Music Reviews

Serpentina

Planeando en tu azotea

Serpentina’s second album, Planeando en tu azotea (Elefant), is a beautiful, focused and tautly written collection of 60’s-syle Euro-pop filled with elegant but expressive ruminations about living on after a breakup (for both the winner and loser) that admirably fulfills the promise latent in its...

The Magnetic Fields

Distortion

Stephen Merritt’s Magnetic Fields adds another to the string “kind of a concept album” concept albums. It started in ’99 with the classic 69 Love Songs which, over three discs, was exactly that. Then there was I which was an all-acoustic album of alphabetically ordered songs beginning with the...

The Raveonettes

Lust Lust Lust

The short version of this review is to say that The Raveonettes’ new album, Lust Lust Lust, is a very listenable piece of Psychocandy-era Jesus & Mary Chain pastiche whose first half, in particular, is very well written. It certainly finds the group successfully returning to the hand of narrow...

Daft Punk

Alive 2007

Earlier last month a compilation, Discovered: As Sampled By Daft Punk, compiled the samples constituting Daft Punk’s three albums. They are a hodgepodge of songs with no apparent link between them and no special qualities in and of themselves. Yet, these songs enhance my respect for DP’s first...

Yeasayer

All Hour Cymbals

If you made a Venn diagram of the debut album from Brooklyn’s Yeasayer it would be tucked between gospel, freak folk, Grizzly Bear and TV On The Radio. And like GB and TVOTR, Yeasayer’s debut album, All Hour Cymbals, is rich in reverb, sighing harmonies and Middle Eastern and African influences....

Sigur Ros

Hvarf-Heim

When I purchased the new Sigur Rós album, Hvarf-Heim, I made the passenger of my car swear to restrain me from listening to the album on my abysmal car speakers, and instead wait until I got home so as to do justice to what would undoubtedly become my new favorite album. Indeed, the moment I had...

Gogol Bordello

Super Taranta!

The latest release from gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello begins with the distinctive vocal stylings of lead singer Eugene Hutz, his guttural Ukrainian-accented roar wondering “why the hell we are even here.” He kicks off “Ultimate,” the first track, into a gypsy punk classic, accordion and violin...

Andrew Hill

Time Lines

Virtually unknown outside of the jazz covenant, Andrew Hill was an exceptionally talented composer. Beginning his recording career in the early 1960’s (what many consider the heyday of jazz), Hill contributed his fascinating work to the powerhouse Blue Note label from 1963-1969. Landmark albums...

The Avett Brothers

Introducing Emotionalism

If you’ve never heard of the Avett Brothers, your emotional life is incomplete. Hailing from Greenville, North Carolina, their geographic location seeps into their music, but in the most elegant way possible. One could call them folk, but that would ignoring their amazingly crisp, energetic and...

31 Knots

The Days and Nights of Everything Everywhere

I first saw 31 Knots when they opened up for Matt & Kim at the Vera Project last spring. It was an odd pairing. Compared with the happy and innocent beats of Kim’s drums and Matt’s whiny singing, 31 Knots was dark, brooding, vengeful, and they blew my mind. They had the same amount of quirky...

Anaal Nathrakh

Hell Is Empty, And All The Devils Are Here

Anaal Nathrakh is a veteran British black metal outfit that I was initially inspired to listen to through their close relationship with Napalm Death. From day one, I have been floored by this bands ability to simultaneously fill me with power and scare the hell out of me, though I had yet to hear...

Schoolyard Heroes

Abominations

I came into this review thinking that I would be writing a negative one. I received the singles 'Dude, Where's My Skin?' and 'Plastic Surgery Hall of Fame' a few weeks ago and had mixed feelings - thinking the latter a much better song than the former. When I got a hold of the entire album, the...

Gaudi & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Dub Qawwali

Audiophiles cringe when they hear the word fusion...and for good reason. Most artists who stage an attempt at it end up creating sonic marriages made in hell. Gaudi, on the other hand manages to pull off his genre-bending experiment. In July he released Dub Qawwali on six degress, a record...

Tarrus Riley

Parables

The past decade has ushered in a new age in reggae music. The youths who chant today are more militant than ever. They burn more and they criticize more. Essentially, their militancy rescued reggae from the doldrums of the 90s. While you may like this contemporary roots revival, like me, you may...

Coheed and Cambria

No World For Tomorrow

With a nullifying chant, Coheed and Cambria’s 2005 release From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness set out to continue the tradition that their saga filled albums have sustained. In all its guts and glory, it fell short of captivating a wider audience that the 2003 single “A Favor House Atlantic”...

Kanye West

Graduation

What’s left to do when your debut album was a breakthrough classic and your sophomore album avoids the slump to receive even more praise? Well, you graduate to the next level of course. But it wasn’t as easy as passing classes and grabbing the diploma for Kanye West. He seemed to want more on...

Radiohead

In Rainbows

It’s easy to follow in the footsteps of influential trends and artists. You hear something on the radio or at a show, and you proceed to imitate it. Who knows, maybe if the sound is just right, you get a chance at 15 seconds of fame. Rinse, lather, repeat. And then there’s Radiohead. To say...

Kenna

Make Sure They See My Face

Record label politics have been an astounding obstacle to which a weary amount of artists have had to hurdle. In Kennas’ case; been there done that, twice and counting. It started with his debut album New Sacred Cow (which came out about a year after it was mastered and ready for music store...

9th Wonder

The Dream Merchant Vol. 2

Historically in Hip-Hop, producers have taken a back seat to the emcees and rappers they collaborate with. You may turn on the radio and recognize the likes of T.I. or Jay-Z, but chances are you would draw a blank if you were asked to guess the beat-maker. Its ok, they aren’t mad at you....

The Horrors

Strange House

Bully for the five big-haired boys from Britain for their unmitigated sense of black humor while bellowing dreadful good garage rock in their pointy-toed boots. Beware! Carnival organs reminiscent of Something Wicked this Way Comes, rapid-fire commentary, and death march drums abound. For a...

Bears

Shortest Day of the Year

Founding Bears, Craig Ramsey and Charlie McArthur recorded this EP at Ramsey’s house and eventually at a studio in Cleveland. Their gloriously homemade package of piano/guitar social contemplation doesn’t for once make Ramsey and McArthur sound like indie rock hand-me-downs. I know this is simply...

Ola Podrida

Ola Podrida

So maybe I took a few too many vicodin tablets when I reviewed this album, but good God, it’s hard not to love David Wingo's sleepy guitars and soliloquies of solitude sans the medication; I was frolicking through imaginary sunflower fields before the end of the second song. Sure, I could go into...

YACHT

I Believe In You. Your Magic Is Real.

Optimistic enthusiasm has never reigned so freely in my ears, and it is a good thing. This mood that is achieved through listening to I Believe In You. Your Magic Is Real. has been conjured, as if from the wizard’s sleeve, by the genius kid who brought us the sugar-giddy sex-tensioned pop of...

PWRFL POWER

Injured Fruits

I have a problem; you see, there is this album called Injured Fruits by an artist called PWRFL POWER and, well, I cannot stop listening to it. It is beginning to hinder important aspects of my life like listening to as many different records as humanly possible. I can’t achieve that objective...

B.R.M.C.

Baby 81

Let's take a quick rundown of their discography: their self-titled record was released in 2000, promising fans much from the group with their Jesus and Mary Chain sound and sinister lyrical tone. They also took time to release a 5 track EP with more of their amazing droning guitar tones. In 2003,...

BiG A little a

gAame

Brooklyn’s BiG A little a like drums, lots and lots of drums. There are seven members and at any given time, from what I can ascertain, no less than four and up to six of them are banging on something. gAame CD/DVD (on Gigantic Music) is their newest release and what looks to be their most...

LCD Soundsystem

Sound of Silver

Assuming you like Willy Wonka (and only the people who won’t let their kids celebrate Halloween don’t) you’re going to dig Sound of Silver, the latest creation of James Murphy. Here’s why. Like Wonka, he’s really the only man who could pull all this shit off while 1, becoming financially...

Joanna Newsom

Joanna Newsom & The Ys Street Band EP

First of all I must confess that I am coming from a certain predisposition regarding Joanna Newsom. Though she will probably not be the most influential or innovative artist of my/our generation, I believe wholeheartedly that Joanna Newsom will prove to be the greatest. She writes music with such...

Dinosaur Jr.

Beyond

As the indie rock canon’s influence on mainstream groups has grown and, simultaneously, as the members of seminal bands have reached a later middle-age in which they can no longer hope to repackage themselves, reunion tours by top underground acts have inevitably flourished. In general, this has...

Earth

Hibernaculum

In case you don’t know, Earth formed in Seattle a good 17 years ago. They put out a handful of records on Sub-Pop from ’91 to ’97. Among those albums was Earth 2, a record which pretty much invented the drone doom genre and subsequently inspired many artists, most notably Sunn o))) (which was...

The Locust

New Erections

Experimental/Noisecore legends The Locust live up to their abrasive nature with their 2007 full length album "New Erections". While continuing to embody their signature sound, "New Erections" offers a few key innovations from their previous albums. Primarily, the continuation of a strong 'low...

