Updates on Hold

Yesterday, I was involved in a rather severe car accident. On my way home from work my car was struck on the passenger side at an almost 90 degree angle (T-Bone, as it may be). I suffered a large laceration to my forehead and bruising on my right side (along with various nicks and scrapes). I'm not sure how long I will be out, but it will take a few days, at least, for me to get back to my daily routine.

In the meantime, I missed the Saves the Day show last night. I had tickets and was on my way home to meet my wife so that we could go, but never made it home - until today. Anyone go? How was it?

http://www.freewebs.com/jasonsousa

Review: Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star4, Volume 2: No World For Tommorrow:

Upon first listen this is the album I wish they had made after IKSSE3. Musically, it fits between that album and Good Apollo, Vol. 1 despite the storyline fitting better this way. It's got slow, sappy songs, big honking rock songs but no Suffering (though it is a damn catchy tune, just not what I want out of Coheed). Makes me rethink my decision to skip over their show in a few weeks.

TheirSpace, which is currently streaming the entire album

Purchase the Basic Version for $7.99

Purchase the Deluxe Version for $17.99

Review: Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace:

Upon first listen it's another solid record from Grohl and Co. Nothing amazing, nothing bad, all of it what you expect from the band.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $9.49

Review: The Receiving End of Sirens - The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi:

Upon first listen they traded in their mall-punk screamo for something a bit more grown up and reserved. It serves them well.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $10.92

Review: Oxford Collapse - Remember The Night Parties:

Upon first listen this may be a close to a new (old) Piebald record as I'll get for a long time.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $9.83

Review: Dashboard Confessional - The Shade of Poison Trees:

Upon first listen this is one giant curve ball of an album. Just as I though Chris was getting comfortable in his big band (and releasing the excellent Dusk And Summer), he decides to return to his acoustic roots. Which is great and all, but then he does so without any of the emotion and youthful exuberance exhibited on previous albums. But, just as Dusk took some getting used to, I'm sure this one will find its way into a fairly steady rotation.

TheirSpace

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $9.89

Review: LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem:

Upon first listen this was an extremely tolerable electronic album. Granted, some of the tracks weren't as strong and the whole thing ran a bit long, but I could see myself listening to this on a regular basis; if I cut it up and put the best tracks on a single CD.

HisSpace

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $11.91

New Coheed

Leaked.

Review: Knife Fight - Crisis:

Upon first listen it's straight forward hardcore. Ten tracks, less than fifteen minutes. You already know if it's for you.

Purchase for $10.75 (LP)

Review: Beirut - The Flying Club Cup:

Upon first listen this blows Gulag out of the water. Seeing as how I didn't really care for that album, it wasn't that difficult. Still, I like where he went with this album and find it a wonderful compliment to Armchair Apocrypha.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $9.95

Review: The Go! Team - Proof of Youth:

Upon first listen this is way better than Thunder, Lightning, Strike which I loved.

TheirSpace which currently has five tracks from the album

Purchase for $12.50

Review: Fiery Furnaces - Widow City:

Upon first listen it's a return to form for the duo, distancing themselves from their past two releases. Still, I just didn't fall in love with it like Blueberry Boat and Gallowbird's leaving me to conjecture that maybe that's enough Fiery Furnaces for me.

TheirSpace

Their MySpace Profile has Ex Guru and Uncle Charlie streaming

Purchase for $12.50

Review: Daft Punk - Homework:

Upon first listen I really tried this time. But electronic albums just don't do it for me.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $9.99

Review: Elvis Costello - The Best of Elvis Costello - The First 10 Years:

Upon first listen Elvis Costello just never really grabbed me (here) that way he has with other people.

HisSpace

Stream (almost) the entire album

Purchase for $11.75

Review: Clutch - From Beale St. To Oblivion:

Upon first listen this is a very decent hard rock album. Nothing all that special nor exciting.

