IN REVIEW: CRX - "New Skin"

With the release of New Skin, every member of The Strokes has now officially released a side project; after appearing as a guest and co-writing for a slew of artists, CRX marks guitarist Nick Valensi's first proper foray into side project territory. Hints of The Strokes are to be expected here, but New Skin pulls further in both the glossy pop and hard rock directions of his other band. The blend of power pop hooks with muscular punk-infused rock (the latter given a boost of credibility courtesy producer Josh Homme) makes for a varied, quick and easy listen; it offers satisfaction whether you're looking for a singalong or a mosh pit. In the current musical landscape, it's also somewhat refreshing, an undeniably modern aesthetic as filtered through the raucous classics. If you're not scared of getting a little glitter in your hard nosed rock n' roll, New Skin deserves a half hour of your time.

October 28, 2016 • Columbia
Highlights Ways To Fake It • Broken Bones • Monkey Machine

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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...

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