I have always loved to say that I liked Alternative Rock back when it was. Somehow, in the 2000s, the American music scene began making the music I loved boring and colorless and popular. Grunge became the be-all, and joy left the party.
So, it is always with some caution that I approach albums like Moonback Stage‘s Echo Process (L’Autre Distribution). It is always with pleasure that I’m rewarded for the effort.Continue reading
With how common it has become for strong artists to get watered down by overproduction, it is refreshing to hear some raw, straightforward garage rock made solely for the love of music. Cardiff-based quintet James And The Cold Gun recorded their self-titled debut album (Loosegroove Records) from their very own garage, bringing an astute balance of polish and roughness – in other words, pure rock n’ roll.
Punky Aussie rockers DZ Deathrays thrash back into action with another riff-laden assault on the world’s delicate senses, a sixth studio album not short on forceful intent, lip-curled confidence, and “in-your-face” braggadocio.
Since relaunching Bush in 2010, the Gavin Rossdale and Chris Traynor partnership (Traynor taking on the right-hand role in the band once Rossdale resumed performing under the Bush banner in the stead of the retired Nigel Pulsford) have, in an understated way, added to the band’s legacy, producing five albums, and a slew of consistently decent tunes.