ABCD
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ArtistTitleReviewScore
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Stik Figa & D/Will #HappyHourStik Figa & D/Will: #HappyHour - A lot of J Dilla / Black-Star-era HiTek-like beats & rhymes. Much better than OFWGKTA trends 9.3 #nostalgia9.3
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18 Carat Affair: Televised Tragedies - Someday our grandchildren will use hashtags with more affection and awe than mockery 9.29.2
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MeatshankScavengersMeatshank: Scavengers - #thrash #rememberthe80s #grindgrindgrind KC needs more of this. 9 http://t.co/ynlNxSI9
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ABCESSThe Black DiamondABCESS: The Black Diamond - Songs for steampunk robots to kill to. Great drums and electronic sounds. but wtf's w/ that cover? regardless, 99
6
18 Carat AffairLife of Vice18 Carat Affair: The Life of Vice - Yeah it's got the coke, fashion, palm trees, & infomercials, but it remembers the dark stuff, too 99
7
Ruthless Antarctic EmpireYou Know Better (ep)Ruthless Antarctic Empire: You Know Better (ep) - sparse instruments thicker than it seems on vox/acoustic guitar center. Manipulative 8.78.7
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Hammerlord Wolves at War's End Hammerlord: Wolves at War's End - Hilarious 80s thrash, half-decent production. They're too good at it to completely laugh off. 8.78.7
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FurnitureThe DecisionFurniture: The Decision - The most fun meloncholy will be this autumn. Best KC pop rock... And with guitar tone that sounds like glass. 8.78.7
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ReachPen Pusha MixtapeReach: Pen Pusha Mixtape - Solid front to back, i'd question the remixes if they weren't so good. Subtle cameos, highly recommended 8.18.1
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KP Star StatusKP: Star Status - "Couldn't get my DNA if you was one of my children." He might have a point. 8.18.1
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D/WillCartoon Beat ImporiumD/Will: Cartoon Beat Imporium - Aspiring DJs, pick this shit up 8.1 http://t.co/FJ5QEqz8.1
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Les Izmore: The Granny Smith Theorem - D/Will production, great rhymes, and it got away w/ including plankingonthesehoes successfully 8.18.1
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Saint LuxGolden AgeSaint Lux: Golden Age - On a Venn diagram, 3 circles would overlap at The National, Beach House, and one other thing I can't quite mark.. 88
15
R. Andrew LeeAnn Southam, Soundings for a New PianoR. Andrew Lee: Ann Southam, Soundings for a New Piano - minimalism recorded properly, w/ the right feel. Great pacing each movement 88
16
CesmilesDid This for Hip-HopCesmiles (Miles Bonny & Ces Cru): Did This for Hip Hop - I can't find a good way to talk about Miles Bonny, so download this first, guys 88
17
The ACBsStona RosaThe ACBs: Stona Rosa - hey, people doubling vocals or using a chorus effect: do it like this. A Phoenix/alt-rock-Beck sandwich 88
18
Rooftop VigilantesReal Pony GlueRooftop Vigilantes: Real Pony Glue - angry that makes you think you aren't getting old bc you can relate. but you're getting old. Sorry. 88
19
Vitae & the Pale Horse4 Track RecordingsVitae & the Pale Horse: 4 Track Recordings - if the last Vitae ep (re-reviewed soon!) is like Bad Seeds, this is the superior Grinderman 7.97.9
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The Black Bullet PromiseThe Truth, My Dear The Black Bullet Promise: The Truth, My Dear - solid lp beginning to end w/ poor harmonizing choices. 7.9/107.9
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LPThe Real epLP: The Real ep - great summer hip-hop album, sleepy and tight. A little horny, a lotta fun. 7.97.9
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KP Champagne GlassesKP: Champagne Glasses - Really enjoyable mixtape, great flow. Sounds like Lupe Fiasco if he ever let himself have fun for 5 minutes. 7.97.9
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18 Carat AffairN. Cruise Blvd18 Carat Affair: N. Cruise Blvd (EP) - every 80s infomercial/cheap movie background song you're imagining/awesome show great job 7.97.9
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ApproachAloe Park#Kanrocksas band | Approach: Aloe Park - Pretty standard for KC hip-hop, but more confident than a good major. Sweet Stik Figa spot! 7.97.9
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Rob RiceKansas EPRob Rice: Kansas EP - If Sufjan was Sondre Lerche and tried to write The Suburbs to rep a state not as good as Illinois. Make sense? 7.97.9
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Chocolate VelvetThe Second World Chocolate Velvet: The Second World - Starts as STP as a blues band, runs the gambit of Nick Cave projects, ends where R&B's trying to go 7.77.7
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The Grisly Hand Safe HouseThe Grisly Hand: Safe House. Alt-bluegrass/country may get monotonous from track to track, but it doesn't get bad 7.67.6
