first single off forthcoming album Spirit. Veteran synth pop group Depeche Mode will release their new album Spirit on Columbia Records March 17th. And the band have just released the first single Where’s the Revolution which you can check out via YouTube below: It appears the group foresaw the current […]
Albums Revisited: David Bowie’s ‘Earthling’ Turns 20: a look back at Bowie’s underrated electronica excursion on its 20th anniversary. While the late David Bowie is celebrated as a groundbreaking icon, whose strokes of genius stretched far and wide, his 90’s output remains the most underrated and least celebrated work in his catalogue. And while his […]
Morricone Youth ‘Mad Max’ Soundtrack Review: alternative film score artists give post-apocalyptic thriller a unique sonic makeover. [rating=4] Morricone Youth are a NYC collective specializing in an unusual musical forte: creating alternate scores for classic films. Last October I reviewed their wonderfully creepy soundtrack for Night of the Living Dead, and now the group return […]
