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 2014: And the Winners Are...

It's been a long year, and another great one for rock n' roll. While the pop charts were overrun with barely legals obsessed with their asses, rock soldiered on undeterred even as pundits (hell, in some cases even rockers themselves) mourned the genre. Sure, rock didn't dominate the money game in 2014, but that shouldn't evoke sad nostalgia and eulogies. Even for as little perceived impact rock music made, a hell of a lot happened if people had only paid attention. From grizzled vets adding jewels to their crown (Springsteen, Petty) to new beginnings (Against Me!, Antemasque) to happy returns (Faith No More, The Tea Party) and all points in between, rock continued to thrive, evolve and thrill in 2014. Enough talk. It's winning time. Your Year in Rock winners for 2014 are...

Hear Me Out: Why Do A Greatest Hits Album?

So, Silversun Pickups announced a "singles collection" today. Now, I'm no expert on "singles" or "hits" compilations; even so, I've got to say this announcement threw me for a loop for a couple of reasons. For starters, isn't it a bit early for a band like Silversun Pickups to be given the "greatest hits" treatment? I know, I know, it's a "singles collection". But, come on; it looks like a greatest hits album, it smells like a greatest hits album, so on so forth. More importantly, though, are these really necessary entities in 2014? I mean, who is this album for? Casual fans who've already downloaded the singles they like or established fans who are expected to shill out $15 for one new song?

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