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memoired'amour Her Wonderful World (Making Music With My Pants Off)memoired'amour: Her Wonderful World (Making Music With My Pants Off) - Avoiding chillwave in the right ways, wonderfully layered synth 7.67.6
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Mary Fortune Mary FortuneMary Fortune: Mary Fortune - Better than your average Bill Callahan/Smog lp, so pretty standard alt-country business. But easy to dig 7.67.6
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Elsa RaePlays Tiny InstrumentsElsa Rae: Plays Tiny Instruments - In love with her Beach House-like voice, not a ukulele fan, awesome songs. Give her a band quick 7.67.6
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JKR70 Presents Clay HughesThe Whether MachineJKR70 Presents Clay Hughes: The Whether Machine - for better & worse, the My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy of country-hiphop. 7.57.5
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Auternus2 SongsAuternus: 2 Songs - All slow metal sounds like whale hunting. THANKS A LOT, AHAB. Luckily, I'm a Melville enthusiast 7.57.5
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Benjamin Lyman: Deathly Mirage - album's is rubbish. This song is from it, however is bad ass http://t.co/voJZsSyA 7.5 (one song can do it)7.5
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LIFE Everything I Stand ForLIFE: Everything I Stand For - the 1st two tracks might stumble, the rest are really good, though vox need mixed down 7.47.4
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Leonard DstroyInner ExitLeonard Dstroy: Inner Exit - Listen to "Favela"; it's like he's daring someone to rap over it, and no one would rise to it. 7.47.4
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Ric GordonThe Paradox IllusionRic Gordon: The Paradox Illusion - ambient synth tracks to soundtrack Jericho (that was in KS, right?). A personal apocalypse 7.37.3
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Irritable HedgehogMaps without GridsIrritable Hedgehog: Maps without Grids - 11 minutes of drone. If you're into such things, it's pretty interesting 7.37.3
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Queens ClubFriendly (EP)#Kanrocksas band | Queens Club: Friendly (EP) - at first it was all VW & Franz Ferdinand, & then his voice was all Taking Back Sunday 7.37.3
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South Sea Island MagicDeath to WinterSouth Sea Island Magic: Death to Winter - electronic pop built like Faded Paper Figures, sonically a little more m83 than Owl City 7.37.3
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Wandering MayorInterpreted BeatsWandering Mayor: Interpreted Beats (ep) - More tripped out beats, great layering with vocal samples and piano especially. 7.27.2
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Lonely Hearts Club: Skinny Jeans for Fat People - listening bc the new Yelawolf wasn't as fun as I'd hoped. I haven't reviewed this? 7.27.2
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Vitae & the Pale Horse4 Track Recordings vol 2Vitae & the Pale Horse: 4 Track Recordings vol. 2 - The most Tarintino-soundtrack worthy, less Grinderman, more Black Keys, still good 7.17.1
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Vitamins & Minerals of DeathIVitamins & Minerals of Death: I - they have a song called Steamed Asparagus, and they don't suck. 77
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BurkeauxMathematicsBurkeaux: Mathematics - A lot of electronic beats that repeat and break down, completely acceptable, nothing too fancy. 77
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Dread SwillaThe Shades of GrayDread Swilla: The Shades of Gray - enjoyable mixtape that never gets as serious as the intro, & seems to equate horrible things w/ gray 77
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Steddy P and DJ Mahf What Happened Tomorrow Steddy P and DJ Mahf: What Happened Tomorrow - Some real hip hop gems in this, great beats, too. 5 song ep would've been better 6.96.9
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The Atlantic How to Start a War (EP)#Kanrocksas band | The Atlantic: How to Start a War (EP) - Listen to them on a staticy radio, you'll think it's Murder by Death B-sides 6.96.9
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New Savages New Savages New Savages: New Savages - best when they drone, A Perfect Circle guitar tone in very-non-APC music, but lose that mbira sound, guys 6.86.8
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ExistemExistemExistem: Existem - good drums, ok guitars that need a noisegate & new distortion, an awful vocalist, somehow decent metalcore 6.86.8
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AsparagusgirlOnly One Asparagusgirl: Only One - A+ name, C- voice, There's literally a track where she sings the ABC's. 6.8 #colormeamusedbutdontdoitagain6.8