TheirSpace which has Electric Worry and a few other non-album tracks

Purchase for $9.42

Review: Capgun Coup - Brought To You By Nebraskafish:

Upon first listen it's like watching a group of 8-year-olds make pasta. They just throw everything against the wall to see if it sticks.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $10.91

Review: Kevin Drew - Spirit If:

Upon first listen this album was exactly what I expected. Rejects from Broken Social Scene paraded under their name in an effort to sell more copies of an album. In the end it lacks the cohesiveness and the looseness of BSS but retains its strong production values.

HisSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $11.99

Review: Blitzen Trapper - Wild Mountain Nation:

Upon first listen they certainly borrowed heavily from '60s and '70s rock and pop. If only they had stayed there and not tried to be 'weird' or 'quirky'.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $7.24

Review: Articles of Faith - Complete Discography

Articles of Faith - Complete Discography, Vol. 1 1981-1983: Upon first listen this twenty track compilation shows a lot of range for only spanning two years. From noise punk to an acoustic guitar, it's all here and works well. I'm looking forward to volume two.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $11.33

Article of Faith - Complete Discography, Vol. 2 1983-1985: Upon first listen they show off some of their range, but ultimately it's louder, faster and angrier. And did I mention better? I should have.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $9.88

Review: 1990s - Cookies:

Upon first listen it's kind of hard not to liken them to the Rolling Stones or Hives, but way more relaxed.

TheirSpace

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $8.92

Review: Talking Heads - Remain in Light:

Upon first listen it's a bit more grandiose arrangement-wise than previous albums, but it works. If they never made another album, this would be their pinnacle.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $6.48

Review: Sunny Day is Glasgow - A Scribble Mural Comic Journal:

Upon first listen if sunny days sound this bad, I would hate to hear a rainy one.

TheirSpace

Download The Best Summer Ever and Water (Drowning Is Just Another Word For Being Buried Alive Under Water)

Purchase for $11

Review: Still Life - Madness and the Gackle:

Upon first listen it possesses the two most important aspects of a good screamo album: sincerity and passion. Still, I can only take so much screamo which is why this won't likely get much play.

TheirSpace

Download Useless

Purchase for $10.00

Review: Keely Smith - The Essential Capitol Collection:

Upon first listen, this one is twenty seven tracks! I guess if you're a Keely Smith fan that's good, but for the rest of us would-be-casual fans it's too much.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $13.05

Review: Stars - In Our Bedroom After The War:

Upon first listen I almost turned it off due to the obscene amounts of bass. When I finally got into it about halfway through, I was a bit disappointed. But that closing song? Wow. Makes me want to listen to it all over again.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $11.99

Review: Louis Prima - Jump, Jive An' Wail- The Essential Louis Prima:

Upon first listen it's twenty six tracks. I can barely listen to twenty six tracks of anyone, nevermind Louis Prima. Cut it down to ten and I might pay attention.

HisSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $9.99

Review: Pharoahe Monch - Desire:

Upon first listen it wasn't as good as I was expecting, but it was adequate. I'll have to revisit to see what all the fuss was about.

HisSpace

Stream most of the album

Purchase for $8.43

Review: Okkervil River - The Stage Names:

Upon first listen I can't believe how much I liked this record. I thought Black Sheep Boy was alright, so I didn't have a whole lot of expectations, but it easily exceeded them. A bit more upbeat, a bit more polished, a hell of a lot better.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $8.62

Review: Figurines - When The Deer Wore Blue:

Upon first listen they weren't kidding when they said they were going California pop.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $8.03

Review: Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam:

Upon first listen this is likely their most straight forward and most accesible album, sure to confuse fans of their last two.

TheirSpace

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $9.39

Review: No Age - Weirdo Rippers:

Upon first listen this is certainly one of the most disjointed and uncohesive albums I've ever listened to. It's almost as if they put all the music and vocals into a computer and layered unassociated vocals on top of a drum track from a fast song and a guitar line from a pop song. If that makes any sense.

TheirSpace

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $8.08

Review: Talib Kweli - Ear Drum:

Upon first listen it's textbook beat and hook hip-hop. Nothing to write home about, nothing to invest in.

HisSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $10.09

Review: Lucky Soul - The Great Unwanted:

Upon first listen this band brings out the '50s Motown and introduces it to the 21st century to mixed results. It has its moments, but about half way in, the novelty has worn itself thin.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Buy digitally until the US release

Review: Los Campesinos! - Sticking Fingers Into Sockets:

Upon first listen I know it's cliche to compare bands, but this really is like Architecture in Helsinki done extremely well. Catchy without being cheesy and quirky without being annoying.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire EP

Purchase for $5.44

Review: Liars - Liars:

Upon first listen a lot has been made about how this isn't a concept album. A lot hasn't been made about how great the album is aside from that fact, because it is a really great record.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $11.74

Review: Jason Isbell - Sirens of the Ditch:

Upon first listen it's the standard big production, singer-songwriter type of album you've come to expect in a pro tools era of music. Still, you could worse.

HisSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $11.61

Review: Goodnight Loving - Crooked Lake:

Upon first listen I couldn't tell if this was the same band that released Cemetery Trails, but it is. Just don't hold that against it, because they've released a relentless country-tinged punk album that was a breathe of fresh air.

TheirSpace (which contains four tracks)

Purchase for less than $10 when it becomes available

Review: The Forms - Icarus:

Upon first listen it's like modern day 'emo' but way heavier and without that high-pitched off-key whiny voice. In other words, it's good.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $9.88

Review: Bryan Ferry - Dylanesque:

Upon first listen Ferry does a good job of covering Dylan when he's quiet and seemingly alone. When he tries to get all big band with slick production it just fails. Miserably.

HisSpace

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $12.89

Review: Dr. Hook - Greatest Hooks:

Upon first listen I easily grabbed hold of their big singles without having heard them before (Cover of the Rolling Stone and Sylvia's Mother). Most of the rest of it is cheesy love songs and aren't really worth listening to.

TheirSpace

Stream Sylvia's Mother (among others)

Purchase for $12.77

Review: Desert Fathers - The Spirituality:

Upon first listen this genre-defying band manages to successfully channel both Sonic Youth and Slint. Sign me up.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $12.99 (or check eBay, where I grabbed my copy for $.65 plus $3 in shipping)

Review: Architecture in Helsinki - Places Like This:

Upon first listen it seems as though they dialed down the quirkiness which makes it much more listenable than In Case We Die, but nonetheless unenjoyable.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $10.93

Review: Common - Finding Forever:

Upon first listen it's lost some of the obnoxious production found on Be and found it's way being the best hip-hop album of the year. So far.

HisSpace

Stream most of the album

Purchase for $7.99

Review: Rilo Kiley - Under The Blacklight:

Upon first listen I'm really suprised that a lot of people didn't predict an album like this coming from Rilo Kiley. If, after Execution and Adventurous, you couldn't tell that they were on a path to modern pop, you should be ashamed. They've lost some of their quirkiness and honesty as well as a good portion of their fanbase. But it works. Kind of. Sometimes. Not on Under The Blacklight or Dejalo. And a couple others. But the first three tracks are really good.

TheirSpace

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $12.49

Review: Charles Mingus Sextet - Cornell 1964:

Upon first listen there were only a few times when this sextet made me stand up and take notice. And that's not enough for a two-disc live experience.

HisSpace

Stream most of the album

Purchase for $17.41

Review: Blondie - Eat to the Beat:

Upon first listen I still think it's fair to lump them in with '80s pop, but less so.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $7.45

Other Projects

Not ignoring the site, I've just been busy with one of my other projects: http://penguinvirgin.blogspot.com

Also, just discovered Facebook. Never really cared before because I figured it was just like MySpace. It kind of is, but it's like MySpace on steroids. And really, I just use it to play Scrabble with my wife and sister.

I have been listening to new music, but mostly stuff that doesn't come out for a few more weeks. I should resume updates by the end of the week.

Review: Voxtrot - Voxtrot:

Upon first listen it's entirely adequate indie rock album but offers nothing new or compelling.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $10.85

Review: Various - Warm and Scratchy:

Upon first listen this free album from the [adult swim] camp collects new tracks from a wide array of indie-rock stalwarts in addition to a few bands on the horizon. The album itself flows very well despite the amalgamation of artists and styles, which was the most surprising. And while I didn't enjoy all of the songs, a found a couple new artists I want to check out, which is the best reason to grab this free sampler.

