Album Reviews
A collection of album and EP reviews written and published from 2004 onward.
- Good Riddance “My Republic” Review ()
With the release of Good Riddance’s eighth full length Southern California-branded album, My Republic, there comes a continuation of a back-to-basics movement for the band (without ever neglecting the basics). Seemingly following the if it ain’t broke don’t fix it methodology the band continues to deliver a steady set of songs that persevere through a […]
- Mariah Carey “The Emancipation of Mimi” Review ()
For a while here, I’ve been feeling a bit bored with the current state of rock. I don’t mean that there’s not music out right now that I’m impressed with (The Raveonettes, White Stripes, Kaiser Chiefs, Sleater-Kinney and even Audioslave among others are all getting a lot of time on my speakers)…it’s just…I want more. […]
- The Walkmen “A Hundred Miles Off” Review ()
Through the New York based band’s travels the recording process has proven to produce an increasingly overachieving brand of music as time progresses. With The Walkmen’s follow-up to the band’s uber-successful 2004 album Bows & Arrows comes a twisting and unbalanced record that finds both power, enlightenment and heartache when reflecting in the band’s past […]
- Pretty Flowers “Pretty Flowers” EP Review ()
Pretty Flowers is a Brooklyn-based four-piece that harkens back to the post-punk era of bands that played solid mid-tempo music based on harder, faster influences. The three-song debut EP explicitly borrows from a wide range of bands from the early ’80s, and the group does so effectively. Keeping somewhat of a rough sound through a […]
- Björk “The Music From Drawing Restraint 9” Review ()
Björk has made a handsome living from defining and recreating boundaries in the aural arts. One of the key characteristics made throughout her career has been the tremendous lack of separation between what is recorded and what her fans marvel at. As her career progresses she has been given the liberty of continually defining herself […]
- The Plot To Blow Up The Eiffel Tower “INRI” EP Review ()
San Diego’s The Plot To Blow Up The Eiffel Tower have been receiving quite a bit of recognition within the confines of modern indie, but when it comes to bands with more than 7 words in their names, this usually spells trouble. The band’s INRI EP successfully serves as a quick once over of the […]
- Zero 7 “The Garden” Review ()
Who is Zero 7? Remember that one movie with that one perfectly placed song? If the movie you’re thinking about was Garden State, chances are you already know Zero 7. However in an attempt to change what might be perceived as the duo’s image stemming from the success of 2004’s When It Falls (and exposure […]
- Gisli “How About That?” Review ()
Now living in Norway, Icelandic drummer/singer Gisli’s album How About That? comes as somewhat of a reminder as to what was both good and bad about one-man-band self-indulgence. On one hand, artistic freedom can allow a unique sound to blossom, but, sometimes a little outside input doesn’t hurt. With musical reference points plucked from just […]
- NOFX “Never Trust A Hippie” EP Review ()
The latest EP from NOFX, Never Trust A Hippie, serves as a precursor and introduction to the band’s album Wolves In Wolves’ Clothing. Through the band’s 23 years together it has provided a unique take on classic liberalism ranging from 1991’s blast on vegetarianism (Liberal Animation) or 2003’s response to Bush’s presidency (War on Errorism). […]
- Sonic Youth “Rather Ripped” Review ()
Once a mere footnote in a monolithic, vibrant art-rock scene, Sonic Youth now not only own the scene but have the power to adopt bands, tour selectively and afford whatever luxury an aged musical patriarch might want. But at what point in time did the band go from yet another voice in the crowd to […]
- Snow Patrol “Eyes Open” Review ()
Irish indie rockers Snow Patrol fell into fashion with the band’s 2003 release Final Straw. Blending into its surroundings Snow Patrol found popularity through the band’s fresh appeal; though in all reality it had been a long time coming. Forming in and around 1994, Snow Patrol reveals Eyes Open as the band’s fourth album, finding […]
- Gnarls Barkley “St. Elsewhere” Review ()
Stemming from a remix collaboration between the two, Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo present Gnarls Barkley as a collaborative experience far from either of the members’ brands. Danger Mouse recalls that “it’s not so much a Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse record as the two of us together being something else. There was kind of a different […]
- Guiltmaker “Driven By Arms” EP Review ()
Guiltmaker is a band made up of former Florida-based hardcore bands and fall somewhere in between whatever is considered to be emo these days and indie rock. Shaun Drees and Dan Radde conceived the idea for the band and began work in 2004, eventually filling empty spots with former band-mates, and as for the band’s […]
- The Submarines: Declare A New State! Review ()
Longtime Boston natives The Submarines have a history every bit as unique as the duo’s sound. Blake Hazard attended Harvard (oh, and her great-grandfather was F. Scott Fitzgerald) met John Dragonetti through his job at the time, putting albums together for HepCat, A&M; and Sugar Free records, and the two began collaborating from there. Now […]
- The Vines “Vision Valley” Review ()
