Archive for the Album Reviews Category

Ty Segall’s ‘Possession’: Two Cent Review

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags on 06/10/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

Ironically, while Ty Segall seemingly crafted Possession after spending more time than usual in solitary refinement, so to speak, he ended up making arguably his most inviting, if not accessible, work to date. Read my Treble review.

Grails’ ‘Miracle Music’: Two Cent Review

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags on 06/08/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

Regaining the fast momentum with which Grails released their early material, the instrumental post-rockers’ ninth LP is defined by a meditative feel coursing through the songs’ proverbial veins. Read my review of Miracle Music for FLOOD.

Turnstile’s ‘Never Enough’: Two Cent Review

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags on 06/06/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

Turnstile makes it evident on every track that the heroes of modern-day hardcore are striving for Never Enough to gain as massive a cultural impact as Glow Onone of the best rock records of the past 20 yearsdid. Read my review of the record on Treble.

Big Takeover #96: Michael Gira and Todd Trainer Interviews, Bernie/AOC Rally Coverage, More

Posted in Album Reviews, Essays, Features, Interviews, Reviews with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 06/05/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

The special 45th anniversary edition of The Big Takeover, one of the oldest and last-surviving punk-rock magazines, is now available here. The special issue features more contributions from yours truly than every before–and they’re exclusively featured in the magazine:

• a deep conversation with Michael Gira of Swans
• my second feature with drummer Todd Trainer, stemming from the first interview he gave after the passing of his beloved Shellac bandmate Steve Albini
• a dispatch from a “Fighting Oligarchy” event in Idaho that featured Built to Spill, Bernie Sanders and AOC (and drew national attention)
• my reviews of new releases by Airport 77s, Dez Dare, Librarians With Hickeys, Mdou Moctar, mssv, Onsetter, Pleasure Pill, Plight, Royal Chant and Unstable Shapes

Now Playing: Felgrave, DVNE, A Flock Named Murder

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags , , , , on 05/22/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

Hop over to Treble‘s Patreon page to read my pithy remarks about the five records I’m most hooked on at the moment. No spoilers. Oh, wait, I’m gonna have to get around to changing the headline to this post …. and the image … and the tags. Cripes. Pretend you didn’t see any of those things and just clink on the link.

Club Night’s ‘Joy Coming Down’: Two Cent Review

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags on 05/22/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

Joy Coming Down is an expertly crafted piece of work, as if Club Night—comprising guitarist Ian Tatum, bassist Devin Trainer, singer Josh Bertram and keyboardist/drummer Nick Cowman—can already see themselves playing it in full if not this year then on tours 10, 20 and 30 years from now. Read my lengthy review of the record on Treble.

Blood Monolith’s ‘Calling of Fire’: Two Cent Review

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags on 05/21/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

Don’t seep on my first story for Post-Trash, a new music website that launched six months ago and is catching on like an out of control blaze. In my first contribution to the website, I review The Calling of Fire, for which Profound Lore brain scramblers Blood Monolith relentlessly punish listeners over the course of 28 minutes.

Slow Crush’s ‘Thirst’: Two Cent Review

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags on 05/17/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

On the title track to Slow Crush’s new album Thirst, one of the leading hopefuls in shoegaze’s ascendant return urges renewal in this unforgiving world we are all culpable of having brought upon ourselves. Read my Treble review.

Callous Daoboys’ ‘I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven’: Two Cent Review

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags on 05/16/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven is The Callous Daoboys’ latest push into their postulation that Heaven will be deafening and yet widely accessible. Read my short Treble review.

Rilo Kiley’s ‘That’s How We Choose to Remember It’: Two Cent Review

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags on 05/16/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

There are too many rock-band reunions to count happening these days, but one of the most excitedly received is that of Rilo Kiley, who have already sold out their show tomorrow night at Boise’s Treefort Music Hall. Get warmed up for it by reading my FLOOD review of their greatest-hits record that arrived today.