Review: Spoon - Telefono/Soft Effects:

Upon first listen I can't believe how much I liked this album and EP. This is the thrid time I've tried to get into Spoon, but the first successful one. It's so raw, so passionate and all around fun.

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Review: Shapes and Sizes - Shapes and Sizes:

Upon first listen I wanted to pan this album all the way up until track 7 or so, but all of a sudden, I started to really enjoy it. Can't wait to listen to it again.

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Review: Scritti Politti - White Bread Black Bear:

Upon first listen it sounds like some weird mix of Adult Contemporary and a children's album, leaving me scratching my head and questioning a great deal of bloggers and press that I respect.

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Review: Peaches - Impeach My Bush:

Upon first listen it's obscene, gratuitous, over the top and downright raunchy. Meaning that it's bound to find a devoted cult following but will never appeal to the masses at large.

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Review: My Brightest Diamond - Bring Me The Workhorse:

Upon first listen I love her voice, but can't seem to get into the album.

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Review: Lambchop - Damaged:

Upon first listen I found it frustratingly dull. This despite my previous thoughts that an album may be a better way of experiencing the band.

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Review: I Love You But I've Chose Darkness - Fear Is On Our Side:

Upon first listen I liked it, but was expecting greatness.

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Review: Centro-Matic - Fort Recovery:

Upon first listen it manages once again to miss its mark. I don't doubt the quality of the songwriting on behalf of Will Johnson, but the delivery of this outfit has never garnered much attention from me.

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Review: Ani Difranco - Reprieve:

Upon first listen I wasn't as immediately impressed by this album as I was from her Carnegie Hall disc (presumable due to the fact that the Carnegie disc ran more like a greatest hits collection), but still find enough to keep my coming back for more.

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Review: Dashboard Confessional - Dusk and Summer:

Upon first listen you can hear the collective shrug of shoulders from the previously ravenous fanbase Mr. Confessional has built up over the years. This is because he fails to deliver anything that resembles (voice aside) his past glories. Instead, we are left with his attempt to sound like U2 while singing of the same broken relationship(s).

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Review: Thom Yorke - The Eraser:

Upon first listen it was a bit better than I expected, especially the back half. It'll whet your appetite for a new (and last?) Radiohead album, but it most likely won't see regular rotation.

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Review: White Whale - WWI:

Upon first listen I gather that it's a concept album of sorts. Sadly, it didn't grab my attention enough and while it was good, I'll more than likely skip over it when looking for something to listen to.

Stream Nine Good Fingers, What's An Ocean For and The Admiral

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Review: Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped:

Upon first listen I was rather suprised. If Mission of Burma hadn't released a new record this year, this would certainly be my favorite post-punk-esque record of the year.

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Review: Smoosh - Free To Stay:

Upon first listen it's certainly a more refined effort than their debut, but their astonishing age isn't enough to push this album towards greatness.

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Review: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium:

Upon first listen I was rather impressed by each disc, independent of each other. However, when played back to back, it gets a bit long. Perhaps they should have taken a lesson from System of a Down and released two albums in the same calendar year (and consquently gotten two number one records).

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Amputechture

Leaked.

Review: Mojave 3 - Puzzles Like You:

Upon first listen it's pretty decent sunshine-pop. Not going to change the world, but decent enough.

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Review: Glenn Kotche - Mobile:

Upon first listen I recalled a Tales From The Crypt episode in which there was a rather large Q-Tip became enlodged in a man's ear. I was filled with jealousy.

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Review: Keane - Under The Iron Sea:

Upon first listen I had a review for this written. Until Pitchfork said it better.

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Review: Brian Eno and David Byrne - My Life In The Bush Of Ghost:

Upon first listen I was extremely bored.

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Review: Beirut - Gulag Orkestar:

Upon first listen it's just OK. I can hear the Neutral Milk Hotel influence, but I think it's an album that commands more listens to be judged fairly.

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Review: Amadou & Mariam - Dimanche A Bamako:

Upon first listen I usually enjoy music in other languages, but found it difficult to get into an album that is so lyrically based.

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