#303: Lower - Seek Warmer Climes

Post-punk – a literally named genre if ever there was one – pretty much epitomised alternative music in the 1980s, whilst mirroring the disaffection felt by the working class British public under Thatcherism. As such, it was a logical progression for those who saw through the punk’s gimmicky exterior and often laughable political ideologies, whilst bringing the music they spent their teens listening to in to a more contemporary (at the time) setting, channelling their angst and tired indifference in to a genre of music that’s ultimately far more introverted and much more claustrophobic than it’s safety-pinned predecessor.

This review was originally written for TheRealMusic.net. Click here to read in full.

#296: Parquet Courts - Sunbathing Animal

When you think of punk, Brooklyn’s Parquet Courts might not be the first band to spring to mind. And indeed, why should they? They certainly don’t adhere to the leather, bristles studs and acne uniform that typical punk conforms to. Their sound isn’t inherently punk either, at least not in the British sense of the genre. Parquet Courts are in fact rooted far more deeply in the art-punk of their hometown in the ’70s and ’80s, more Black Francis than Black Flag. And with Sunbathing Animal, their third full-length, the band look set to further their already impressive reputation.

This review was originally written for Far Out Magazine. Click here to read in full.