This Charming Man - Every Little Secret: Pre-Gaslight anthem that's a little rough around the edges, but more than listenable.

Telepathic Butterflies -Introducing: Psychedelic pop as expected from a band called Telepathic Butterflies.

Tear It Up - Nothing To Nothing: Musical taste is dictated largely by time and place. I listened to this hardcore album at the right time.

Taking Back Sunday - New Again: A good starting point for the second (third?) part of their career.

Super Furry Animals - Dark Days: I was bored, uninterested and felt uninvolved.

Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer: Another failed attempt at converting me into a fan.

Starflyer 59 - Dial M: Unmemorable shoegaze from a once-memorable band.

Bruce Springsteen - Working On A Dream: Other than a few good tracks it's pretty mediocre.

Regiona Spektor - Far: More hits than misses make for an enjoyable listen with revisiting.

Sparks - Exotic Creatures: Like the similar-sounding Of Montreal, you have to be n the mood for the wackiness.

The Sonics - Here Are The Sonics: Mid-60s
proto-punk is worth a listen of just for historic reasons.

Sonic Youth - Eternal: Apt name for a still-relevant band.

Son Volt - American Central Dust: If you weren't already a fan, this won't do much to change your mind.

Some Girls - Rains/Blues: Exactly the transition you'd expect coming from American Nightmare.

Sin Fang Bous - Ciangour: Seems like an uncohesive to start, but quickly gels as the quirkiness becomes normal and expected.

Shelter - Discography: Frustratingly uneven journey from Krishna-core trailblazers to nu metal to H2O clone.

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Old Money: Best non-Mars Volta album he's released yet. Not that I can keep up.

Reggie and the Full Effect - Greatest Hits: Odd, quirky, weird, yet compelling, emo from a Get Up Kid.

Q-Tip - Kamaal, The Abstract: A prog-R&B album that, justifiably, has been sitting on the record label's shelves for years.

Propaganhi - Supporting Caste: I will be on the lookout for everything else they've done.

Project Citizen - Get Angry, Fight United: 41!? tracks of DIY anarcho-folk is a bit much, even if some of the tracks are great.

The Progress - Golden State: Sounds like very early Brand New.

Poison the Well - Opposite of December: There was a time when I would have, but I just don't care.

Plant and Krauss - Raising Sand: some great songs, but not some I'll listen to frequently.

Papercuts - You Can't Always Have What you Want: I want to not fall asleep while listening.

Paper Chase - Someday, Volume 1: Easily their best since before, or after, Kitchen Knives.

Outkast - Stankonia: Together is better, but too many tracks are skip-worthy.

Organized Konfusion - Stress: Old school hip hop needs to resurrected.

Off With Their Heads - All Is Not Well: Amazing, catchy punk. Can't believe they aren't more well known.

Conor Oberst - Outer South: Always enjoyable, rarely memorable.

Noah And The Whale - First Days of Spring: Probably the most beautiful album of the year.

New Found Glory - Not Without A Fight: Way better than expected.

Movielife - 40 Hour Train: Pop-punk perfection.

Movielife - Has A Gambling Problem: Finding their footing with solid production.

Movielife - This Time Next Year: Almost too poppy. Almost.

Movielife - Its Go Time: A little rough around the edges but you can see the potential.

Mouthpiece - Can't Kill What's Inside: Wish I could have seen them live. Heavy, slow and catchy in perfect compliment.

Mountain Man - Demo: Do you like American Nightmare, Suicide File, et al? Then check these guys out.

The Most Serene Republic - ...And The Ever Expanding Universe: Turn it up or it'll pass you by.

Mos Def - The Ecstatic: Hailed as a return to form, it's more hit-and-miss. So, yes, a return to form.

Modest Mouse - No One's First And You're Next: They just don't do anything for me.

Metallica - Master Of Puppets: I really wanted to hate this, but it's pretty awesome.

Mastodon - Crack The Skye: Easily their most accessible album. For better or worse.

Mastodon - Remission: Another solid album, just not my favorite.

Lucero - Rebels, Rogues and Sworn Brothers: I'm a little burned out on Lucero so this came across as merely adequate. Will try again later.

Lucero - Nobody's Darlings: An unjustifiably disappointing follow-up to Further West.

Lucero - That Much Further West: Easily their richest, fullest and most complete album.

Lucero - Tennessee: Qualifiable nuance escapes another solid album.

The Love Language - The Love Language: Deserving of a few more listens.

Jeffrey Lewis And The Junkyard - Em Are I: For fans of Daniel Johnston or quirky pop/rock.

Sondre Lerche - Faces Down: My new favorite Sondre album.

Leaves - We Are Shadows: ...of Elbow, Coldplay and Doves.

Leatherface - Mush: Very unique. Like a cross between The Replacements and Hot Water Music. I think.

