Review: Cities - Cities

Cities - Cities: Debut album from this Radiohead sound-alike provides the foundation for what is sure to be future greatness. Not to say that this disc is somehow poor or inferior to future work, just that it's not all that it could be.

Stream A Theme and Cancer

Download A Theme

Album out April 18th on Yep-Roc Records

Review: Belle And Sebastian - Push Barman To Open Old Wounds

Belle And Sebastian - Push Barman To Open Old Wounds: This 2 disc collection of non-album tracks quickly wears thin despite some of its excellent tracks. And it's not as if this is a Belle and Sebastian thing, but 2 discs worth of material is a bit much for most artists to succeed with.

Stream clips from the entire first disc

Stream clips from the entire second disc

Purcahse for $12.14

Review: Man Man - Six Demon Bag

Man Man - Six Demon Bag: Good enough to enjoy, annoying enough to never listen to.

Download Van Helsing Boombox (Media)

Purchase for $11.19

Review: Antlerand - Branches

Antlerand - Branches: The minimally-adorned packaging lends no clue to what lies beneath, which is certainly a good thing as there are no predictions as to the albums sound. So, when the disc is finally inserted, you are blown away by how great it is. The first half, at least, is very strong, poppy, but instrumental like post-rock. The back half is where things begin to falter as it's more of the latter and just didn't live up to what the first half sets up. Overall, it's a good album, but could have been great.

Download Brighter Rays/Goddamn Your Energy

Now It's A Year (Going On Six Years)

Purchase for $10.00

Review: Jesu - Jesu

Jesu - Jesu: My obsession with post-rock a few years ago (wow, it's been a few years already) has ruined the vast majority of future 'post' endeavors, including the cool new post-metal. As such, I find all of these albums to be boring and uninteresting, despite the concept to be exciting and interesting.

Stream Tired Of Me

Purchase for $10.00

Review: Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies

Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies: Sparse musical arrangements accentuate Bowie-esque vocals making for an enjoyable and unique album that requires more than just one listen.

Download European Oils

Purchase for $10.49

Review: Coldcut - Sound Mirrors

Coldcut - Sound Mirrors: Essentially, an electronic outfit with guest singers, the electronic aspect of which is unappealing, but there are some tracks on here that are highly enjoyable.

Stream Sound Mirrors

Purchase for $11.19

Review: Belle And Sebastian - The Life Pursuit

Belle And Sebastian - The Life Pursuit: For me, Belle and Sebastian has always been an intimidating band. They have routinely received such grandiose amounts of praise that they surely could not live up to it. So, with hesitation and an open mind, I popped the disc in. Belle and Sebastian proceeded to deliver on every wonderful thing I had ever read or heard. In hindsight, this is allegedly a 'different' album for the band, but it's spectacular. Imagine listening to the Scissor Sisters cover the Shins.

Download Another Sunny Day

Check out the contest to sing with the band on stage in Seattle

Purchase the CD/DVD package for $12.99

Review: Various - London: Original Motion Picture (Featuring Original Score By The Crystal Method)

Various - London- Original Motion Picture (Featuring Original Score By The Crystal Method): The title is a bit misleading, containing mostly Crystal Method tracks, but a few others too. And it's a score, which means it was made to be accompanied by a movie. As a score, it probably succeeds, but as an album, it fails to deliver. Unless you're a Crystal Method fan.

Download Smoked

Purchase for $10.26

Review: Sing Sing - And I

Sing Sing - And I: Wow, this was really, really good, overproduction aside.

Stream Come(,) Sing Me A Song, Lover And Mister Kadali

Purchase for $9.99

Review: His Name Is Alive - Detrola

His Name Is Alive - Detrola: I recently came into the posession of an alarm clock that plays CDs to wake you up, which is perfect for me. I would hesitate to pop this disc in the day before an important event, for fear it wouldn't wake me up (at least until track 7 or 8). And this is not because it's boring, but rather because it's really well timed and enjoyable. Some really good 'chill' music to put on the background and just enjoy.

Download Get Your Curse [On (Summer Left Your Heart Behind)]

Purchase for $10.59

Review: Hamell On Trial - Songs For Parents Who Enjoy Drugs

Hamell On Trial - Songs For Parents Who Enjoy Drugs: It would be impossible for me not to compare this to the Noisies. Like the Noisies, much of songs are tongue-in-cheek tirades, but the subject matter differs as Hamell is certainly going through a mid-life crisis of sorts, having had his/their first child. It becomes necessary to reconcile his sordid path with the lessons the child must now be taugh. At the end (as he says in the first, and funniest, track) he gives up and says "fuck it".

Download Inquiring Minds (the aformentioned track)

Download Heat

Purchase for $12.25 (out 02.07.06)

Review: Eef Barzelay - Bitter Honey

Eef Barzelay - Bitter Honey: Sounding a bit like Jeff Mangum in this solitary setting, Eef (of Clem Snide fame) turns out an album that is so true to its title. The music is sweet, but the lyrics are bizarre and smirk-worthy.

Download Ballad of Bitter Honey (and you'll understand)

Purchase for $9.09

Review: Paint It Black - Paradise

Paint It Black - Paradise: Their no-frills approach to hardcore is the same reason that this disc is a breathe of fresh air and a disc that does little to separate itself from the legions of hardcore bands. Talk about a catch 22.

Download Exit Wounds

Purchase for $9.30

Review: The Olivia Tremor Control - Black Foliage: Animation Music, Vol. 1

The Olivia Tremor Control - Black Foliage- Animation Music, Vol. 1: There's a decent album buried beneath the rubble of unnecessary.

Download a ton of live and demo stuff

Purchase for $11