archived brainwashed reviews
Severed Heads, “Cuisine (with Piscatorial)” (Nettwerk, 1991)
One of the main stumbling blocks that people have with Severed Heads’ discography is that Tom Ellard’s long, slow evolution from harsh tape loop experimentalism to hooky electronic pop has […]
Disappears, “Guider” (Kranky, 2011)
Disappears’ 2010 debut (Lux) didn’t connect with me at all, largely because the band’s more Neu!-influenced elements were often buried beneath busy, heavily distorted guitars: it wasn’t bad, but it […]
Natural Snow Buildings, “Waves of the Random Sea” (Blackest Rainbow, 2011)
More than a decade into their career, the evolution of Natural Snow Buildings continues to surprise me: Waves of the Random Sea might be the most accessible album that Mehdi […]
“Baby, How Can It Be?: Songs of Love, Lust, and Contempt from the 1920s and 1930s” (Dust-To-Digital, 2010)
I have yet to encounter a disappointing major Dust-to-Digital release, and this three-disc collection of the choicest bits from John Heneghan’s archive of early 78s continues that hot streak beautifully. […]
Our Love Will Destroy the World, “Blue Eyes Are My Reward” and “I Hate Even Numbers” (Krayon/Dekorder, 2010)
Campbell Kneale has been enjoying quite an impressive creative rebirth since retiring Birchville Cat Motel and re-emerging as Our Love Will Destroy the World, but he wound up with an […]
“The Sound of Siam: Leftfield Luk Thung, Jazz and Molam from Thailand 1964-1975” (Soundway, 2010)
As anyone who picked up Siamese Soul or Electric Cambodia last year will probably attest, there was some absolutely amazing music being made in Southeast Asia in the ’60s and […]
Big Blood, “The Grove” (Phase!/dontrustheruin (2008)/Feeding Tube (2023))
I loved Fire on Fire’s The Orchard, so I was pretty disappointed to learn from a recent Michael Gira interview that they had dissolved. My despair turned out to be […]
the fun years, “god was like, no” (Barge, 2010)
The last album that Ben Recht and Isaac Sparks put out (baby, it’s cold inside) was named Boomkat’s “Album of the Year” for 2008, so there was quite a bit […]