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Lizards Have Personalities / Adaje: Split - Did Circle Takes the Square and Thursday cowrite a playbook? Needs more blastbeats, bros. 6.86.8
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ScammersCrucial Sesh EP Scammers: Crucial Sesh EP - like a sparse Interpol, but 10 times better. Slightly darker, too; they might drown you in your sleep 6.76.7
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Bestfriends Eee, PeeBestfriends: Eee, Pee - seemless transitions from ambient into structured beats. Slightly lackadaisical in design, so much potential 6.66.6
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J. GreysonCatharsisJ. Greyson: Catharsis - sometimes moody and electronic, often epic, and then one time there was whistling. Disjointed? Yes. Good? 6.66.6
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UmbertoWelcome to the ChillzoneUmberto: Welcome to the Chillzone - Phantom-of-the-opera-wave? dark-shadowsgaze? Vincent-Price-house? 6.66.6
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Kachina Doll: I Told You I Was Sick (ep) - this is the worst recording I've ever heard posted of a great set of music 6.56.5
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The Tambourine Club: Lo-Fi Feeling - mix organ w/ less treble, different vox effects. Monotonous, over lo-fied 90s foot shuffling lyrics 6.4Lo-Fi FeelingThe Tambourine Club: Lo-Fi Feeling - mix organ w/ less treble, different vox effects. Monotonous, over lo-fied 90s foot shuffling lyrics 6.46.4
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Reywas Queue (EP)Reywas: Queue (EP) - I listen to Meshuggah as well. Wondering what a full lp would do 6.46.4
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Harsh RealityMMXIHarsh Reality: MMXI - funny to call a late 90s hardcore lp "2011", unless you're pointing out that nothing's changed.. shit #mindblown 6.46.4
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Generals: Rising Sun (single) - of the 3 tracks, the worst is the title track. band-of-horses mope rock, but it has some feeling 6.46.4
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MEAT MIST/WHITE SLAVE: (7" Split) - 3 noise tracks, one shot to the nuts 6.46.4
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Mute the IdolGo Mute YourselfMute the Idol: Go Mute Yourself - Starts by accidentally remaking "Possum Kingdom" then sounds like Every Time I Die. Forgiven, guys 6.36.3
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Mr. Official Official 101Mr. Official: Official 101, The Album - standard 00s era beats, but at one point I thought he said "poop and materialize," so bonus pts. 6.36.3
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Scott Allan Knost The Bird, The Sword, & The Spark #Kanrocksas band | Scott Allan Knost: The Bird, The Sword, & The Spark - like a more depressed Sondre Lerche. So a more Midwest Sondre 6.36.3
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LIVING GHOSTLavinia's HandsLIVING GHOST: Lavinia's Hands - glitchy, blown out fuzz over fuzz over fuzz, some shakespeare quotes, monotony. 6.36.3
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Wrath and RuinMouth of OblivionWrath and Ruin: Mouth of Oblivion - Like trying recreate Gojira's "From Mars to Sirius" after SunnO))) and Mastodon got big 6.36.3
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kai chi: sea.swag.power.palm - more La Bouche than m83. I think that might be a good thing. 6.36.3
68
Wumbo/QuanxiThe SplitWumbo/Quanxi: The Split - similar to the sdtk songs The Pillows did for FLCL, needs a little more life 6.26.2
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The Dead GirlsOut of Earshot#Kanrocksas Review | The Dead Girls: Out of Earshot - like early TheSnakeTheCrossTheCrown and The Forecast, guessing vox are better live 6.26.2
70
Vitae & the Pale Horse4 Track Recordings vol. 3Vitae & the Pale Horse: 4-Track Recordings vol. 3 - If Black Keys listened to Van Morrison & Genesis & not Howlin' Wolf, which isn't bad 6.26.2
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Spacesuit EP1Spacesuit: EP1 - Christian band doing 30STM moves w/ typical switchfoot-production vox. Not quite my bag, put together well enough 6.16.1
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My Brother, The VultureNow's Your Chance My Brother, The Vulture: Now's Your Chance - at their best, they sound like Refused; their worst, The Used. Good drum mix, though 6.16.1
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Information Science Pro-Ambeing is ok epInformation Science Pro-Am: being is ok ep - The name sounds like two library school students. The music sounds like your nap cycle. 6.16.1
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EkahwerdnaExtended ServiceEkahwerdna: Extended Service - weird hip-hop/electronica beats that work... but not for as long as they're played 6.16.1
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AmbulantsThe Boy, The King, The Dawn, & Others Ambulants: The Boy, The King, The Dawn, & Others -They do old Porcupine Tree's drugs. Vox like Vin Diesel singing, slow but interesting 6.16.1
