Review: Love Is All - 9 Times That Same Song

Love Is All - 9 Times That Same Song: Atmospheric pop music with a shelf life equal to that of a carton of milk.

Stream Make Out Fall Out Make Up

Purchase for $9.99

Review: Seu Jorge - The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions

See Jorge - The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions: Working brilliantly in The Life Aquatic, this gimmick fails to succeed as an album.

Download Life On Mars

Download Rebel Rebel (both courtesy of Sucka Pants

Purchase for $12.99

Review: Bell Orchestre - Recording A Tape The Colour Of The Light

Bell Orchestre - Recording A Tape The Colour Of The Light: If it hadn't been released, every indie-rock fan in the world would be clamoring for it, claiming its awesomeness. Because they released it, however, it loses some of it mystery. In the end, it's another mediocre addition to the very medicore genre of post-rock.

Purchase for $11.25

Review: The Sunshine Fix - Age of the Sun

The Sunshine Fix - Age of the Sun: Another Elephant 6 Collective release means, you guessed it, Beatles-influenced pop. What's striking is how well they are influenced by the Beatles without ripping them off.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $13.99

Review: The Strokes - First Impressions Of Earth

The Strokes - First Impressions of Earth: Not as good, or solid as Room on Fire (and it's been to long to compare it to Is This It?). Tries too much to vary their winning formula.

Stream the video for Juicebox

Purchase for $10.49

Review: The Strokes - Room On Fire

The Strokes - Room On Fire: I never liked Is This It? so I passed on this album when it came out a few years ago, but I now regret it. It's an extremely solid and likable rock record.

Stream a few videos and download the mp3 of 12:51 Music -> Room on Fire

Purchase for $11.69

Review: The Olivia Tremor Control - Music From The Unrealized Film Script, Dusk At Cubist Castle

The Olivia Tremor Control - Music From The Unrealized Film Script, Dusk At Cubist Castle: When they're not trying to be artsy and suspsenseful, you get the feeling as though they could bust out Strawberry Fields Forever and not miss a beat. Ultimately, it's really, really good pyschadelic pop with aformentioned moments of suspense and artsy-ness.

Download a few sample mp3s of Jumping Fences and Define A Transparent Dream

Purchase for $11.57

Review: Neutral Milk Hotel - On Avery Island

Neutral Milk Hotel - On Avery Island: A fine album, but had I listened to it before Aeroplane, I would have liked it better, but wouldn't have listened to Aeroplane.

Download Song About Sex

Purchase for $9.02

Review: Neutral Milk Hotel - Hype City Soundtrack

Neutral Milk Hotel - Hype City Soundtrack: The real early stages of a NMH album. This lays the groundwork for On Avery Island.

Download tons of bootleg songs

May be released in the future by Orange Twin

Review: Neutral Milk Hotel - Invent Yourself A Shortcake/Beauty

Neutral Milk Hotel - Invent Yourself A Shortcake/Beauty: More unreleased/demo/live stuff from Jeff Mangum. It's not really a necessary listen, unless you're a very large fan as any good songs are marred by fidelity issues.

Download a ton of bootleg, demo and live stuff

Possibly for sale at a later date via Orange Twin

Review: Elliott Smith - Basement Demos II

Elliott Smith - Basement Demos II: Fan collection of bootlegged demos with an unknown timeline for recording. While it's called the Basement Demos II, a lot of it comes from the Either/Or era, but still, I'm amazed every time I hear his voice how majestic it sounds. I didn't get a chance to check out From A Basement last year, but seeing such a strong set of demos makes me want to run out and pick it up.

Download all of the songs and more

Purchase From A Basement On The Hill for $12.43

Review: Sleater-Kinney - The Woods

Sleater-Kinney - The Woods: Grace Slick like vocals penetrate the air as Sleater-Kinney makes one of the best traditional rock-type albums the be released this year.

Download Entertain

Purchase for $9.77

Review: Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins

Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins: Sounding an awful lot like The Beatles, but with way more electronica, Of Montreal has created one of the finest albums of the year.

Download Requiem For O.M.M.2

Download Wraith Pinned To The Mist (And Other Games)

Purchase for $8.50

Review: Logh - A Sunset Panorama

Logh - A Sunset Panorama: For their third album, Logh decided to go quiet and make a really, really solid alternative album.

Download Destinymanifesto

Purchase for $10.26

Review: Imogen Heap - Speak For Yourself

Imogen Heap - Speak For Yourself: I was completely blown away by its beauty. Hands down the best straight up pop album I've heard all year, even if there is too much bass.

Stream Hide And Seek, Just For Now and non-album track Cumulus

Purchase for $9.49

Review: Sage Francis - A Healthy Distrust

Sage Francis - A Healthy Distrust: This would be the best rap album of the year if he would just get on the mic and rap. Instead, he tries to do some skits and some fancy production stuff and it comes across really low-rent.

Download Dance Monkey and Slow Down Gandhi (click on the plus sign next to the song title on the left hand side)

Purchase for $10.26

Review: The Drones - Wait Long By The River And The Bodies Of Your Enemies Will Float By

The Drones - Wait Long By The River And The Bodies Of Your Enemies Will Float By: "Actually, on first listen the Australian quartet may seem like little more than an unhinged bluesy garage outfit" says Brandon Stosuy over at Pitchfork and I couldn't agree more.

Watch the video for Shark Fin Blues

Purchase for $11.69

Review: Neutral Milk Hotel - Unreleased Demo 1 and 2

Neutral Milk Hotel - Unreleased Demo 1 and 2: If you remove all of the excellent production from most of the Neutral Milk Hotel songs, you're left with a foundation of '60s pyschadelic pop, which is what is showcased here.

Look for some of these songs to get released eventually on Orange Twin on a b-sides collection.

Review: Shakira - Oral Fixation, Vol. 2

Shakira - Oral Fixation, Vol. 2: Shakira is a singles artist. I have always loved her singles, and Don't Bother is no exception. But twice now, I have tried to get into an album of hers with little luck. It's not as if it's bad, but the singles are where it's at.

Stream Don't Bother

Purchase for $13.18

Review: Jeff Mangum - Live At Jittery Joe's

Jeff Mangum - Live At Jittery Joe's: He sounds so unsure of himself on stage, until he starts singing his song, and then it's as if he's the only man alive. In the end, the acoustic renditions of Neutral Milk Hotel songs survive extremely well, if not better in some instances, over the fully-produced versions from which most people are familiar with.

Download a 30 second clip of A Baby For Pree

Purchase for $12

Review: Jens Lekman - Oh You're So Silent Jens

Jens Lekman - Oh You're So Silent Jens: It's not as if Jens is this prophetic songwriter, it's that every word he sings just oozes charisma. This collection of singles, b-sides, EPs, et al is a wonderfully easy way to obtain everything he's done outside of When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog.

Download Black Cab

Download You Are The Light

Purchase for $$11.04

Review: Jenny Lewis - Rabbit Fur Coat

Jenny Lewis - Rabbit Fur Coat: I was a more than a little excited at the prospect of a Jenny Lewis solod album, just as I was for a Blake Sennett-fronted new band. I was a little disappointed in the results of the Jenny Lewis solo album, just as I was for the Blake Sennett-fronted band, The Elected. I was more disappointed with Blake's, however, as Jenny's isn't bad, it's just not Rilo Kiley and had it not been Jenny Lewis, I'd have really liked it.

Download Handle With Care, her cover of the Traveling Wilburys

Buy it when it gets released next month at Team Love Records

Review: Liz Durrett - The Mezzanine

Liz Durrett - The Mezzanine: Possessing a delicate, beautiful voice and sublime musical arrangement, this is the type of album that usually bores me. This time, however, I really enjoyed the listen.

