Elevate Difference

Reviews tagged Kill Rock Stars

Roman Candle

Some might think this is another round of Elliott Smith’s posthumous work but it’s actually his first album. Kill Rock Stars has re-released and remastered Roman Candle, which was originally released in 1994 on the Cavity Search label. It’s self-recorded and Smith played all the instruments. The album is short, only thirty minutes, but in these eight songs you can see how Smith’s great career started.

BARR - Live in Philly (2/19/2007)

There’s nothing more refreshing than a band who doesn’t take themselves too seriously, particularly when they are this catchy. Even more inspiring is a band who, perhaps unknowingly, manages to deconstruct what it means to be a male musician. It was my first time. Seeing BARR was a release like no other. Their performance exhibited a seamless balance of blunt honesty and raw optimism.

C.Y.S.L.A.B.F.

Mika Miko’s C.Y.S.L.A.B.F. is a great example of what modern punk should be. It’s an energizing, loud amalgamation of sounds that many parents would apply the term “noise” to. Whether you’re a frazzled urbanite 20-something or a teen rocking in your parent’s garage the entire album does well in rhythmically pleasing your inner (or outer) rebel. The production quality left something to be desired.

Standing in the Way of Control

The Gossip’s new album, Standing in the Way of Control, is more than interesting and different in itself. Partly, it doesn’t even sound like the Gossip. Bluesy punk of previous albums has been replaced with a garage, New York punk sound. However, this is actually done very nicely, and the audience is not lost during the change.