Jonathan Byerley

Hymns and Fragments

Jonathan Byerley is an up and coming folk/country artist from Denver, Colorado, and his latest release “Hymns and Fragments” has staked a claim in the heart of this metal head. Byerley offers a smoky, reflective, and powerfully effortless vocal over a swinging and swaying musical backdrop –...

Cornelius

Sensuous

After listening to this record it hit me like ten bricks in the face, although one’s enough, I knew that it was created with the express purpose of being shagged to—if you’re into that sort of thing (NO, not the shagging sort of thing, the music while shagging sort of thing)—which is why it’s...

The Fratellis

Costello Music

Beer connoisseurs of the world, celebrate! The Fratellis are here. Roll out the kegs and haul in the hard liquor because these impetuous Scots are out to party and maybe knock out a few teeth...for kicks. “Flathead,” the Fratellis’ breakout song in the U.S., is by now synonymous with a...

D

Abandoned Language

Dälek have always been an anomaly. Their brand of noisy, atmospherically dense and oftentimes politically charged hip-hop stands apart from other purveyors of experimental hip-hop such as Ghostigital’s gritty, free jazz influenced absurdity or Food for Animals’ spasmodic, clattering arrhythmia....

Modest Mouse

We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

You remember that time they crucified Christ? What this record has done to Isaac Brock isn’t quite that bad (it sort of is) but it’s still pretty unfortunate. If Jesus had played along with the Romans and pretended to be a king when they put the crown of thorns on his head this is the record he...

CocoRosie

The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn

The Adventures of Ghost Horse and Stillborn is a slightly different take on CocoRosie’s signature eerie, childish and beautiful sound. The sisters’ third album is exactly what us lovers hoped for: Sierra (Coco) and Bianca (Rosie) Casady showing their true colors, this time with even stronger...

Albert Hammond Jr.

Yours to Keep

Lead and rhythm guitarist for New York’s The Strokes, Albert Hammond Jr is a child at heart, and that’s a good thing. His album is fun, sheer merry-go-round magic and perfect for the open road. Whether you’re rolling under the sun wearing oversized sunglasses in your sleek, convertible cherry-red...

Amy Winehouse

Back to Black

Tragedian. A title befitting for the rebellious, unrepentant Amy Winehouse, also known for getting kicked out of school at the age of 13 and sporting pin-up girl tattoos. Back to Black was written almost entirely by the sassy Brit and it’s clearly evident in her sophomore release. Amy has...

Panda Bear

Person Pitch

My first experience with Panda Bear was through his main project, the much-hyped Animal Collective. “Slippi” was the track, Here Comes the Indian was the album (which happened to be the first release on the Paw Tracks label) and it warped my fragile fifteen year old mind. “What are these sounds?”...

Omni

Batterie

For all the naysayers and haters blowing up the discussion boards now is the time to quit whining about the sorry state of hip hop. Omni’s latest has more than enough gems to put your haughty opinions to shame. Politically sensitive poetry and clever observations of life prevail on this...

Joakim

Monsters & Silly Songs

Attention: Mr. Joakim Bouaziz, Please make an appointment with Michel Gondry, famed music video director and filmmaker best known for his work on Dave Chapelle’s Block Party, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep. Mr. Bouaziz, Gondry will work visual wonders for your...

Klaxons

Myths of the Near Future

If the name (Klaxon means to shriek in Greek) doesn’t evoke the image of a raging hip-shaking banshee, be assured this fearsome threesome from the UK are redefining the club scene with their razor-blade brand of ethereal dance rock in Myths of the Near Future. Myths of the New Future, the...

Dead Child

Dead Child EP

Comprised of five journeymen musicians from Louisville, Kentucky, Dead Child has set out to rock like bands seldom do in today’s carbonated “hard rock” genre: like it was 1985. Openly using bands like Metallica, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest as a model, the band has brought old school metal back...

Lily Allen

Alright, Still

Well, that was fun while it lasted. When I first heard Lily Allen, I was incredibly excited. Here, finally, was a truly female musician being embraced by critics and the indie-rock community. She wasn't just like the boys, and she wasn't one of the tiny trembling women that they like to fawn...

Hella

There's No 666 In Outer Space

After witnessing changes in line-up, Hella fans become increasingly more skeptical of releases by the Sacramento based duo of guitarist Spencer Seim and drummer Zach Hill, who have expanded the band to a five-piece and added vocals to their previously instrumental sound. But despite the...

Andrew Bird

Armchair Apocrypha

Considering his name, I suppose that it’s apropos that Andrew Bird consistently flies under the radar. Considering his music, however, flying under the radar is the last thing he deserves. His sparkling mix of folk lyricism, virtuoso instrumentation, and yes...his whistling...demands the...

Juhu Beach

Scenes of Abandoned Industry EP

Somewhere between the whining screams of Thursday and spastic melodies of At the Drive-In, Juhu Beach cooks its moody yet energetic garage rock. Through relentless gig booking, word of mouth hype and rampant internet plugging, the band has been able to experience moderate local success in the...

Menomena

Friend and Foe

Do doo, do do doo. Menomena. After getting over the fact that their name seems to be based on Piero Umiliani’s brain-swellingly addictive 1968 song “Mah Na Mah Na” – which has been featured in a Swedish soft porn documentary, the Muppet Show, the Benny Hill Show, and most recently in a Diet...

Locksley

Don't Make Me Wait

Not musically innovative. Not sublimely unconventional. Just toe-tapping, head shaking, 'throw your cares to the wind', nostalgia-rock good times. Locksley's Don't Make Me Wait is heavily reminiscent of material from the 60's and 70's with a contemporary twist. Dancy, lyrical, and a tad too...

GojoGo

All Is Fair

Think of it as the soundtrack to your next culturally enlightening experience. Imagine soothing strings, an organic rhythm section, and swirling melodies that just seem to transcend each other over time. This, is Gojogo's album, "All is Fair". The instrumental integrity of this album is...

The Mars Volta

Amputechture

Proving once again that the studio is a valuable instrument, the space-rock outfit The Mars Volta follows up their exquisite rock opera Francis The Mute with their 2006 release Amputechture. With strong religious undertones, the heavy production coupled with frantic guitar play between Omar...

Shortstack

The History of Cut Nails in America

This is the kind of record you fall into, like you fall into a rut, or you fall into a fortune. Tough, edgy, and just a little bit dumb, Shortstack’s The History of Cut Nails in America finds a home somewhere on the border between old-school punk rock and the bluesier side of country. If Two...

Joanna Newsom

Ys

There are a lot of wrong ways to try to talk about this record, and hopefully this one avoids the others as thoroughly as possible: for example, opening with the descriptor of “another project propelled by the Albini name” would be a great way to sell this album far, far short. With the cat out...

My Chemical Romance

The Black Parade

My Chemical Romance’s latest studio release “The Black Parade” has hit stores and been released into the hands of prepubescent teens across the country. After the success of their previous studio album, “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge”, singer Gerard Way and the other members have something more...

Brand New

The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me

Brand New’s third album, “The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me”, is heavy stuff. Following the genius of “Deja Entendu”, and a long way from their pop punk days of “Your Favorite Weapon”, their latest studio release continues to track the band’s growth. Musically it is intricate; lyrically it...

The Slip

Eisenhower

Hipsters cringe at it the word "jamband" like a Harry Potter character reacting to the name “Voldemort.” What happens, then, when a former “jamband” moves from New England to Montreal, reworks their sound, and emerges a few years later on Bar/None Records (Yo La Tengo, Of Montreal, etc.) as an...

A Hawk and a Hacksaw

The Way the Wind Blows

Jeremy Barnes, notorious as one of the fractured geniuses behind Neutral Milk Hotel, has spent the last few years writing records as A Hawk and a Hacksaw. Now on their 3rd release, titled The Way the Wind Blows, A Hawk and a Hacksaw has reined in their highly experimental style in order to...

Lady Sovereign

Public Warning

The “short” version being that Lady Sovereign is a London based rapper who signed to Def Jams to release her first official full length -- Public Warning -- 45 minutes of irreverent and obviously slight foreign genre jumping that touches down just the far side of awesome. Whats more, there...

ISIS

In the Absence of Truth

I was twelve when I first started to listen to punk rock music. I was a simple listener and absolutely critical. When I went to see live music I moved, taking part in the music violently. I did not ask much of the musicians except that they not, “go soft.” I found ISIS in Boston at age twenty in...

Amy Millan

Honey from the Tombs

You might recognize this pretty little voice from Stars and Broken Social Scene. Amy Millan is a very talented singer and songwriter and her album “Honey from the Tombs” is a refreshing folk album. These laid back, bittersweet, wistful tunes would fit in well at Café Solstice or any other artsy...

David and the Citizens

Until the Sadness is gone

Unlike Abba in every way possible, this album might just knock your socks off (from so much upbeat dancing.) David and the Citizens is a Swedish pop band that sounds similar to Belle and Sebastian circa "The Life Pursuit." David and the Citizens' "Until the Sadness is gone" mixes pretty...

Xiu Xiu

The Air Force

Marla Brantigan 321 Country Road, Bishop, CA, 90432 November 6, 2006 Ryan Brantigan Kerr Hall 12000 First Circle Way West Point, VA, 00232 Dear Mom, I miss you so much. How is Tina? I hope everything is great at home. I could really use some of your home-made cookies; when...

