review

REVIEW: Real Friends play to their strengths on ‘The Home Inside My Head’

Artist: Real Friends Album: The Home Inside My Head Label: Fearless Records Genre: Starting Line-influenced pop-punk, the last pop-punk band that’s not ashamed of their genre Due to either the Pop Punk Defense Force dying with Man Overboard this Spring, blatant over-saturation of the market in 2013, or all of the good bands rebranding as “emo” […]

REVIEW: The Hotelier find peace from agony with ‘Goodness’

Artist: The Hotelier Album: Goodness Label: Tiny Engines Genre: Taoist Indie Rock, Emo, Pop-Punk Like many fans of The Hotelier, I remember exactly where I was the first time I heard their breakout sophomore record, Home, Like Noplace Is There. Alone in my freshman year dorm room on a Sunday night in February, I listened to […]

REVIEW: Thrice return with powerhouse new record, ‘To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere’

Artist: Thrice Album: To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere Genre: Rock It’s been a while since we’ve heard any new music from Thrice, but they’ve welcomed us back with complete and utter ease in “Hurricane,” the first track off of the band’s ninth LP, To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere. With buzzed guitars […]

LIVE REVIEW: Middle Of The Map Fest (05/04/16-05/07/16)

Almost annually, Under The Gun has had the opportunity to cover the yearly club festival in Kansas City called Middle Of The Map Fest. This festival has grown substantially over its five years of existence and brought names like Fun., Grizzly Bear, Of Montreal, and Two Door Cinema Club, as well as showcased some great […]

REVIEW: DONOTS stay consistent with ‘CARAJO!’

Artist: DONOTS Album: CARAJO! Genre: Punk, Pop-Punk Label: OK! Good Records With ten albums under their belt throughout the last two decades, it’s pretty safe to say that DONOTS is one of Germany’s premier punk acts. They have served as support for several bands in the punk sub-genres, including Green Day, Midtown, and Rancid. They […]

REVIEW: Nothing undress what it means to be “shoegaze” on new LP, ‘Tired Of Tomorrow’

Artist: Nothing Album: Tired Of Tomorrow Genre: Alternative, Rock Though it’s only been two years in between albums for Philly-based alt-rockers Nothing, it feels as if the band has aged much more than that. Striking headlines over the past few months, the band’s tired motifs have not only personified their music, but almost every outlook […]

REVIEW: Modern Baseball mature gracefully with sincerity intact on ‘Holy Ghost’

Artist: Modern Baseball Album: Holy Ghost Label: Run For Cover Records Genre: Indie-rock, emo, pop-punk, grunge, whatever we’re calling The Killers these days Sincerity is arguably the most important aspect of the songwriting process. There’s a good reason why the general populous tires of bands who spend years writing the same record over and over again. […]

REVIEW: After months of anticipation, Drake’s ‘Views’ lands with a thud

Artist: Drake Album: Views Genre: Hip-Hop Label: OVO Sound, Young Money Entertainment It feels like Views (formerly Views From The 6) has been a shadow hanging over Drake since he announced it to Billboard all the way back in 2014. Last February he dropped If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late and we thought it […]

REVIEW: Henrietta offer quality indie rock on ‘Paper Wings’

Artist: Henrietta Album: Paper Wings Genre: Indie Rock Label: Animal Style I was a big fan of Henrietta‘s debut, The Trick Is Not Minding. Playing nothing like a debut, the band create incredibly emotional business, drowned in massive guitars and gritty vocals that are sure to bring up discourse on Pedro The Lion. On their […]

REVIEW: Pity Sex keep it simple on ‘White Hot Moon’

Artist: Pity Sex Album: White Hot Moon Genre: Alternative Rock, Indie Label: Run For Cover Records There’s typically this underlying expectation with every musical act that a second album has to be bigger and different than its predecessor. Sometimes, though, bands refrain from taking huge risks and instead opt for the safe route, still managing […]

MOVIE REVIEW: ‘High-Rise’ is a deeply disturbing, affecting look at human survival

Film: High-Rise Directed by: Ben Wheatley Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller When you stop and think about it, the human race’s survival to this point is amazing. Think of all that we’ve had to endure over thousands and thousands of years: shifting climates and environments, multitudes of vicious predators and wildlife, disease and […]

REVIEW: Western Settings elevate their game with ‘Old Pain’ EP

Artist: Western Settings Album: Old Pain Genre: Punk, Rock Label: La Escalera Records, Creator-Destructor Records Fresh off the release of last year’s debut full-length, Yes It Is, San Diego’s Western Settings have released a six-track EP, called Old Pain, ahead of their upcoming U.S. tour in May. Much like the debut, Old Pain is full […]