Blog Title: RegnYouth Archives

Catfish Haven - Devastator

Somehow bands have managed to turn rock ‘n’ roll into a religious experience, pushing the energy of revivals and gospel choruses into the mould of the careless rebel with total disregard for the rules. Whereas in the beginning it was all devil’s music, people are now finding redemption in the emotional release. Then again, nobody read more..

The Sea and Cake - Car Alarm

One of the pitfalls of crafting a sound that is so wonderfully distinct is that, unless you make a conscious effort to continually build upon that sound and strive for something even more inventive, you drift into the dark territory of self-parody. With their eighth full-length album, Car Alarm, The Sea and Cake must have read more..

Love - Forever Changes

Everyone knows that Forever Changes is often labeled as a “psychedelic masterpiece” on the level of Blonde on Blonde and Astral Weeks — an album that draws critical superlatives like “indescribably essential” from critics and gets tip top ranking of most hip top-100-albums-of-all-time lists. So how come nobody but the English (where it reached #25 read more..

Castanets - City of Refuge

Scrolling slowly across the radio dial 50 years ago in the desert southwest must have sounded something like the latest album from Castanets, complete with bursts of static and white noise. City of Refuge is an eerie, archaic record, and even the CD version sounds as though there’s years of thick dust packed into the read more..

The Smiths - The Sound Of The Smiths

A myriad of best-of compilations for an even larger myriad of long-dead bands is not exactly a new strain of marketing in the rock world. As such, the arrival of The Sound of the Smiths — the fourth posthumous release from a band with only four studio albums under its prestigious name — comes as read more..

November’s Sixty-Six Singles

Our third installment of monthly singles is for the month of November and serves an eclectic mix of tracks taken from October releases, upcoming winter albums, and recent promotional singles. Several choices have already been highlighted here, either as featured reviews or select singles, but the great majority are brand new tracks for your sampling read more..

The Long Blondes - Singles

Oh, the horrible irony of that title now that we’ve learned that, so soon after their wonderfully experimental Couples, The Long Blondes are to split. Following guitarist Dorian Cox’s stroke earlier this year, they’ve decided that to try and continue with a stand-in during his extended convalescence “wouldn’t be the same”. That cruel circumstance has read more..

The Dears - Missles

Even before you listen, Missiles seems like one of those albums that could signal a band’s finale. Most of the Montreal-based Dears departed during the recording, and when you finally get to the sprawling soundscapes that dominate the disc (most tracks clock in at more than 5 minutes), you get a clear sense of its read more..

Razorlight - Slipway Fires

Quite why Razorlight are so mercilessly ridiculed by all and sundry is a bit of a mystery. Sure, they’ve made some big-headed statements and seemed too big for their two-album-old boots, but have they sinned any more than a myriad of other artists, acts who, in fairness to Johnny and the lads, haven’t had anywhere read more..

Crystal Stilts - Alight of Night

After four years of singles and EPs, Brooklyn’s Crystal Stilts have finally braved the waters of a full-length and like all good things, it’s well been worth the wait. A minute on Google will provide you with all the comparisons and supposed influences your heart desires (Joy Division and the Jesus and Mary Chain being read more..