Make Believe

Of Course

There has been a lot of noise made over the circumstances under which this record was produced: Nate Kinsella, bound for jail in under a month, joined up with the rest of Make Believe to write and record Of Course before the commencement of the drummer’s short term in the slammer. “How will this...

Owen

At Home with Owen

The really hard part about being a fan of Mike Kinsella’s solo project, Owen, is the vision-obliterating inevitability of his being “the one” to release the next truly great singer-songwriter record -- something to sit on the dustless shelf next to “The Aeroplane Over the Sea” and “Fevers and...

Starless and Bible Black

s/t

If you like banjo, percussion from the junkyard, and can’t get enough of those down-home country chords, Starless and Bible Black’s self-titled release is just the place for you. Both hip and spacey, this record merges elements of blues, bar-rock, and the edgier sides of British pop with...

Fucked Up

Hidden World

From it’s thundering opening chords, those of us who have lamented the demise of good-old-fashioned-goof-off punk know that, in Fucked Up’s first full length, Hidden World, there is here something to rejoice about. For a band who once sparked outcry against the insanely short length of their...

Willie Nelson

Songbird

Willie Nelson, once-and-sort-of-still popular “bad boy” of country , has teamed up with Ryan Adams’ The Cardinals for another go at ballads about love, religion, and the ins and outs of being a badass. Fans of not-country would probably do well to start with the albums’ two covers,...

These Arms Are Snakes

Easter

From the possibly only proto-epic hardcore band still making records, one maybe unfairly expects something better than “another great effort.” The only aspect in which These Arms are Snakes’ Easter doesn’t excel is genre -- or at least band -- redefining ingenuity: the highly rhythmic, pounding...

The Dears

Gang of Losers

There’s no resisting rock and roll or melody, both of which are certainly present on Canadian band The Dears’ new record, Gang of Losers. Initially bored by this record (or maybe it’s just their style in general), I would almost stretch to categorize this record as an epic road trip soundtrack...

Viva Voce

Get Yr Blood Sucked Out

Initial impressions of Viva Voce’s Get Yr Blood Sucked Out suggest intentions of fiery mayhem. The title “Get Yr Blood Sucked Out” is terrifying. Flames and flaming people paired with sharp-looking font as album art is terrifying. Song titles such as “From the Devil Himself”, “We Do Not Fuck...

Beck

The Information

I love a good Beck song. I love his beats, whether they be boogie, Latino, cocktail, bluegrass, ballad, funky space-age, Los Angeles, New York, or Iowa City – no one pulls off genre-bending like Beck. With his latest album, The Information, Beck has unearthed a new way of expanding his musical...

Comets on Fire

Avatar

For those who like their bluesy prog rock gritty, and defiant to musical structure: Comets on Fire's most recent effort, Avatar, might satisfy your cravings. The album is hypnotic; the beats literally roll you along for an average of 6 minutes per song. Put on your head-phones and get one...

The End of the World

You're Making It Come Alive

You know that feeling that you get when you watch someone else do something truly embarrassing? Like watching a figure skater repeatedly fall on his/her ass in the Olympics? That “I shouldn’t be embarrassed because I’m not them but I still have that weird twinge of shame in my gut” feeling?...

Veruca Salt

IV

If I wanted to come off like the quintessential pseudo-intellectual album reviewer, I would begin this by saying that Veruca Salt is most famous for their radio hit “Seether” from their debut album – 1994’s American Thighs – as well as their relatively public breakup which lead to former...

The Mountain Goats

Get Lonely

I suppose I should begin by providing full disclosure: I am one of the biggest Mountain Goats geeks on the entire goddamn planet. I've been irrationally obsessed with John Darnielle's ouevre for years, and the fascination only grows more and more with every song I listen to. Which is why it's...

M. Ward

Post-War

Four words: Album Of The Year. Yes, I'm that serious. Matt Ward, Portland singer-songwriter extraordinaire, has managed to beat the living crap out of the competition with a beautiful collection of full-bodied, orchestral folk songs. Deftly mixing simple, effective lyricism with equally...

Converge

No Heroes

“There’s people who choose to stand up and do something and be relevant in life and there’s other people who choose to be part of a herd,” Jacob Bannon For the past sixteen years, Converge has chosen to be meticulous, intentional, and genuine in creating music that both defines and defies...

Joe Lally

There To Here

So, it barely needs to be mentioned that Joe Lally is a genius. In my opinion Fugazi was, and always will be the epitome of what a rock band should be. Joe Lally brought the soul to Fugazi with punk/funk bass lines in perfect synch with drummer Brendan Canty. There hasn’t been a finer rhythm...

RX Bandits

...And the Battle Begun

...And the Battle Begun, the fifth full length studio Album by the Rx Bandits, is nothing less than amazing from start to finish, with thirteen intricately woven tracks flowing together to create a portrait of a world in turmoil. This is the Bandits first album on their own label, the aptly...

Excepter

Alternation

"I'd like to introduce you to our machines, but I forgot their names. I'd like to shake your hands, but, I'm on stage" sound byte from 'If I Were You' What is Excepter? Googlism doesn't know enough about that yet. I'm not sure but I think it has something to do with leather daddies...

Blood Brothers

Young Machetes

The best thing about seeing a band when they first start out is that you get to see them grow as performers and musicians. The worst thing about seeing a band when they first start out is that you get to see them grow as performers and musicians. Allow me to explain. The first time I heard...

Mastodon

Blood Mountain

Perhaps it happened as a backlash to the freak-folk trend. Perhaps it was a direct result of everyone and their mom gushing over Sufjan. Perhaps it was just a piece of an inevitable cycle. However you look at it, though, it is undeniable that 2006 has been the year of metal’s resurgence into...

Ben Kweller

Ben Kweller

Sometimes, I like to just sit back, close my eyes, and pretend I’m listening to Weezer. I know, it’s lame and embarrassing, but that’s me. I just sit back, put on a band like Ozma, or Ben Kweller, and pretend that it’s Weezer, and that they never made the Green Album, or Maladroit, or Make...

Parts and Labor

Stay Afraid

The new record by the Brookyn band Parts and Labor is my new favorite record. They do what you want all the other great wild noise rock bands to do. Parts and Labor have pop sensibility without compromising the integrety and beauty of mutiated sounds that make thier music great. The drums are...

Coachwhips

Double Death

Alright, so you like distortion. What could make your favorite distortion riddled song even better, you ask? Coachwhips found the answer: more distortion. They have taken lo-fi noise rock from the crowded, sweaty, dingy nightclub and brought it straight into your home. The latest release,...

Wizardzz

Hidden City of Taurmond

This a somewhat spastic record by one of the guys (Brian Gibson) of Lightning Bolt, arguably the most spastic band ever, and Rich Porter from Bug Sized Mind on the synth. Gibson plays bass in Lightning Bolt but plays drums in Wizardzz. The two collaberate to write tunes that could be a soundtrack...

Sibylle Baier

Colour Green

German singer/songwriter Sibylle Baier's one contribution to the early-'70s underground folk scene was recorded in her home on an old reel-to-reel machine. Vocals are earnest, melancholy- there is no pretense here. Reflective, gorgeous songs. Sibylle wanted to make music just for her friends...

Home

Sexteen

The 7th album from these 4 songwriters who started it all in 1995. Oneida put this record on their label, Brah Records. A “concept album about fucking”, the lyrics veer towards dirty but they are not crude. In fact, it comes off as fun or loving and definitely sincere, often with an innocent...

Parenthetical Girls

(((GRRRLS)))

Childhood friends out of Everett, Washington, Zak Pennington and Jeremy Cooper. This came out in 2004 and was reissued/ repackaged/remastered this year. Dead Science’s Jherek Bischoff digitally mixed these songs from the unearthed original 8-track recordings. Xiu Xiu’s Jamie Stewart did the...

Boris

Pink

Japanese doom rock, avant metal trio are back with a new album. The band, comprised of guitarist Wata, bassist Takeshi, and drummer/vocalist Atsuo, got started in the early 90s. The music goes everywhere from slow and trodding to barely structured psychedelic chaos. Droney, distorted,...

Beirut

Gulag Orkestar

Debut album from Albuquerque 19 year old Zach Condon. Folky orchestral ballads and marches with a Balkan flavor. The album brings to mind the dramatic instrumentation of Neutral Milk Hotel’s In The Aeroplane Over the Sea. But no guitar! Horns, organs, drums, congas, accordions, clarinets,...

Zombi

Surface To Air

This is the first album from new band Zombi. It is released on Relapse Records and has all the quality you would expect form Relapse. Zombi consists of two members, a drummer and a bassist/ synth. They play long instrumental tracks that throw back to the classic horror movie soundtracks of Goblin...

The Flaming lips

At War with the Mystics

"At War with the Mystics" is the latest neo-psychedelic pop record from the Flaming Lips. This record is another great work from the legendary indie rock band. One could argue that the lyrical content of the Lips is political. The W.A.N.D.(Will Always Negates Defeat) is a loaded rebel yell...

