Issue 107

Fuzz's II is a take-it-or-leave-it collection of fuzzy, distorted stoner rock that sounds amazing turned up, but suffers from its inability to remain focused. On its own, that means it's the purest example of a stoner rock example out there. Read more.

EL VY is a significant departure for both Matt Berninger and Brent Knopf, but it allows them to work, without the pressure of their more popular acts, at writing quirky indie rock songs. Return To The Moon benefits because of Berninger's trademarked voice, which gives it a lot of necessary bottom end, but the instrumentation is a wonky — and welcome — break from the norm. Read more.

It's hard to say whether it was accidentally or not, but with Vheissu, Thrice recorded what is — in my mind — one of the best post-hardcore records ever made. Ten years later, it still holds up and remains impeccably strong thanks to its incredible and fearless songwriting. Read more.

Tim Hecker's 2013 record Virgins is going to be a tough one to follow up. Hecker understands what many electronic musicians don't: success in ambient music relies on your understanding of the emptiness of things, and there's a sparseness poking at every corner of Virgins that makes the music feel much larger, more orchestral, and more ornate than it really is. Read more.

Teenage Head, Canada's original punk band, put out their best record with Frantic City. It's a tour-de-force of punk rock and roll, and shares similarities with both The Ramones and Chuck Berry — which makes it very approachable for its genre. Read more.