Review(s): Can x2, The Chameleons

Can - Monster Movie: Proto-Post-Rock

Can - Tago Mago: Another piece to the puzzle that links Prog to Post-Rock.

The Chameleons - Strange Times: Influential, perhaps. Forgettable, absolutely.

Review(s): David Banner, Blind Faith, Centro-Matic

Banner, David - MTA2:Baptized In Dirty Water: I'd rather spend $18 on a disc with 6 really strong tracks than $12 on a disc with 18 tracks, 6 of which are really strong. This disc has several really strong tracks, but too much filler.

Blind Faith - Blind Faith: The blue balls of Rock 'n' Roll.

Centro-Matic - South San Gabriel Songs-Music/Flashes And Cables: Add Centro-Matic to the ever-growing list of emotionally convincing indie-folk.

Review(s): Aqualung, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Ash

Aqualung - Still Life: Just listen to Elbow. Just don't forget the name.

Art Ensemble of Chicago - Bap-Tizum: Quite possibly the worst jazz album I have ever heard. This includes all vocal-jazz wastes of time.

Ash - 1977: Inexplicably enjoyable.

Review(s): 14 Iced Bears, 2pac, The Album Leaf

14 Iced Bears - Let The Breeze Open Our Hearts: Just listen to The Stone Roses.

2pac - All Eyez On Me: I had some respect for 2pac before listening to this.

The Album Leaf - In A Safe Place: Broken Social Scene (Feel Good Lost-era) meets Sigur Ros. Emphasis on the Sigur Ros.

Review(s): The Dresden Dolls, The Beatles, Stabbing Westward

The Dresden Dolls - The Dresden Dolls: Evanescence done well is basically a female version of the pAper chAse done not as well.

The Beatles - Anthology 1: Worth owning for historical relevance, but offers little in the way of repeat listening.

Stabbing Westward - The Essential Stabbing Westward: Some bands don't have enough good songs for a greatest hits. Stabbing Westward doesn't have any.

Review(s): Nailbomb, Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto

Nailbomb - Proud To Commit Commercial Suicide: This doesn't sound like a live album. There's no crowd, no fuzz and no difference in the songs from their debut.

Birdsongs of the Mesozoic - Sonic Geology: If I were make a movie, I'd call on them to make the score, but I wouldn't release that score commercially.

Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto: Awfully bluesy for a jazz album, but I like it.

Review(s): Bud Powell, Phew x2

Bud Powell - The Amazing Bud Powell: Amazing is right.

Phew - Phew: There's something very peaceful and calming about Eastern-influenced music. This is no exception.

Phew - Our Likeness: Knowledge of the language would make for a far more enjoyable listen.

Review(s): Machito, Pro-Pain, Proclamation

Machito - Kenya: If Ricky Ricardo (of 'I Love Lucy') made a jazz album, it'd be awesome, right? See for yourself.

Pro-Pain - The Best of Pro-Pain: Assuming a chronological tracklist, early Pro-Pain was far better than their later material, which sadly dominates this disc.

Proclamation - Let The Truth Be Told: Edge bands are a dime a dozen and few rise to the top of their chosen genre. Proclamation fail to do so.

Review(s): Wynton Marsalis, Marginal Man, Procol Harum

Wynton Marsalis - Black Codes (From the Underground): How I could have missed this guy when I went through my jazz period I don't know, but I regret it.

Marginal Man - Identity/Double Image: Choose an identity, because you have far more than two images presented here.

Procol Harum - A White Shade of Pale: Pink Floyd (or David Bowie) with Beatles' pop sensibility. Why this band is not bigger, I will not understand, but I hereby make it my mission to educate people about them.

Review(s): The Polyphonic Spree, The Whole Nine, Morrissey

The Polyphonic Spree - Together We're Heavy: Despite boasting more members than an NFL roster, this effort seems slightly sparser than their first. It is just as enjoyable though, just in a different way.

The Whole Nine - Falling Out and Falling In: "Until the day I die..."

Morrissey - Suedehead: The Best Of Morrissey: What a self-centered, self-loathing and depressed individual. I still liked it though, perhaps too much.