Stream and Download the entire album

Review: The Terrible Twos - If You Ever See An Owl:

Upon first listen I have always been a big fan of Matt Pryor's voice and I will listen to just about anything he puts out. Still, an album for childrens's songs? I was a bit skeptical. It only took until the really great When I Get To Eleven to make me a convert. And while the rest of the album has some misses (though likely approriate for the target audience) this is one fine album.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $10.48

Review: Talk Talk - Laughing Stock:

Upon first listen we have a new contender for the Most Sleep Inducing Album.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $6.80

Review: Pelican - City of Echoes:

Upon first listen the best parts are when they get loud and some more metal and there just isn't enough of those times for me to enjoy this, though I can see why people like it.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $11.48

Review: Parts & Labor - Mapmaker:

Upon first listen I was very excited after the first few tracks, but as the album continued I found myself bored. It's decent, but not earth-shattering or even compelling pop-punk meets indie rock.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $11.47

Review: Long Fin Killie - Houdini:

Upon first listen this is a very weird album. Post-rock meets prog-rock that can only be adequately judged upon further consideration.

Stream the entire Valentino album

Purchase for $10.88 as well as stream clips from the entire album

Review: Handsome Furs - Plague Park:

Upon first listen I had forgotten the pedigree when I put this disc on, but was instantly reminded of it when I heard Dan's voice which as distinguishable and unique as any in rock music today. And while I wasn't the biggest fan of Wolf Parade, I did enjoy this album. It's much more consistent, sincere and even-tempered.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $11.48

Review: Gastr del Sol - Camoufleur:

Upon first listen I had to keep checking to make sure that each track was the same band and I hadn't accidentally put in a mix CD. Each song sounds like a different band and in some cases, each song sounds like two or three different bands. While I liked some of the tracks, or parts of some of the tracks it was just too inconsistent to enjoy.

Stream clips from the album

Purchase for $10.73

Review: Boredoms - Vision Creation Newsun:

Upon first listen I can't believe I had given up on these guys a few years ago because this album is really, really good. They don't sound like anyone in particular, but if you're a fan of Godspeed, Mars Volta and Sonic Youth, you'll likely find aspects you really like too.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album (in a hurry? just check out track 1)

Purchase for $7.85

Review: The Beta Band - Three EPs:

Upon first listen this coffee-house-sized jam bad belongs where I first heard them: on movie soundtracks. Their sound works well there and possibly as singles, but does not hold up over an album.

TheirSpace

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $10.05

Review: Battles - Mirrored:

Upon first listen this is virtually unlistenable as an album, but tremendous as an audition for production work (which they should be granted).

Stream Atlas and Prism, among others, at TheirSpace

Purchase for $11.97

Review: Bark Psychosis - Codename:Dustsucker:

Upon first listen the album is intimate and subdued yet intense and immediate. Emotional without screaming and enjoyable without choas. This is post-rock.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $12.99

Review: The Polyphonic Spree - The Fragile Army:

Upon firs listen it's neither as good as The Beginning Stages nor as mediocre as Together, We're Heavy, instead falling somewhere in between. Regardless, it's the type of band that you really need to be in the mood for before you put the disc in.

TheirSpace

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $12.23

Review: Interpol - Our Love To Admire:

Upon first listen the album certainly shows growth (albeit limited due to their choreographed sound) that is sorely needed. It had me all the way up until the last two tracks, but I'll be back.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $12.98

Review: Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga:

Upon first listen there's enough to make me want to go back for more, but not enough to make me gush.

Stream The Underdog and The Ghost Of You Lingers

Purchase for $10.49

Review: Against Me! - New Wave:

Upon first listen most of it doesn't even sound like an Against Me! record and the parts that do sound like a bad imitation of Against Me! record. That being said, it will be getting far more rotation than Searching For A (Former) Clarity.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $9.99

Review: The White Stripes - Icky Thump:

Upon first listen this is certainly a more mature Stripes album, not to mention one less eccentric than Satan was. Gone is some of the youthful energy present in previous releases, instead replaced by slower, seemingly-more introspective maturity.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $9.49

Neglected Bloggerly Duties

Extremely busy week at work.
Getting married on 6/30.
Honeymoon until 7/8.
Another busy week at work.
First new review? 7/16 or 7/23.

