Ohio’s Stella Research Committee Cook with Open Powder Kegs
Stella Research Committee cook up a record that will make you question your expectations of art-rock… maybe even rock-art.
Justin Vellucci
Justin Vellucci is a staff writer for PopMatters and MusicTAP, a contributor to Pittsburgh Current, and a former staffer for Popdose, Delusions of Adequacy and Punk Planet. His music writing has appeared in national magazines like American Songwriter, alt-weeklies such as Pittsburgh City Paper, The Brooklyn Rail and San Diego CityBeat, blogs Swordfish, Punksburgh and Linoleum, and the Gannett publication Jetty. He lives in Pittsburgh.
After Nearly 20 Years, Chicago’s Nonagon Releases Debut Full-length
Nonagon perform wonders on their debut LP, They Birds, by letting songs breathe more than in their furied post-hardcore past.
Norwegian composer Kaada Wows with Muted Takes on Classical Canon
From Satie to Mendelssohn to Edvard Grieg, Kaada’s electro-acoustic versions are illuminating on Misinterpretations.
Slint Release Alternate Mixes of “Breadcrumb Trail” and “Good Morning, Captain”
Slint are sounding even better as the long years go on and on. It's a testament to the source material that we're still revisiting, remixing, and re-releasing all these decades later.
Good Bison’s ‘Scattered Storms’ Is Positively Sun-Splashed
With touches of reggae upstrokes and even Tropicalia, Good Bison's debut EP is positively sun-splashed, lending Pablo Alvarez's various crises and neuroses a slight touch of irony, even satire.
Post-rocker Chris Brokaw Is Onto Something with ‘Puritan’
Chris Brokaw's Puritan continues to make an excellent argument for the songwriter's inclusion among the heavy hitters of post-rock.
Experimentalist David Grubbs Documents a Live Set with ‘October 19, 2017’
David Grubbs' October 19, 2017 is a live LP released online that showcases a 32-minute solo set to mark the release of that year's Creep Mission LP. It's nothing short of magical.
Bad Wires Release a Monster of a Debut with ‘Politics of Attraction’
Power trio Bad Wires' debut Politics of Attraction is a mix of punk attitude, 1990s New York City noise, and more than a dollop of metal.
Landowner’s ‘Consultant’ Is OCD-Post-Punk With Obsessive Precision
Landowner's Consultant has all the energy of a punk-rock record but none of the distorted power chords.
Sam Prekop’s Painterly Signature Looms Large on ‘Comma’
Comma is Sam Prekop's fullest realization of his Brian Eno-like effort to toe the line between rock narratives and the avant-garde.
Percussion Becomes the Narrative on Tangents’ ‘Timeslips’
Drummer Evan Dorrian makes a good argument to be the frontman of Australian improvisational band Tangents on their new album, Timeslips.
Bill Callahan’s ‘Gold Record’ Offers Snapshots of Moments in Time
Former Smog songsmith Bill Callahan offers sparse and dry-recorded acoustic portraits on Gold Record.