Review: Ben Kweller - Ben Kweller:

Upon first listen it seems a little too Adult Contemporary. Where's the passion and directness of Wasted and Ready? Where's the catchiness of Sha Sha?

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Review: Elton John - The Captain and the Kid:

Upon first listen I really liked Songs from the West Coast back when it came out in 2001. Not much has changed about the style or delivery. Just don't expect him to deliver another Tumbleweed Connection.

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Review: Hope Conspiracy - Death Knows Your Name:

Upon first listen I didn't feel the intensity or the passion one should when listening the hardcore/metal. It's loud, yes. It's rough and aggressive, sure. But the passion? Lacking. Though as is the case with most aggressive music, an album doesn't do it any justice and needs to be experienced first hand.

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Review: Hold Steady - Boys And Girls In America:

Upon first listen I hated their last album, mainly for the way the lyrics were delivered. I didn't complain about the style, just the repetitiveness of the delivery. Well, it seems like that problem's been solved, because they have added the layer of complexity Separation Sunday needed in the first place, making one of the better albums out this year.

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Review: Merle Haggard - Hag: The Best of Merle Haggard:

Upon first listen I can't speak to wether this actually constitutes the best of Mr. Haggards work. Truth be told, this is the first time I have come in contact with his material (despite being familiar with who he is). I did come away a fan of his 3-minute fireplace-worthy country-infused folk songs. What impressed me more was how I forgot the time as I listened to him sing. Before I knew that the album began, all 26 tracks were complete.

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Purchase for $13.90

Review: Delicate Noise - Diversion:

Upon first listen it's amazing what a few vocals will do to the palatability of electronic music. The other proverbial nail in the coffin is usually it's predilection to fall into a groove or beat and hammer it to death, again narrowly avoided.

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Purchase for $12

Hiatus Over

Apologies for the lack of notice regarding my week-long hiatus as I was given little notice of an impending trip out of town for work. I am now back and normal posts will resume with the completion of this post.

Review: Canada - This Cursed House:

Upon first listen I can't completely disagree with the comparisons to The Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene, but I can't endorse them either. I think that Canada wants to be held in that great light but never make anything their own, instead relying on a very 'mid-2000s indie-rock' sound that is neither groundbreaking nor unfamiliar.

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Purchase for $8.65

Ahab Rex - Blood on Blonde:

Upon first listen I can't get into this over-produced album. What with the vampire-esquely delivered vocals, the '70s-style backup singers and aforementioned over-production, there's just not much to like.

Stream Ordinary Things, Bye Bye My Baby and The Queen Of Softcore

Pre-order it for $12 (comes out 10.31)

The Who - Live At Leeds (Deluxe Edition):

Upon first listen I'm a bit dissappointed in what has been heralded as the greatest live album of all time. And man does it drag on. By the time Tommy concludes on the seconds disc, I am more-than-ready for something that doesn't have the name "Who" in it. Perhaps I'd more enjoy either the original LPs six tracks or even the Remastered version with fourteen, but this thirty-three song trek wore me out.

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Purchase the remastered version for $5.41

Purchase the deluxe edition for $19.78

Review: The Who - It's Hard:

Upon first listen it's hard to get through this album knowing how great they were at their peak.

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Review: The Who - Face Dances:

Upon first listen this is the album that feels like they are going through the motions. After all of their great albums they've finally been stifled creatively and just want to put out some more music no matter the quality. Not to say that there's no good tracks here, just that they are few and far between.

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Purchase for $5.87

Review: The Who - Who Are You:

Upon first listen the title track alone is worth price of admission. The rest of the album is no slouch either as the Who try and branch out towards a poppier, more contemporary sound.

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Review: The Decemberists - The Crane Wife:

Upon first listen it's way over the top. I enjoy The Decemberists, but this one is going to take some getting used to. It seems as though Mr. Meloy has borrowed some ideas from Neutral Milk Hotel and Sufjan Stevens and Decemberistized them.

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Review: Verse - From Anger and Rage:

Upon first listen this album is phenomenal. Granted they're trying to jock Bane as much as possible, but they seem to succeed. I can only imagine how much better live this songs would be.

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Purchase for $10.57

Review: Strike Anywhere - Dead FM:

Upon first listen I'm glad to see that they abandoned the Converge to Fall Out Boy transitional vocal delivery, for the most part. The rest of the album is a very solid poppy punk album akin to latter Dropkick Murphys are even sometimes Flash-era Explosion. Certainly worth your time to check out.

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Purchase for $9.95

Review: The Who - The Who By Numbers:

Upon first listen I find it almost impossible to comprehend that they followed up Quadrophenia with such a superb album. It's not as conceptual as the aforementioned album or Tommy, but the songs are undeniable. The Who is quickly becoming one of my favorite artists.

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Purchase for $10.18