I love long train rides. I love being able to just sit beside a window and watch the world pass me by, catching glimpses of life in motion while staying static in coach. I love throwing on City and Colour, or Because Of The Times and drifting in and out of some kind of presence,… Read More On Memory: Thoughts On A Train, Travelling to Seattle
“We stumbled and stared at the carnival lights that lit up New York City / From a rooftop in Brooklyn that was covered in bad graffiti.” I’ve lost track of the amount of times I’ve listened to The Menzinger’s On The Impossible Past. My iTunes tells me it’s been 214, but adding on listens to… Read More From A Rooftop In Brooklyn (Something Long, Something Personal)
See, I’ve heard about Enter Shikari live shows; I’ve heard plenty of good things about Enter Shikari live shows. I’ve never been to one though, at least prior to the bands gig at The Masquerade on the 1st May. I don’t know why I’d never seen them. Until January of this year I’d lived exclusively… Read More Live Review: Enter Shikari w/ Hands Like Houses, The White Noise, and Renacer (Atlanta 5/1/2016)
Twelve months ago I had no idea who Father John Misty was. I’d never read about him, I’d never listened to him, I’d never seen his picture in a magazine. I couldn’t say why that is, but that all changed with the release of I Love You, Honeybear last year. The record was the perfect introduction, and… Read More Live Review: Father John Misty (Atlanta 4/29/2016)
Talk about a loaded tour. A few days ago I hopped onto the Greyhound and traveled over to Birmingham, Alabama to catch a show that initially sounded too good to be true. It was a three hour bus ride with typical southern heat and a broken air-con, so by the time I reached the venue… Read More Live Review: The Wonder Years w/ letlive., Tiny Moving Parts and Microwave (Birmingham 28/3/2016)
Excellent production and a shift in style make for a stellar second LP Let’s start by going back nineteen months in order to move forwards, back to the first line of Haunted to be precise, the first track on Young and Heartless’ 2014 full-length debut LP. ‘She is losing all her religion’ frontman Jeremy Henninger… Read More Young And Heartless – Stay Away (Review)
In the interest of trying new things…… Read More Craig Ranks Some Records #1
Max Bemis returns with what may be the strangest album you’ll hear in 2o16, and one which also may be his best in years. I give some thoughts as to why this might be the case.… Read More Say Anything – I Don’t Think It Is (Review)
Live shows aren’t really my thing, so therefore live reviews aren’t either. You kind of need one to inspire the other, you know? I don’t know why I’ve never really gone to many gigs, maybe it’s the travel costs, or the crowds, or the lack of company, or the price of beer at the venues.… Read More Live Review: Julien Baker w/ Old Sea Brigade (Atlanta 1/28/2016)
Review of the new Basement record which, despite promising everything, didn’t really deliver… Read More Basement – Promise Everything (Review)
A 1,500 word essay on the importance of a one-time encounter. In my case it was definitely an important one.… Read More On Finding Nirvana (The Band, Not The State of Enlightenment)
California natives Meet Me In Montauk didn’t do a whole lot wrong on their 2015 debut Where The Grass Meets The Pavement, a late and triumphant charge in the ongoing ’emo revival’ saga. A mix of angst, emotion, melody and intricate guitar work, the record rarely missed a beat, and since discovering it recently I’ve… Read More Meet Me In Montauk – Dork Soul (Review)
Take off, taking away, leaving family, leaving friends for a southern state appeal. I watch them from a congested commuter train then think about them later on the plane, as wheels retract and consequences impact. At 21 I’m already twenty-gone. I’m alone up here now, hesitant and hovering above a waking world, above everything, all… Read More Thoughts From 40,000 Feet (Another Quick Poem)
Hey, pat on the back if you got The Mountain Goats reference in the title. I’m taking a few moments to pen a post because tomorrow morning, at around 10:40am I’m taking what my elderly relative yesterday described as a ‘big step’, in the way that grandparents assign that sort of step into the unknown.… Read More Going to Georgia (For a While)
This is my final list, looking back on the songs I’ve found myself playing constantly throughout 2015. Finishing this round-up of the last twelve months, it feels like it’s been a good year for music, and hopefully 2016 will unfold likewise. If you’re curious as to my favourite albums from this year, or my favourite… Read More My Favourite Songs of 2015
20) Vaarwell – Love & Forgiveness 19) Hot Mulligan – Honest & Cunning 18) Faces Of Eve – The Story So Far 17) Beach House – Buddy Holiday 16) Scout Boys – What If, Like, When We Die… 15) Sundressed – Dig Up A Miracle 14) headcold – Awkward Tape 13) Gnarwolves – Adolescence (Purchase)… Read More My Favourite EPs of 2015
I am but one man, and for all the excellent records I’ve heard in 2015 there’s also one I’ve missed, meaning that the end of year list I published yesterday may have some exclusions which maybe don’t deserve to be exclusions. I think the final list is pretty solid, but there’s a bunch of records I… Read More Records I Probably Missed (AOTY Add-on)
After working my way through the multitude of music releases I’ve amassed in 2015 I’ve whittled them down to a final ten, my favourite ten of the year. I should stress the word ‘favourite’, because these are by no means the best ten records of the year, simply the ones I’ve enjoyed the most. That’s probably… Read More My Favourite Albums of 2015 (Numbers 10-1)
What follows is the second part of my countdown, with the first half available to view here. As things are heating up, I figured I’d write a little about some of these records, trying to justify why they ended up where they are. The rest of my list should follow shortly (hopefully). 25) Frank Carter… Read More My Favourite Albums of 2015 (Numbers 25-11)
It’s that time of the year again, so over the next week I’ll be counting down my favourite releases of the year, feeling obliged to as somebody who enjoys and writes about music. Also, I’m a sucker for a good of year lists, and I always enjoy compiling them, if only because it gives me… Read More My Favourite Albums of 2015 (Numbers 100 – 26)
Craig Reviews Music 