Jul 192026
 

(written by Islander)

I had to hurry to finish yesterday’s roundup due to excessive partying the night before and excessive sleeping through the next morning. Not having learned anything, I repeated myself last night and this morning, and am paying for it by having to truncate this Sunday roundup.

I mean, it wasn’t wild partying. There was no rowdiness, no fights. No one went to jail. It was just me and my wife and a bunch of other gray-hairs enjoying each other’s company over a grilled salmon dinner and maybe a few more drinks than was strictly advisable.

In figuring out what to include today, and what to leave behind for now, I decided to give you a charred-black roller-coaster ride. It’s only three songs and an EP, but none of them sound anything alike. I also decided to root this collection deep in the underground — these aren’t “big name” bands, but their music makes big impressions, at least on me and I hope on you too. Continue reading »

May 032025
 

(written by Islander)

It should be called “Bandcamp Week” instead of “Bandcamp Friday”. Every week ending in one of those Friday’s, including last week, tends to see a greater than usual volume of new-music releases, a reflection of the principle that “recency is primacy” when it comes to spending decisions. This “Bandcamp Week” phenomenon further complicates the preparation of these Saturday columns, but I’m still glad Bandcamp is continuing the tradition this year.

While I have your attention, I want to add a note about changes planned for NCS next week before we get to the new metal I picked for today. Continue reading »