Download some live songs and covers (not album specific)

Not available for purchase at this time. Out January 2006.

Review: The Darkness - One Way Ticket To Hell...And Back

The Darkness - One Way Ticket To Hell..And Back: The word sophmore slump gets thrown around too much in the media, so I'm going to avoid using it. Instead, I'll tell you how The Darkness' first record had amazing pop songwriting and excellent rock riffs that combined to make one of the most enjoyable rock records since Guns 'n' Roses. Their follow-up, however, is not only not as good as said record, but the songwriting is mediocre at best and the killer rock riffs have all but disappeared in favor of a more mainstream sound.

Stream the title track

Purchase for $12.99

Review: Chris Brokaw - Red Cities

Chris Brokaw - Red Cities: Typically, you see a man (or woman's) name and you expect a singer-songwriter type record. Chris Brokaw is no such thing, at least on this release. Instead, he has created a post-rock record that while sleep-inducing, remains compelling. Not relying on strings and grandiose arrangements, he instead opts for solid simplicity.

Stream King Ferdinand (or download the wma)

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $10.75

Review: Piebald - Killa Bros and Killa Bees

Piebald - Killa Bros and Killa Bees: If you've ever heard Travis' solo project Totally Travis Y Las Marianas, you konw what to expect, albeit with a bit more fidelity. Most of the songs are throwaways, a few are demos of album tracks and a few are solid and should receive a rework for future release. And as a large Piebald fan, even I can't get into this release more than once or twice. I guess they're just not one of those bands who's demos and b-sides are all that appealing.

Stream Hard Kid and Waste Your Time

Purchase for $11.29

Review: Thursday - War All The Time

Thursday - War All The Time: Thursday has a huge fanbase, and it's easy to see why. They straddle the line between hardcore/metal and rock/pop, which gives them a large constituency in order to draw fans from. Some of it's a bit cheesy, but some of it's quite good. Overall though, I could live without it, but it's nice to know it's not all bad.

Stream the For The Workforce, Drowning in its entirety and clips from the rest of the album Music -> Discography

Purchase for $11.37

Review: Thrice - The Illusion Of Safety

Thrice - The Illusion Of Safety: I can see why Thrice and Coheed and Cambria share a lot of fans. And while Coheed does it much better, Thrice is more than adequate. Granted, it gets a little cheesy going from metallic to melodic so many times, it's overall atmosphere succeeds into a solid album.

Stream clips from the entire album (second album from the right)

Purchase for $10.26

Review: Neil Diamond - 12 Songs

Neil Diamond - 12 Songs: Truthfully, unless you told me I was listening to Neil Diamond, I wouldn't know. But this collection of songs (12 of them, even), is very well done. Very well produced and songwriting is solid, if a little cheesy at some points.

Stream clips from the first half on the album

Purchase for $13.98

Review: Neil Young - Prairie Wind

Neil Young - Prairie Wind: It's a bit more melodic, and by extension, accessible than some of his other work. Still, if you're not a fan by now, I can't envision this changing that fact.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $10.49

Review: Various - the pAper chAse and Will Johnson Split

Various - the pAper chAse and Will Johnson Split: Each covering a song by the other. The Johnson song covered by the pAper chAse works, as almost anything by them does, but the country-folk version of I Did A Terrible Thing was different, but ultimately unappealing.

Download some mp3s by Will Johnson

Stream a whole bunch of pAper chAse stuff

Purchase for $5.00

Review: Test Icicles - For Screening Purposes Only

Test Icicles - For Screening Purposes Only: A catchier and more accessible, but equally as screamy, version of the Blood Brothers.

Stream clips from the entire album Media -> Audio

Purchase for $9.79 (Pre-order, will be released in January)

Review: Supermachiner - Rise Of The Great Machine

Supermachiner - Rise Of The Great Machine: All of the ingredients are there to make a really good post-rock/avant gardcore record, but it just misses, because it lacks some of the grandiocity and intensity present in other bands of the same sound. Still, it's worth a listen if you're a fan of post-rock and/or Converge.

Download Bitter Cold

Purchase for $9.28

Review: Sun Kil Moon - Tiny Cities

Sun Kil Moon - Tiny Cities: If I didn't know beforehand that it was a collection of Modest Mouse covers, I still wouldn't know. If you're a fan of Sun Kil Moon and know nothing of Modest Mouse, you'll like it. If you're a fan of Sun Kil Moon and of Modest Mouse, you might like it. If you know nothing of Sun Kil Moon but like Modest Mouse, you'll likely hate it. If you know nothing of either band, you need to read more mp3 blogs.

Download Ocean Breathes Salty (via Stereogum)

Purchase for $12.17

Review: Silver Jews - Tanglewood Numbers

Silver Jews - Tanglewood Numbers: I'm sorry, I found it hard to take seriously because I could not get the image of Sol Star singing out of my head.

Stream the video How Can I Love You If You Won't Lie Down (and try not picture Sol)

Purchase for $11.38

Review: Serena Maneesh - Serena Maneesh

Serena Maneesh - Serena Maneesh: There's so much good shoegaze/dream-pop out right now, that this disc is undeserving of your time.

Stream Selina's Melodie Fountain

Purchase for NOK 165,00

Or purchase digitally for $9.99

Review: XTC - Apple Bite

XTC - Apple Bite: The 54-track boxed site is entitled Apple Box, so it's fitting that the sampler to promote the box is entitled Apple Bite. The weirdest thing, is how this sampler feels like an album, even with its two newly crafted songs. This being my first encounter with the band, what I can't figure out is how come they weren't bigger. Sure, every music fan has heard the name XTC, but it's taken me far too long to have heard one of their songs.

Download the brand new song, Spiral

Stream a whole bunch of tracks from various releases

Purchase for $31.24

Review: Rogue Wave - Descended Like Vultures

Rogue Wave - Descended Like Vultures: It was a rainy Monday morning when I popped this disc in and it fit perfectly to the rain-soaked scenery all around me. I've yet to experience this disc elsewhere and without a droplet-filled windshield, so I'll reserve judgement, save to say its better than their last one.

Stream some tracks (the site doesn't tell you which ones, so even if I told you the names, you wouldn't know)

Purchase for $10.26

Review: The Libertines - The Libertines

The Libertines - The Libertines: A bit more mellow than their debut, but the obvious album briding Up The Bracket to Down in Albion.

Stream a bunch of tracks, including What Became of the Likely Lads

Purchase for $11.25

Review: The Libertines - Up The Bracket

The Libertines - Up The Bracket: After all of the hype, this is exactly what I was epecting. It even holds up to the hype. My favorite part about the album? The music is so loose, it could fall apart at any second, but so tight it may go on forever.

Stream a bunch of tracks, including the album-titled track from this disc (click on Jukebox)

Purchase for $11.48

Review: I Hate Myself - 3 Songs

I Hate Myself - 3 Songs: Not quite as anthemic as their previous work, but still, as a fan I'm excited enough knowing they're putting out music again.

Download This Isn't the Tenka-Ichi-Budokai from their previously released 10 Songs

Purchase the vinyl for $4.50

New Site Design

I got tired of the old site so I re-did it. Took me a minute to remember the CSS and XML coding, but I managed it somehow. The design comes from Open Source Web Design which I found out about from DJ. All that's left is fixing the logo to match, but my girlfriend Sara is having trouble with Extensis Suitcase and by definition her fonts, so that's going to have to wait. Let me know what you think.

Review: Heartless Bastards - Stairs and Elevators

Heartless Bastards - Stairs and Elevators: Female-fronted classic rock with a hint of blues and post-punk that succeeds on just about every song.