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The Beautiful Bodies(MySpace singles only, no LP)#Kanrocksas band | The Beautiful Bodies: (MySpace singles only, no LP) - like Paramore, but kinda better 6.16.1
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American Dream RealitiesMemories Are BeingsAmerican Dream Realities: Memories Are Beings - ambient sounds kept me listening, occasionally interesting, and 1 great voice sample 6.16.1
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Man BearTalking Drunk at 2amMan Bear: Talking Drunk at 2am - with a new singer, I'd listen to this pop rock more. 6.16.1
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Vatican City Runaways Arkansas City RunawaysVatican City Runaways: Arkansas City Runaways - Something chaotic never made it from, say, mathy grindcore to house music. This is closest 66
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OK Jones Stealing Dan OK Jones: Stealing Dan - They're not lying, they may owe Steely Dan a royalty check. 70s rock, 80s pop... Steely Dan-ish. 66
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Dumpster BlackHeadcuttersDumpster Black: Headcutters - you can't just smash and scream in punk like you could in 1990. I don't know how OFF! got permission to. 66
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Signum, AD [assorted songs]#Kanrocksas band | Signum, AD: [assorted songs] - We're not ready for a Sevendust or Days of the New Renaissance, but these guys are 66
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Maps for Travelers[singles only]#Kanrocksas band | Maps for Travelers: [singles only] - a 2003 Victory/Vagrant bidding war wou'dve happened; very TBS & Saves the Day 66
84
Amanda Hughey: Duck Tales - Brandi Carlile in an Ani DiFranco setup, in need of mic help, & she yells a bit much. better than Jenny Lewis 66
85
William SaundersTales from the Weathered PlainsWilliam Saunders: Tales from the Weathered Plains - If Toad the Wet Sprocket became arena adult-contemporary gods. Luckily the burnt out 5.95.9
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Pixel Panda Tasteless KissesPixel Panda: Tasteless Kisses - where Fear Before could've went but didn't, likely for the better. That said, this could grow on me. 5.95.9
87
Micah Buzan Word Salad Micah Buzan: Word Salad - pushing the boundaries between experimental, alt, electronic, and boring. The second half is better, though 5.95.9
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Dutch Young Alternate EndingDutch Young: Alternate Ending - Modern hip-hop prolly could've been 2 lps, a lot of College Dropout. Loves n-word, hates his boss 5.95.9
89
Drakkar Sauna20009#Kanrocksas band | Drakkar Sauna: 20009 - If you'd never heard TMBG, but knew they existed, you'd assume DS were a tribute band 5.95.9
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Parallel Keys: Peel Back the Sky - stoner glitch, cheap effects mixed above average. I dunno on this, gets a little boring 5.95.9
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CLLs Mr. AAAD CLLs: Mr. AAAD - voice like Weezy, beats like Waka Flocka Flame, loves KC, something just falls a little short. Production? Can't tell. 5.85.8
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Kicked In: Demo 2011 - You guys should listen to Vitamin X, and don't stop making music; kc needs more/better hardcore 5.85.8
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Drew MantiaThank you for listeningDrew Mantia: Thank you for listening - sounds like Maroon 5 record an Incubus lp (after SCIENCE though) so if you're into that... 5.75.7
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Think Like Computers We Could be Kings Think Like Computers: We Could be Kings - between small-scale 30STM and a praise band. 5.65.6
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Vitae & the Pale HorseThe Radio Cult 12" Vitae & the Pale Horse: The Radio Cult 12" - Three standard blues-tinged rock songs that meander 5.55.5
96
The Silas Dogan BandWhite-Lines The Silas Dogan Band: White-Lines - Grand Ol Opry-sized country jam aspirations cursing the urbanization of JoCo. And they party 5.55.5
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Pas NeosThe Wheat & the TaresPas Neos: The Wheat & the Tares - duo from the OTHER controversial KC church (ihop) mix Owl City/pop/jesus, no one speaks in tongues 5.55.5
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Radiation Ranch Frontage RoadRadiation Ranch: Frontage Road - "frontage road" is a perfect name for country lps but there are some timing issues w/ lead & bad vox fx 5.45.4
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Cowboy Indian Bear Each Other All the Time#Kanrocksas band | Cowboy Indian Bear: Each Other All the Time - (grizzly) Cowboy (grizzly) Indian [Grizzly Bear] 5.45.4
100
Fine HoodsNew SensationsFine hoods; New Sensations - Interpol & the National make a lo-fi baby, let sad Ian Curtis raise it. That baby ends up too mopey to sing 5.45.4