King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Frank Zappa are among the influences of Bubblegum Hypnosis, a relatively new band from Bristol. With that kind of mix, you’d expect faces to melt and brains to get thoroughly scrambled. So—does Through The Sands (Stolen Body) deliver? The opening is fairly cautious,…
Metal
Continue Reading
Review: Zig Zags – Deadbeat At Dawn
Oh dear—hard to believe the legendary debut album by Zig Zags is already 13 years old. Back then, the Californians fused hardcore punk and thrash metal in an irresistible way. Since then, the band has hit some turbulence, and in 2025, Jed Maheu returns with two new bandmates. Well, new-ish—Sean…
Rock
Continue Reading
Review: Ty Segall – Possession
Often venturing out solo, Ty Segall has always had a soft spot for collaboration. For his new album Possession (Drag City), he teamed up with filmmaker and writer Matt Yoka—flipping the script, as Segall had previously composed the music for Yoka’s Whirlybird. Can we sense a particular influence? What’s clear…
Punk
Continue Reading
Review: CIVIC – Chrome Dipped
From the Australian punk scene comes a band that handles things a little differently. Less about high-energy sleaze rock, CIVIC take a more straightforward, honest approach to their sound. With Chrome Dipped (ATO), the band delivers a new album worthy of attention. Having first exploded with the bombastic New Vietnam…
Psych Rock
Continue Reading
Review: Hooveriii – Manhunter
The Hooveriii spaceship has landed: After four albums exploring the realms of prog and space rock, Manhunter (The Reverberation Appreciation Society) brings the Los Angeles band back down to Earth. But all those cosmic excursions seem to have hurled them back in time—right into the heart of the 1970s. It’s…
Garage Rock
Continue Reading
Video: Hunx and His Punx – Alone In Hollywood On Acid
Hunx and His Punx were one of the defining bands of the early 2010s garage rock revival. But just as quickly as they rose, they faded from the spotlight. A reunion came in 2019, followed by an EP in 2022. Since then, a series of setbacks hit—most recently, the devastating…
Post Punk
Continue Reading
Review: M(h)aol – Something Soft
There’s nothing soft about M(h)aol’s second album. Something Soft (Merge) immediately charges into thorny terrain with its opening note. Feminist themes remain at the forefront, like on “DM:AM,” which addresses how men often demand constant availability from women. The Irish band laid a strong foundation with their Gender Studies EP…
Psych Rock
Continue Reading
Video: The Albinos – Baptized In Gold
Growing up on the outskirts of Houston, The Albinos are now poised to step into some massive Texan footprints with their blend of psych and garage rock. The tradition of psychedelic rock runs deep in this U.S. state, and The Albinos joined the lineage with their 2024 debut The Montana….
Post Punk
Continue Reading
Review: Artificial Go – Musical Chairs
Just last September, we were puzzled—in the best way—by the jagged, off-kilter post-punk of Artificial Go’s Hopscotch Fever. Lo-fi clatter, intricately tangled, yet always brushed with a hint of pop. Now, the Ohio-based band follows it up with Musical Chairs (Feel It). A lot has stayed the same, and yet…
Post Punk
Continue Reading
Review: TVOD – Party Time
New York City may be a party capital, but not the kind that hosts neon-clad revelers in blindingly bright rooms. It’s too cool to really lose control, too meta to engage without a knowing shrug. So Party Time (Mothland), the debut album by Brooklyn’s TVOD, might feel like false advertising…