Rock
Noah’s Barks pages related to the rock music genre. Combine with other tags for subgenres, e.g. “alternative+rock,” “noise+rock,” and “indie+rock.”
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The Shaggs – “Philosophy of the World” (1969)
Haha, what the hell is with Helen Wiggin’s drumming? She never stops tapping away for even a second. It’s like someone sat her down at the kit and flipped a switch on her back to the “on” position and walked away. Obviously, no one in The Shaggs is known for their musicianship—quite the opposite, which… (read more)
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Vampire Rodents – “Lullaby Land”
Vampire Rodents’s Lullaby Land is brutish, misanthropic industrial in the vein of Skinny Puppy. In fact, Lullaby Land has a lot specifically in common with Skinny Puppy, most noticeably in Anton Rathausen’s sinister gremlin-like vocals that sound almost identical to Kevin Ogilvie’s style. For one last comparison, Lullaby Land sets up the same kind of… (read more)
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Royal Trux – “Twin Infinitives” (1990)
On Twin Infinitives, Royal Trux use their constantly mutating guitar lines and faint, twinkling, sustained keyboard notes to paint an acid-soaked vision of a nighttime cityscape’s dark underbelly. Streetlights sparkle through a veil of smoke, carrying a heavy drug-induced haze protruding from shadowy alleyways and underground clubs. Jennifer Herrema is the star vocalist on Twin… (read more)
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Sons of Kyuss – “Sons of Kyuss” (1990)
Technically the first Kyuss release—same band, different name. They’re already unquestionably stoner rock at this point, though the base in blues rock is more visible here than even on their faster and more aggressive “real” first album, Wretch. And as mediocre as the production was on Wretch, on Sons of Kyuss, even the recording itself is… (read more)
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Boris – “Akuma no Uta”
Public service announcement: I have recently removed the PX-102 copy of Akuma no Uta from my library to add the PXLP-102 copy. This PXLP-102 copy is the one known by the more popular album cover—that is, Atsuo sitting on a stool holding his guitar across his lap. Of course, we all know that this album… (read more)
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The Gathering – “Afterwords”
You know, I came into Afterwords optimistic. I was already planning on writing a review that praised this album. It was going to go a little something like this: It’s time we face the facts: Anneke van Giersbergen is not that amazing of a vocalist. She’s great at what she does, does it well, and… (read more)
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Grinderman – “Grinderman”
Nick Cave was 50 years old when he released Grinderman, a desperate bid at recapturing his youth with unsubtle noise-rock-by-numbers freakouts such as “No Pussy Blues.” It’s a midlife crisis if I’ve ever seen one, like an old man popping Viagra because he doesn’t want to come to terms with the fact he no longer… (read more)
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Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – “Tender Prey”
My favorite Nick Cave album, "Tender Prey" rocks the gallows. (read more)
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Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Mardi Gras”
On Creedence Clearwater Revival’s final album, Mardi Gras, John Fogerty bends the knee and allows his mutinous band fellows to at last feature their own material. With the creative legend taking a backseat, the results go about as well as you might expect. (read more)
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Deep Purple – “Deep Purple”
Deep Purple’s third album is the final with their original vocalist. Nonetheless, they deliver one of their most psychedelic, darkest works. (read more)