Review: Mission of Burma - ONoffON:

Upon first listen it's exactly what I thought a new Mission of Burma album would sound like.

Stream the last 8 tracks

Purchase for $10.78

Review: The Futureheads - News and Tributes:

Upon first listen it's not as accessible as their debut and the melodies have been toned down, but I get the impression that something special has been created.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $9.79

Review: Everything At Once - Everything At Once:

Upon first listen I was suprised to see that '90s nu-metal wasn't dead.

Stream See You Later, Find My Own Place and Shut You're Face

Purchase for $15.00 (CAD)

Review: Espers - Espers II:

Upon first listen it's another frustrating album that when it works, it's amazing and when it doesn't it's boring.

Download Mansfield and Cyclops via The Perm & The Skullet

Purchase for $11.36

Review: Emulsion - Blue Sky Objective:

Upon first listen I'm not usually one for electronic music (and even less so of the ambient variety) so I didn't really care for this too much. It is, however, the first instance of an electonic album getting stuck in my head, so kudos for that.

Download Left Right Left Right

Download Balloons And Centipedes

Purchase for $13.63

Review: The Eighteenth Day of May - The Eighteenth Day of May:

Upon first listen it's pretty decent pyschadelic-inspired pop.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $10.83

Review: Drive-By Truckers - A Blessing And A Curse:

Upon first listen it seems as though Drive-By Truckers are trying to fill the void of good classic rock type artists. Successfully, I might add.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $11.16

Review: Danielson - Ships:

Upon first listen it becomes apparent that annoying is the new indie.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $11.10

Review: Neil Young - Living With War:

Upon first listen this is my favorite Neil Young album (to be fair, I've only listened to a few), despite the fact that at times it sounds like a '70s musical it manages to be accessible. Doesn't hurt that the content is awesome too.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $11.97

Review: Wolfmother - Wolfmother:

Upon first listen it's exactly as I was led to believe.

Stream the entire album

Purchase or $9.75

Review: Tool - 10,000 Days:

Upon first listen I have the same reaction as I did to Frances The Mute. Some parts are breathtaking and some parts are pretentious and boring. Hopefully, as in the Frances The Mute's case, I can learn to enjoy the boring as part of the breathtaking.

Download Vicarious

Purchase for $9.98

Review: Imaad Wasif - Imaad Wasif:

Upon first listen it's similar to Wovenhand, but less dark and more accessible.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $11.10

Review: Warzone - Open Your Eyes/Don't Forget The Struggle, Don't Forget The Streets:

Upon first listen it was a struggle to get through and considering that it's the quintessential NYHC record, I feel very little need to further explore the genre.

Stream clips from the entire album

Seems to be out of print, so grab it on eBay

Review: Thursday - A City By The Light Divided:

Upon first listen I'm still divided in deciding if I like this band.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $9.72

Review: Taking Back Sunday - Louder Now:

Upon first listen this is my favorite Taking Back Sunday album. I didn't really care for the first two, but understood why others did, but I actually liked this one. I actually want to listen to this one. For how long, I don't know, but it's a very solid rock (note the lack of a three letter word ending is 'o') album.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $9.44

Review: T.I. - King:

Upon first listen I was surprised by how much I liked it.
It's an equalizer album of sorts, seeming to blur the lines between
legitimate artist and mediocre hip-hop/R&B singer who you see on MTV.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $13.97

Review: Portastatic - Who Loves The Sun (Original Film Score):

Portastatic - Who Loves The Sun (Original Film Score): Upon first listen it's an unnecessary album release as it's not very cohesive. Set to the the backdrop of a film I can see a lot of the tracks working (in fact, I could visualize scenes as the songs were playing), but to listen to in album form just seems wasteful.

Download Lively Chase

Download Just Like A Real Book

Download Last Kiss Music

Purchase for $9.79

Review: Lovely Lads - The Best You've Got:

Upon first listen it's a bit more melodic than their demo, but it's just as good, if not better and has better production.

Download The Battle Will Come

Download In Your Head

Purchase for $12.50

Review: Lovely Lads - Demo:

Upon first listen it sounds a lot like The Explosion with moments of early Dropkick Murphys and The Ducky Boys. In other words, it's an amazing album (10 songs) that's production keeps it from being a proper release.

Download Left Behind

Download Now I Wonder

Purchase, if you can find it

There's Bob Dylan

and then everyone else.

Review: Journey - Greatest Hits:

Upon first listen I can safely say that I won't listen to this album in its entirety ever again. That being said, you can't deny some of the hits that Journey generated and I'm sure to listen to some of the individual songs.

Stream a few songs and clips of the rest

Purchase for $9.72

Review: Gomez - How We Operate:

Upon first listen there's a few good songs, but not enough that should generate the amount of buzz this band has.