Download Onions

Download New Resolution

Purchase for $10.21

Review; Hard-Fi - Stars of C.C.T.V.

Hard-Fi - Stars of C.C.T.V.: It's very 2005 in its new-wave meets punk meets pop meets quirky. As usual, there are better bands that do it and there are worse bands that do it, but judge for yourself.

Stream Tied Up Too Tight, Hard To Beat, Cash Machine and Middle Eastern Holiday (click on Audio)

Purchase for $12.95

Review: Orenda Fink - Invsible Ones

Orenda Fink - Invisible Ones: Former Ray of Azure turns out to be rather boring and uninteresting.

Stream the entire album

Download Bloodline and No Evolution

Purchase for $9.28

Review: Depeche Mode - Playing The Angel

Depeche Mode - Playing The Angel: Without speaking to the albums in between, it's like the band hasn't lost a step between Violator and their new outing. Though Angel seems a bit more accessbile they are very similar albums sure to please fans of the band.

Stream video for Precious

Purchase for 11.99

Review: Depeche Mode - Violator

Depeche Mode - Violator: A more complete album than Some Great Reward. It's a bit more polished and more listenable all the way through.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $7.99

Review: Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward

Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward: To my naive ears, this sounds like New Order, done so much better.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $7.85

Review: Babyshambles - Down in Albion

Babyshambles - Down in Albion: A little slower and a little more raggae-influenced than I was expecting. Seeing as this was my first Pete Doherty album, I'll say what's been said a thousand times (today), he's a terrific talent wasting away in the coma of dependency. We'll just call him Terrell.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $15.99

Review: Akron Family - Akron Family

Akron Family - Akron Family: It was just kind of boring. I know that there are going to be people out there that like it, and I like my fair share of lo-fi, but this just slowly trods along.

Stream Small Shape, Shake Collage and Deep Kazoo

Purchase for $10.99

Review: Aberdeen City - The Freezing Atlantic/Sixty Lives EP

Aberdeen City - The Freezing Atlantic/Sixty Lives EP: Kinda boring, but decent. It tries to be a dark, atmospheric pop album, but falls just short of having either enough atmosphere or proper atmosphere.

Download In Combat

Purchase The Freezing Atlantic for $8.50

Review: 3 - Wake Pig

3 - Wake Pig: The lead singer, Joey Eppard, is the brother to Coheed and Cambria's Josh Eppard. 3 even sounds a little like Coheed, but with more prog, less metal and not as catchy. That's not to say that this is a bad thing. In fact, this album is better than Good Apollo... If you like Coheed, check these guys out. If you like prog check these guys out. If you like music, check these guys out, because they're really good.

Download Alien Angel

Purchase original version for $6.19

Purchase re-release for $7.56

Review: Natalie Rose Lebrecht - Imagining Weather

Natalie Rose Lebrecht - Imagining Weather: Some records are a chore to listen to. This is one of those records. Not to say it's bad, but you need to be in the mood for such and avant-garde performance art type of album.

Download Track 6 off her previous album

It's not for sale anywhere that I can find. Keep checking her website for updates

Review: Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary

Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary: Some of the songs are really good. Some of the songs are really boring. It has the potential to be a great, great album. Maybe it will grow on me, or maybe their next album will be better.

Stream Shine A Light and My Father's Son

Purchase for $10.27

Review: We Are Scientists - With Love And Squalor

We Are Scientists - With Love And Squalor: It triest to fire on all cylinders and be a pop-punky-indie band, but it just doesn't succeed. The singer's voice takes some getting used to and the songs are rather repititious.

Stream The Great Escape, Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt and It's A Hit

Purchase for $14.70 (it's only out in the UK)

Review: Various - This Bird Has Flown: A 40th Anniversary Tribute to The Beatles' Rubber Soul

Various - This Bird Has Flown: A 40th Anniversary Tribute to The Beatles' Rubber Soul: What would normally be a hit-and-miss affair of Beatles covers turns out to have far more hits than misses. There are, of course, misses, but not as many as you'd think. And I'd love for some of these artists to do an entire Beatles album (I'm looking at your Fiery Furnaces).

Stream clips from the entire album

Stream Ben Harper's Michelle

Stream Dar Williams' You Won't See Me

Stream Sufjan Stevens' What Goes On

Stream Ted Leo's I'm Looking Through You

Purchase for $12.99

Review: The Stone Roses - Ultimate Rarities

The Stone Roses - Ultimate Rarities: The Stone Roses is one of my top 10 albums of all time. Accordingly, they are almost the only band that can floor me with a collection of demos and practice sessions. If you're a big fan of their debut, you'll also enjoy it, but if you're only a casual fan don't waste the hard drive space.

The torrent is out there, but I couldn't find it

Item not officially released (with no plans on doing so)

Review: Renee Heartfelt - Death of a Ghost

Renee Heartfelt - Death of a Ghost: Featuring memebers of Count Me Out, American Nightmare and Striking Distance, you were expecting another hardcore album? Perhaps even a really good one? What you get, instead, is not quite melodic enough to be Melodic Rock and not hard enough to be Hard Rock, but rather something in the mediocre middle.

Stream Gratitude For as well as a few non-album tracks

Purchase for $9.78

Review: Ramallah - Kill A Celebrity

Ramallah - Kill A Celebrity: Very metallic and very bitter. It's got a little melodic edge to it this time around in the vein of White Trash Rob's other band Sinner and Saints. The album runs a little long and the debut EP is better, but if you enjoy lyrics like "I'd love to detonate a car bomb/ at the doors of your precious MTV/ and put some serin gas/ in the central A/C/ at the the VMAs/ and watch those beautiful faces turn ashen grey"

Stream the video from The Horror And The Gag

Download If I Die Today

Purchase for $10.49

Review: My Morning Jacket - Z

My Morning Jacket - Z: It doesn't feel as cohesive as it could be. All the pieces are there, but the end result lacks.

Stream Worldless Chorus and Off The Record

Purchase for $9.28

Review: Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan: A nice piece of history, but come on, like I'll put this in over Freewheelin' or Another Side? Right.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $7.99

Review: The Joggers - With a Cape and a Cane

The Joggers - With a Cape and a Cane: Solid indie-rock record with post-punk influences abounding. It's catchy enough, in its own special way, that you'll need to listen a few times.

Stream We've Been Talk Down To and Era Prison

Purchase for $10.49

Review: Animal Collective - Feels

Animal Collective - Feels: I've tried again to like the Collective and while I did enjoy this more than I did Sung Tongs, I still couldn't get into it. There were parts that I thought were really good, but there were parts I thought really bad. Whether this may even out (like Frances the Mute), I can't say for certain.

Stream the majority of the album

Purchase for $11.19

Review: The Mountain Goats - Protein Source of the Future...Now!

The Mountain Goats - Protein Source of the Future...Now!: It's obviously been recorded in his basement with mediocre equipment, evoking comparisons to Daniel Johnston and The Noisies. That aside, if you liked any of his other work, you won't be disappointed.

Download Love Cuts the Strings

Purchase for $13.00

Review: The Exit - Home For An Island

The Exit - Home For An Island: This record's been out for a year now and has just been re-released. The reason no one cared the first time around is because it's not very good. It's like they're holding back. They want to be this awesome guitar-rock band, but they hold back the guitars, settling for mediocrity.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $7.25

Review: Diamond Nights - Popsicle

Diamond Nights - Popsicle: After all the hype about their EP, I was suprised when I didn't even know that their full length had been released. And now that I've heard it, I know why.

