Minimalism has retained a surprising amount of cachet in mainstream rock music during the 21st century, an era in which pop, hip-hop and R&B have almost universally become more ostentatious in their stylistic fragmentation and metal has, in general, evolved to value hypertechnical, over-elaborate excess above all else.
Live in San Francisco is not just a live document, but an alive document, one that celebrates a band that’s hitting its stride and the hard work of its songwriter, but it also shows the pure joy…
Vol. 3 is the best of these singles collections yet, with some downright gems and curious if imperfect steps into the unknown. Most importantly, it shows that Dwyer and Thee Oh Sees are far from settling into a groove….
White Fence serves as a journey through the mind and influences of Tim Presley and is a solid listen for any fans of lo-fi psychedelic rock.
But the afternoon, and perhaps NXNE as a whole belonged to recent Merge Records signing Mikal Cronin.
“…before any expectations for MCII can fully set in, Cronin is already breaking all preconceptions, coming out of the gate with the album’s most relentlessly catchy, fully realized guitar-pop confection on a disc brimming over with ‘em…”
