Review: Playwrights - English Self-Storage:

Upon first listen, it falls somewhere between Fugazi and Franz Ferdinand on the post-punk scale. Leans a little more heavily to Fugazi, but has some of the pop sensibility (but very little of angular guitar attack) of Franz.

Stream some samples of a few tracks

Purchase for $10.43

Review: Hayseed Dixie - A Hot Piece Of Grass:

Upon first listen, it's like Devil Went Down To Georgia-esque country-rock with covers of Led Zeppelin, Motorhead and Green Day, among others and in addition to some originals. Covers are worth the price of admission.

Download Holiday

Purchase for $13.26

Spam Blog

So Blogger thought this was a spam blog and had to investigate it yesterday, which is why there was no post. They've put it on the 'whitelist' so that it won't be investigating again, which means now would be the perfect time to make a spam blog.

Review: Get Up Kids - Something To Write Home About:

Upon first listen I felt as though I cheated, listening to their first and third albums before this, giving me vast amounds of insight into their sound.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $11.54

Review: Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood:

It's kind of like Rabbit Fur Coat, only done well.

Download Star Witness

Purchase for $9.72

Review: Voices and Organs - The Orphanage

Voices and Organs - The Orphanage: It still amazes me how some bands call what they make music as opposed to what it really is, boring noise collages.

Download clips for a couple of tracks

Purchase for $11.19

Review: The Promise Ring - 30 Degrees Everywhere

The Promise Ring - 30 Degrees Everywhere: Quintessentially emo, but a bit more rough. I have a feeling they followed it up with a great album, but this one falls a bit short.

Download Red Paint

Purchase for $9.48

Sound The Alarm

Saves The Day's new album, Sound The Alarm, has leaked.

Review: Mogwai - Mr. Beast

Mogwai - Mr. Beast: I've listened to all of their album, but I've never been impressed with Mogwai. Until now. While I liked (a lot) some (if not most) of the songs, I didn't like the entire album, but there's enough to bring me back at least a few more times.

Download Folk Death '95

Purchase for $11.19

Dylan Still Touring

Updated tour dates here, including a 05.05.06 date in Atlanta.

Review: Liar's Drum's Not Dead

Liars - Drum's Not Dead: No rmally, I don't go for the drone-heavy type of music, but the first few tracks of this are 'turn it up to 11' quality. The latter half of the disc wasn't as interesting (or as loud), but I have a feeling I'll end up getting into it.

Download and stream a ton of music and videos

Purchase for $12.99

Review: Janis Ian - Folk Is The New Black

Janis Ian - Folk Is The New Black: "Folk is the new black/cheaper than crack and you don't have to cook/download it and see/first time is free, then you'll be hooked/we'll be singing hootenanny songs/long after rock and roll is gone/better than crack - folk is the new black"

Download The Great Divide

Download Folk Is The New Black

Purchase for $9.99

Review: The Loved Ones - The Loved Ones/Keep Your Heart

The Loved Ones - The Loved Ones/Keep Your Heart: There's plenty of boring rock on commercial radio, so there's no sense in occupying some of the independent music scene.

Stream Suture Self and Breathe In

Purchase the EP for $7

Purcahse Keep Your Heart for $9.76

Kenotia

In preparation for the Week Proposal Reunion Show, I bring forth Kenotia (http://www.myspace.com/kenotia).

Review: Half-Handed Cloud - Halos and Lassos

Half-Handed Cloud - Halos and Lassos: A bit of an annoying voice for an album all about religion makes for a very long listen.

Download Feed Your Sheep A Burning Lamp

Purchase for $10.49

Review: The Get Up Kids - Four Minute Mile

The Get Up Kids - Four Minute Mile: Admittedly, I always judged this band (specifically their first two albums) by the people who liked them. While I fell in love with On A Wire (and took a pass on Guilt Show), I never journeyed to their roots. I wish I had done so sooner. It's more raw than Saves The Day, but poppier than Lifetime, seeming to bridge the gap from a thousand miles away.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $10.85

Review: Figurines - Skeleton

Figurines - Skeleton: Poppy without being cheesy and artsy without being avante garde, this albums treads a fine line of supersaturation on just about every base it attempts to cover.

Download The Wonder

Download Rivalry

Purchase for $10

Review: The Essex Green - Cannibal Sea

The Essex Green - Cannibal Sea: I'm not usually a fan of both a male and a female singer in a band, especially in the same song, but The Essex Green make it happen and deliver another solid batch of pop/rock tunes.

Download Don't Know Why (You Stay)

Purchase for $10.49

Review: Cracker - Greatest Hits Redux

Cracker - Greatest Hits Redux: I can honestly say that I didn't know who Cracker was until the other day. After listening to the album, I of course recognized Low and a few others, but had never put a name to the songs. But anyways, this reworking of some of Cracker's greatest hits (to combat Virgin Records' own release of greatest hits released on the same day and without band input) is a great collection for the new fan. It's traditional rock done right and refreshing to hear in a musical climate of oddness.

Download Low

Purchase for $11.42

Review: Chas Mtn - Hugs

Chas Mtn - Hugs: Of the sixteen tracks, there are about six actual songs. The rest just seem to be foundations for songs yet to be made. Because of so few songs, the album is inconsistent and had to get enjoy.

Stream Fly Over The City, Deep Safety and Leveled Mez

Purchase for $11.19 (out April 25)

Review: Rival Schools - Unreleased Album

Rival Schools - Unreleased Album: With a catalog of unreleased material for Mr. Schriefels it's hard to keep up. That's why I was surprised to find out that there was an unreleased Rival Schools album, and it that it's scheduled to get released this year. The songs represented here are more like demos and difficult to judge, but lack some of the catchiness and firmness on their debut. Still, here's hoping the the finished product lives up to the potential.

Download the entire album

Not for sale...yet

Review: Rilo Kiley - Live At Fingerprints

Rilo Kiley - Live At Fingerprints: The only disappointing part of this album is the lack of crowd noise. For a live album, you'd expect a little bit more, especially at a Rilo Kiley show.

Download some bootlegged live shows

Purchase for $7.99

Review: Quasi - When The Going Gets Dark

Quasi - When The Going Gets Dark: Imagine if Piebald made a darker, artsier album and it was good.

Stream The Rhino

Purchase for $11.19

Review: Ashley MacIsaac - Pride

Ashley MacIsaac - Pride: Sounding like a poppier version of Saul Williams (at times) this album is confusing as it transverses a lot of different terrain. Overall though, the songs are a bit repetitive but it manages to succeed.

Download Bitch

Download Just Because

Download Hey Alright

Purchase for $9.79