Gallantly Streaming: Liars, The Hives, White Lungs

Since the flow of actual, exciting rock music news is sort of slow lately, and since I don't want the old blog to stagnate, I figured I'd take this opportunity to point you toward some album streams. This way, I get "blog post" ticked off the to-do list, and you get to listen to some tunes. Deal?

First up, we have the stream of Liars' WIXIW. It's their sixth album, and promises to be one of the most interesting and divisive listens of the year. Of course, they're no stranger to danger when it comes to their audience; this is the same highly touted buzz band that razed their much rejoiced dance-punk sound to the ground on their sophomore album They Were Wrong So We Drowned, droning on about witches and blood. First single No. 1 Against The Rush was decidedly more electronic than we're used to by the band, and the rest of the album is very much in the same vein. It's beat-heavy, chock full of atmosphere, and just about completely devoid of guitars. Confounding and exciting at the same time, WIXIW sort of sounds like The King Of Limbs, had Radiohead been the same adventurous crew they were ten years ago.

Stream Liars' WIXIW here.

Next, we have the new Hives album, Lex Hives. I've always been sort of on the fence when it comes to the Swedish garage rockers because every one of their albums is the same. They seem to have one or two genuinely interesting and great ideas (1000 Answers is a punk rock space junk masterpiece... that will make a little more sense when you hear it), but they can't shake the notion that they have to resurrect old songs and call them their own (Go Right Ahead steals from E.L.O., I Want More steals from AC/DC). Then there are moments that are embarrassingly goofy (like the silly and unnecessary background vocal on Wait A Minute). Like always, The Hives are at their best when they're channeling their inner Stooges; Patrolling Days, These Spectacles Reveal The Nostalgics and If I Had A Cent bring the snarl and swagger that put The Hives on the map.

In the end, Lex Hives is no better or worse than anything else they've done, and if you've heard their other albums you know exactly what to expect; a handful of solid tracks, a couple of painfully-close-to-the-infulence rockers, and a couple of cringe-worthy bad ideas.

Stream The Hives' Lex Hives here.

With those two releases garnering the bulk of the attention, perhaps in this case the little guy (in this case, girl) steals the show. Sorry is the sophomore album by female fronted Vancouver punks White Lung, and tears through its ten tracks in just 19 minutes. Make no mistake, though; that slight running time packs one hell of a punch. It might not be the heaviest, fastest or most abrasive album you hear this year, but it's certainly one of the most astonishing balances of hooks and heavy you'll bear witness to; by the time you get to third track Thick Lip, you might forget The Distillers ever existed.

Stream White Lung's Sorry here.

Year in Rock 2025

Alright, I've got some explaining to do. By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but: a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...

Year in Rock 2013 Nominee: Arctic Monkeys

ARCTIC MONKEYS Do I Wanna Know? From: AM Released: September 10 That Year in Rock 2012's Single of the Year R U Mine? ended up on this album is pleasing, and it fits the motif well enough. But R U Mine? isn't what makes Arctic Monkeys' fifth album an Album of the Year contender. Sweaty, sultry and pulsing with sexual energy, AM is the kind of record that's just as effective whether you're chilling out after a long day, staring into a mirror prepping yourself for a late night clubbing session or setting the mood for some escapades in the boudoir.

Year in Rock 2023: Album of the Year #10-1

Now we're getting somewhere; the top ten, where there are no duds or mids, only bangers. Also, no more teasing it out; let's wrap this up! What I've learned this year from my ten faves this year is that it is indeed still possible for a dude approaching his fifties to more or less stay up to date on the new school. Of course, there are some listed here that got a boost from playing tribute to the old school, but there is an undercurrent happening in rock that points to the future. But, I'm getting ahead of myself; here come the champs. 10 MILITARIE GUN Life Under the Gun June 23, 2023 • Loma Vista Highlights Very High Will Logic Never Fucked Up Once Rising from the ranks of the still-potent L.A. hardcore scene, the debut record from Militarie Gun (following a trio of EPs) bears a dash of polish that's expected with backing from a larger label; the tension and energy remain, though, resulting in one of the catchiest hardcore albums I can think of in recent years. 9 ...

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