Stream Destination Diamonds, The Girl's Attractive and Snakey Ruth

Purchase for $8.91

Review: The Clientele - Strange Geometry

The Clientele - Strange Geometry: Their name is The Clientele. The album title is Strange Geometry. The artwork on the album is of a train barelling accross the tracks in the distance on a dark moon-less night. So forgive me if I was expecting something a little, say, darker. What I got instead was an indie-pop that sounds like it was recorded at the end of a rainbow. A brutally honest rainbow.

Stream K Got Over Me and E.M.P.T.Y. (click on the album cover for Strange Geometry)

Purchase for $9.79

Review: Broken Social Scene - Bee Hives

Broken Social Scene - Bee Hives: Necessary only for those that must have every song BSS ever recorded. Otherwise, skip it, or listen to it once to say you've listened to it, but it's unlikely to get spins.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $8.70

Review: Arctic Monkeys - Demos/Beneath The Boardwalk

Arctic Monkeys - Demos/Beneath The Boardwalk: This much-buzzed about abound has only a single (that's gone number 1 in the UK) that's been officially released, but about 45 songs that are floating around on the internet. Musically danceable and lyrically unforgettable, they sound like a weird cross between the Stone Roses and the White Stripes. While it doesn't work all of the time, it works enough of the time that I'm very excited for an official LP.

Hodge-Podge of Tracks 1

Hodge-Podge of Tracks 2

Hodge-Podge of Tracks 3

Purchase the single I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor for $7.38

Review: Hudson Bell - When The Sun Is The Moon

Hudson Bell - When The Sun Is The Moon: It's a solid pop album with shoegaze elements, but there are better by both such corners out this year. Still, it deservers a few more spins before any real judgement can be passed.

Download Atlantis Night

Purchase for $10.49

Review: Field Notes - Color of Sunshine

Field Notes - Color of Sunshine: There's so much potential in this record that you want to walk away liking it. However, I felt like it need a kick in the pants as it's atmosphere or body was lacking in a lot of places.

Stream Sister Says and Who's Fooling Who

Purchase for $10.00

Review: The Orphan Project

The Orphan Project - The Orphan Project: Their One Sheet likens them to Jimmy Eat World, Thursday, Planes Mistaken for Stars and Boy Sets Fire. I can't disagree and fans of those bands will enjoy this band, but not as much as the others.

Stream a little bit of one of their songs

This release not currently available for purchase (that I could find)

Review: Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea

Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea: It's amazing when you're not current on bands, because NMH sounds like a rip-off of a bunch of bands around today. Until you realize that this album came out 7 years ago and those same bands you though they were ripping them off turn out to have ripped off NMH. If blogs were around 7 years ago, this would be 1998's Funeral or perhaps Blueberry Boat as the songs are quirky, yet poppy and all run together.

Stream Holland 1945

Purchase for $11.89

Review: Nada Surf - The Weight Is A Gift

Nada Surf - The Weight is a Gift: Instantly likable and accessible. This year's best indie-pop album.

Stream Do It Again

Purchase for $9.99

Review: Paul McCartney - Chaos and Creation in the Backyard

Paul McCartney - Chaos and Creation in the Backyard: If it wasn't Sir Paul, no one would care. If it wasn't Sir Paul, I'd like it better. Figure that one out.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $12.52

Review: Gang Of Four - Return The Gift

Gang Of Four - Return The Gift: I think I need to listen to Entertainment! again, because I certainly did not enjoy this.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $9.89

Review: Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better

Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better: ...than I, if you never listen to this album.

Stream a couple of tracks

Purchase for $10.12

Review: Calexico | Iron And Wine - In The Reins

Calexico | Iron And Wine - In The Reins: It's so good, but it's just not long enough.

Download Sixteen Maybe Less

Purchase for $6.84

Review: The Editors - The Back Room

The Editors - The Back Room: There's no denying they've been listening to Interpol, Joy Division and Echo and the Bunnymen more than casual fans. While this isn't a bad thing and they certainly aren't as good as those bands, they hold their ground. Still, later on, you'll find yourself putting Interpol into your CD player more often.

Stream Bullets and Munich

Purchase for $15.95

Review: Calla - Collisions

Calla - Collisions: Pretty cool for a track or two, then it gets lame as the tracks start to sound the same.

Stream It Dawned On Me and Initiate

Purchase for $10.75

Review: Devendra Banhart - Cripple Crow

Devendra Banhart - Cripple Crow: Rather underwhelming and forced.

Stream seven (of the 22) tracks

Purchase for $10.75

Review: Xiu Xiu - La Foret

Xiu Xiu - La Foret: Another follow-up, another disappointment. Le sigh.

Download Bog People

Purchase for $11.25

Review: Burning Star Core - The Very Heart of the World

Burning Star Core - The Very Heart of the World: Not only is this the worst album to come out this year, it's the worst album I've listened to this year.

Purchase for $12.00

Review: Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene

Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene: It's less instantly accessible than You Forgot It In People, but it's far more rewarding, with it's slightly-buried vocals and nearly-flawless production.

Download 7/4 Shoreline via Cloak and Dagger

Purchase for $10.19 (it used to be called that)

Review: Kanye West - Late Registration

Kanye West - Late Registration: Didn't wait for the hype to die down on this one and it suffers for it. The message is better and more thought out, but the production lacks more than Dropout and the delivery is under, well, delivered.

Stream Diamonds From Sierra Leone and Gold Digger

Purchase for $10.49

Review: Kanye West - The College Dropout

Kanye West - The College Dropout: Sometimes, it's good to let the hype of an album to die down before you end up listening to it. In spite of this, Kanye West delivers on most of the hype. There are obviously some tracks that fail in all regards and the skits are lame, as most rap skits are, but it still manages to deliver.

Stream about half the album

Purchase for $10.99

Review: Elbow - Leaders of the Free World

Elbow - Leaders of the Free World: Falling somewhere between the excellent Asleep in the Back and the decent Cast of Thousands. The problem with the this and the previous album is it's monotonous delivery. All the songs run together. Not to say it's bad, but it makes better background music than anything else.

Stream an acoustic version of the title track

Purchase for $11.85

Review: Various - Listen To Bob Dylan (Because He's Cool)

Various - Listen to Bob Dylan (Because He's Cool): You should in fact listen to Bob Dylan, because he is cool. But you should not listen to this tribute, because it is not. Bob Dylan is a very tough man to cover and few of these artists do an adequate job.

Stream the majority of the album

Purchase for $11.69

Review: Super Furry Animals - Love Kraft

Super Furry Animals - Love Kraft: Solid, if unspectacular, indie-pop that's a bit pyschadelic and a bit forgettable.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $9.99

Review: The Spill Canvas - One Fell Swoop

The Spill Canvas - One Fell Swoop: Despite their sometimes-sophmoric lyrics, this is not only one of the best comtemporarily 'emo' albums released in a long time, but also one of the best albums released this year.

Stream the vast majority of the entire album
Purchase for $10.89

Review: Skeletons and the Girl-Faced Boys - Git

Skeletons and the Girl-Faced Boys - Git: Uncompelling, electronic music with emotionally distant vocals.

Stream See The Way, Git and These Are Seagulls Who Live In Parking Lots
Download Git
Purchase for $13.00

Review: Shook Ones - Sixteen

Shook Ones - Sixteen: Ever wonder what Kid Dynamite would have sounded like had they been harder and less melodic? Neither had I. Until now.

Download Please Read

Purchase for $11.00

Review: Harvey Danger - Little By Little

Harvey Danger - Little By Little: Some of the finest guilt-free power-pop released in recent memory.

Download the entire album (torrent) in either mp3 or ogg (!)

Purchase the album in a variety of packages (Album, shirt, buttons, sticker for $24) (Album, buttons, sticker for $14) (Album and sticker for $12)

Review: Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star 4: From Fear Through The Eyes of Madness, Vol. 1

Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star 4: From Fear Through The Eyes of Madness, Vol. 1: I had the review all written in the event this CD was as good as it could be. That review will not be seen at this time.

