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Reptar’s debut EP, Oblangle Fizz Y’All begins much like Tommy Pickles’s favorite dragon cartoon, Reptar would sing: grunting. Unlike the Rugrats theme song, however, instead of a nauseating xylophone pitter-pattering in the background, there lies a crescendo of mysterious synths. We hear aggressive opening vocals with melodic beats at the monster’s soft underbelly…but what is to come? A verbal attack so common in the battle of love, “I won’t call you if you don’t call me.” Graham Ulicny’s high-pitched and cuddle-able vocals may sound more like one of the Rugrat babies than their feared cartoon dinosaur, but the band’s compositional talent and undeniably catchy rhythms are just as vicious.
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With a name like Cults, it is puzzling that listening to their debut self-titled album reminded me of experiences purchasing the entire …Baby One More Time record just to hear the Britney Spears single by the same name. In 1999 I was surprised to enjoy Spears’s other recordings on the album when it was unimaginable that she could top the single “Baby One More Time,” or produce similarly catchy songs at the least. As I learned, Cults has more striking material to offer than their Pitchfork hits, “Go Outside” and “Most Wanted.” Read More »

Photo Credit: Timothy DeVita

Much like the effects of Crystal Castles’ fans’ intoxication, I left the rave-like concert dripping with sweat, my ears ringing, and a nearing morning of “coming down.” The sweat; however, was mostly not from my own body, the ringing was a side effect of the haunting synthesizer, and the sensation of withdrawal, from my reinvigorated admiration for the Toronto-based “Thrash” duo, Crystal Castles.

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The entire idea of a stage vanished.  Or you could say the audience became the stage for this militant Israeli garage punk band. At the very moment the Monotonix began their set, the lead singer leapt onto the crowd and proceeded to rock out and walk over the moshers while using the ceiling’s metal bars as support. Not only the lead singer, but the guitarist, the drummer, and the entire drum set spent most of the set suspended by the audiences hands and heads, travelling back and forth across the intimate venue. No drink in the crowd was safe; beers were stolen, thrown onto the drums, and splattered onto unsuspecting hipster’s vintage leather and ironic tees. These long curly haired, wild, jungle men exuded unparalleled charisma that kept the young crowd moshing, rocking, and sweating all night. Read More »

After two years of following The Morning Benders’ music since their 2008 tour with The Kooks, I would finally get to see the California foursome again. This time the encounter would not be in New York City, but instead Washington, DC. While the band may have opened for British Pop/Rock band the Kooks then, they headlined at the Black Cat on a Friday night after two opening bands, Oberhofer and Twin Sister. Did I mention it was a sold out show?

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On Nov 16 two rising stars on the indie music scene, Glasser and Twin Shadow, played a sold-out show at the Black Cat Backstage. The disparate yet equally charismatic acts captivated the audience and threatened to burst the small venue at its seams. Read More »

Think not that The Black’s band name sheds any light (pun intended) on the band’s sound. Impressions of dark and gothic will be obliterated at first listen. This band may be obscure in its limited level of recognition but not in measuring the lightness of its sound. While the hue of black may be absent from the color wheel, it is actually the culmination of all colors. The opening track, “Freeway (Exiled)” on the album Sun In The Day Moon At Night is an immediate indication of this. With enough swing to knock over a ‘50’s sock hop, the tune quickly redirects the listener’s judgments to a lighter impression of The Black’s music.

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