Alternative music, cult films, and pop culture explored through a Gen X lens — with reviews, interviews, and a deep-dive podcast.
11 Soundtracks Fans of the ‘Stranger Things’ Score Should Hear: Love the soundtrack to Netflix’s sci-fi/horror hit? Here’s eleven more synth-driven scores you should check out next. It’s safe to say that Stranger Things is the pop-culture phenomenon of the year. The Netflix original series (created by identical twin creative team The Duffer Brothers) is a […]
Watch Music Video For New Placebo Song ‘Jesus’ Son’: video for new track off forthcoming 20th anniversary compilation album. Alternative rock stalwarts Placebo are celebrating their 20th anniversary with ‘A Place For Us To Dream,’ a collection of greatest hits and B-sides. And today they’ve premiered their video for ‘Jesus’ Son,’ a new track that […]
Faith No More ‘We Care A Lot’ (Deluxe Band Edition) Review: FNM’s long out-of-print début gets the reissue it deserves. [rating=4.5] Out of print for 20 years, Faith No More’s début release We Care A Lot is getting a long overdue reissue. Released on Bassist Billy Gould’s Koolarrow Records (due out August 19th),We Care A […]
Billy Corgan Reconciles With D’arcy Wretzky, Fuels Reunion Hopes: Smashing Pumpkins frontman discusses opening line of communication with former bassist. We reported recently that a long-hoped for reunion of the classic Smashing Pumpkins lineup, once thought unthinkable, is gaining traction. And frontman/master contrarian Billy Corgan added more fuel to the reunion fire, as first reported by […]
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez ‘Blind Worms, Pious Swine’ Review: the third (in a series of 12!) solo releases from the ever prolific At The Drive-In, Mars Volta multi-instrumentalist. [rating=5] Omar Rodriguez-Lopez ‘Blind Worms, Pious Swine’ marks his third release of 2016, unloading a catalogue of previously unreleased solo material (twelve releases in total). Whereas the first entry […]
Blu-ray review: ‘Manhunter’ (Collector’s Edition)-Shout! Factory [rating=5] Note: this originally appeared in my Austin Horror Examiner column on May 22, 2016. Given that site is now defunct and Manhunter celebrates its 30th anniversary on August 14th, this deserves a repost! While ‘Silence of The Lambs’ made Hannibal Lecter famous, it wasn’t the first film to feature […]
Albums Revisited: Mr. Bungle’s Self-Titled Debut Turns 25: looking back at one of the strangest albums of a very strange decade on its 25th anniversary. Mr. Bungle changed my life. Mr. Bungle helped me meet my wife. Seriously. Upon meeting her through a friend of a friend, I began my best attempts at making conversation (not […]
Albums Revisited: Failure’s ‘Fantastic Planet’ Turns 20: celebrating one of the most underrated alternative albums of the 90s. August 13, 2016 marks the 20th anniversary of Fantastic Planet, the 1996 album from L.A. space rock gods Failure. And if ever there was an album deserving of a tribute and reappraisal, this is it. In an decade full […]
Spain ‘Carolina’ Review: slowcore pioneers return with the lovely, haunting ‘Carolina.’ [rating=4] Slowcore legends Spain return with ‘Carolina‘ (Glitterhouse Records), their first release since 2014’s Sargent Place. And it’s yet another solidly beautiful piece of melancholic rock in their discography. Josh Haden’s haunting vocals linger through each track like an old ghost on hushed confessionals […]
Slowdive Finish Recording First New Album in 20 Years: band wrap up production on first release since 1995. Reunited shoegaze legends Slowdive have finally put the finishing touches on their upcoming studio album. The as-yet-untitled release will be the group’s since their 1995 swan song Pygmalion. Drummer Simon Scott made the announcement in Danish magazine […]
