Jack Wilkinson Jackalope Ocean Eyes Records Review by Kent Manthie Hailing from one of my least favorite places (sorry) – Salt Lake City. I once got stranded there for 3 days-no money, nothing to do, nowhere to hang out but one little square park in the center of downtown. This place is so squeaky clean, […]

Makoto Primitive EP Apollo Records, 2013 Review by Kent Manthie Makoto Shimizu, the fierce Samurai warrior of the electronica dance world is probably well-known for his terrific drum & bass kicks for LTJ Bukem’s Good Looking label, but with this new release, Primitive, an EP he just put out on Apollo Records, he shines on […]

The Fucked Up Beat Apparatus for Controlling the Mechanism of Floating Vessels PickPack Netlabel Review by Kent Manthie A strange thing happened today – I was just going through the music on my music library when I happened upon an album that I’ve had for a time now, but, with the ton of other stuff […]

Chuzausen Awesome is Grey Enough Records, 2013 Review by Kent Manthie Chuzausen is a minimalistic-electro beat-heavy wig-out warp factor from Madrid (Spain). Their latest CD, Awesome is Grey is a seven-track album of instrumental, computer-mad science. These guys really are comfortable looping around in the studio and combining elements of a variety of “electronica” sub-genres. […]

Body Parts Fire Dream Father/Daughter Records Review by Kent Manthie Hailing from Los Angles, Body Parts have just released their debut album, Fire Dream on Father/Daughter Records. I’ve heard their style of music described as “experimental pop”, which, I suppose could be a fair summation. But, where the “experimental” part comes from, I don’t know. […]

Mount Eerie Pre-Human Ideas P.W. Elverum & Sons, Inc., 2013 Review by Kent Manthie Coming out November 12th, on his new label, P.W. Elverum & Sons, Phil Elverum and his band Mount Eerie has released Pre-Human Ideas, an album that contains previously recorded tracks that appeared on two CDs released last year, Clear Moon and […]

Vex Ruffin Vex Ruffin Stones Throw Records Review by Kent Manthie Vex Ruffin, an “untrained punk musician”, which is what I keep reading on the web, in regard to what he’s all about. However, his music seems more deeply rooted than that. I’ve heard him called hip-hop as well, but I believe that neither label […]

Woodkid Woodkid Green United Music Review by Kent Manthie Here is something worth sitting up and paying attention to:  the eponymous CD of  Woodkid, the nom de plume of Lyon-born Yoann Lemoine. Born in 1983 in the Southern France town of Lyon, Lemoine was always a precocious, artistic kid. He eventually attended the Emile Cohl […]

Of Montreal Lousy With Sylvanbriar Polyvinyl Records, 2013 Review by Kent Manthie Kevin Barnes & Co. are back. This time with a new, mellowed down CD, entitled Lousy With Sylvanbriar. The tunes are smooth, groovy, laid back, a slight change from the whimsical wildness of Skeletal Lamping, or Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer. Still, […]

Various Artists I Need You Bad! Polyvinyl Records Sampler Review by Kent Manthie This, the latest Polyvinyl Records compilation sampler, I Need You Bad! was put together by Sonny Smith of Sonny and the Sunsets. I Need You Bad! is a 15-song sampling of great pop-rock tunes. 15 different bands/singers, including one selection by Sonny […]