Grimes – Art Angels [4AD 2015] In which the hyper fem manic goth fairy girl of nightmares doesn’t take her edge off so much as build on top of it with hooks on hooks on hooks. It’s pop, which means that it never stops tickling the pleasure center, but for the art schoolers and general …
Author Archives: tombaumser
Zamn Zaniel
Against Me! – White Crosses [Sire 2010]Her last album before coming out was also Laura Jane Grace’s most grandiose which is why the fans of her earlier work as an anarchist became disillusioned, but that’s growing up isn’t it? Knowing that the violent expressions of youth give way, however eventually, to the empathy of adulthood. …
“The anime theme music stays ON during sex!”
Black Midi – Schlagenheim [Rough Trade 2019] Joining the 2010s wave of postpunk only with the rhythm section being the drivers instead of in the backseat. Politics is there with lead vocalist Greep, mumbled, whispered, crooned, and shrieked. Bits of subversion here and there but there needs to be more clarity. 2.9/5 Brittany Howard – …
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Please don’t invite me to your birthday at the club.
Car Seat Headrest – Twin Fantasy (Face to Face) [Matador 2018] As a longer hi-fi lo-fi redux of his bandcamp masterpiece (according to his cult) it’s virtually impossible to tell if it’s better than Teens of Denial if you hopped on after Will Toldeo signed on to Matador like most of us did. Narratively about …
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Pokemon the Movie: 2000 was pretty underrated.
Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy [Atlantic 2018] An avatar of vitality if there ever was one for the 2010s, hers is the story of an American Dream achieved because of – as opposed to in spite of – her New Yawk background and unfettered candor. Rendered over 48 minutes in glorious 3-D is Cardi …
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Mostly Sad White People
The Hotelier – Home, Like Noplace is There [Tiny Engines 2014] What was most intriguing about this band when their Meta-breakthrough landed was how Christian Holden’s verbosity was so dense it directed listeners instead to the emoting indie rock that surrounded it. That is of course until a small phrase or two broke through with …
A Few More Women and One That’s Not
Cloud Nothings – Last Building Burning [Carpark/Witchita 2018] Fury, fury, fury; doesn’t anybody fuck anymore? Taking less than a third of the time it took to write and release the last one, Baldi & Co. are focused on reclaiming the raging noize-toon stance of yesteryear. As a prole always on the hunt for such I …
Crisp Solipsism or How I Learned to Stop Fighting and Love CGI Sonic
Charly Bliss- Guppy [Barsuk 2017] Utilizing a Blue Album template, for better or for worse, but with keybs (hasn’t this been done already?) and Eva Hendricks (there’s the difference) whose voice squeaks and squeals and cracks. The core is, in essence, youthful irreverence marred by surreal solipsism; so that you know when the closing on …
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Inaugural Address Cont.
Modern Baseball-Holy Ghost [Run For Cover 2016] Postgrad life vocalized by two young men who find that growing pains don’t disappear easily when entering Puberty 2. Gone are the jokes and the folk, replaced instead by disillusion and post-hardcore that beats down from them as hard as they were beaten down on. Gone too …
Inaugural Address
This is mostly to act as an outlet for my thoughts pertaining to music. I review albums and EPs. Not much but it’s all I got lol. I’ll try to post a few albums weekly and since I’ve been saving up, this week I’ll be posting a double to clear out my backlog while mixing …
Cosmic Hero 