Sound Scene Express

Browsing the "Album Review" Tag

The Best Pittsburgh Music of the Decade: Electronic/Pop, Part 1

After reviewing Country/Folk/Americana for the first installments, we’re moving on to Electronic/Pop. This is a big umbrella, potentially covering anything from the bubblegum to the experimental. The influences these artists draw from vary widely, but they all have something in [...]

July 16, 2021 Album Reviews, Local Artists, Local Releases

The Best Pittsburgh Music of the Decade: Country/Folk/Americana, Part 3

Photo and text by Melanie Stangl Today, July 17, 2020, I turn 28. In normal times, I’d be celebrating by heading out to the first night of the Deutschtown Music Festival, one of my favorite events of the summer, with [...]

July 17, 2020 Album Reviews, Feature, Local Artists, Local Releases

The Best Pittsburgh Music of the Decade: Country/Folk/Americana, Part 2

Photo and text by Melanie Stangl In December, I introduced this decade retrospective series of Pittsburgh music, and started the list with four standout country/folk/Americana releases of the 2010’s. Once again, my day job got in the way of a [...]

February 10, 2020 Album Reviews, Local Artists, Local Releases

The Best Pittsburgh Music of the Decade: An Introduction

Photo and text by Melanie Stangl Every new year calls for reflection, but entering a new decade is more significant. Ten years tend to have personalities, distinct character traits that can be tough to distinguish in any one year alone. [...]

December 20, 2019 Album Reviews, Local Artists, Local Releases

Indie Hip-Hop Duo BBGuns Encourages You to “Help Yourself” with Phenomenal Second Album

By Melanie StanglPhoto by Gage Vota Album art by John Muldoon and Annika Ignozzi It’s no secret that local hip-hop artists have generated the most widespread buzz about Pittsburgh’s music scene. From powerhouses like Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller, and Jimmy [...]

June 27, 2019 Album Reviews, Concert Calendar, Feature, Interviews, Local Artists, Local Releases, Upcoming Shows

With Debut Album “Vodkawine,” Sad Girls Aquatics Club are the Hazy Indie Pop Queens of Your Dreams

Photo by Katie Krulock Album artwork by Xiola Jensen There were a lot of incredible Pittsburgh releases in 2018. (Some of which we’ve covered, others we haven’t had the chance to.) A little over a month ago, a new hometown [...]

December 30, 2018 Album Reviews, Local Artists, Local Releases

Danny Rectenwald to Celebrate Gorgeous New Classical Guitar Album, “Samadhi,” at Release Show on 12/14

Photo and video by Adam Thomas If the name Danny Rectenwald seems familiar to you, you probably recognize him as one of Pittsburgh’s most raucous Celtic punks, the Bastard Bearded Irishmen. He’s the one playing the mandolin, singing, and engaging [...]

December 12, 2018 Album Reviews, Concert Calendar, Local Artists, Local Releases, Upcoming Shows

Paddy the Wanderer Reach New Creative Heights on Latest Album, “Waiting for the Miracle”

Photo and album art by Brett Wagner In case you hadn’t heard, local garage rock band Paddy the Wanderer released their newest album, the eight-track-long Waiting for the Miracle, in October. A follow-up to last year’s Facts for Whatever and [...]

December 5, 2018 Album Reviews, Concert Calendar, Feature, Local Artists, Local Releases, Upcoming Shows

Dan Getkin and the Twelve Six Will Have You “Feeling Good About the End Times” on New Album

Band photo By Sara Lacroix If (like me) you’re not particularly sports-inclined, the name of Dan Getkin’s rock/alt-country five-piece band might throw you for a loop. In baseball, a “twelve-six” refers to an effective curveball pitch. It’s tricky; a throw [...]

October 4, 2018 Album Reviews, Concert Calendar, Feature, Local Artists, Local Releases, Upcoming Shows

Local Garage/Surf Rockers Bikini Islands Release New EP, “New Haunts”

Photography by Kevin Gubish (EDIT: The band has informed us that we received the tracks out of order. The correct order is: 1. Get High, 2. West Coast, 3. Sunshine Drifters, 4. Out of the Brain, 5. Undercover. This makes [...]

September 13, 2018 Album Reviews, Concert Calendar, Local Artists, Local Releases, Upcoming Shows