Updated writings…again

Hey all,

I posted a review of the latest Dalek album that’s on A Thousand Grams, a hip-hop blog run by Texan alumni. I also posted some reviews I contributed to the blog Sonic Frontiers some time ago.

Cheers.

From the Vault – Extended Meshuggah Article

This is the extended version of my Meshuggah article from a little under a year ago. It contains a couple quotes at the end I though really tied  things together.

Updated Writings

I added a lot more Texan articles, since the archives seem to finally be somewhat working. Most notable are my controversial Watain review, my even more controversial HungryMan article, and my piss-take on Jack Johnson.

Reviews in the Texan today

STINKING LIZAVETA – SACRIFICE AND BLISS

Fyodor Dostoevsky could never have anticipated that a character from his acclaimed novel Crime and Punishment would become the namesake of a band whose guitarist talks through his pickups. The Russian author is more influential than we thought.

Sacrifice and Bliss is Stinking Lizaveta’s sixth album since forming in 1994, and by now, the Philadelphia trio should be comfortable playing with each other. Luckily, this album proves that notion right. Each technical lick and complex drum pattern lock in and groove together effortlessly. Guitarist Yanni Papadopoulos can shift from Touch and Go noise rock to Hendrixian free flight to charging Metallica-like riffs at a moment’s notice, and the band can keep up. “We Will See” is a particularly strong example of this. Bassist and brother Alexi plays an electric upright, which gives the album a unique sense of swing other instrumental rock bands lack. In some songs, such as “Autochtony! Autochtony!” and “A Day Without a Murder,” his bass blends in with Yanni’s guitar crunch, creating a strong driving force for the songs to advance. The band stays on point throughout Bliss, though there is a small section of feedback droning during “Zeigeist, The Movie” that may cause some listeners’ attentions to wane, but only for a brief moment.

MSTRKRFT – FIST OF GOD

MSTRKRFT (“Mastercraft”) are disco for the modern age. Whether you like your art high or pop, you can’t deny that the duo bring the futuristic funk on their latest full-length, Fist of God.

A record with a name like that better sound big, and damn right it does. “Bounce” which features N.O.R.E. and Isis (the female rapper, not the metal band) is the “Stayin’ Alive” of the record – providing an easily identifiable, infectious chorus backed up by bouncy electronics. John Legend donates his star power on “Heartbreaker,” and not surprisingly, makes it the smoothest track on the record. The true banger on God is “Click Click,” featuring hyphy figurehead E-40. With its pitch bends and reverse siren noises, it’ll definitely make you want to ghost ride the whip with your stunna shades on. The Ghostface Killa collaboration “Word Up” is slightly underwhelming, if only because MSTRKRFT flex their muscles so much they don’t give Ghostface room to do so.

God clocks in at slightly over 38 minutes, which is either too short for a coke-fueled rave, just right for casual electronic listening, or too long for someone who can’t dance.

Unpublished Tombs article

This article, a short piece on Brooklyn band Tombs, was originally slated to appear on 3/12 as part of The Daily Texan’s SXSW preview coverage. You can read the article after the jump.

Until the Light Takes Us

THIS FILM FUCKING RULES AND YOU SHOULD GO SEE IT.
http://www.myspace.com/blackmetalmovie

SXSW recap

Fuck $4 Lone Stars

Globular

My boy Matt Ely, who plays in the Raga Fuck I mentioned some posts below, gots him a radio show. He plays a lot of Indian Classical and other baddass stuff. I command you to listen.

Writings updated

I updated my Writings section with some older Texan articles, if you’d like to take a gander.

Amebix article

This article was originally supposed to appear in the Jan 23 edition of The Daily Texan. Nevertheless, Amebix put on a hell of a show, and I’d like to thank Rob for granting an interview. Full article after the jump.