Tag: venus rittenberg

20,000 Albums for Eidelyn Gonzales: Low

By Venus Rittenberg, Editorial Director
[RCA; 1977]
Key tracks: “Sound and Vision,” “Always Crashing in the Same Car,” “A New Career in a New Town”

20,000 Albums for Eidelyn Gonzales: The Air Force

By Venus Rittenberg, Editorial Director
[5 Rue Christine; 2006]
Key tracks: “Boy Soprano”, “Bishop, CA”, “The Fox and the Rabbit”
The Air Force is the fifth Xiu Xiu album. It concludes a practically perfect five-album run, and is the perfect conclusion to the sheer brutality of the first four. The Air Force was the second Xiu Xiu album to click for me, and thus it holds a special place in my heart. 

Album Review: Black Midi — Cavalcovers

By Venus Rittenberg, Editorial Director
[Rough Trade; 2022]
Rating: 8/10
Key tracks: It’s three songs man
When Black Midi announced Cavalcade, they also announced a contest in which they would cover five songs, and depending on who the listeners preordered Cavalcade from, they would receive a 7” vinyl of one of the covers. Three of the five songs appear on this EP, finally added to streaming (sadly missing the excellent “Psycho Killer” cover that features some of the worst French I’ve ever heard).

Album Review: Broken Equipment — Bodega

By Venus Rittenberg, Editorial Director
[What’s Your Rupture?; 2022]
Rating: 8/10
Key tracks: Thrown, Doers, How Can I Help Ya
Broken Equipment sees Bodega improving upon their already noteworthy work from Endless Scroll, an album that emerged amidst a flourishing third wave of post-punk that was sweeping America and Europe with bands like Parquet Courts, IDLES, and many more. There were many incredible bands in this scene, and I went through a huge phase of obsessing over it during Summer 2020 – this is when I discovered Bodega. They were not my favorite band in the scene, but they were doing something unique with their lyrics. There was specificity to them that made them stand out. They were also loaded with references to other music that I was a fan of which also made them noteworthy. Ultimately, they were very catchy, groovy post punk, and at the time, that was what I craved.

20,000 Albums for Eidelyn Gonzales: Atomizer

By Venus Rittenberg, Editorial Director
[Homestead; 1986]Key tracks: “Jordan, Minnesota”, “Kerosene” and “Fists of Love”
production is all over the place, even producing for slowcore/alt-country artist Jason Molina. He has helped shape the world of alternative music and continues to do so. However, his own bands, of which there are several, have also had a massive influence on music. When making his own music, Molina tends to stick to noise rock and post-hardcore. Nothing on Atomizer reaches the same epic highs as Shellac’s “Prayer to God” or the emotional depth of “Tiny, King of the Jews” from Songs About Fucking, but in my opinion it is easily his masterpiece.

20,000 Albums for Eidelyn Gonzales: Knife Play & A Promise

By Venus Rittenberg, Editorial Director
[5RC (Kill Rock Stars); Knife Play – 2002, A Promise – 2003]
Key tracks (Knife Play): Don Diasco, Suha,
Key tracks (A Promise): Apistat Commander, Fast Car, Ian Curtis Wishlist
TW: Self harm, suicide

Punk’d: WORRY. by Jeff Rosenstock

By Venus Rittenberg, Contributor
[SideOneDummy Records; 2016]
Key tracks: “Festival Song”, “Blast Damage Days”, “Rainbow”
s of punk vignettes that all flow perfectly into each other, inspired by the medley from Abbey Road. 

Album Review: Xiu Xiu – OH NO

By Venus Rittenberg, Contributor
[Polyvinyl; 2021]
Rating: 8/10
Key tracks: “One Hundred Years”, “A Bottle of Rum”, “OH NO”
Xiu Xiu’s 15th album is an album of duets that sees them returning to the sounds that frequent their discography prior to 2019’s experimental Girl with Basket of Fruit. A perfect example of this return to the olden days of Xiu Xiu is the title track, which sounds like something from Xiu Xiu’s fifth album, The Air Force, but with a poppier hook.

Fiddlehead releases new single, “Heart to Heart”

Fiddlehead released their newest single “Heart to Heart” on Tuesday. The track is the second single from the punk supergroup’s upcoming sophomore album, Between the Richness, which is due out May 21 via Run For Cover Records. The song follows the initial single, “Million Time,” which came out in March.

Album Review: Forever In Your Heart by Black Dresses

Black Dresses have been broken up for nearly a year, which makes any release from them surprising, but few things could be as surprising and exciting as a brand new full-length album. This surprise release sees Black Dresses going even deeper into the spheres of industrial and metal that the band have flirted with since their inception. Forever In Your Heart sees both vocalists, Devi and Rook, at their most intense and aggressive –– and their best.