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