It’s been three years since Kisses released its first album, The Heart of the Nightlife, and in that time Jesse Kivel and Zinzi Edmundson have looked outward, replacing the punch-drunk mood and theme of their debut with a disquieting social commentary on the privileges given to many of their peers growing up in Los Angeles (think Bret Easton Ellis’ Less Than Zero).   The now engaged duo’s lyrics pull from character studies of classmates and friends in Bel Air,…

  Why yes, I am a mainstream Country enthusiast. I do enjoy a nicely crafted Country-pop collection that barely scratches the surface somewhere between folk, rock, faux-pop and traditionalism without any real connection to musical history, lyrical depth or intriguing multi-layered instrumentation. However, when an album of incredibly dizzying heights, regardless of textbook genre definitions, is ignored by the populous and somehow taps into the euphoric balance of heartfelt storytelling, melodic sweetness and well-crafted arrangements, my soul is nourished much…

  When it comes to Savages’ debut album Silence Yourself only one thing is certain: this is a confrontational piece of music. It’s a smack of spittle to the face; the recoil of a revolver blast; the hang time of a jump into the deep end. This is post-punk at its hardest hitting, the kind of music that’s half pleasure, half pain, and 100 percent grim. It’s dramatic, it’s brutal, it’s surprising, it’s vital. Formed two years ago in London,…

When asked what Northern England contributes to the country, Southerners might simply answer rain and wool. They wouldn’t be totally wrong, but the North Country has also given us The Smiths; it’s given us Joy Division; it’s recently given us Alt-J and now it’s giving us Just Handshakes.  Say It, released May 20 on San Diego-based label Bleeding Gold,is the debut full-length from the Leeds, UK band. In the years that it took Just Handshakes to release this album, they…