Stream How We Operate, girlshapedlovedrug and Homoa Beach

Purchase for $10.49

Review: Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere:

Upon first listen it's a lot more solid than I had anticipated. Despite the excellent first single (Crazy), I was worried it would be the I Get Wet of the hip-hop crowd, but that fear was assuaged as Cee-Lo and DangerMouse put one hell of an album together.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $9.49

Review: Gauze - Equalizing Distort:

Upon first listen it's got some amazing music in there, especially in light of the fact that it came out in '86. Considered one of the best Japanese hardcore records ever, I was expecting a little more, but even still there was more than enough to like.

Stream Track 1, Low Charge, Pressing On (all non-album specific)

Purchase it if you can find it

Review: Foreigner - Complete Greatest Hits:

Upon first listen it's cheesy, but there's nothing endearing about it.

Stream clips from the entire album

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $13.18

Review: Elf Power - Back To The Web:

Upon first listen I was drawn into the web.

Download An Old Familiar Scene

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $10.93

Review: Defiance, Ohio - The Great Depression:

Upon first listen this is as close to another good Against Me! album as you'll likely to get.

Download the entire album in a variety of formats

Purchase for $6

Review: Cold War Kids - With Our Wallets Full/Up In Rags:

Upon first listen you can certainly here the influence of many of today's most beloved bands. White Stripes, Radiohead and Interpol all come to mind.

Download Tell Me In The Morning

Download Hospital Beds

Purchase both for $12 (or $7 each)

Review: The Church - Uninvited, Like The Clouds:

Upon first listen I'm taken aback as I'm not sure what to think. I really liked a lot of it but can't really describe it. I think it's one of those records (and perhaps bands) that you must experience for yourself to pass judgement.

Download Unified Field

Purchase for $9.95

Review: Review: Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out Of This Country:

Upon first listen it's a perfectly adequate indie-pop-esque record. Adequate.

Download Let's Get Out Of This Country

Purchase for $10.49

Review: Avail - 4 AM Friday:

Upon first listen it has less of the cohesiveness a trule great melodic hardcore records typically possesses.

Stream Simple Song

Purchase for $11.94

Review: Avail - Dixie:

Upon first listen it has more of the cohesiveness a truly great melodic hardcore record typically possesses.

Stream Scuffle Town and Clone

Purchase for $11.10

Review: Avail - Satiate:

Upon first listen it lacks the cohesiveness a truly great melodic hardcore record typically possesses.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $11.88

Review: Arctic Monkeys - Who The Fuck Are The Arctic Monkeys?:

Upon first listen it's got less fire and brimstone than Whatever You Say... which is why it's released as an EP and not on a full length, though it's essentially a single for View From the Afternoon.

Stream the video for The View From The Afternoon

Purchase for $6.74

Review: Streets - The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living:

Upon first listen (and beyond) I didn't really care for A Grand Don't... despite the critical praise it got then (and still gets). I loved Original Pirate Material, however, so I keep coming back for more. The Hardest Way is a blend of the two and had it come out before A Grand I would have been more tolerable.

Stream When You Wasn't Famous

Purchase for $12.17

Review: Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers:

Upon first listen it's not going the change the world, but it's extremely solid rock that takes a few listens to get into.

Stream Steady, As She Goes and Store Bought Bones

Purchase for $11.41

Review: None More Black - This is Satire:

Upon first listen this is the favorite of all the post-Kid Dynamite bands (maybe they'll do a reunion tour soon), but this release has them forgetting most of their punk past in favor of melodic rock leanings. Not that it doesn't work, because it does, just sometimes.

Stream With The Transit Coat On and You Suck! But Your Peanut Butter Is OK

Purchase for $9.35

Review: Maritime - We, The Vehicles:

Upon first listen it's another hit or miss affair. Lots of positives but enough negatives to make it distracting. The biggest negative being their inability to 'rock out' when the moment dictates.

Download Calm

Download Parade of Punk Rock T-Shirts

Purchase for $10.69

Coldplay

A video as cheesy and over-the-top as the music on their latest album.

Review: Lambchop - The Decline of Country and Western Civilization Part 2, The Woodwind Years:

Upon first listen the excellent songwriting doesn't keep the delivery afloat through the variety of styles it attempts. That said, the albums this band puts out (this being a compilation of miscellany) must be better and worth checking out.

Download The Distance From Her And There

Purchase for $10.43

Review: Islands - Return To The Sea:

Upon first listen it's a rather hit and miss affair that when it hits makes you start thinking album of the year and when it misses makes you wonder what the hell you were just thinking about.

Stream Rough Gem, Where There's A Will There's A Whalebone and Jogging Gorgeous Summer

Purchase for $9.99

Review: Heavy Blinkers - The Night And I Are Still So Young:

Upon first listen this band's '60s-styled pyschadelic pop would be a great addition to the Elephant 6 Collective.

Download Try Telling That To My Baby

Purchase for $11.19 (not out until 5/23)

Review: Fiery Furnaces - Bitter Tea;

Upon first listen it's more listenable than Rehearsing My Choir, but doesn't strike the same chords that Gallowsbird's Bark, Blueberry Boat and even EP hit. Still, like Radiohead, it deserves more listens.

