Author Archives: theradicalsloth

The Antlers – Green to Gold
Release date: March 26, 2021Label: Anti New York’s The Antlers recently released the wistful Green to Gold, their first new album (along with a full-length film) since the 2014 release of Familiars. Familiars occupied a space between slinky jazz and smoked-out space rock. It was eerie and full of melancholy. Truly a record for listening after […]

The Mommyheads – Coming Into Beauty
Release date: February 12, 2021Label: Mommyheads The Mommyheads recently remastered and re-released their 1992 sophomore release Coming Into Beauty. This is early, pioneering experimental indie-pop. There is dark whimsy on the instrumental track Nino Wrote a Tune. I Started Breathing might be the album’s focal point. The tune gently strides along the spare ukulele and rattling percussion, […]

Fleet Foxes – Shore
Release date: March 19, 2021Label: Anti- Shores, Fleet Foxes fourth album, demonstrates the progression and maturity of a songwriter. After returning from a long hiatus with brooding and confrontational Crack-Up, Shores is a wall of sound full of grace. The album opens with several tracks that are likely to get stuck in your head. Sunblind is […]

Delta Spirit – What Is There
Release date: September 11, 2020Label: New West Records After a six year hiatus, Delta Spirit is back with What Is There. Like more recent releases from several other former indie sweethearts that have gone on to find mainstream success (see Kings of Leon, The Black Keys), this record seems to lack the grit and raw emotion […]

Joyce Manor – Songs from Northern Torrance
Release date: May 29, 2020Label: Epitaph Joyce Manor albums have always have always been about energy and feeling. Songs from Northern Torrance sounds like a punk rock demo tape from the early aughts. These songs evoke small venues, parking lots and basements. Check out the anti-authoritarian anger on the crowd favorite, House Warning Party. DFHP […]

The Menzingers – From Exile
Release date: September 25, 2020Label: Epitaph The Menzingers, like the rest of us, have been stuck at home a lot during this past year. Thankfully, they made the best of the downtime. The band re-recorded their 2019 album Hello Exile and reimagined the 12 tracks for a new stripped-down record, From Exile. I’m a sucker for angsty songs about breaking […]

Bambara – Stray
Release date: February 14, 2020 Label: Wharf Cat Records Another weird band from Athens, GA – Bambara hangs out in the dark, cold alleys of rock-n-roll. They stalk and prowl like Nick Cave and constantly threaten danger and violence. Even the song titles reflect their commitment to the “dark side.” Miracle is slow and skulking and hits you with […]

Higher Power – 27 Miles Underwater
Release date: January 24, 2020 Label: Roadrunner Records You can tell that Higher Power grew up listening to alternative rock and grunge. 27 Miles Underwater sounds more like 1995 than anything else that’s been released in 2020. To say that this is a period-piece would be unkind but a lot of these riffs DO sound familiar. […]