Stream Welcome Home and The Suffering

Purchase for $11.98 (or $16.98 and get a shirt)

Purchase the Graphic Novel for $20.00 or the Novel and the CD for $25

Review: Leaves - The Angela Test

Leaves - The Angela Test: I fell like it?s 2002 again with all of these Britpop bands (Elbow, Coldplay, Leaves, Doves). And while the others listed turned in disappointing follow ups, Leaves has turned in the best. It's not spectacular, but it's not bad, nor (as is the case with the others) worse than the album proceeding it. If anything, they maintain what they had in Breathe.

Stream the entire album

Hold off on buying it until it's released in the States (unless you like paying import prices)

Review: Deahtray - Deathray

Deathray - Deathray: Cheesy, cheesy pop that sounds so fake.

Download Only Lies, 10:15 and Legionnaires In Doubt

Stream two minutes of My Lunatic Friends, Legionnairs In Doubt, Now That I Am Blind, Scott and This Time

Purchase for $10.97

Review: The Fiery Furnaces - Rehearsing My Choir

The Fiery Furnaces - Rehearsing My Choir: I like albums that tell a story. This is such an album. The problem is, it's a story with music in the background. There's a man (talking from the perspective of a woman) literally telling the story for much of the album. There are parts sung in the traditional manner, but even those parts sound like poor imitations of the Fiery Furnaces.

Download Seven Silver Curses

Purchase for $15.99 (get a limited edition 12" with purchase) (Code furnace15 will get you 15% off before October 8th)

Review: The Ramones - Weird Tales of the Ramones

The Ramoes - Weird Tales of the Ramones: There's only so much Ramones one man can take. And this three-disc set certainly pushed by the 34th (and final) track on Disc 1. It's great to have these songs, but I think I'll just make a nice 12-14 song Best Of myself (even if it means it's only 22 minutes).

Stream six tracks from the set

Purchase for $47.70

Review: Murphy's Law - Murphy's Law

Murphy's Law - Murphy's Law: I'd rather just listen to Black Flag.  
Stream Shut Up and What Will The Neighbors Think? 
Purchase on eBay

Review: Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill Acoustic

Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill Acoustic: It just changes the songs too much. They were such angry, impassioned songs that now lack the ability to stand on their own two legs. She should have performed them a la Dashboard Confessional in order to maintain the passion and emotion.

Stream Hand In My Pocket

Purchase for $11.03

Review: Mewithoutyou - Catch For Us The Foxes

Mewithoutyou – Catch For Us The Foxes: A great ‘punk’ album. Certainly influenced by the likes of Nirvana and Fugazi, but it’s got undertones that spread as far as Slint and the pAper chase. Solid effort that will receive repeat listens.

Stream Paper Hanger and January 1979

Purchase for $10.48

Review: Dredg - Catch Without Arms

Dredg - Catch Without Arms: With a pretty cool name, I was expecting better. What I got was 'woe is me' lyrics sung by a voice that has too much faux dramaticism and production that is helped too much by Pro Tools.

Stream Bug Eyes

Purchase for $7.54

Review: Doves x2

Doves - Lost Souls: Spacier and airier (is that a word?) than The Last Broadcast. Makes for an unfocused listen.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $10.35

Doves - Some Cities: Just going through the motions.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $11.03

Review: DangerDoom - The Mouse and the Mask

DangerDoom - The Mouse and the Mask: Any time MF Doom raps, it's going to be good. Danger Mouse has some good production skills and he is name dropped all over. Together, they make one of the best rap releases this year. Made even better if you like Adult Swim (which I don't and could have done without the skits).

Download Mice Meat

Album not out until October 11th and is not available for purchase yet

Review: Blood Brothers - Crimes

Blood Brothers - Crimes: The guy's got an annoying voice, but I can get used to that (and I did over the course of the CD). The production is a little slick. I remember listening to one of their earlier albums a while back, and never revisiting. While this one may fare the same fate, it's not because it's bad, but because it fails to be really good.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $10.00

Review: Against Me! - Searching For A Former Clarity

Against Me! - Searching For A Former Clarity: I'm searching for some clarity. After releasing a stupendous series of EPs, a tremendous LP and a pretty good LP, we get a horrendous LP. It's barely listenable, and certainly not tolerable. While the last LP grew on me, I don't forsee the same results. Not melodic, not catchy, not fun, no good.

Download Don't Lose Touch

Download Problems

Purchase for $9.79

Review: Bob Dylan x2

Bob Dylan - The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7: No Direction Home: The Soundtrack: While it's great to have these versions of songs and in such good fidelity, I'd rather have the complete recording sessions. Still, this will find lots of play in my already large Bob Dylan collection.

Purchase for $17.88

Bob Dylan - Live at the Gaslight 1962: The first purchase I have EVER made at Starbucks was this CD and a Pear Izze. Again, I'd rather the complete Gaslight tapes, but the fidelity is excellent. Only three originals detracts slightly.

Purchase for whatever your local Starbucks is charging

Review: Frantic Mantis - Data Is Not Information

Frantic Mantis - Data Is Not Information: The problem with bands like this, is they neglect to make a lasting impact on the listener.

Stream Mantis Rising, Creationg Sickness and OOCD

Purchase for $8.39

Review: Sigur Ros - Takk

Sigur Ros - Takk: The highs are so high, so grandiose, so magnificent. The lows aren't quite low, just pale in comparison, making for an uneven album.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $10.23

Review: Pink Floyd - The Wall

Pink Floyd - The Wall: Most of the songs are works of genius, but it just doesn't flow as an album as much as Dark Side, Animals and even Wish You Were Here (which I didn't enjoy). Still, it's Pink Floyd.

Stream clips of the entire album

Purchase for $19.95

Review: Dungen - Ta Det Lugnt

Dungen - Ta Det Lugnt: So fucking good.

Stream Panda and Du E För Fin För Mig

Download Panda

Purchase for $14.98 (worth every penny)

Review: Underdog - Vanishing Point

Underdog - Vanishing Point: Reggae sucks. Thus, mixing it with hardcore taints the hardcore. Still, reggae aside, it's not as good as other bands from the era.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $11.98 (backordered since 03.13.05)

Review: 86 Mentality - 86 Mentality/On The Loose

86 Mentality - 86 Mentality/On The Loose: Almost 20 years later, it sounds like it was from 1986. This is a good thing if you like '86 style hardcore.

Stream Chemical Threat

Purchase 86 Mentality for $5.25

Purchase On The Loose for $5.00 (both are currently out of stock)

Review: Clor - Clor

Clor - Clor: Rather abrasive and far too synthesizer-heavy. Wouldn't have surprised me if I found out Trent Reznor had produced this pop album.

Stream the video for Love + Pain

Purchase for $15.95

Review: Bold - The Search: 1985-1989

Bold - The Search: 1985-1989: It's cool to have all their songs on one CD, but the Speak Out tracks stand out and I could probably do with only those. And maybe the Crippled Youth songs, which are a cool novelty.

Stream a clip of Running Like Thieves

Purchase for $11.00

Review: Tim Hardin - 1/2

Tim Hardin - 1/2: Never heard of Tim Hardin. He's another lost singer-songwriter from the '60s and '70s. Mostly forgettable, but a few good songs. Black Sheep Boy is excellent and easily his best song.

Stream clips from his greatest hits

Purchase for whatever the highest bid is

Review: Thunderbirds Are Now! - Justamustache

Thunderbirds Are Now! - Justamustache: Eh. Something just didn't resonate. It's decent, but there are better bands doing the same thing.

