Interview: The Drums

Photo courtesy of Jonny Pierce

Not to beat my own drum, but my interview with Jonny Pierce of The Drums is up on CHIRP Radio's web doodily. Our conversation hit a good rhythm and Johnny was a delight to chat with; shedding light on his fascination with architecture, qualifying his legacy as an indie rock pioneer, and sharing how he really feels about Bjork (spoilers: he likes her, like, a lot). Thanks to Sarah Brooks and Amanda Roscoe Mayo for making this fabulous exchange possible.

Conversation with Jonny of the Drums on the Chirp Radio Podcast

Such a nice young man. 

Album Review: Tomb Mold - Planetary Clairvoyance

Checked out the latest from forward-thinking death metal fiend's Tomb Mold's latest cosmic aggression pact Planetary Clairvoyance. Tl:dr its rules. Need more? Read my full review over at Chicago Crowd Surfer.

Review of Tomb Mold's Planetary Clairvoyance

Expand your mind with celestial chaos. 

Album Review: Good Riddance - Thoughts and Prayers

Skate punk stalwarts Good Riddance released a new album and I wrote a review of it. Read my opinion of Thoughts and Prayers over at Chicago Crowd Surfer. 

Review of Good Riddance's Thoughts and Prayers

Editor's note: thoughts and prayers mean nothing. 

Album Review: Lingua Ignota - Caligula

I covered the chilling cry of righteous anger and revenge that is Lingua Ignota's Caligula for Chicago Crowd Surfer. Link Below.

Lingua Ignota's Caligula @ CCS

This may not be my best work. My mind was a little blow frankly and I'm at a loss for words.

Album Review: Disentomb - The Decaying Light

I checked out the new album from Brisbon death dealers Disentomb and you can read my review of the album The Decaying Light over at Chicago Crowd Surfer. It's brutal and I'm feeling it.

Review Disentomb's The The Decaying Light @ CCS

Idols be hungry.

Show Recap: P4k 2019

Pitchfork Festival 2019 is thankfully over. Chicago's festival season is over stuffed with festivals and outdoor concerts during the summer and the entirety of P4K 20-whenever is always one of my least favorite parts of the season each year. Tired, over-hyped, and bougie. I'm over it. I covered a few of the acts that I actually liked this year for Chicago Crowd Surfer. You can read my thoughts at the link below. Look for the recaps attributed to MDR.

Recap of P4k 2019 byt CCS Staff

Album Review: Victims - Horse and Sparrow Theory

Covered some crust punk this week over at Chicago Crowd Surfer. Victims continues to impress me release after release and I'm glad I did a write up for this one. Link below.

Review of Victims' Horse and Sparrow Theory

What are some of your pet theories? Let me know in the comments.

Album Review: Immortal Bird - Thrive On Neglect

Another local metal band drops another boundary pushing album. We're living through a metal Renaissance in Chicago, I swear. Read my thoughts on the latest from Immortal Bird over at Chicago Crowd Surfer.

Review Immortal Bird's Thrive On Neglect

This one's a beast.

Show Recap: Logan Square Fest 2019

My coverage of Logan Square's 2019 edition is up over at Chicago Crowd Surfer. I honestly had more fun than I expected to this year. See what I thought of No Men, Hop Along, and Speedy Ortiz's after party at Sleeping Village with Froth and Fckr Jr. at the link.

Words about Logan Square Fest 2019 @ CCS

F*ck ICE

Album Review: Baroness - Gold & Grey

It’s almost sky fire day, and I’m getting in the mood for beer and explosions with the latest LP from southern sludge and progressive metal melody mavens Baroness, Gold and Grey. The group has managed to gain serious steam since 2015’s Purple (which snagged them a Grammy nomination) with increasingly euphonious and complex compositions that retain the gritty undertow of their earlier work. They’re like an arena-ready manifestation of Kylesa who you can listen to with your partner who prefers Stevie Nicks’ post-Fleetwood material over Ozzy’s post-Sabbath bellowing. Gold & Grey is the first album the band has released since the departure of guitarist Pete Adams, with former Cirque du Soleil (yes, THAT one) performer Gina Gleason taking up his axe. Gleason is already a crowd favorite and if you have seen the band live then you already know how exhilarating it is to watch her tear through a scorching solo. So where should you start with this behemoth? I recommend the lead-off single “Borderlines” with its gooey psychedelia, sun-parched, interlocking guitar rhythms and enormous vocal harmonies, it’s an excellent primer for the rest of the album, feeling very old while at the same time fresh and evocative. The rushing and explosive grooves of “Front Toward Enemy,” the roiling, resonate blues of “Broken Halo” are perfectly crafted to soundtrack the shock and astonishment of firework season, while the swaying melody and glowing space-rock preoccupation “Throw Me An Anchor” and the loft, dusty diamond studded “Tourniquet” will help you mellow out as the smoke clears off the horizon. Gold & Grey is an iconic feeling and incendiary additional to Baroness’s already worthy catalog, as well as the punchy pyre I need to ignite the fuse on this week’s festivities.

Grab a copy of Gold & Grey from John Dyer Baizley's own Abraxan Hymns Records

Interview: Dengue Fever

Image thanks to the band

Whoa! My interview with Cambodia psyche and indie rock innovators Dengue Fever is up over on CHIRP Radio's site. We discussed the history of Cambodian rock music, traditional cuisine, and a stage show inspired by their music, Cambodian Rock Band - a play by Lauren Yee. I had a blast chatting with the band and I think the interview turned out not half bad, not half bad at all.

Interview w/ Dengue Fever on the CHIRP Radio Podcast

I've got a fever and the only cure is a Cambodian rock band.