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REYAN ALI

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From nukes to necro with Toxic Holocaust

Thrash and glow
Once in a while, a name can conveniently give you an accurate sketch of what a band sounds like.

By REYAN ALI | February 07, 2012

Spreading once again, The Darkness are back

Rendezvous
I don't remember where I was the first time I heard "I Believe in a Thing Called Love," but I do know that I hated it.

By REYAN ALI | January 31, 2012

Grimes | Visions

Arbutus (2012)
The debut record from Grimes, an alias of the Montreal-based Boucher, kicks off the peculiarity parade by presenting song titles steeped in cutesy affectation.

By REYAN ALI | January 31, 2012

A Place to Bury Strangers | Onwards to the Wall

Dead Oceans (2012)
Onwards to the Wall clocks in at 16 minutes and 35 seconds, and it could shatter into smithereens at any moment.

By REYAN ALI | January 24, 2012

The Duke Spirit | Bruiser

Shangri-La Music (2011)
Don't be tricked by Bruiser's title. On album number three, the Duke Spirit are in no hurry to get into a scuffle.

By REYAN ALI | January 17, 2012

The Toasters look back at early days of stateside ska

30-year-old skank
Despite its seminal role in the creation of first-wave UK punk, ska in America doesn't get no respect.

By REYAN ALI | January 10, 2012

Doomtree | No Kings

Doomtree (2011)
As of this writing, no one on Last.fm has created a tag for "hyper-paced, ultra-smart, ultra-self-aware, futuristic, planet-hopping indie hip-hop."

By REYAN ALI | December 06, 2011

Tristen brings candor and contradiction to folk

Old sound, modern means
Ordinarily, the end of days isn't a very enticing prospect, but after hearing Tristen Gaspadarek chant "Doomsday" repeatedly, you might welcome horsemen on the horizon.

By REYAN ALI | December 07, 2011

Tycho | Dive

Ghostly International (2011)
In order to appreciate Dive properly, you'll need one thing: headphones.

By REYAN ALI | November 29, 2011

Baths submerse electronics in dreamy detail

Kind of blue
Will Wiesenfeld believes in making purposeful choices.

By REYAN ALI | November 21, 2011

Coliseum | Parasites

Temporary Residence Limited (2011)
Coliseum are a band acutely aware of their strengths — perhaps too much so.

By REYAN ALI | November 22, 2011

Crystal Antlers sharpen their psych-punk fireworks

Once more with feeling
At this point in Crystal Antlers' young career, their most powerful song is still the turbulent, desperate "Andrew."

By REYAN ALI | November 03, 2011

Carpark (2011)
Tinny, lonely keyboards and aching romanticism lead the way for Player Piano's first two tracks, but a minute into "Today Is Our Life" it seems like the dude wants to create a song hopeful enough to end an '80s teen rom-com on a high note.

By REYAN ALI | August 03, 2011

From the bedroom to beyond with Craft Spells

Temple of gloom
There's been an enormous wave of musicians gaining notoriety for creating work where they sleep, and subsequently seeing their star rise as blogs have picked up on the results.

By REYAN ALI | July 28, 2011

Com Truise | Galactic Melt

Ghostly International (2011)
The glassy, hallucinogenic, and goofy electronics straddle this indecisive middle ground between creating something soothing and something to get your blood pumping.

By REYAN ALI | July 26, 2011

Crystal Antlers | Two-Way Mirror

Recreation Ltd. (2011)
Crystal Antlers' latest can be a pretty frustrating record — not because of what it is but because what it isn't.

By REYAN ALI | July 19, 2011

Taking Back Sunday are back on the scene

Pride of strong island
For a lot of people, just mentioning Tell All Your Friends reignites a bunch of old motifs and memories. For me, nostalgia accounts for half of my affection, whereas the album's raw, naïve tenacity justifies the remainder.

By REYAN ALI | July 13, 2011

Fucked Up scale new concept heights, eye closure

High wired act
Fucked Up have always relished the idea of screwing with people's heads. Case in point: when Deranged Records issued 2002's "No Pasaran," the first of dozens of 7-inch records by the Toronto band, several indie distribution houses initially refused to stock it.

By REYAN ALI | June 24, 2011

The Antlers find strength in dream-pop numbers

Going full burst
The indie-rock world adores its creative hermits more and more every day.

By REYAN ALI | June 09, 2011

White Denim | D

Downtown Records (2011)
White Denim's D just won't be ignored. The Austin quartet's fourth studio LP is an album so dense, so unstoppably kinetic, that the flurry of movement makes background listening impossible.

By REYAN ALI | June 07, 2011

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