Stream From: Skulls and Eat This City

Purchase for $10.75

Review: Swing Kids - Discography

Swing Kids - Discography: Excellent screamo band that's not as anthemic as I Hate Myself, but not cheesy like the current crop.

Stream El Camino Car Crash (click on Jukebox in the bottom left, scroll down to Swing Kids)

Purchase for $13.00

Review: Some Girls - The DNA Will Have Its Say

Some Girls - The DNA Will Have Its Say: Much more raw and agressive than their last effort, but still not compelling enough.

Stream I Need Drugs and A Sick Cult

Purchase for $7.00

Review: Beanie Sigel - The B. Coming

Beanie Sigel - The B. Coming: If hip-hop had more MCs like this in the mainstream, it would be taken much more seriously.

Stream Wanted (On The Run)

Stream clips from the rest of the album

Purchase for $9.99

Review: Pink Floyd - Animals

Pink Floyd - Animals: Cementing my opinion as one of the best bands ever (though I believe Wish You Were Here to be a tad overrated).

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $9.88

Review: One.Be.Lo - S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.

One.Be.Lo - S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.: The production is a little weak, but that's overcome by his skill.

Stream clips from about half the album

Purchase for $10.26

Review: New Buffalo - Last Beautiful Day

New Buffalo - Last Beautiful Day: It was just getting stale when it ended. Because it was only stale for about one song, it's a really good slowcore album.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $14.98

Review: Kano - Home Sweet Home

Kano - Home Sweet Home: A solid MC a little off the beaten path of hip-hop, but not far enough to be called avant-garde.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $19.96 (import, so wait till it gets released locally)

Review: Indian Summer - Discography

Indian Summer - Discography: Not as anthemic as I Hate Myself, but artier, so it works out. If you like good, quality screamo such as the aforementioned artist, check them out.

Download the entire album

Review: Heroin - Discography

Heroin - Discography: Less intensity and talent than Converge, but more tolerable.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $10.00

Review: Evergreen Terrace - Sincerity Is An Easy Disguise In This Business

Evergreen Terrace - Sincerity Is An Easy Disguise In This Business: Awesome at its more metallic, lame at its more melodic.

Stream clips from the entire album

Download New Friend Request

Purchase physically for $11.00 or digitally for $9.99

Review: Chiodos - All's Well That Ends Well

Chiodos - All's Well That Ends Well: Excited about this band after their EVR signing and the demo tracks I heard. Too bad they decided to change their sound from original to carbon copy.

One Day Women Will Become Monsters

Purchase for $10.00

Review: Bucket Full of Teeth - I, II and III

Bucket Full of Teeth - I, II and III: Dark, heavy, dense and sparse. Really, really cool band doing some good things. There's better, but not by much.

Download Selective Amnesia/These Frequencies Are Ours (not a clip, Selective Amnesia is 0:15 and the latter is 0:33 long)

Download Empy Dreams/Empty Face (same deal as above)

Download Basic Delusions/11302 (and again)

It's out of print, try eBay

Review: Magneta Lane - The Constant Lover

Magneta Lane - The Constant Lover: Very annoying female-fronted pop-rock band.

Stream The Constant Lover and Ugly Socialite

Purchase for $11.00 (Canadian)

Review: Diamond Nights - Once We Were Diamond

Diamond Nights - Once We Were Diamonds: A little gimmicky, but it succeeds. I don't know that it would do so if it were a full length, but as an EP, I'm impressed.

Download Destination Diamonds

Purchase for $3.90

Review: Kimya Dawson - Hidden Vagenda

Kimya Dawson - Hidden Vagenda: A little repetitious, but decent. Rilo Kiley does it better.

Stream Lullaby for the Taken

Purchase for $10.99

Review: The Lucksmiths - Warmer Corners

The Lucksmiths - Warmer Corners: Really good indie-pop. Didn't realize this band's been around forever, now I need to check out some of their back catalog.

Download A Hiccup In Your Happiness

Purchase for $10.00

Review: The Orange Peels - Circling The Sun

The Orange Peels - Circling The Sun: 'Safe' is how I would describe their brand of indie pop/rock, never seeming to be daring enough to venture anywhere near the sun.

Download Something In You (wma)

Download Long Cold Summer (wma)

Purchase for $10.00

Review: Assfactor 4 - Discography

Assfactor 4 - Discography: Missing what many consider their better album, but consisting of just about everything else, I figured this would be a great way to try and get into the band. And while that may be true for those who like chaotic screamo and songs that sound like the previous one, it didn't work out so well for me.

Purchase their two LPs for $6.99 total

Review: Various - Now That's What I Call Indie Covers! Volume 1

Various - Now That's What I Call Indie Covers! Volume 1: Excellent idea. Wish they were studio versions as some of the live recordings are very poor in the quality department.

Download the entire album

Internet-only compilation. Not for sale.

Review: The Forecast - Late Night Conversations

The Forecast - Late Night Conversations: Whiny boy/girl emo. The latter of which 'sounds like a smurf'.

Stream These Lights and Fade In, Fade Out

Stream These Lights and Heart Healthy

Stream clips from the entire album

Download These Lights

Purcahse for $8.99

Review: Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock & Roll

Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock & Roll: All style, no substance.

Download Good Weekend

Purchase for $18.85

Review: Coheed and Cambria - Live at the Starland Ballroom

Coheed and Cambria - Live at the Starland Ballroom: Not the best recorded live album I've heard, but it's sufficient. Most of the songs contain the requisite extra 'crunchiness' from being a live show. In the end, it succeeds because it makes the listener jealous for not being in attendance.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase from Sony for $14.98

Purchase from DeepDiscountDVD for $11.96 (no shipping)

Review: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: This year's 'it' band. And for good reason. While not without its faults, there is huge potential for this band and its future recordings. Arcade Fire meets Bloc Party

Download In This Home On Ice

Download Upon This Tidal Wave In Young Blood

Download Over And Over Again (Lost And Found)

Purchase for $11.99

Review: Cloud Cult - Advice From The Happy Hippopotamus

Cloud Cult - Advice From The Happy Hippopotamus: I have the hardest time reviewing bands like this, because there's no feasible way to judge it accurately on the first listen. There's a lot of promise, but it could easily be redundant. Only further listening will yield a decision. I will say, that rhyming 'hippopotamus' with 'mattress' is pretty lame. Couldn't it have been 'hippo' and 'pillow'?

Download Living On The Outside Of Your Skin

Download Car Crash

Purchase for $14.00

Review: Jason Collett x2

Jason Collett - More Motel Love Songs: Forgettably inconsistent singer-songwriter.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $10.74

Jason Collett - Idols Of Exile: Forgettably more consistent singer-songwriter.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $20.69 (not a typo, it's not released in the States yet and thus this is an import)

Billy Corgan - TheFutureEmbrace

Billy Corgan - TheFutureEmbrace: I had little faith, but it was rather enjoyable. Could have done without the cover and it could have been a touch shorter.

Stream Mina Loy (MOH), All Things Change and TheCameraEye

Purchase for $11.03

Review: Crooked Fingers

Crooked Fingers - Dignity And Shame: Solid singer-songwriter, adult-contemporary type album.

Stream You Must Build A Fire, Twilight Creeps and Sleep All The Summer

Download Dignity And Shame

Purchase for $12.98

Review: The Evens - The Evens

The Evens - The Evens: Post-punk goes acoustic, and no one would care if Mr. Fugazi weren't involved.

Download All These Govenors

Purchase for $7.22

Review: Fall Out Boy - Take This To Your Grave

Fall Out Boy - Take This To Your Grave: New Found Glory meets Saves the Day (first two albums) with an equally annoying voice that takes some getting used to.

