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The Best Releases of August: Music Staff Picks

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Tropical Fuck Storm – Deep States Aussie noise rock band Tropical Fuck Storm’s third album, Deep States, is as messy and disorienting as the doomed political landscape it was birthed out of. Reflecting mind-poisoning social media discourse twisted through the filter of a distortion pedal, vocalists Gareth Liddiard and Fiona Kitschin deliver some of their most compelling melodies over lacerating guitar and synth lines. The opening track, “The Greatest Story Ever Told”, writes from the perspective of Jesus’ second coming to Earth to proclaim in a grand chorus “There ain’t no end of days.” Even at its loudest, a sense … Continued

Music
The Best Releases of June: Music Staff Picks

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Spellling – The Turning Wheel The Turning Wheel, Chrystia Cabral’s third album under the project Spellling, offers bewitchingly captivating progressive folk and neo-soul songs. A shift towards natural instrumentation marks a stark change from 2019’s synth-heavy Mazy Fly, giving these songs a new liveliness, and pushing Cabral’s songwriting towards the theatrical. The sonic palette on its own can be bewildering at first–veering off without warning into performances of soul, hard rock, classical, folk, and of course, synthwave. It’s no surprise that the personnel list reveals more than thirty performers–all of whom sound great. The songs are left with an enchanting … Continued

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singer-songwriter

Concert Review: Mason Jennings

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Every band, especially a singer-songwriter, should be able to produce a sense of prestige and conviction while on stage. Mason Jennings’s performance Saturday, October 5th at The Englert succeeded in both of these aspects, as he sailed through a menagerie of melodic, guitar and piano based tracks. He quickly jumped into his set, with the crowd anxiously awaiting his presence. Within the first few songs, Jennings built a lot of respect from the crowd. He spoke of his family with gratitude, the kind only seen when someone has really taken the time to appreciate his surroundings. This sense of kindness … Continued

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