Russ Lawton, Scott Metzger and Ray Paczkowski Showcase Musical Chemistry as LaMP With Exploratory Performance at Portland, OR’s Polaris Hall (SHOW REVIEW/PHOTOS)
Though they might not generate much fanfare, Russ Lawton, Scott Metzger, and Ray Paczkowski are all heroes in the jam band world. Each of these musicians possesses a versatile skillset on their instruments, making them key players for acts like the Trey Anastasio Band, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, and numerous other projects. Together, the trio […]
20 Years Later: Animal Collective Hit Creative Breakthrough With ‘Feels’
Pop is a genre that is slow to catch up to its forward-thinking contributors. While the sounds of yesterday find placement in the Billboard charts long after the innovators of the genre have moved on from that sound, it is essential to give credit where credit is due. Animal Collective deserves a healthy heap of […]
Crash Game Strategies — What Theory Tells Us
Crash games like Aviator turn risk into spectacle. The multiplier climbs, seconds stretch, and we face a razor-thin decision: bail out or ride. Below, behavioral theory and probability dismantle common intuitions and reveal what real strategy looks like when impulse collides with math. Platforms, Perks, and Playgrounds Crash games live inside broad ecosystems where everything […]
Elvis Costello & The Imposters Revisit Iconic Early Material At Chicago Theater (SHOW REVIEW)
It’s hard to believe it’s been over 48 years since Elvis Costello first burst onto the burgeoning UK music scene with his seminal debut album My Aim Is True way back in 1977. To this day, it stands as one of the most outstanding debut albums in the history of rock, a virtual smorgasbord of […]
Greg Anton’s ‘It’s About Time’ Covers Triumphs & Trials Of One Musician With Poetic Poise (BOOK REVIEW)
As a longstanding professional musician, Greg Anton knows full well the archetypes of that universe as well as their attendant cliches, which, like most truisms, actually contain kernels of truth. Accordingly, he has no qualms about turning the platitudes inside out and on their head during the course of unreeling his fictional story of disputed […]
LISTEN: Bear, Man Dangerous Brings Theatrical Flair To Post-Punk On “When We Cease to Understand the World”
Bear, Man Dangerous is a Seattle project fusing shoegaze, post-hardcore, and post-rock. Known for politically conscious lyrics, the band draws inspiration from Fugazi, Shellac, Russian Circles, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Their sound combines widescreen sonics with urgent storytelling. “When We Cease to Understand the World” is the latest single from Bear, Man Dangerous, and […]
LISTEN: Proteins Of Magic’s “Bayou” Is Ethereal Folk With Immersive Storytelling
There isn’t a single genre that describes the musical output of Proteins of Magic, but in broad terms, it embodies the realm of Gothic; from the use of voices from elsewhere, layered upon one another, to the drama of art pop melded with eerie post-punk, accompanied by videos that morph from the natural to the […]
Tame Impala Shatters Expectations With Glistening Electronic Danceability On ‘Deadbeat’ (ALBUM REVIEW)
Artistic evolution comes for every memorable musician, whether you like it or not. To selfishly ask an artist to stick to the elements of their sound that made you a fan would be a detriment. How else do you expect greatness if repetition is involved? Where can an artist go when fans and critics have […]
CAUSTIC COMMENTARY: Militarie Gun, Tame Impala, Katie Schecter, Todd Snider, The Last Dinner Party & More
It is starting to get just cold enough to wear a sweater, but not cold enough to freeze the stadium-sized gears on our delicate machinery here at the Old Caustic Factory. As we toss more coal into blazing ovens beneath huge conveyor belts, our trusty machines spit out another stellar list of fresh releases from […]