Stream either clips or the full songs fromt the entire album (must have Windows) Music & Video -> Discography -> Take This To Your Grave

Purchase for $7.59

Review: Judge - What Was Meant

Judge - What Was Meant (Discography): Not quite a discography, missing two demo tracks available only on vinyl. That aside, I never realized just how heavy they became. If you've heard Judge before, you know if you like it. If you've never heard Judge before, but think you might want to, this is a single disc collection of (virtually) everything they recorded.

Stream a clip of Where It Went

Purchase for $11.00

Review: Longwave - There's A Fire

Longwave - There's A Fire: Mediocre guitar-pop. Nothing special, a few tracks are good.

Download There's A Fire

Purchase for $7.99

Review: Low - The Great Destroyer

Low - The Great Destroyer: New fans will be found, but old fans will still enjoy, for it's their best work yet.

Stream the video for The Monkey

Purchase for $10.12

Review: Mental - Planet Mental

Mental - Planet Mental: Despite the hype, I was expecting just another hardcore record. What I got was a progressive hardcore record that will rival Bane's The Note for Hardcore Album of the Year.

Download Earthlings

Purchase for $9.79

Review: Dressy Bessy - Electrified

Dressy Bessy - Electrified: Despite only reading the headlines concerning the piece NPR did comparing this band to Coldplay, I knew I had to get a hold of their newest album. Next time, I know not to listen to NPR. Not only do they not sound like Coldplay, they are a terrible band. It's like a bad version of The Donnas meets a more annoying version of Sheryl Crow.

Download Side 2

Purchase for $15.98

Review: Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy

Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy: Kind of like a less-weird Beck. Like Beck, some of it works, some of it doesn't.

Download For Real

Download Black

Purchase for $12.00

Review: Archer Prewitt - Wilderness

Archer Prewitt - Wilderness: Chameleonic array of voices and styles. One minute, he sounds like George Harrison, the next, Bob Dylan. Later on, Robert Plant or Burt Bacharach. The entire album, however, feels lonely and barren, but it still manages to succeed.

Stream clips of Leaders, O,KY and Cheap Rhyme

Purchase for $15.50

Review: Say Anything - Say Anything Is A Real Boy

Say Anything - Say Anything Is A Real Boy: Alluring and disturbing. Alluring, because it's a different take on the Agressive Emo formula, but disturbing in it's inability to be a quality effort. The vocal harmonies are cool, but get tiresome. Still, A for effort.

Stream Belt, Woe, Alive With The Glory Of Love and Slowly, Through A Vector

Purchase for $12.00

Review: Sufjan Stevens - Come On, Feel The Illinoise

Sufjan Stevens - Come On, Feel the Illinoise: Progressive. Folky. Whimsical. Good. All words to describe this album. While listening, I kept asking myself when I never revisited Michigan or Seven Swans. Surely, there's a reason, but one that has thus far escaped me.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $11.03

Review: World Leader Prented - Punches

World Leader Pretend - Punches: Initially brought to my attention as a cross between REM and Radiohead. After listening, I'm not sure I wouldn't have come to the same conclusion.

Stream Bang Theory, Punches and Tit For Tat

Purchase for $10.26

Review: Blind Willie McTell - Complete Recorded Works, Volumes 1-3, 1927-1931, 1931-1933 and 1933-1935, respectively

Blind Willie McTell - Complete Recorded Works, Volumes 1-3, 1927-1931, 1931-1933 and 1933-1935, respectively: More like 1930s pop than blues (though it's unmistakably bluesy), it wasn't what I expected. Nor is it something I plan to listen to, but it is something I plan to reference.

Stream clips from Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3

Purchase Volume 2 and Volumes 1 and 3

Review: The Beatles - Revolved

The Beatles - Revolved: Another classic album butchered for the sake of being trendy. No more mash-ups please. And, no, I won't be downloading any more either.

Download the entire album (torrent)

This item is a bootleg and has not been mass produced. So, if you want to buy a copy, go buy The Beatles Revolver and all of the other albums which contain the songs found here. Then, download the torrent, burn a copy and you can feel good about yourself for not supporting piracy.

Review: Alfie - If You Happy With, You Need Do Nothing

Alfie - If You Happy With, You Need Do Nothing: Trying to rip off all the great British bands (Radiohead, Coldplay, Doves, Elbow) is one way to get you noticed, but no guarantee to make you good.

Stream the album in its entirety

Purchase for $12.52

Review: The Mosquitos - Sunshine Barato

The Mosquitos - Sunshine Barato: Beach music that quickly wears thin.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $11.03

Review: Moonbabies - The Orange Billboard

Moonbaies - The Orange Billboard: Better than June And Novas, but still not something that resonates.

Stream Sun AM

Purchase for $11.03

Review: Kenna - New Sacred Cow

Kenna - New Sacred Cow: One of the albums that starts off as a cool concept, but gets very tiresome.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $8.79

Review: Jeniferever - Chronicles Of Omega/Iris

Jeniferever - Chronicles Of Omega/Iris: Marring beautiful instrumentation with such poorly delivered vocals is a crime.

Download You Only Move Twice

Download For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky

Purchase Iris for $9.70

Chronicles of Omega is no longer for sale, but you can try eBay

Review: Various - Lost In Translation Soundtrack

Various - Lost In Translation: Various layers and textures make for a damn good album on its own. Add that to the fact that the movie is awesome, and you've got a complete package.

Stream a bit of the album from the movie's official website

Purchase for $11.03

Review: Simply Waiting - Cutting Ties

Simply Waiting - Cutting Ties: Acoustic emo that fails to have any of the passion or intensity a Chris Carrabba conveys.

Stream most of the album (as well as a few tracks from other releases)

Purchase for $6.00

Review: Yesterday's New Quintet - Angles Without Edges

Yesterday's New Quintet - Angles Without Edges: I never thought I'd like an album with only beats, but here I am, really liking an album with only beats. Of course, it's fitting that all of the beats are jazz-based.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $13.03

Review: Wire x2

Wire - Pink Flag: Saw their name come up simultaneously and a few messageboards and blogs, so I decided to investigate. While it's good, it's nothing not explored by Mission Of Burma.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $10.99

Wire - Chairs Missing: Slightly more angular than their previous album, but still nothing spectacular.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $10.99

Review: Radiohead - Kid A

Radiohead - Kid A: It took me 6 years to like OK Computer (and 6 days to love it). I suspect that it will take at least 12 years for me to like this less-accessible album.

Stream/Download Everything In It's Right Place

Purchase for $12.88

Review: David Pajo - Pajo

David Pajo - Pajo: With the reformation of Slint, is this even worth the listen? Well, I decided to find out. While I've listened to two of his other albums (under the 'guise' of the M moniker), I didn't enjoy them. This is better, just not something worthwhile. When's Slint gonna hit the studio?

Stream the video for High Lonesome Moan

Purchase for $12.00

Review: MF Doom Is Viktor Vaughn - Vaudeville Villain

MF Doom Is Viktor Vaughn - Vaudeville Villain: Extremely compelling, hook-free hip-hop. It's about as good as rap can be.

Stream clips of four tracks

Purchase for $14.00

Review: The Explosion - Black Tape

The Explosion - Black Tape: I wasn't expecting perfection after releasing what I consider to be a seminal punk albums. I was expecting something good if not really good. What I got was crap. C-R-A-P Oh, and the 'cover' of No Revolution (their own song) is a pitiful and ineffective way to retain the audience you so carefully chose to leave behind.

Stream I Know (as well as other songs from previous releases)

Purchase for $9.03

Review: Dropkick Murphys x2

Dropkick Murphys - Singles Collection, Vol. 2: Had forgotten that they could still write a damn fine tune. Doesn't work as an album, but it's a nice collection of rarities that would otherwise be difficult to obtain.

