Reviews

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Written by Laura Hamlett Friday, 13 February 2009 04:06

With Secrets Are Sinister, Longwave has proven their ability to remain at the top of their game.

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Written by Laura Hamlett Friday, 13 February 2009 04:05

"Oenone" is a most welcome, simmering rocker, undoubtedly a standout.

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Written by Mike Rengel Friday, 13 February 2009 02:32

Happy Fun Party possesses the schizophrenic arc of the inevitable, slightly weird party crasher, the one who nobody seems to know.

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Written by Willie E. Smith Friday, 13 February 2009 02:29

Chris Powell's voice cuts above the mix so clearly, sounding a little less like Black Francis and a little more like Sunny Day Real Estate's Jeremy Enigk.

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Written by Mike Rengel Monday, 09 February 2009 04:08

Each ingredient swirls smokily around the other into a rich, irresistible whole full of flavors that float in for a moment and then slip away.

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Written by Pete Timmermann Monday, 09 February 2009 04:04

The songs range from the type of lackluster filler I'd love to see Devendra Banhart get away from, to borderline Wesley Willis-type streams of obscenity.

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Written by Jennifer Manjarez Monday, 02 February 2009 02:08

The most jaw-dropping track on the album is without a doubt Los Lonely Boys' version of "Carol of the Bells."

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Written by Kate Nelson Monday, 02 February 2009 02:05

This album is dripping with intricately constructed complimentary drums as a backdrop to the perfectly woven contradictory voices of Bemis and Conley.

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Written by Jason Green Monday, 26 January 2009 14:02

Morel christens his reinvention of the title track with the name "Shoegazer Disco," as good a shorthand summation of his sound as you're likely to find.

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Written by Kurt Klopmeier Friday, 23 January 2009 04:29

There are plenty of bands out there that have Pavement high on their list of influences, but relatively few that can turn said influence into something so original and singular.

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Written by Bryan J. Sutter Friday, 23 January 2009 04:27

Grand is as good of an ass-shaking, goosebump-inducing album as you're going to get.

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Written by Greg O'Driscoll Monday, 19 January 2009 05:48

Arista Records offers a slew of bonus track-laden remasters of the prog-rock giants who, contrary to what Homer Simpson once said, were not "some sort of hovercraft."

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Written by Mike Rengel Tuesday, 13 January 2009 07:08

Can't Wait Any Longer serves as a soulful, passionate and remarkably assured statement of purpose.

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Written by Jennifer Manjarez Wednesday, 07 January 2009 15:54

The band's music is not for those who may have missed an episode or unfamiliar with the show.

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Written by Willie E. Smith Wednesday, 07 January 2009 15:51

It's fun music to kick back and take in, whimsical and yet highly accomplished.

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Written by Jim Dunn Friday, 02 January 2009 10:35

While the words remain as soulful and searching as ever (with allusions to horses, honeybees and heaven), the presentation is a bit more refined.

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Written by Kevin Renick Monday, 29 December 2008 07:16

It's always amazing to discover another group you've never heard before, and to once again experience that feeling of surprise and wonderment over something fresh and new.

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Written by Kevin Renick Monday, 29 December 2008 07:14

Dark Dark Dark are likely not chart bound, but for fans of compelling, original music, this recording is a stunner.

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Written by Jennifer Manjarez Monday, 29 December 2008 07:10

You can't help but marvel at the juxtaposition of complexity and simplicity Michaelson feeds into her songs.

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Written by Kevin Renick Monday, 29 December 2008 07:02

This is one ambitious record, and the sonic palette is wide, though well within the parameters of what most would call rock-based electronica, or maybe prog-laced trip-hop.

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Written by Bryan J. Sutter Friday, 19 December 2008 16:00

Quintron breaks out another funky and fun record on the edge of wilderness.

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Written by Laura Hamlett Wednesday, 17 December 2008 05:13

Live at Massey Hall is an addictive and well-performed sampling of Good's career.

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Written by Laura Hamlett Wednesday, 17 December 2008 03:16

If you're a holiday sap like me and are looking more for background music than something front and center, this is a good choice.

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Written by Willie E. Smith Wednesday, 17 December 2008 03:12

The slight sense of uplift is juxtaposed with sweetly sung resignation.

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Written by Willie E. Smith Wednesday, 17 December 2008 03:10

Here I am cozying up to the kind of jazz-blues hybrid that made Nina Simone's catalog a tour de force.

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Written by Willie E. Smith Wednesday, 17 December 2008 03:08

This album delivers on the promise of the evolution that every roots-rock or alt-country band this side of Uncle Tupelo has hoped to birth.

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Written by Glen Elkins Tuesday, 09 December 2008 09:19

The disc offers much more than what you might expect from what is essentially unreleased B-sides.

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Written by Glen Elkins Tuesday, 09 December 2008 09:17

Local indie darlings The Sham will cement their rightful place in the local who's who of indie bands.

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Written by Sarah Boslaugh Tuesday, 09 December 2008 09:14

Listening to the discs in order gives you a great sense of how his voice, and songwriting, changed over the decades.

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Written by Mike Rengel Wednesday, 03 December 2008 02:30

There's a detectable theme on display with Intimacy: album #1 + album #2 = album #3.

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Written by Pete Wissinger Wednesday, 03 December 2008 02:25

Hearts & Daggers comes off like a film soundtrack.

