Poetry and Profanity: A Shearwater and Reg Bloor Split Review

Shearwater: Jet Plane and Oxbow Shearwater has produced one of my top ten favorite records of the past twenty years.  Rook was an absolute masterpiece. A short but undeniably powerful piece of indie rock that in my mind, lived on the cold rocky shoreline of Eastern Maine and sung pop anthems to the more melancholic… Continue reading Poetry and Profanity: A Shearwater and Reg Bloor Split Review

Track Premier: “Pyramid Scheme/Friday the 13th (Pt. 2)” by Intercourse

One of our favorite local noisemakers, Intercourse, have become an interstate band as guitarist Kev King has moved to California.  But luckily for their Connecticut fans, they are still releasing recordings.  One of the great things about this band is that you can understand every single fucked up thing that vocalist Ricky Ahmed says, leaving… Continue reading Track Premier: “Pyramid Scheme/Friday the 13th (Pt. 2)” by Intercourse

Doom, Noise, and Death Metal: Tom’s Top Twenty-Five Albums of 2015

Every year, I always hear the complaints from various people that there isn’t any good new music being made. Well, here are 25 albums that totally floated my boat in the past year. And I could have put another 10 on here. KEN Mode – Success (Season Of Mist) Fight Amp – Constantly Off (Brutal… Continue reading Doom, Noise, and Death Metal: Tom’s Top Twenty-Five Albums of 2015

Show Preview: Grizzlor-Claus is Coming to Town — 12/5 at Three Sheets, New Haven

Grizzlor (Record Release)/BBIGPIGG/Intercourse Saturday, December 5 Three Sheets 372 Elm Street, New Haven, CT, 06511 9pm – 21+ – FREE We’re all getting an early Christmas gift in the form of this show, which features two awesome homegrown noise rock bands, and another awesome one from New York City. Alternative Control favorites Grizzlor, who were… Continue reading Show Preview: Grizzlor-Claus is Coming to Town — 12/5 at Three Sheets, New Haven

Nothing Going On This Weekend? May As Well Have Intercourse!

Our favorite purveyors of weird, noisy hardcore, Intercourse, are going on a brief three-day tour with Boston sludge merchants Upheaval at the end of this week. The run of dates will see the band play in Montclair, New Jersey at The Meatlocker on Friday, May 1, with Pharaoh, Ground, Dutch Guts and Inertia.  The Connecticut… Continue reading Nothing Going On This Weekend? May As Well Have Intercourse!

No Need to Worry: A Review of Grizzlor and Barren Womb’s Split EP (Riotous Outburst Records)

We might as well toot our own horns over here at Alternative Control because we were one of the first blogs in the United States to give Norwegian noise punk duo Barren Womb press for their excellent debut album, The Sun’s Not Yellow, It’s Chicken (Spartan Records, 2014). They returned the favor by appearing on… Continue reading No Need to Worry: A Review of Grizzlor and Barren Womb’s Split EP (Riotous Outburst Records)

Bardus: Something Heavy in the Water

Hailing from Philadelphia, Bardus, which features guitarist/vocalist Justin Tuck, drummer Kyle Pierce and bassist Ari Rosenberg, play hard hitting noise rock that is informed by their environment. They live in a tough, loud city and their music is a reflection of that reality, which can be heard on their debut full length, Solus, self-released by… Continue reading Bardus: Something Heavy in the Water