Read my take on Messa’s The Spin as part of Treble‘s 40 Best Albums of 2025 So Far feature. Hint: I like it.
Archive for the Reviews Category
Messa’s ‘The Spin’: Two Cent Review
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags Messa on 06/12/2025 by Kurt OrzeckTy Segall’s ‘Possession’: Two Cent Review
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags Ty Segall 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 Grails 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 Turnstile on 06/06/2025 by Kurt Orzeck
Superchunk’s ‘Is It Making You Feel Something’: Two Cent Review
Posted in Reviews with tags Superchunk on 06/06/2025 by Kurt Orzeck
“Is It Making You Feel Something,” the first single from the quartet’s upcoming LP Songs in the Key of Yikes, is so quintessential Superchunk that it hurts. Read my review of the song 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 Airport 77s, AOC, Bernie Sanders, Built to Spill, Dez Dare, Librarians With Hickeys, Mdou Moctar, Michael Gira, mssv, Onsetter, Pleasure Pill, Plight, Royal Chant, Shellac, Swans, The Big Takeover, Todd Trainer, Unstable Shapes 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 A Flock Named Murder, Conan, Crematory, Dvne, Felgrave 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 Club Night 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 Blood Monolith 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 Slow Crush 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.
The Bad Penny (beta) 