On paper, Rainbow Kitten Surprise should be a complete disaster: A North-Carolina five-piece playing moody folk-rock music with spurts of rapping, paired an ultimately ridiculous name. Yet somehow, the band has beat the odds and gained quite a reputation for incredible shows and a distinct sound. On RKS’ third studio effort How to: Friend, Love,…
Nate Bramel
Sunflower Bean: ‘Twentytwo in Blue’
To understand just how much that the Brooklyn trio has grown in the past two years, look no further than the cover of the band’s terrific new album, Twentytwo In Blue. The three members of the band are spotlighted in the middle of the picture; a cover that is more confident and much less cluttered…
Superchunk Delivers Punk Rock Gem on ‘What a Time to be Alive’
Superchunk turns anger into noise—and joyous noise at that—on the band’s newest album, What a Time to be Alive. Twenty-eight years after their self-titled debut, the band’s fury and energy is as powerful as ever, as frontman Mac McCaughan’s vocals mesh with soaring guitars and the pulsing percussion of drummer Jon Wurster. The 2016 election has shaped…
Car Seat Headrest Reimagines Bandcamp Opus ‘Twin Fantasy’
Throughout the 71 minutes of Car Seat Headrest’s superb new (half new) album Twin Fantasy, frontman Will Toledo sings about being human. Or rather, about the struggle to be human when it feels like he simply does not relate to anyone around him. On this new version of his 2011 Bandcamp album of the same…