Christopher Laird

Christopher Laird is a teacher and a writer from Alton, Illinois. His hobbies include writing and teaching and playing floor hockey. Find him on Twitter: @SeaLairdPop
Bibio: Beyond Serious

Bibio: Beyond Serious

Since Mineral Love, Bibio has been in an exploratory period which has blossomed into two drastically different EPs. Beyond Serious is way off the beaten path.
When It Comes to Collecting Vinyl, It’s Better to Be a Freak Than a Snob

When It Comes to Collecting Vinyl, It’s Better to Be a Freak Than a Snob

In Vinyl Freak, John Corbett exposes a beautiful and dusty world forgotten but kept alive by that dying medium known as the vinyl record.

Land of Talk: Life After Youth

Land of Talk: Life After Youth

After a seven-year hiatus, Land of Talk return with a rock album obsessed with mortality.
Penguin Cafe: The Imperfect Sea

Penguin Cafe: The Imperfect Sea

The Imperfect Sea is the third release of Penguin Café, and it sees the band crawling from out of the shadow of its namesake, Penguin Café Orchestra.
Phil Marcade’s Story Is an Allegory for the ’70s-era New York Punk Scene

Phil Marcade’s Story Is an Allegory for the ’70s-era New York Punk Scene

The true story of a naïve young man looking for fun who accidentally fumbles through a music revolution and becomes a symbol for the rise and fall of a scene.
‘Til Death Do You Part: And Other Thoughts About Family

‘Til Death Do You Part: And Other Thoughts About Family

Annabelle Gurwitch's humorous memoir, Wherever You Go, There They Are, captures how one is forever in the thralls of the family -- no matter the form that family takes.
The Residents: The Ghost of Hope

The Residents: The Ghost of Hope

The Residents are still weird and they still exist on the extreme ends of the left side of the dial. Their latest is a concept album about train wrecks.
High Plains: Cinderland

High Plains: Cinderland

High Plains take their name from a geographic area of the United States, an area known for its barren landscape and low population. Their debut album Cinderland evokes this isolated feeling.
Jay Som: Everybody Works

Jay Som: Everybody Works

Jay Som has made a glorious bummer of an indie rock record.
Communions: Blue

Communions: Blue

Communions started as an audacious and loud rock band, but they have settled into something entirely different. With Blue Communions have created triumphant power pop cheese.
Priests: Nothing Feels Natural

Priests: Nothing Feels Natural

DC punk band Priests' Nothing Feels Natural dials the in-your-face confrontation down a few notches.
Menace Beach: Lemon Memory

Menace Beach: Lemon Memory

Menace Beach return with their sophomore effort, Lemon Memory, with their ‘cool’ intact and some new tricks.