The Push

See and Be Scene

Any die hard fan of Ska music can easily rattle off some of the scenes that have given birth to big Ska movements: Kingston, London, New York City, and Orange County, to name a few. While it may not even begin to truly compare any of these other areas, the Northwest recently witnessed a sudden...

Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan

Ballad of the Broken Seas

Ubi caritas, Deus ibi est Do you ever get the feeling that a record has been created especially for you? One with a perfect balance of what you are looking for? One that you wouldn’t change a single thing about? Ballad of the Broken Seas makes me fell like that. Anyone who knows me knows...

The Black Angels

Passover

"Fire for the hills, pick up speed, and let’s go..." The Black Angels don’t play experimental folk. They don’t live in Toronto or NYC. They don’t wear multiple and/or white belts. Pitchforkmedia.com as not written glowing reviews of their music and I can’t find much written about them on...

Matt Shaw

Convenience

Do you remember watching those bad sci-fi movies about the future, with flying cars powered by your thoughts? Did you hear the music? It was all computerized, with bad, contrived futuristic band names like 'Microchip' or 'Rock-o-mat 2.3.' Matthew Shaw's New EP, Convenience, reminds me of this....

Prefuse 73

Security Screenings

I met Scott Herren once. Guillermo Scott Herren, that is. AKA Prefuse 73. AKA Savath & Savalas. AKA Delarosa & Asora. This time he’s Prefuse 73. He’s a tall dude. He’s a tall, skinny dude. He’s a tall, skinny dude with really crooked teeth. I guess crooked teeth help him generate mammoth beats...

Sea.mine

Divorce Letters

"sea.mine beats up REM" So you know that awful album REM put out about a year ago? Of course you don't – it was miserable. It was worse than drowning. The only attention it gets these days is a prominent place on a clearance rack. It was called "Around the Sun." For the longest time I kept...

Excepter

Sunbomber

This mindbending noise troupe, under the psilocybin-addled (or aided) management of former No-Neck Blues Band member John Fell Ryan, uses the tried and true technology of electronic dance music to explore the outer limits of psychedelic sound. The Sunbomber EP is simultaneously their most...

Inara George

All Rise

Inara delivers melodies in a reserved manner, instead of a bludgeoning over the head. Her songs roll out effortlessly, flowing with cool demeanor. Detailed arrangements with multiple instruments, harmonies, and layers of production add depth to each listen. Michael Andrews never made sounding...

The Lonely H

Kick Upstairs

I love this album. I just wanted to get that out of the way early in the review. This is a fantastic work of pop music, with great musicianship, great songwriting, great vocals, great everything. The Lonely H is a pop quintet from Port Angeles Washington, and, surprise surprise, they're only...

Animal Collective featuring Vashti Bunyan

Prospect Hummer EP

Just when you thought Animal Collective couldn't top the rhythmic concoctions in their recent full lengths, they added Vashti Bunyan into the cauldron. Nothing could go more perfectly with Animal Collective's joyful entrancing creations than a bit of Vashti Bunyan's light, whimsical voice. With a...

Ariel Pink

Haunted Graffiti 5 House Arrest

The little mermaid, known as Ariel in the classic Disney film, lived underwater and fell in love with a handsome prince. Ariel Pink (born Ariel Rosenberg) hasn’t fallen in love with a handsome prince (yet), but I think he lives underwater too. Or at least, he records his albums there, under the...

William Basinski

The Garden of Brokenness

In Kawabata Yasunari's masterpiece The Sound of the Mountain, an old man named Shingo hears in the distance a sort of deafened roar in the hills near his home. He suddenly must come to grips with mono no aware, a Japanese expression for a person's awareness of both the fragile transcience of...

The Strokes

First Impressions of Earth

First Impressions of Earth captures a band without clear direction. The latest record from the Strokes is much different from Is This It? and Room on Fire- the band dares to deviate from their pop formula. The record opens well enough with Julian Casablancas letting...

Delta 5

Singles & Sessions: 1979-81

Local label Kill Rock Stars proves that they've got a few Jesus-worthy miracles up their sleeves, magically reviving short lived post-punk outfit Delta 5 by collecting their entire repertoire into one tight little sunnuvabitch, succinctly titled "Singles & Sessions: 1979-81". I admit to having...

The Advantage

Elf-Titled LP

Who among us has been able to play an instrument without, at one point in time, playing those first six notes from the underground level of Super Mario Bros.? Who has been able to resist that small temptation? Few, if any. But for most, this is where it ends. We tell nobody of our...

We are Scientists

With Love and Squalor

Being a fan of indie music is not about a knee-jerk reaction to popular taste and conformity, or digging into obscure music for obscurity's sake. Most so-called hipsters are only spoon-fed music by second-rate magazines, and aren't happy with it until they are crapping all over what other people...

Face To Face

Shoot The Moon: The Essential Collection

Face to Face deserves their place in Punk Rock history of recent days. Sure, they aren't the Mohawk Generation or even the Shaved Head Generation, but now that the 90s have been over for more than half a decade, its time they get their dues. After all, if it weren't for Face to Face, emo-pop punk...

Lightning Bolt

Hypermagic Mountain

Somewhere in Rhode Island, Lightning Bolt is laying down a track.... [Brian Gibson smacks out a thunderously loud bass line, marching across the recording studio and is curtly interrupted] “I want to really be enveloped in a blanket of sonic waves; let’s add more reverb,” says...

Wooden Wand & the Vanishing Voice

The Flood (Troubleman Unlimited)

As a child raised in a family with Baptist roots, I got religion at a young age. Although I dutifully loved Jesus and prayed to God most nights, my innocent spirituality left me with little enthusiasm for Sunday service itself. Instead of paying attention to the sermons, I would read the Bible,...

Ghislain Poirier

Breakupdown

This second album from Ghislain Poirier (say Ghee-slain Pwa-ri-ay) fills the fertile cracks between the too-often monolithic styles of ragga, hip-hop and techno. Through twenty tracks of highly synthetic beats this Montreal Francophone creates a decidedly dynamic album. Much of the mood is...

Stretch Armstrong

Free at Last

Many bands evolve over time. Some mellow out, others get harder, but one thing is safe to say -- it seems that the majority of hardcore bands tend to take a turn towards the melodic side as their career progresses. Free at Last is Stretch Armstrong’s first album off of Solid State Records in a...

Nirvana

Sliver: Best of the Box

Kurt Cobain and Nirvana infest so much of Seattle and its surrounding suburbs that its become an ominous spirit that haunts us all. You can not go one day without hearing the opening chords of, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and nothing fits the gloom of another rainy day than that familiar wail over...

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Howl

Five years into their career, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have three records and a handful of EPs under their arms. Since 2003's Take Them On, On Your Own, Black Rebel has faced breakup, reunion, being dropped from their label, finding a new label to call home, in addition to finding new...

Various Artists

Tony Hawk's American Wasteland

At first look, this new companion compilation to Tony Hawk’s new skateboarding video game will confuse and possibly anger some people. The cover borrows its theme from The Clash’s, “London Calling,” (which originally borrow from Elvis Presley’s first record) while the rest of the booklet is based...

Propagandhi

Potemkin City Limits

It may surprise many people that the first band to record a full length for skate pop-punk label Fat Wreck Chords, but then again, they have come a long way. 1993's “How to Clean Everything,” consisted of a dozen or so poppy, skate-infused tracks that fit perfectly somewhere between Nofx and...

HorrorPops

Bring It On!

A few years ago, the HorrorPops released their debut album, “Hell Yeah!” on Hellcat Records and surprised audiences with their blend of rockabilly, rock’n’roll, psychobilly, punk, and even ska at times. Avoiding a sophomore slump, their latest effort, “Bring It On!” picks up where, “Hell Yeah!”...

Early Man

Closing In

The legend behind the forming of Early Man begins with two kids growing up in Pentecostalist Christian Homes in upstate New York. During their entire childhood, these boys were left in the dark as far as contemporary music and culture was considered. Eventually, they came across the...

DangerDoom

The Mouse and the Mask

This album should be a match made in heaven. Combine the hottest producer in hip-hop (well, besides Kanye) with quite possibly one of the best MCs in the business, and you’ve already got me hooked. Throw in the possibility of Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim series comprising most of the lyrical...

Fine China

The Jaws of Life

Fine China is a ragtag troupe of rockers that make beautiful, melancholy music. Each combines guitar and keyboard into a winter dirge of misplaced anxiety, love lost, and despair. Tongue-in-cheek not-withstanding, “The Jaws of Life” is the proper sad bastard sound track of the year. Robert...

Innaway

Innaway

Do you remember those grainy time-lapse film strips from elementary school science class? The ones where you would see a plant go from sprout to germination in five minutes? Or the one where you see a larva grow into a full grown insect, mate and then die? Listening to the debut full length by...

Deerhoof

The Runners Four

Deerhoof is the quintessential indie rock band, equal parts inspired sixties japanese garage rock and noisey pop melodies and experimental rock. The latest record by Deerhoof is no large shift in their characteristic sound; for the most part, the album is Deerhoof rocking on guitar, or playing...