Lanemeyer - If There's A Will, There's Still Nothing: Outstanding emo/pop-punk that'll remind you of earlier Get Up Kids.

Ben Kweller - Changing Horses: A little too slow, a little too country.

Ben Kweller - How Ya Lookin' Southbound: Catchy as ever but not as quirky as Sha Sha.

Kris Kristofferson - Kristofferson: '70s folk rock with country influence from a terrific songwriter. Bound to know a few songs.

Knot Feeder - Light Flares: Mostly instrumental music that wasn't entirely boring.

The Knack - Get The Knack: Much more, and better than, My Sharona. Get into it.

Killswitch Engage - Killswitch Engage: Much, much better than I remember their last album being.

Kansanturvamuslikkikomissio - 666: What an odd, odd album.

Johnson&Jonson - Johnson&Jonson: Hip hop with moments of greatness delivered inconsistently.

Jimmy Eat World - Clarity: So much more than the cheesy pop band I asumed they were.

Japandroids - Post-Nothing: Solid foundation of Sonic Youth-inspired rock. Look forward to more, less repetitive, in the future.

Michael Jackson - Thriller: I still don't get it.

Dashboard Confessional - Alter The Ending: Another merely adequate post-MTV album.

Into It. Over It. - 52 Weeks: Love he commitment, if not all the songs, though enough of them. Dig the early Piebald influence.

Lead singer from Mansions needs more stage presence, less alcohol.

Hope Conspiracy - True Nihilist: Not as brutal as previous releases, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Hollywood - Discography: It's a shame they never found their footing, because the potential was there.

Buddy Holly - Complete Collection: 10 discs of anyone borders on too much. With someone as limited as Holly it's especially true.

Bill Hicks - Dark Poet: If you're a fan this is a must listen. Not because it's funny but because it's not. And epically awkward.

Here We Go Magic - S/T: It put me to sleep. Not sure the music was at fault or if I was just that tired.

Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced: It fails to capture the immediacy and epicness of what he could do on stage.

Levon Helm - Electric Dirt: If I didn't know any better, I'd be very quick to make comaprisons to The Band.

Earth Crisis - To The Death: It's Earth Crisis - loud, noisy, a bit cheesy.

Earth Crisis - To The Death: It's Earth Crisis - loud, noisy, a bit cheesy.

Duke Spirit - Neptune: Wouldn't listen to again. Unless Travis Shettel (Piebald) has a more active role.

Heartless Bastards - The Mountain: Excellent classic rock-infused album. For (older) fans of Kings Of Leon.

Hazen St - Hazen St: A little cheesy in its delivery. Still worthy of a second listen.

Ducky Boys - War Back Home: No doubt that it's The Duck Boys. Brings me back 10 years, to a time more simple.

Hatebreed - For The Lions: Unfamiliarity with the source material makes it easier to enjoy, harder to appreciate.

Handsome Furs - Face Control: I have tried and failed, again, at really like Handsome Furs. Adequate, just not extraordinary.

Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest: Sometimes, like this one, an album lives up to the hype.

Grateful Dead - American Beauty: Endlessly catchy '70s pop/rock that defies their stereotype.

Sebastien Grainger - And The Mountains: Solid collection of songs as he tries to find his sound in a post-DFA1979 world.

Dr. Dre - The Chronic: Singles still hold up, but the rest is pretty hit-or-miss. Still a classic album.

Get Up Kids - Eudora: Only necessary for diehard fans and completists.

Get Up Kids - The EPs: Good enough to be appended on their LPs as bonus tracks.

Jerry Garcia - Garcia Plays Dylan: I could do without the 6 minute jams in the middle of each song, but then, I guess, that's Jerry Garcia.

Serge Gainsbourg - Historie de Melody: Not sure where to begin. Avant garde and sleep-inducing, both because it's entirely in French.

Jim Gaffigan - King Baby: Non-stop laughs. One of the best comedy albums I've ever heard.

Doves - Kingdom Of Rust: It's almost as if The Doves can do no wrong.

Future Of The Left - Travels With Myself And Another: Great post-punk and a huge improvement over their debut, but not without faults.

Fugazi - Demo: Poor sound quality makes for a frustrating and unconvincing listen.

Franz Ferdinand -Tonight: Unfortunately catchy and upbeat. Lucid Dreams aside.

Tom Frampton - ...As Marion Delgado: Best songs are when he's being someone else (Bright Eyes imitation and Mountain Goats cover).

Ben Folds - University A Capella: Cool idea, well executied. More compelling when familiar with source material.

Ben Folds - Stems And Seeds: Demos, throwaways and alternate versions of Way To Normal tracks. Only for diehard fans.

Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away: Adequate return to form, but lacking the catchiness and cohesion of Blueberry Boat.