Well, it had to happen eventually. Underneath The Owl, the fourth album from Denton, TX quintet The Riverboat Gamblers, is not a perfect album. 2006's To The Confusion Of Our Enemies was gonna be a tough act to beat, since it distilled the band's earlier punk furies and condensed that chaos into molten drops of surprisingly sing-alongable manic rock. Underneath The Owl finds the band refining that process successfully, but the pop interjections are no longer surprising and unexpected. more ›

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Buddyhead is primarily known for their gossip, penchant for releasing the cell phone numbers of Top 40 alt-rockers and mall-punks, and general railing against all bands that they think generally suck. This includes just about everyone. In the midst of all this, Buddyhead still manages to run a label and sign the occasional band that escapes their hate and ire. As one would expect, it’s a pretty small roster. more ›

We enjoy hot and sweaty rock and/or roll which is why we readily admit we’re rabid fans of The Riverboat Gamblers. Watching their live show is akin to playing a frenzied game of Addams Family pinball on speed. Singer Mike Wiebe takes his cues from James Newell Osterberg, Jr., copping all of his best moves sans cliché or ironic intent, and sets the blender to crush/kill/destroy. The band's first album was a cauldron of hotblast... more ›