Atmosphere

You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having

Pour me another album says Slugo, Rhymesayers headman and the world's king of underground/indie rap. You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having is the fifth major studio production from the rap duo that is Atmosphere, that is, Slug on the mic and production genius ANT behind the deep and...

Brakes

Give Blood

In one word, 'Give Blood' is a 'rawk' album. 'Give Blood' demonstrates the rockabilly and punk stylings of the Cramps and the Violent Femmes. 'Give Blood' is a bit of a question mark, especially for a British band with an garage rock and americana sound. Is it a perversion of a distinctly...

Stellastarr*

Harmonies for the Haunted

In this age of popular 'indie-styled' rock music, many bands are trying to cash in on the new 'it' sound of 2004 and 2005. Whether it be Coldplay or the Arcade Fire, many bands will recognize a successful piece, mimic it, and make it their own. Stellastarr's "Harmonies for the Haunted" is...

Blue Scholars

S/T

The duo of MC Geologic and DJ/Producer Sabzi have made one of the better albums I’ve heard in awhile. But, just in the last couple weeks have I begun to really feel this album. Big Marc gave me a copy a month ago, and ever since the weather’s changed from crappy to happy this CD has been on...

Sleater-Kinney

The Woods

As I write this, my next door neighbor and her rhythmically challenged band are having a practice session. I’ve lived here long enough to learn that “practice makes perfect” isn’t at all applicable. Most days I’m tempted to leave a note on their door; something along the lines of “your...

Eels

Blinking Lights and Other Revelations

Every review of an Eels album since 2000 follows a very predictable formula. The reviewer starts with a recap of The Tragic Life of Mark Oliver Everett, talks about Electro-Shock Blues and how incredibly awesome it is, and then goes on to talk about the most current release, which is...

Ben Folds

Songs for Silverman

Searching for his checkbook, my housemate Eric asked "Could you bring along the new Ben Folds album?" He was driving from Phinney Ridge to Bellevue to look at and subsequently purchase a dresser (his storage of his wardrobe up until then involved piles of clothes and Rubbermaid...

of Montreal

The Sunlandic Twins

The Sunlandic Twins never distances itself from the older Of Montreal albums, despite the new direction the sound has taken. Barnes relies heavily on synths and digital production on The Sunlandic Twins, which most fans will recognize as new and different. Percussive drum...

The Agony Scene

The Darkest Red

The Agony Scene have returned to the metalcore scene with their excellent sophomore release, The Darkest Red. After the band's departure from Solid State Records, The Agony Scene found a home with metal powerhouse label Roadrunner Records. With a vastly underrated debut album under their belts,...

Shout Out Louds

Howl Howl Gaff Gaff

Their name, their online bio, the album art, the fact that lead singer Adam Olenius resembles Max Fischer. The challenge with Shout Out Louds is actually finding something to dislike about them. Sure, the very blonde Bebban could create a ferocious fire with her icy gaze, but she plays the Moog...

Spoon

Gimme Fiction

Two words to describe the new Spoon: sooooooo goooooooood. A tremendous fan of their previous (4th LP) Kill the Moonlight, it would normally be pretty difficult for me to place the following Gimme Fiction as high up on the shelf. Well, I’m doing it and I’m putting it up pretty...

British Sea Power

Open Season

British Sea Power - Open Season British Sea Power are content to follow the wind in their sails across the seas of indie rock; ‘Open Season’ is a step ahead, as well as a step away from their brit-rock and new-new wave contemporaries. British Sea Power is an eclectic quintet from Brighton,...

VNV Nation

Matter+ Form

The fifth album from VNV Nation and what a contrast it is from the band's earlier hits such as "Carbon" or "Honour". I must say that at first 'Mass+Form' took a while to grow on me because it is not your typical VNV music. Melodies are lighter, more peaceful and reflective and beats are more...

Adult.

D.U.M.E

The best way to succinctly describe the sound of this latest album from Adult. would be; Lords of Acid with a punky feel and squeaky noises. The beats and basslines have a very industrial and the guitar and Nicola's style quite resemble some of fugazi's work off 'repeater' (for some reason it...

Supersystem

Always Never Again

Supersystem's Always Never Again should be carefully considered for 2005's hot dance punk record, with their addictive bass grooves and head-nodding beats. Supersystem blend synth with nightclub glam and post punk guitars. Before they were Supersystem, they were El Guapo- now,...

Gratitude

Gratitude

Let me just start by saying that I have a great deal of respect for Jonah Matranga. I really enjoy Onelinedrawing, Far, and his other projects. His latest endeavor, Gratitude, has released their self-titled debut, and it is a solid release. Jonah’s new project is a pop-rock outfit in the vein of...

Circa Survive

Juturna

Circa Survive’s debut record hits stores with an undeniable amount of hype behind it. Vocalist Anthony Green is one of the most respected and idolized singers in the scene today. He is of course known for his work in such bands as Saosin, Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer, etc. His latest...

Gatsby's American Dream

Volcano

Volcano is epic. Gatsby’s American Dream has matured to an entirely new level. From start to finish Volcano will make you dance, it will make you re-think music, and it will make your jaw drop – not just in places, but for 33 straight minutes. The diversity of this CD is absolutely stunning....

Andrew Bird

Andrew Bird and the Mysterious Production of Eggs

As much as I loved Tarantino's chophouse classic Kill Bill, the scene where Elle (played so well by Darryl Hannah) whistled along with that damn haunting tune really started to get on my nerves. That melody would get stuck in my head for days and days, driving me insane. Eventually I came to...

De Novo Dahl

Cats

A six-piece hailing out of a region where twang and God-loving country reign king (that would be Nashville), De Novo Dahl have certainly carved a name for themselves with their full-length debut, Cats. The vocal duties are shared among four band members, some sounding more cartoonish than...

Kasabian

Kasabian

Believe it or not, this record was released a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. Way back in March of 2005, in fact. I received a copy for review about two months prior to it's release. However, due to the album being thoroughly awesome, and I, Hoffie, having taken a vow of idiocy, I am...

My Robot Friend

Hot Action

We all have our own way of discovering new music. Hot pink album covers adorned with dorky robot caricatures happen to be my weakness (if you want to call it that). Besides caving for the album art, I am more desperate than a toothless meth addict for synth, electro, clicks, beats, claps, bings,...

The Decemberists

Picaresque

I love allusive lyrics. Perhaps it's because I'm an English major, wallowing in quotations and off-hand insinuations as a living, but whenever I hear a band that casually makes sly references to everything from great Celtic cycles to Myla Goldberg, I do my little dance of literature-geek glee....

Matt Sweeney and Bonnie

Superwolf

When I heard that Will Oldham—the iconic godfather of alt-country-flavored indie folk—had teamed up with Matt Sweeney, the sometime guitarist for more rock-centric acts like Chavez and Zwan, I was healthily skeptical. I did not know whether the musical union would prove to be understandably...

Anubian Lights

Phantascope

Sultry, funky, definitely danceable, but unfortunately obnoxiously stratified. Debuting in 1995, Anubian Lights cast forth their ethnic-infused, ambient electronica. Destined to be ground breaking, Anubian Lights has made no such splash thus far. Now, in 2005—what would seem like a solid,...

Jeff Hanson

Selftitled

Jeff Hanson's selftitled album is a true gem. His songs vary from fragile and honest, to shining. The most distinguishing characteristic of Jeff Hanson's music is his falsetto voice that makes him sound more like a 'her'. Nevertheless, his song writing lifts listeners above, vaulting toward...

Aqueduct

I Sold Gold

David Terry is Aqueduct...Aqueduct is David Terry. Transplanted to Seattle a few years ago, he hits us up with a debut album full of well-behaved promise. At its best it's fun, and the urge to sing along is oftentimes irresistible. Where it falls short however, is in its lack of emotional...

The Kills

No Wow

The Kills make "No Wow" interesting with distortion, feedback, and red in the VU. The Kills started by recording parts of songs and mailing them back and forth from the UK to Florida, ala the dark Postal Service. It's hard not to like the steps that the Kills have taken for "No Wow". Their...

Gruff Mummies

EMP SoundOff!

Gruff Mummies Melt Faces at EMP Sound-Off Saturday was the last of three semi-final rounds of Sound-Off, an all ages battle-of-the-bands at Seattle’s EMP. The show was sponsored in part by Rainydawg as well as other local stations and the Sub-Pop label. An impressive stage set in the new...

Comeback Kid

Wake the Dead

Imagine the perfect circle pit in your CD player complete with nonstop driving guitars, gang vocals, fist pumping anthems, and intensity that won’t let you stop even when you’re completely exhausted. You have just imagined Wake the Dead, the perfect outing from straight edge hardcore outfit...

Bright Eyes

I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning

Conor Oberst's "Bright Eyes" has sold the most albums ever while on an indie label - quite an incredible feat for only being 24 years old. Many people compare him to 'Bob Dylan' in a musical way, but also that Conor Oberst is the voice of a generation(as in his protest song, "When the President...

Doves

Some Cities

Bright Eyes. Modest Mouse. Snow Patrol. Death Cab for Cutie. Former small time bands who have been around for years and are just now receiving national attention through cover stories on Rolling Stone and playing festival concerts for mainstream radio. If the story of Keane provides any...