Stream Pipebomb On Landsdowne (Dance Remix)

Purchase for $11.03

Dropkick Murphys - The Warrior's Code: Leaps and bounds better than their last outing, but they couldn't have gone much further down. Falls somewhere between The Gang's All Here and Sing Loud, Sing Proud.

Stream The Auld Triangle

Purchase for $9.72

Review: Dogs Die In Hot Cars - Please Describe Yourself

Dogs Die In Hot Cars - Please Describe Yourself: I tried so hard, but I couldn't get past the guy's voice.

Stream Lounger (click on Media->Audio)

Purchase for $8.44

Review: The Dead 60s - The Dead 60s

The Dead 60s - The Dead 60s: The only relation this band has to the 60s is in name only. Otherwise, it's a piss-poor modern-age new wave rip off.

Stream Riot Radio

Purchase for $9.45

Review: Anger Regiment - Aces And Eights

Anger Regiment - Aces And Eigts: Another unnecessary addition to the annals of hardcore music.

Download Empty

Purchase for $7.99

Review: Amusement Parks On Fire - Amusement Parks On Fire

Amusement Parks On Fire - Amusement Parks On Fire: One part post-rock, one part shoegaze, two parts loud. The best part is that all four parts work so well together, making for a magnificent album.

Stream a bunch of live tracks and videos

Purchase for $10.26

Review: Beck - Guero

Beck - Guero: I guess I'm not cool enough to 'get' Beck.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $10.77

Review: Tsar - Band-Girls-Money

Tsar - Band-Girls-Money: It's a fun record, but nothing spectacular. Kinda reminds me of a cross between The Kaiser Chiefs and The Hives.

Stream clips (I think, I can't get it to work) from the entire album

Download Band-Girls-Money

Purchase for $8.99

Review: Architecture In Helsinki - In Case We Die

Architecture In Helsinki - In Case We Die: Bunky done well or The Fiery Furnaces done poorly. Take your pick.

Stream clips of the entire album

Purchase for $11.06

Review: Various - Six Feet Under: Everything Ends

Various - Six Feet Under: Everything Ends: Exactly what it needs to be; a collection of songs that fit perfectly with the mood and tempo of the show. For fans of the show, you can picture a scene featuring each song. For non-fans, if you like the feeling this collection delivers, you should check out the show.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $11.98

Review: Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded

Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded: A friend of mine and I once joked that the only criteria for being considered a rap album was that you had to mention your name, your producers name or your album title in a song that wasn't the title track. Well, this one takes the cake. KRS-One never lets you forget who's rhyming, nor that Scott La Rock is behing the turntables. Still, if you can get beyond that (and some of the obtrustive beats), you will be rewarded with a fine rap album and one that doesn't get enough recognition, even among purists. Perhaps it's because KRS-One went on to do much better, something I plan on finding out.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $7.99

Review: Eric B. and Rakim

Eric B and Rakim - Paid In Full: MTV recently named this the greatest rap album of all time. While I don't think that's the case, it's got to be in the top 10. Recorded during the first golden age of rap (late '80s), it features *gasp* a rapper rapping and a DJ (what we would now call a producer) mixing on turntables. It sounds a little dated, but is made up for by how solid it still is, all this time later.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $7.59

Review: At The Drive-In - Anthology: This Station Is Non-Operational

At The Drive-In - Anthology: This Station is Non-Operational: I can't speak for this retrospective's effectiveness in attempting to sew up all the loose ends in the ATDI catalog. I can say, however, that each cut is extremely solid on its own, but fails to work together as a work (not that it was meant to). Ranging from straight-forward punk to art-funk-prog rock you really get to experience the gamut of their dimensions and can see the groundwork for their later projects (Mars Volta and Sparta).

Stream clips from the entire album

Download Chanbara

Download Non-Zero Possibility

Purchase for $14.00

Review: Audioslave - Out Of Exile

Audioslave - Out Of Exile: All of the positive press surrounding this album seemed to focus on how they finally seemed like a band as opposed to the two bands they originate from. What they fail to mention was how painful this new band was to listen to.

Stream Be Yourself and Your Time Has Come (oh, and you can watch the videos, too)

Purchase for $10.40

Review: Common - Be

Common - Be: What could have been the rap album of the year is ruined by Kanye West's obtrusive beats. They're load, obnoxious and get in the way of Common's words and his delivery. Somebody grab the acapella and do some new beats so I can listen to it a lot more.

Stream (most of) the entire album

Purchase for $11.60

Review: The Game - The Documentary

The Game - The Documentary: Is at least as good as all the hype suggested. Good beats, good rhymes, very solid and consistent. If there's a fault, it's that he mentions Tupac, Biggie, Eazy E, Left-Eye, Aaliyah, et al far too much.

Watch the video for Dreams or stream Hate It Or Love It

Purchase for $11.99

Review: Bear Quartet - Cosy Den

Bear Quartet - Cosy Den: This is only the third shoegaze album I've liked, yet I already feel saturated.

Stream Mom And Dad and Old Friends (Non-album specific)

Purchase for $13.25

Review: Gang Of Four - Entertainment!

Gang of Four - Entertainment!: I'm glad I listened to Bloc Party first, because it allows me to enjoy this much more than if I had listened to this first.

Stream the entire album (click on "Listen to the entire album, Entertainment! (Remastered & Expanded)")

Purchase for $10.69

Review: Gorillaz - Demon Days

Gorillaz - Demon Days: I really enjoyed their self-titled affair back in 2001, but I don't think I've listened to it since. And while I tried to get into G-Sides and Laika Come Home, I could not do so. But here is an album that I can listen to beginning to end. It's very laid back and while each song is certainly independent, the entire album feels cohesively the same.

Stream Feel Good Inc., Every Planet I Reach is Dead and November Has Come

Purchase for $11.99

Review: Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me

Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me: I mean, it's pretty good, but five stars? Give me a break. It's three and a half, max. Of course, that's historical significance aside, which I have no business being the judge of this time around.

Stream clips from the entire album

Buy it for 10.75

Review: The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday

The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday: The lyrics are delivered exactly the same on each song, making for a boring album.

Download Your Little Hoodrat Friend

Buy for 10.56

Review: Hi-Tek - Hi-Teknology

Hi-Tek - Hi-Teknology: A few songs are really good, though the album as a whole falls short of being called good.

Stream clips from the entire album

Buy it for 11.37

Review: Madlib - Blunted In The Bomb Shelter Mix

Madlib - Blunted In The Bomb Shelter Mix: The closest a reggae-based album will over come to being tolerable.

Download clips from half the album

Buy

Review: Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger

Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger: There's an excellent EP worth of music hear. That being said, the entire album plays a little long (all 35 minutes of it). Musically, they fit somewhere between The Futureheads (sans vocal harmonies) and Franz Ferdinand (but more danceable).

Stream the entire album

and buy it digitally

or physically

Review: Foo Fighters - In Your Honor

Foo Fighters - In Your Honor: Disc 1 (Rock) is vintage Foo. Slightly better than One By One, but still with a few songs that don't really work. The payoff for this album is Disc 2 (Acoustic), which is really, really good. I'm sure it will get more spins in my player than the Disc 1. It just seems more honest and there's not a whole lot of over-production (something that plagued both Disc 1 and One By One).

Stream In Your Honor and No Way Back

Buy for 11.88

Review: Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral: The word 'grating' frequently popped into my head during listening.

Stream clips from the entire album

Buy

Review: Oasis - Don't Believe The Truth

Oasis - Don't Believe The Truth: Another solid album that's not going to change the world and is unlikely to get many spins.

Stream Lyla

Buy