Review: Bark Psychosis - Codename:Dustsucker

Upon first listen this was a very frustrating album by this sometimes-instrumental (post-)rock band as there were times when I really thought they were onto something and others that I couldn't figure out why I thought I like them. I'll put it this way; if all of my songs were on shuffle, I'd likely hit the next track whenever they came on.

Stream From What Is Said To When It's Read and 400 Winters

Purchase for $11.69

Review: Two Gallants - The Scenery of Farewell:

Upon first listen this acoustic EP is the perfect thing to tide me over until a new full length release.

Stream Seems Like Home To Me

Purchase for $4.78

Review: Fairweather - If The Move...Kill Them:

Upon first listen this pop-punk album is one of those great summer driving records.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $13.85

Review: Dark Meat - Universal Indians:

Upon first listen this is a very frustrating listen. One minute I'm loving the hippie-festival folk and the next I'm bored. Certainly requires more listens.

Stream the entire record

Purchase for $11.99

Review: Be Your Own Pet - 2006 - Be Your Own Pet:

Upon first listen I enjoyed this album much more than I would have normally due to their excellent set they put on opening for the Arctic Monkeys a few weeks back. Either way it's still pretty good Sonic Youth meets Yeah Yeah Yeahs noise rock.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $5.41

Review: The Cure - Seventeen Seconds:

Upon first listen I get the increasing impression that The Cure may be a singles and headphones type of band.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $6.89

Review: The Veils - Nux Vomica:

Upon first listen the depression-woe-is-me feel comes across as a bit forced but it's still a pretty decent pop-rock record.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $9.20

Review: Travis - The Boy With No Name:

Upon first listen it's good to see that brit-pop isn't dead but disheartening to see it played so safe.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $10.98

Review: Operation Ivy - Energy:

Upon first listen I had never given this band a chance growing up. As all of my friends were transitioning from punk to ska I ridiculed them for the horns they were now dancing to. Despite being more punk than ska, I lumped Operation Ivy in with this crowd and ignored them until now. Either the music doesn't hold up or it was never that good at all, either way I'm disappointed by the legendary status that they have received over the years.

Stream four tracks

Purchase for $9.99

Review: Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band - EP:

Upon first listen every time I listen to Ms. Newsom I realize how I had forgotten how magical she can sound. This EP is no exception and a wonderful compliment to her last album.

Download Crab, Clam, Cockle Cowrie (via The Daily Growl

Purchase for $10

Review: Manchester Orchestra - I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child:

Upon first listen it's poppier than orchestral but it's a solid debut for this pop-rock-with-punky-undertones band.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $6.21

Review: Bob Dylan Parody - Dylan Hears A Who:

Upon first listen this ingenius idea for a parody should be amazing. Sadly, Kevin Ryan (the brainchild of this adventure) picks Seuss stories that are a bit long and wear down the patience of the listener.

Stream Green Eggs And Ham, Too Many Daves and Oh, The Thinks You Can Think!

This album not for sale

Review: Dungen - Tio Bitar:

Upon first listen it lacks that magical element that Ta Det Lungt had and while it's still enjoyable it's not amazing.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $9.99

Review: Brand New x2

Brand New - Your Favourite Weapon: Upon first listen this album was buried behind the Saves the Days, Get Up Kids and Taking Back Sundays for no good reason. While it likely doesn't eclipse those bands, it compliments them well.

Download Seventy Times 7

Purchase for $12.00

Brand New - Deja Entendu: Upon first listen this effort is far more focused than their debut and it begins to get easier to see why they have such a horde of loyal fans.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $9.11

Review: Golden Smog - Blood On The Slacks:

Upon first listen these guys likely have a lot of fun while in the studio and it shows on this album.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $8.95

Review: Dinosaur Jr - Beyond:

Upon first listen this is the first time I've listened to Dinosaur Jr outside of the bits from 1981: The Year Punk Broke and I have to say that once you turn the volume up it is a very satisfying listen. It's too bad that bands like Nickelback are our rock heroes because there is no reason bands like Dinosaur Jr couldn't be.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $11.38

Review: Kevin Devine - Make The Clocks Move:

Upon first listen it really is like Dashboard Confessional meets Bright Eyes, only not as good as either.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $11.88

Review: The Clientele - God Save The Clientele:

Upon first listen I don't think I realized how much this band sounds like The Beatles when I listened to Strange Geometry. With that being said, I think this one is a better album and more enjoyable from start to finish.