J. Hiram Boggs and Satisfaction

demo

I’d hate to call it an obsession. That’s really not what this is. There were no breathy late-night hang-ups, no inconspicuous (or not-so-inconspicuous) drive-bys, none of that. I just walked into a local café last year, saw a handbill for an upcoming show, and decided a few weeks later to ask...

Last Days of April

If You Lose It

There’s not much to say about Last Days of April. They are a generic brand of dreamy indie pop, and usually I would say that with some disdain, but on their latest, If You Lose It, this Swedish band is hardly unpleasant. They crank out hopeful melodies with lazy, subdued vocals and pair it with...

Kings of Leon

Aha Shake Heartbreak

Since sophomore albums usually blow, and I wasn't a big fan of the first to begin with, I was hesitant to listen to the Followill brothers’ second album. However, I was very pleasantly surprised. If you heard the Kings’ debut album Youth and Young Manhood think of all the things you...

LCD Soundsystem

LCD Soundsystem

The first thing that James Murphy, mastermind of LCD Soundsystem, wants you to know is that he's cooler than you. Not in a hipster, involved-in-the-scene way, but in the exact opposite. He's cooler than you because he rejects the scene, because he's risen above it. Or so he would have you...

Low

The Great Destroyer

Apparently I missed the Low train. Ten years ago I was listening to the Beatles, if I was lucky. More likely I was playing with Legos and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to brazen adventurous tunes concocted in my own imagination. However, some of us at that time were listening to a style of...

Sage Francis

A Healthy Distrust

"When the bomb hits...whose music will you look to for shelter?" The question is no longer a "desert island" issue. It has urgently transformed into a demand, a plea, and a blunt political statement. Luckily, an artist worthy of this search and willing to provide the necessary shelter can...

Robbers On High Street

Tree City

Shivaree

Who's Got Trouble?

The first thing you will notice is her voice. She’s soothing and robust, a perfect pairing with a glass of red wine. Then you’ll notice that the strength of her voice doesn’t detract from her bandmates; every note and beat they play is an integral contribution to the smoky atmosphere that...

Ulrich Schnauss

A Strangely Isolated Place

When people wake up in the morning, especially after long periods of confusion, dysphoria, and general melancholy, they typically need something to get them back in line. Something to show them that it’s okay, and that people out there still give a shit. Just as the title of the album suggests,...

$have

Trans Universal Worldwide

It's incredibly difficult to take an album seriously when it opens with a track called "Icky Soda" . Even worse is when that track is about exactly what you might think it's about: a certain male bodily fliud. With such subjects, $have, an oddly named group from the Long Beach music scene that...

Bling Kong

Greatest Hits: 3.16.03-5.20.03

With a name like Bling Kong, it comes as no surprise that the following subjects are so thoroughly explored: fucking and wicked awesome partying. The “Bling” represents all the outlandish, rap video like partying this group lives for while the “Kong” stands for the monstrous fashion in which...

Magnolia Electric Co.

Trials and Errors

Recorded live in Brussels (I assume they're referring to the one in Belgium), Trials and Errors is the first release from Magnolia Electric Co. This is not to say that Magnolia Electric Co. is a new band, though. The band's auteur, Jason Molina, was Songs:Ohia, a band featuring Molina at...

Earlimart

Treble & Tremble

Let's get one thing straight. This is NOT Elliott Smith. Nope. Uh-uh. No way. I know what some of you are thinking. Sure, the vocals on "Heaven Adores You" sound exactly like Smith, could he be doing a guest spot? I am sorry to disappoint you, but Smith is nowhere to be found on this...

The Prosaics

Aghast Agape

Andy Comer, Bill Kuehn, and Joshua Zucker are the Prosaics. The Prosaics are a band from New York, New York on Dim Mak records. 'Aghast Agape' is their five song EP which pushes the speakers and never wavers. Their sound is heavily influenced by the 1980s post-punk revival and the current New...

The Velvet Teen

Elysium

I have always had immense respect and love for The Velvet Teen. I first heard them when they were touring with Cursive. Their music shocked me, beautifully composed and delivered. Singer, Judah Nagler's voice literally sent chills running down my spine. Elysium, the newest album by the Velvet...

Tsunami Bomb

The Definitive Act

Oh my god, I just love this band so much. The heavy pounding guitars, rapid drum beats, gorgeous wailing melodies... but instead of endlessly gushing over the divinity that is Nor-Cal Badass-Chick-Rock Punk, I’ll get straight to the point. Tsunami Bomb formed around 1999 in California’s North...

Kattoo

Places

The one word to sum up this album is wow. I have not heard a more beautiful cd in the past two years. Each song, titled, "place 1, place 2, place 3...etc" perfectly fits each mood in a darkly beautiful combination of strings, gritty trip hop beats, and many of the melodic aspects of some of the...

TV on the Radio

New Health Rock EP

Is it just me or are TV on the Radio getting a little too confident for their own good? A little over a year ago, they released Young Liars, one of the best EPs of all time in my sometimes-humble opinion. The Desperate Youth Bloodthirsty Babes LP soon followed, which definitely...

Codeseven

Dancing Echoes/Dead Sounds

Wow. After listening to this record once, I was taken aback by how absolutely fantastic it is. To give the back story of this band that many may not be familiar with, Codeseven was formed in the fall of '95 and quickly gained notoriety as a metalcore/hardcore group in the rising North Carolina...

The Charity Stripe

Islands E.P.

The Charity Stripe has recently been the recipient of a lot of love from local Seattle press. A glowing review from threeimaginarygirls and recommended show previews from The Stranger and The Seattle Weekly have come up with comparisons to bands like Death Cab for Cutie, Wonderful, and...

codeseven

Dancing Echoes/Dead Sounds

A pimped out Volkswagen Passat. A dark blue family sedan with flashing rims, tinted windows, and platinum white tail lights, lowered to the point where it had to take speed bumps at a slug’s pace. Inside this car was, I’m fairly sure, a suburban kid with baggy jeans, the newest kicks, and hair...

The Snake The Cross The Crown

Mander Salis

The best parts about life are the little things, the tiny surprises that make your day just a touch better. Free ice cream, an old friend calling to say hello, a darkly endearing band from Alabama. Okay, that last one sounded out of place, but give me a chance to explain myself. The Snake The...

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

Shake The Sheets

Ted Leo has been touted as the Elvis Costello of our day, the newest in a string of pop virtuosos bringing us catchy, upbeat songs about love and loss. A cliche, to be sure, but not a bad one. Ted Leo's latest effort with his Pharmacists, Shake The Sheets, is a tantalizingly addictive...

The Arcade Fire

Funeral

Every so often, an album comes along that completely redefines what we think of music. Taking what conceptions we previously had and turning them upside down, these works of art give us a new framework with which to appreciate the refined art of putting a bunch of pretty noises together to make...

NOFX

The Greatest Songs Ever Written

Sometimes when you're a good person, good things happen to you. I am not a good person, but today a very good thing happened to me: I got my hands on the latest NOFX and it was pretty cool. The Greatest Songs Ever Written is the first greatest hits album put together by NOFX after 21...

The Futureheads

The Futureheads

The sad truth about hype is that most often, the product doesn't live up to the high expectationts. The Futureheads' self-titled album is no different. Over-advertised and over-dramatized, the band's debut effort is little more than simple guitar work layered under fabricated, retro-new-wave...

Sparta

Porcelain

One of the challenges of being one of the splinters of At The Drive-In (the other being The Mars Volta) is the question of differentiation. Not calculus, my friends, but individuality. How can Sparta distinguish themselves from both their origins and their fellow by-product? All three...

The Music

Welcome to the North

"Welcome to the North" is a rock-of-the ages album, destined for arena greatness. The Music blend rhythmic guitars and pounding drums for alternative rock music with a splash of dance beats. Lyrics on the songs reflect on the blight of current world politics, without preaching or being...

Cari Clara

Miniature American Model Society

Sometimes when a single artist writes, records and distributes his or her own music under a moniker that sounds like the name of a group, people get confused. Why, they ask. Do they want us to sound lame when we at first accidentally refer to them as plural on air and make asses of...

Pinback

Summer in Abaddon

How do I begin to describe Pinback? They’re kinda deep and moody. Yet at the same time, they brush against the delicate. I know that means all kinds of nothing; Pinback is simply defined as band whose sound is entirely unique. You can compare bands to Nirvana or Weezer or the Beatles and get...

Palomar

III: The Revenge of Palomar

Melodies in major keys: check. Jubilant vocal harmonies: check. Humorous vocals: they're there alright. This is happy music, but this is not pop music. No this band is purely Indie-- like if Sleater-Kinney and The Dance Hall Crashers went to Earl’s on Long Island Ice Tea night and woke up...

Japancakes

Waking Hours

You know the saying, "Never judge a book by its cover"? Well, the same goes for Japancakes' latest release, Waking Hours. Although the artwork for the album is very unique, one cannot say the same about the material within the cd case. The label on the cover of the cd reads that the music on...

Saul Williams

Saul Williams

Before you listen to an album, you have certain expectations that you hope it lives up to, right? Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. But at other times, your expectations are nothing compared to what you just heard; they’re not even close. This is one of those albums. On this album I...