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Written by Mike Rengel Friday, 21 November 2008 01:43

Dynamo pulses with the ghosts of '80s indie music.

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Written by Mike Rengel Friday, 21 November 2008 01:40

E.P.'s 16-minute running time speeds by in a flash, barely allowing enough time for what's just transpired to truly take hold.

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Written by Kate Nelson Friday, 14 November 2008 06:22

While Brandon Turner's gritty yet typical rock 'n' roll sexy voice may be the answer, the lyrics are not.

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Written by Mike Rengel Friday, 14 November 2008 06:21

Simple is always pleasant, but rarely truly engaging or thought provoking.

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Written by Carl Hines Friday, 14 November 2008 06:18

There are some very obvious perks to being a suitor of sound in a city as boisterous as New York, among them my inclusion among those lucky enough to be treated to an advance listening of Animal Collective's hotly anticipated LP.

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Written by Sarah Boslaugh Friday, 14 November 2008 06:16

Berlin has become one of Reed's best-regarded studio albums, leading him to recreate it in a live 2006 performance which is now available on CD.

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Written by Mike Rengel Thursday, 06 November 2008 04:20

This box amounts to a volume from a pop music encyclopedia, which is exactly what the discerning beginner tends to crave.

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Written by Tim Elliott Thursday, 06 November 2008 04:18

With the fuzz intact, it becomes a bit of a chore to listen to a full-length LP.

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Written by Sarah Boslaugh Friday, 31 October 2008 10:43

Based purely on musical standards, Folsom Prison is a great album which captured Johnny Cash at his best.

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Written by Glen Elkins Friday, 31 October 2008 10:36

Electronic drum beats click and fuzz with a sort of retro aesthetic which is neither charming nor interesting.

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Written by Kate Nelson Friday, 31 October 2008 10:35

The album starts strong musically, as if I may have stepped into an older Cursive album.

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Written by Glen Elkins Monday, 20 October 2008 03:55

This record finds Calexico returning to a simpler songwriting process, starting with just Burns and Convertino, and then adding the band and a laundry list of notable contributors to the fray.

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Written by Mike Rengel Monday, 20 October 2008 03:51

The Theater Fire refuses to rest on their laurels, filling nearly every moment of the album with intriguing sounds.

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Written by Joshua Vise Monday, 20 October 2008 03:49

It strives to be the antithesis of the rhythm-oriented hip-hop on the radio today.

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Written by Jennifer Manjarez Friday, 10 October 2008 14:49

Ministry of Sound is the Mecca of house music, not only in the United Kingdom but across the globe.

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Written by Jennifer Manjarez Friday, 10 October 2008 14:42

Everything Is Borrowed is a breezy, lighthearted album without a single track that takes itself too seriously.

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Written by Carl Hines Friday, 10 October 2008 14:28

Interesting textures abound throughout this ultimately less than interesting headphone disasterpiece.

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Written by Bryan J. Sutter Friday, 10 October 2008 14:27

Another solid late year album fit for the falling of leaves.

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Written by Mike Rengel Friday, 10 October 2008 14:24

It's the one song here that might beg you to roll down the car windows on a night drive.

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Written by Mike Rengel Friday, 10 October 2008 14:19

If Opium's first half is a promising, yet ultimately mixed bag, its second half shows off Geary‘s deft songwriting skill.

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Written by Mike Rengel Friday, 10 October 2008 14:16

It wouldn't be out of the question at all to find these guys popping up on MTV or your local "new rock" radio station.

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Written by Nick Licata Friday, 10 October 2008 14:12

In a sense, the album is a continuation of their previous album.

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Written by Mike Rengel Friday, 10 October 2008 14:11

What truly makes Missiles a great album is its unpredictability.

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Written by Josh Vise Saturday, 04 October 2008 09:09

The energetic vocal delivery stands in sharp contrast to some of the more brooding melodies.

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Written by Sarah Boslaugh Saturday, 04 October 2008 09:07

This release should do much to restore Stoneman to his rightful place in country music history.

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Written by Sarah Boslaugh Sunday, 28 September 2008 12:46

It's amazing what the years can do to broaden your tastes.

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Written by Christopher Sewell Sunday, 28 September 2008 12:44

If you can listen objectively and with an open mind, there is a damn good album awaiting you.

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Written by Jon Baird Sunday, 28 September 2008 12:42

When it comes to banjo, there can be too much of a good thing.

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Written by Jennifer Manjarez Sunday, 28 September 2008 12:39

If you're looking for classic, old-school Santana, that's not exactly what you're going to get here.

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Written by Carlos Ruiz Sunday, 28 September 2008 12:37

Newly reformed, the band has just released their latest and fourth album, Forth.

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Written by Laura Hamlett Sunday, 14 September 2008 09:37

For their third release, Jackalope, Brown Shoe has gone back into the home studio.

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Written by Laura Hamlett Sunday, 14 September 2008 09:04

Til We See the Shore is a captivating, rollicking indie rock offering.

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Written by Bryan J. Sutter Friday, 12 September 2008 03:48

Straddling the line between IDM and NYC beats comes the physical release of a hidden gem.

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Written by David Lichius Friday, 12 September 2008 03:47

qhnnnl documents that the best math-rock records smoke at one turn and whisper gently along the next.

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Written by Lauren Beckerle Friday, 12 September 2008 03:44

Matt Duke's sophomore release is another testament to his top-shelf vocal abilities, but other elements fail to enhance and compliment said abilities.