Alternative music, cult films, and pop culture explored through a Gen X lens — with reviews, interviews, and a deep-dive podcast.
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. […]
UK Rockers The Darkness deliver riffs, laughs and heart to ATX with powerhouse set at Emo’s. The Darkness turned Emo’s into a rock revival on Saturday night. The near capacity crowd were in fine spirits, ready to revel in the band’s trademark mix of glam, classic rock and timeless pop hooks. They kicked things off […]
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 […]
‘Welcome To The Darkness’ Movie Review: jovial UK rockers’ rise, fall and rebirth makes for an endearing documentary. ★★★★ The Darkness rocketed to fame on their 2004 debut album Permission to Land, buoyed by glam influenced hits like I Believe In A Thing Called Love and Growing On Me, infused with their unique wit and […]
Concert Review: The Darkness at The Mohawk, Austin. UK rockers bring sunny vibes on a sultry night to playing songs off latest release Motorheart and a bevy of classic cuts. Austin has had some crazy weather lately, but the past few days have been cool and breezy. But not last night. Local news stations said […]
The Darkness ‘Motorheart’ Review: UK glam rockers bring simple pleasures to complex times on first album since 2019’s ‘Easter is Cancelled.’ We didn’t wanna make a lockdown album. In the beginning of that thing, there was a lot of lockdown music coming out, and it was music that was influenced and informed by the experience […]
The Darkness ‘Easter is Cancelled’ Review: Brit hard rockers get messianic on new concept album. It seems somewhat remarkable that The Darkness have never made a concept album before: with their grandiose riffs, flair for the dramatic and whip-smart wit, they seem a perfect fit for the format. Better late than never, the UK rockers […]
Concert Review: The Darkness at Emo’s, Austin: UK rockers brought riffs, falsettos and wisecracks with bombastic set off their Tour De Prance tour. [rating=5] If you regularly peruse entertainment sites, you’ll read a lot of naysayers speaking of rock and roll being on the decline. But no one who was at Emo’s last night would […]
Hobosexual ‘Monolith’ Review: Seattle duo make a rock sound as huge as their album title. [rating=5] Let’s face it: there aren’t that many great new hard rock bands anymore. Sure they exist (Royal Thunder is one example), but they’re sorely underrepresented in the 21st century. Well luckily for those of us who like heavy tunes […]
The Darkness ‘Pinewood Smile’ Review: Brit rockers are back with a new album of their quirky brand of arena rock. [rating=4] U.K. rock revivalists The Darkness continue to blaze their own idiosyncratic path on Pinewood Smile, their fifth studio album (out October 6th on Cooking Vinyl), expanding on the diverse strengths of their 2015 effort […]