William Shatner

Has Been

For two months my calendar had been precariously marked with “THE SHAT” in bold letters on October 5th. When that day came, I knew precisely my plan. I scrambled out of class to scurry over to the Tower Records on 45th where I found a salesperson and I spoke words I never before would have...

Kid Dakota

The West Is The Future

Just from the cover alone, it is evident that this is going to be a dark journey. And Darren Jackson, known better as Kid Dakota, revels in that fact. Hailing from South Dakota, Jackson is no pretender to the throne of Midwest desolation and loneliness. His latest release, "The West Is The...

The Crimea

Lottery Winners On Acid EP

I have been waiting for this band my whole life. There is no other way to start this review. I would usually try to insert a vignette in my first paragraph as a gradual introduction to the music. But as I listen to the first track on The Crimea’s Lottery Winners On Acid EP, I just kind of...

The Eames Era

The Second EP

I'm the first to admit that I hold a special place in my heart for sugary feel-good pop. And I don't think I'm the only one. Don't lie to yourself; you can't help bobbing your head along to it. The more repressed among us may even sing along with it, but that's a secret only for them and their...

The Go Find

Miami

On first listen, I was impressed. On second listen, I was hooked. On third listen, I was addicted. The reason for this new addiction: a rare trait found in electronic music—quiet confidence. Antwerp resident Dieter Sermeus, aka The Go Find, simply exudes quiet confidence in everything he does...

Junior Boys

Last Exit

Canada can now claim something other than Pamela Anderson, hockey, and a quality government: the electronic music group Junior Boys. Following two impressive EPs, their highly anticipated full-length debut fails to disappoint, meeting all the high expectations and providing an album that...

Valet

Life On The Installment Plan

Let's be honest. Minnesota is not often noted for its music scene. The climate's more conducive to bundling up tightly and turning the heat up high than to swaying idly to dreamy pop. That's why I was so surprised to find Valet's latest album, Life On The Installment Plan, both dreamy, poppy,...

Gerling

Bad Blood!!!

Punk music has become one of the least intriguing genres of music. What started out as politically-charged anthemic protest in the 70s has disintegrated into middle class commentary about the lifestyles of the rich and the famous. The guitar riffs, the vocalists, the cookie cutter lyrics, I...

Lali Puna

Faking the Books

Lali Puna’s third studio album (and first off the heavenly Morr Music label) picks up right where The Notwist’s “Neon Golden” left the indietronic scene: settings standards. Yes, Markus Acher (of The Notwist) is an influential member of Lali Puna; but this is truly the love-child of...

Elliott Smith

From a Basement on the Hill

“Because your candle burns too bright Well, I almost forgot it was twilight” I don’t know if Elliott Smith was intending to be autobiographical when he wrote the above lyrics but truer words have never been written. While he was a consummate musician (often playing most of the...

Worm is Green

Automagic

Whether it’s the water, the long days devoid of sunlight, or just pure national superiority over the rest of the world, the tiny island nation of Iceland has produced some of the finest electronic music during the last decade (Björk, Múm, Sigur Rós). The latest addition to the all-star cast (and...

Max Richter

Blue Notebooks

Some albums blow listeners away with its intellectual innovation; others with its bubbling energy. And then there are albums that knock one’s sonic nerves cold with its sheer beauty. Max Richter’s sophomore album is one of those albums. Revolving around multiple excerpts from Franz Kafka’s...

Album Leaf

In a Safe Place

Not all musicians are as lucky as Tristeza guitarist Jimmy LaValle. His solo project, The Album Leaf, focuses more on ambient instrumental numbers, relying heavily on the combination of simple guitar plucks and subtle, melodic programmed beats—a mixture that impressed the otherworldly sonic...

M83

Dead Cities, Red Seas, and Lost Ghosts

"The sun is shining. Birds are singing. Flowers are blooming; clouds are looming and I am flying." Instantly conjuring up images of serene landscapes from a bird’s eye view through this mantra on the intro track, M83’s latest album witnesses the French duo’s excursion into the depths of...

Ratatat

Ratatat Remixes

Sweet holy fusion! Evan Mast and Mike Stroud, the two brains behind the incomparable sound that is Ratatat, have created an astonishing remix album (only sold on tour at live shows) that will immediately appeal to any electronic heads that dig hip-hop. The equation is simple: take hits by...

Black Japan

Day of Nightmares

"I have never heard anything so awful in my life! It was like someone took a drill and stuck in my ear, and ran it so it din't quite go into my brain an kill me, just sat there in my ear and chewed up my stirrup and anvil, and made me want to die." You know you're in for something...

A.C. Newman

The Slow Wonder

Okay. Not pleased. Although I humbly believe “Miracle Drug,” and “Better Than Most” to be among the best indie-pop tunes I’ve heard in awhile (I love it when songs give you that special *ping!* of happiness), the rest of The Slow Wonder is indeed slow, monotonous and draining. So the album...

Ambulance LTD

LP

The first song I heard from this band was “Primitive (The Way I Treat You)” and although contagious and splendidly arrogant (arrogance rarely being a good thing), I remember thinking, god what a weird theme to sing about. Maybe it’s just me, but don’t rock stars usually sing about how...

of Montreal

Satanic Panic in the Attic

How do you begin to describe a record who’s very name is inexplicable? Satanic Panic in the Attic. Huh? What? Put enough thought into it and you just might get a headache. And I don’t even want to get started on the hallucinogenic album artwork. Thankfully, the music on Of Montreal’s latest...

RJD2

Since We Last Spoke

RJD2, born Ramble Jon Krohn, not only has a cool name, but he’s got an exceptionally diverse sophomore album for people with a wide range of musical tastes to enjoy. RJD2 bust out on to the hip-hop/electronic/turntablism scene with his debut album “Dead Ringer” in summer 2002. Released by...

Denise James

It's Not Enough To Love

Do you like Indie-Pop and Quentin Tarantino films? Then you’ll love Denise. Her second solo album, “It’s Not Enough To Love” is full of reverb, bounce, sweet melancholy and fits better by the listen like a perfect two-piece swimsuit for surfin’ at the beach. Thanks to the expert sound...

Fey Ray

I Wanna Be New and Perfect

So I’m always a big fan of lush gospel-esque vocal harmonies and hot d@mn-- this album is full of ‘em! Fey Ray, a band from right here in Seattle, really rock it on their self-produced debut album "I Wanna Be New & Perfect." The album as a whole is very well put together lyrically...

TIESTO

Just Be

After years of waiting, Dj Tiesto's artist album is finally released. And if you do not already know Tiesto, let me educate you! Nominated as the best DJ in the world for the past 2 years, Tiesto is know for his amazing dj sets focusing mostly on Trance. He has played all around the world,...

Christian Kleine

Real Ghosts

When you first listen to an album and you have to stop everything you’re doing, even if that means forgetting to go to dinner with your dying grandmother, you know you have something special. But it’s not especially uncommon when a powerhouse of IDM, experimental and indie electronic, City...

Xela

Tangled Wool

John Twells must be a really emotionally starved individual. Released only a year after his first album, Xela’s second full length tweaks at the same melancholy feelings as For Frosty Mornings and Summer. Soft piano keys, whimsical harp-like plucking, simple guitar riffs, ambient synthesizers,...

Patrick Wolf

Lycanthropy

In the name of the Father, the Son, and Patrick Wolf--thank you for providing us with the most surprising candidate for album of the year. Where to begin? Maybe a little relevant background: -lycanthropy: the delusion that one has become a wolf. -Mr. Patrick Wolf (not his real name) is...

Lansing-Dreiden

The Incomplete Triangle

Napping is an artform. It provides you with the clarity you need to finish the day. And a bad nap is a bad thing indeed. A bad nap lasts far too long and abandons you in a state of confusion and grogginess. The music created by Lansing-Dreiden is the perfect soundtrack to life immediately...

Loretta Lynn

Van Lear Rose

I will be perfectly honest and admit that I was very skeptical when I heard that Jack White (White Stripes, duh) was producing and playing on a new album by country music legend and one of my mainstays since childhood – Ms. Loretta Lynn. I never doubted his sincerity or desire to make a great...

Toots and the Maytals

True Love

While Bob Marley may be the most popular, most played artist in this genre, Toots Hibbert is an often-overlooked pioneer of reggae. So many groups have covered Toots over the years that it is almost a who’s who roadmap of musicians ranging from Sublime who covered “5446” to The Clash who covered...

Eyedea & Abilities

E&A

Wow. Now this is what I’m talking about when I say to people that I like hip-hop. Featuring the 1999 Scribble Jam Champion in Eyedea and a regional DMC champion in Abilities, this record definitely lives up to the reputation the two built with their prior release First Born. Originally I...

Funkst

Disconnected

Hello. My name is Alex and I am disappointed. Let me tell you why: I love music. I listen to tons of artists and groups from many different genres. Although the amount of music I surround myself by is often overwhelming, I do it for those particular artists and/or albums that make me view...

Jamie Cullum

Twentysomething

I’m sure everyone has experienced this at one point or another. You hear a kick ass song on the radio and end up buying the album at the store only to realize that the only good track on the album was the one you heard on the radio. Although I didn’t hear this album on the radio, I can...

