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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Comus – “First Utterance”
An all-time favorite album, ‘First Utterance’ is shocking, anachronistic folk rock that caused a career shift and death of its band, Comus. (read more)
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Johnny Marr – “The Messenger” (2013)
Other than this first sentence, I’d like everyone to note how I never bring up The Smiths anywhere in this little review of The Messenger. Well, people will be pleased to hear the whole album is done in Johnny Marr’s distinctive playing style. This sounds like an album that could have been released in the… (read more)
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The Olivia Tremor Control – “Music From the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist Castle” (1996)
You know all those retro indie bands around today that make music styled in the vein of ’60s psychedelic pop, only mildly updating it with more modern (but still tepid) production tricks? Well, that stuff has actually been going on as far back as the ’90s. Dusk at Cubist Castle is an extremely derivative album,… (read more)
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Astrobrite – “Crush”
Crush by Astrobite is by-the-numbers shoegaze. It’s too same-y and mediocre to be worth your time. Good luck telling the tracks here apart. Sure you’ve got your fuzzy, noisy crunchers and ethereal, cyclical, slow songs, but those are your only two modes. Also, the vocalist thinks he’s Kevin Shields—but no one is! I don’t know… (read more)
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The Joy Formidable – “Wolf’s Law” (2013)
Featured on the front page of RateYourMusic.com! On first listen, this has less variety in songcraft than The Big Roar. Primarily because there’s a lot less dynamics this time around. Most songs on Wolf’s Law have no surprises in them like how many tracks on The Big Roar often shifted between softer verses and loud choruses.… (read more)
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Killing Joke – “The Singles Collection 1979-2012” (2013)
‘The Singles Collection’ is probably the best introduction to Killing Joke but falls short of providing enough value for existing fans. (read more)
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Big Black – “Songs About Fucking”
If someone told me there was such a thing as “industrial rock” before I had ever heard of any, I would assume the genre would sound like Big Black’s 1987 album, Songs About Fucking. A graceful introduction to an album with nothing graceful about it—this is pure punk. Lead by the now famous Steve Albini,… (read more)
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Rancid – “…And Out Come the Wolves” (1995)
The easiest way for me to describe …And Out Come the Wolves is “basically the first album by The Clash but better.” Of course, The Clash surpassed their first album with subsequent releases. The bratty boys, the broad Latin music influences—it’s all there. Rancid’s guitars have more of a ’90s fuzz to them, but there’s not many… (read more)
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Alice Cooper – “Billion Dollar Babies”
‘Billion Dollar Babies’ is a great album marred by horrible mixing and self-indulgence, even if some of the latter makes it endearing. (read more)
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Captain Beyond – “Captain Beyond”
Some incredible songs on ‘Captain Beyond,’ interesting lyrics, and ferocious performances. I greatly dislike the psychedelic mixing, however. (read more)