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Dream Into It finds Billy Idol in a reflective mood. That may be surprising since so many of his early hits looked outward and reveled in the early ‘80s rock lifestyle. But, now some 45 years on, Idol looks back at the trip. Indeed, the album itself is a concept album that follows Idol from before his stint in Chelsea, to his chart topping early 80s bashers, through drug addiction, into recovery, before winding up in a victorious “Still dancing.” What definitely is surprising is how somber the album is. Ever since Chelsea, and especially in Generation X and during the Rebel yell era, Idol was the epitome of ROCK. He looked cool, he sounded cool, and his songs were catchy as hell....

Canadian quartet Propagandhi deliver growth and disembodied acceptance with At Peace. The LP sconces open to the juxtaposition of tubular bells and heavy guitar chugs with "Guiding Lights," before smashing open the mid-tempo banger with lead vocals from bassist Todd Kowalski, who really showed up for this release, the self-titled single eases on next with guitarist Chris Hannah on the mic, almost completing Kowalski's thoughts from the former. "Cat Guy" starts with a total showcase of the fundamentally impressive sonic quality captured within the (two) recording session(s,) beginning with Jord Samolesky's magnificently tuned Ayotte kit, a hard-pan of guitar lick builds from Hannah and gui...

lAre We All Angels is Scowl as No Doubt, which I mean as the highest form of compliment. No Doubt at its absolute height (Beacon Street through Rocksteady) was particularly interesting because it found Gwen really laying her soul bare against some of the poppiest and well-crafted songs of the era. But whereas no Doubt took pop song structure and pushed it into a ska and even punk territory, Angles finds a hardcore band pushing towards pop territory.Even though the music here has a modern pop sheen, there are rumbling riffs stacked in the back. Feedback ripples throughout the release as broad, sweeping chords rush under the ocean floor. And maybe that’s why some people are having trouble wi...

MMSV is Bike Baggetta, Stephen Hodges, and Mike Watt. Their fourth release, On and On finds the band focusing on their core concept- hazy indie rock with some jazz/improv-ish stylings thrown in. The release does find the band flipping switches. “On and on” is sort of an 80s college rock relaxed groover. The band takes broad, phased out guitars and places them over a melodic refrain. But, then, there’s the hook. You might think the release will be sort of a wink towards the era when punk went a little more musically informed and a little bit more palpable, they snap back with “Super Dumb.” The track starts with a vicious attack of a guitar solo that sits somewhere between Eddie ...

Thunderball is the third Melvins 1983 album and it’s the most daring one. Originally created as an incarnation of the Melvins where original, original, original members Buzz Osborne and drummer Mike Dillard link back up to make music, the band’s two previous LPs found the crew kicking out punky numbers with some dumb-but-actually-smart humor: “Tie my pecker to a tree,” Beach Boys’ “I Get Around” warped into “I Fuck Around.” But, Thunderball is different. For starters, the lineup on this one is Buzz and Mike, plus electronic artists Void Manes and Nim Maitres (who Buzz says he’s never actually met in person). Second, it’s heavier, darker, and further out. Sure, it sta...