Erlend

DJ Kicks

You ever acquire memories based on listening to an album in a certain mundane location and the combination of music and setting seems to always stick in your mind? This might be slightly embarassing, but for me, looking out the window on dreary bus rides often invokes nostalgia of listening to...

Radio Nationals

Place You Call Home

These past couple weeks have been filled with the monotony of everyday life that cries out for anything out of the ordinary. Most of the days have been consisting of home, school, home, work, home, girlfriend’s house, home, work, school. My days were filled with that exact routine or at a minor...

April Sixth

Mariposa Ave

Thanks to the breakout of Drive-Thru records, with their lineup of Something Corporate and Finch among others, there have been droves of bands trying to copy the whiney vocals mixed with edgy emo-esque guitar hooks formula over the past couple of years. The songwriting coming from these bands is...

Modest Mouse

Good News for People Who Love Bad News

The evolution of Modest Mouse has been an interesting one. As one of the Northwest's most premiere modern rock bands, their popularity can be manifested with a sweeping look at their crowds; the hacky-sacking pot smokers are being forced to share the floor with Abercrombie clad fraternity boys...

Tierney Sutton

Dancing in the Dark

With a voice that is smooth and sultry, this USC jazz vocal program director proves that she is deserving of her faculty position at the acclaimed university. Her newest album, Dancing in the Dark, shows that you shouldn’t judge an album by the cover. When I first saw the album, I was first put...

Curtis Stigers

You Inspire Me

If you’re expecting to hear some sax on this album, look elsewhere. Stigers has cut an entirely vocal album of old standards. Curtis Stigers new album has taken classic tracks from Irving Berlin, Randy Newman, Billy Joel, and John Lennon (to name a few) and created an entirely new tune of each...

Dead Cat Bounce

Home Speaks to the Wandering

Modern jazz can probably be best defined as a melding of the free jazz era with popular music. Although improvisation is still the centerpiece of the genre, modern jazz is something you can listen to without analyzing the “underlined meaning”, let alone share with your neighbors. Dead Cat...

The Walkmen

Bows + Arrows

The second full-length effort by the Walkmen is much more lean than "Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone", clocking in at just over forty minutes. Each track is a full-fledged work of art; gone are the lateral sprawlings from their previous album. "Little House of Savages" is the most...

Danger Mouse

The Grey Album

In the midst of the eternal battle over downloading music, controversial producer and musician DJ Danger Mouse has found himself engulfed in a legal battle over his newest concoction, the “Grey Album.” In the “Grey Album,” the L.A.-based artist mixed the full vocal content of Jay-Z's “Black...

Liars

They Were Wrong So We Drowned

In the wake of their acclaimed debut album, They Threw Us All In a Trench and Stuck a Monument On Top, Liars' Angus Andrews said in a Pitchfork Media interview, "for us, really, the idea is to not cater to the needs of the audience, and to keep it sort of challenging. If everyone's like [uses...

Seachange

Lay of the Land

I admit I have an affinity for Brit-rock bands that borders on unhealthy. The luscious textures that arise from bands like Doves and Badly Drawn Boy make me wish for whatever they put in their water. Lay of the Land, the debut full-length from Seachange, is only making my crush on Brit-rock...

The Cooper Temple Clause

Kick Up the Fire, Let the Flames Break Loose

The Cooper Temple Clause second full length album, "Kick Up the Fire, Let the Flames Break Loose" is a dark, hard rock work of art from start to finish. After releasing "See This Through and Leave" in 2002, their sound has evolved and matured into a unique entity separate from the...

N.E.R.D.

Fly or Die

Expectations. Expectations. Expectations. Screw location. I have no idea where to even place the new album from producer-gods Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, and their permanent third wheel, Shay, who, I think, sat next to Pharrell and Chad when the they were rocking out. And rock out they did....

Hella

The Devil Isn't Red

Hella's first album, Hold Your Horse Is, sounded something like a fantastic indie rock record stripped of vocals and played at about three times too many RPMs. The rock on The Devil Isn't Red sounds like loose nuts and bolts in a roaring jet engine. Played at ten times the recommended RPMs....

Air

Talkie Walkie

AIR – ‘Talkie Walkie’ Rating: (8/10) Expectations were set high for Air’s third studio album Talkie Walkie, especially following the French duo’s inconsistent 2001 album 10,000 Hz Legend, and the group thankfully delivers the goods. Jean-Benoit Dunckel and Nicolas Godin burst on to the...

Snow Patrol

Final Straw

Sweet merciful crap, this album is wonderful. Now, with that out of my system, I might be able to put together some intelligent thoughts about Final Straw, the new record from Snow Patrol. After taking some time off to work on the two Reindeer Section albums, Gary Lightbody has returned to his...

Her Space Holiday

Young Machines

The Young Machines is as honest, emotionally intelligent and sensual as a great lover should be. From start to finish, the record paints orchestral electro-indie pop dreamscapes populated with characters as intensely emotive as they are easy to identify with. Deeply moving and often...

Say Hi To Your Mom

Numbers & Mumbles

At first listen, Numbers and Mumbles delivers exactly the sort of music you would expect from a band named Say Hi To Your Mom; slightly dreamy, somewhat sparkly, indie-pop. However, after a few times through, you really start to realize that there is a lot more seriousness hidden within the...

Blank & Jones featuring Robert Smith

A Forest

The German duo might’ve outdone themselves by doing a track with Robert Smith. His vocals are pretty darned good with almost any music, however, this really doesn’t work entirely all that well. Smith’s isn’t very well suited for trace, especially since it removes almost all of the moodiness...

Laguardia

Welcome To The Middle

First off, I would like to say that I hate when people come right out and make comparisons to huge acts when trying to describe how a band sounds. What does make me smile, however, is when a journalist can make lovely allusions. To me La Guardia has a sound that makes it very easy to pick out...

Tomahawk

Mit Gas

Mit Gas, the latest release by Tomahawk, is not an album for the weak or fragile ear. It isn’t for the casual listener either. This is a record that takes a couple full listens to really begin to start understanding what is going on. Simply put, this is a challenge. For those who may not...

The Delgados

Domestiques

Straight out of Glasgow, Scotland, these days The Delgados are one of the most prominent bands of the contemporary Scottish rock scene. Their debut album "Domestiques" was first released in 1997 overseas, but re-released here in the US for the first time this year (2003) with five additional...

Modern Life is War

My Love, My Way

Sincerity is defined as “the quality or state of being sincere; honesty of mind or intention; freedom from simulation, hypocrisy, disguise, or false pretense; sincereness.” Modern Life is War exhibits that to a tee. Their songs portray such emotion and intensity that is seen only in the finest...

Schoolyard Heroes

The Funeral Sciences

Do you like monsters, zombies, ware-wolves, and stupid boyfriends? Do you like crunchy guitars and howling vocals? If so, the Schoolyard Heroes just might be for you. On their debut release, The Funeral Sciences, the Heroes spin yarns of all of the above with a lot in between. Main vocalist...

The Wrens

Meadowlands

This is an album that has taken years (literally) to come about. About seven years have passed since the Wrens have graced our ears with their sweet sound and in that time they have crafted a masterpiece. They took their time and made the album they always wanted to and it shows. The songs are...

Kurt Elling

Man in the Air

Depend on Kurt Elling to take all of the tunes that Jon Hendricks didn’t write lyrics to, write lyrics to them, perform them, and then record them. Kurt Elling’s newest album, “Man In The Air”, is most certainly the best adaptation of the vocal jazz genre we’ve seen from him so far. It takes an...

Diane Schuur

Midnight

If you ever thought that anybody over 50 was past their prime vocally, think again. Diane Schuur has proven once again that she can live up to the expectations that her many fans have required of her; year, after year, after year. The new album, “Midnight”, was entirely written and produced by...

DrugMoney

Mtn Cty Jnk

The most surprising elements of this debut record from the four boys from North Carolina known as DrugMoney are the hooks. What would otherwise be run-of-the-mill straight forward indie rock is elevated to loftier status by the skill and deftness with which these songs were crafted; solely to...

Cloud Cult

Aurora Borealis

You've got to expect something powerful from an artist whose previous album was dedicated to his deceased two-year old son. Craig Minowa is the singer and songwriter behind Cloud Cult, a musician and environmentalist whose activism has been covered by National Geographic and made him an advisor...

Preston School of Industry

Monsoon

This second solo release from Scott Kannberg (aka Spiral Stairs), former guitarist/vocalist of Pavement, is a much more mature and emotionally honest record. Working with totally new material, he has broken away from the sound and feel of his former band without abandoning it entirely. The...

Mates of State

Team Boo

From the upbeat husband and wife duo who brought you Our Constant Concern comes Team Boo, a satisfyingly charming collection of simplicity. Delightfully sprinkled with infectious hooks, boopy keyboards and perfect pitch harmonies, this record gets you nodding your head while still...

The Emergency

How Can You Move?

Sprouting from the Appalachian college town of Morgantown, West Virginia, The Emergency brings you good ol' fashioned party-time rock full of contagious simplicity. Their debut is fresh and fun, but points get knocked for lack of originality. They draw mostly on the (gasp!) soon to be...