At the peak of the garage-rock revival, “Get Free” took The Vines to a state of stardom that most bands could only dream of. And after leaving a mark on every city, fan and reporter while touring the band shot back with the lackluster album, Winning Days. Despite an ongoing deal with Nissan to use […]
- The Lovely Feathers “Hind Hind Legs” Review ()
What an odd thing it is to compare other people of the same age to yourself, isn’t it? In my high school, someone a year ahead of me was drafted into the NHL. Nationally, the trend becomes bleaker. Lebron James was born over a year after I was. I can barely spit out “necessity” and […]
- “Invaders” Review ()
Kemado Records’s Invaders is an explosive 18-track release which comes as a culmination of just as many stoner-rock bands as it does different hard rock sounds. With a variety of previously unreleased tracks from bands like The Sword, Comets on Fire and Big Business combined with hard rock mainstays such as Pelican and High on […]
- The Raconteurs “Broken Boy Soldiers” Review ()
“Remember a time when all was not fine and up from the dingy sewers came four lousy thieves who flourished like trees behold The Raconteurs.” Or so reads the CD cover from the inaugural release from this Detroit-based band entitled Broken Boy Soldiers. The group is a culmination of Detroit musicians, including solo artist Brendan […]
- Mellowdrone “Box” Review ()
Los Angeles-based Mellowdrone has most definitely seen its fair share of drama leading up to the release of Box. Whether is be Venezuelan-born guitarist and lead singer Jonathan Bates’ impeding series of meetings with record executives or lead guitarist Tony DeMatteo’s near fatal car accident, the band has had to take steps to ensure that […]
- Tingsek “Tingsek” Review ()
Malmo, Sweden native Magnus Tingsek’s self-titled debut album is a celebration of soulful Scandinavian lounge-rock. Tingsek, though only 27, got his musical feet wet long ago, playing various instruments with his brother while growing up. The two sang Depeche Mode and Beatles to each other and Magnus slowly grew into a wide variety of instruments. […]
- The Subways “Young For Eternity” Review ()
The Subways are a young band from England that epitomize modern DIY principles. After releasing a series of successful singles and 7″s the band began recording using a home studio and uploading their songs to the internet. Within no time The Subways were being praised by the late John Peel and playing prime festivals like […]
- La Rocca “Sing Song Sung” EP Review ()
Sing Song Sung gives a brief glimpse of what is expected for the band’s debut release later this year, The Truth. Recorded under the guidance of Tony Hoffer (Beck, Belle & Sebastian) in LA, La Rocca take a brash step into blue collar indie with this 4 song EP. The title track’s coarse harmony flows […]
- Ane Brun “Duets” Review ()
A tremendous thing happened to me while listening to this album. The realization of just how dense I truly am popped out at me as it finally occurred to me that Ane Brun is a folk singer. I hadn’t really considered this too much as I usually tend to think of Guthrie, Seeger and Baez […]
- The Fever “In The City Of Sleep” Review ()
I was lucky enough to have had the chance to see the Fever in Minneapolis a little while back and I was absolutely blown away. Before seeing the show, I hadn’t heard the band, but for some reason I had this inkling that they’d be a heavy-on-the-electronic light-on-the-rock type. Also on the bill were Rock […]
- The Sounds “Dying To Say This To You” Review ()
Where did you first hear The Sounds? I heard the band far before I ever heard of the band, on a television commercial. Some might have first heard the group on a video game. No matter where you heard the band, your reaction was probably similar to mine and you probably thought they rocked. I […]
- People In Planes “As Far As The Eye Can See…” Review ()
Sometimes it’s really hard for me to determine whether or not hype is a good thing. Sometimes it can lead to a situation where expectations are far too demanding of a band, movie, book, television show, or anything along those lines. I can look back, and honestly remember hearing about how great Coldplay were. Point […]
- Islands “Return To The Sea” Review ()
Islands is the ultimate summation of talents from a group of musicians from Montreal, with members from acclaimed, defunct band The Unicorns. Forming in 2005, the band saw a rotational membership in which musicians came and left, but ultimately became a solid six piece. The band later opened for Beck at the Pop Montreal Music […]
- Gus Black “Autumn Days” Review ()
Gus Black, formerly the “Don’t Fear The Reaper” guy from Scream, as well as “that guy with that song” from shows like Alias, Smallville and One Tree Hill, performs a variety of smooth and upbeat pop-rock songs on his latest album Autumn Days. It’s hard for me to put together any more info on his […]
- The Tiny “Starring; Someone Like You” Review ()
The Tiny are a collective that came about through a decisive decision to abandon a life of safety and discover the full capabilities of band members’ creativity. And that is simply what makes The Tiny such a special group, its members’ willingness to experiment. Throughout the course of “Starring; Someone Like You” there is a […]
- Stellastarr* “Sweet Troubled Soul – The Remixes” Review ()
I first got turned onto the band earlier this year and I got into them a bit, no matter how overdone the genre might be. This remix single, or EP, or whatever it is, offers a few remixes of the band’s single “Sweet Troubled Soul.” Surprisingly good remixes, actually. James Iha, of Smashing Pumpkins fame, […]