Stream part of the album

Purchase for $10

Review: Ani DiFranco - 2002.04.06, Carnegie Hall:

Upon first listen I'm surprised someone so confident in her songs is so nervous (immature?) as a stage presence. This is the first time I've ever heard a DiFranco song (consciously) and while I walked away very impressed, her on-stage banter has a bit of catching up to do.

Download Two Little Girls

Purchase for $12.20

Review: The Black Heart Procession - The Spell:

Upon first listen, you listen to person after person and blog after blog rave about band X. So you listen to band X, but just don't see what all the fuss is for. This was the case with The Black Heart Procession. Was is the key word, as I get it now. Can't wait to back and listen to their old albums again.

Stream The Letter and Not Just Words

Purchase for $10.88

Review: Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine (Retail):

Upon first listen, it could be because it's actually finished, but I seem to prefer this incarnation to the previously leaked version. It seems to be quieter (the backing tracks) and interferes less with the lyrics.

Stream Get Him Back and Not About Love

Purchase for $12.88

Review: Band of Horses - Everything All The Time:

Band of Horses - Everything All The Time: Upon first listen, there's not enough hype on this band, as it's easily the best indie/pop/rock album I've heard all year.

Stream The Funeral and The Great Salt Lake

Purchase for $11.18

Review: Age of Rockets - The Drive Home:

Upon first listen, it's very difficult to not make comparisons to The Postal Service.

Download Petales Aiment La Salete, Insmileoutblood and Once, We Were Monsters

Stream The Day The Whole World Died

Purchase for $10

Review: Sparks - Hello Young Lovers:

Upon first listen, Dick Around may be my favorite song of the year. The entire album is filled with songs that sound like some weird blend of Court of the Crimson King, SMiLE and Blind Guardian. I know it's hard to picture, but wow.

Download minute-long clips of a few tracks (including the amazing Dick Around)

Purchase for $8.81

Review: Pretty Girls Make Graves - Elan Vital:

Upon first listen, it's accessible, yet avant garde and free from the punk edges found on their early work. A lot of the songs are good, but I didn't enjoy it as an album.

Download The Nocturnal House

Purchase for $10.49

Review: Marconi Union - Distance:

Upon first listen, it has just enough action and noise to keep you interested with just enough suspense to make you want more.

Download Sleepless

Purchase for $12.99

Review: Ghostface Killah - Fishscale:

Upon first listen, it's easily the best rap/hip-hop album of the year. The production is good, the rhymes are good, the flow is good AND it's got MF Doom. What more can you ask for?

Stream the audio or the video for Back Like That

Purchase for $9.89

Review: Calexico - Garden Ruin:

Upon first listen, I fell in love with the Iron & Wine/Calexico Split from last year, so I assumed I would also love this. I shouldn't have assumed such grandiose desires, as I find this to be rather boring and uninteresting. Perhaps I'll like Iron & Wine better.

Download Cruel

Purchase for $9.99

Review: Delays - You See Colours:

Upon first listen, I hesitate to use the word dense when describing this brit-pop band, so perhaps a fuller sound is what they've developed since their debut. More electronic flourishes are present and a lot of the songs tend to run together. Ultimately, it's a decent follow-up, but one that takes a lot more time to reconcile.

Stream Long Time Coming and Nearer Than Heaven

Purchase for $21.04 (or wait until it's released domestically)

Review: Secret Machines - Ten Silver Drops:

Upon first listen, it starts a bit slow and stiff, but is soon falls into a groove that while, similar enough to Now Here, is certainly more open and more flowing.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $12.99

Review: Dresden Dolls - Yes, Virginia:

Upon first listen, it's overly dramatic, as to be expected. This gets rather tiresome, really fast, and with no 'Girl Anachronism' or 'Coin-Operated Boy' to break it up, means the album becomes stale.

Download Dirty Business and stream Modern Moonlight

Purchase for $9.38

Review: Saves The Day - Sound The Alarm:

Upon first listen, it has a couple of good songs, but it's nothing more than decent rock/pop.

Stream The End and Shattered

Purchase for $9.38

Review: Various - Compounds & Elements:

Upon first listen, it's a compilation of minimalist, ambient and electronic music featuring Brian Eno, among others. Some works, some doesn't. What surprised me was how much I did like, having no previous disposition towards liking the aforementioned genres.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $2.14

Review: Saves The Day - Bug Sessions, Volume 1:

Upon first listen, it really showcases how much his voice has changed, as they cover acoustically (albeit with too much noise and enthusiasm) some older and newer hits. In the end, it's great for fans, but the casual listener just won't get into it.

Tour only EP, go see them live

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

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

Review: Of Montreal - The Gay Parade

Of Montreal - The Gay Parade: Not as acessible, and by extension, not as enjoyable as The Sunlandic Twins.

Download Jaques Lamure

Download Nickee Coco and the Invisible Tree

Purchase for $12.37

Review: New Radiant Storm King - The Steady Hand

New Radiant Storm King - The Steady Hand: Bradley may have jumped the gun on album of the year, but it is really, really solid pop/rock bordering on shoegaze.

Download The Winding Staircase

Purchase for $12.00