Stream Bookshop Cassanova and Nothing But Sunshin

Purchase for $9.95

Review: The National - Boxer:

Upon first listen it's pretty standard fare for The National, but where their previous effort managed to grab the listener, this one does not. More likely is that it takes more than just one listen to appreciate what they do.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $11.82

Review: Various - La Vie En Rose Official Motion Picture Soundtrack:

Upon first listen this is one of the best soundtracks I have heard in a long time. This despite, or in spite of the fact that's almost entirely in French.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $11.85

Review: Bjork - Volta:

Upon first listen this wasn't the electropop album I was expecting based on the pre-release buzz, but then again, that's likely a good thing. Most of the songs are hit or miss with the slower, more intimate songs being better and the production-heavy songs feeling out of place.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $11.85

Review: Talking Heads - Fear of Music:

Upon first listen this is certainly their darkest, slowest and most straightforward release (thus far) and has its moments but doesn't grab me the way the first two albums did.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $5.95

Review: Patti Smith - Twelve:

Upon first listen this is certainly interesting to listen to once, but likely not to be revisited unless you make a lot of mix CDs.

Stream most of the album in its entirety

Purchase for $10.40

Review: Wilco - Sky Blue Sky:

Upon first listen this is a pop record and certainly not what I expected from Tweedy and Co. after A Ghost is Born.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $12.34

Review: Brandi Carlile - The Story:

Upon first listen this is leaps and bounds
better than her debut, but I have to agree with one of my co-workers;
she's got a great album in her, but this just isn't it.

Stream
the entire album

Purchase
for $6.53

Review: Various - Petrol Present The Greatest Songs Ever Series Sampler:

Upon first listen this collection has 2 tracks from each region of the upcoming aforementioned series. I can't say that I can recommend any of the regions unless I hear more, but from what I did hear, they're all at least interesting.

Stream clips from all of the different series

Purchase each series for $24.95

Review: Master P - Ghetto D 10th Anniversary Edition:

Upon first listen there are some great tracks on here. But only about 10 of the 19, making for a longer-than-necessary listen.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $13.25

Review: Jethro Tull - The Best of Acoustic Jethro Tull:

Upon first listen I can't help but believe that this wouldn't be better reviewed by someone more familiar with the source material. That being said, it did make me interested in exploring their other work. Hopefully, it retains the fantasy, gypsy-esque qualities that I liked so much.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $13.95

Review: Paula Abdul - Straight Up-Greatest Hits:

Upon first listen I can't believe that pop music was ever this bad.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $9.72

Review: Jerry Lee Lewis - Last Man Standing:

Upon first listen, this duet album full of covers is a necessary listen for Jerry Lee Lewis fans and likely so of fans of his duet partner. But for the more casual listener, it's interesting to listen to once but likely won't get played again.

Stream all but one song

Purchase for $12.22

Review: Various - A Tribute to Joni Mitchell:

Upon first listen this is worth a listen if only for the covers by Sufjan Stevens and Bjork. The rest of them are still good, just not great.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $11.15

Review: McCarthy Trenching - McCarthy Trenching:

Upon first listen this let's-get-drunk style country album leaves a bit to be desired as I don't hear the passion and intensity I was expecting.

Stream XXX and Headlines

Purchase for $10.29

Review: Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position:

Upon first listen it's like listening to someone who is can't decide which persona he wants to undertake.

Stream clips from the entire album

Purchase for $9.58

Review: Feist - The Reminder:

Upon first listen I'd like to issue my own reminder about how much really great music there is out there and that this sadly isn't.

Stream the entire album

Purchase for $7.59