Review(s): Lauryn Hill, The Hives, Betchadupa, Green Day, Brian Wilson, Cave In x3

Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill: I understand why it is so praised, but it just doesn't do it for me.

The Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hives: Did you like Veni, Vidi, Vicious? (yes) Do you like The Clash? (yes) You'll like this. (I do)

Betchadupa - 3DEP/Betchadupa/Flying Nun Comp Tracks/Sleepy News/Supa Day: If this is the best that Australia has to offer, we might as well blow Australia up (after we rescue Matt Billingsly).

Green Day - American Idiot: More than I ever expected from a Green Day album, but less than I expect out of a truely amazing album. It is very solid and I will be purchasing it and I will be listening to it again.

Brian Wilson - SMiLE: Everything you'd want and wouldn't want in an album that took 35 years to complete. Far too many layers of texture to adequately judge on a single listen.

Cave-In - Antenna: Take away all the distortion, layering, pyschadelia and inovation of The Mars Volta and you'd have this.

Cave-In - Until Your Heart Stops: I appreciate the initiative of trying to do something more with the genre of metal, but I don't appreciate it when it's LAME.

Cave-In - Epicenter/Botch Split/Tides Of Tomorrow:I cannot stand the vocal delivery of this band whatsoever.

Review(s): Ghost, The Gits, Woody Guthrie

Ghost - Hypnotic Underworld: You'll be bored before you find anything rewarding.

The Gits - Frenching The Bully: Female fronted 'punk' that brings comparisons to the Gorilla Biscuits (vocals) and Three Doors Down (music), but in the end, all of the songs run together and seem to lose focus.

Woody Guthrie - Dust Bowl Ballads: This disc puts into perspective the genius of Bob Dylan.

Review(s): The Futureheads, The GC5, The Get Up Kids

The Futureheads - The Futureheads: This quirky acapella-pop record is the best record I've heard this year.

The GC5 - Never Bet The Devil Your Head: Renewing my faith in the value of punk rock is an album for fans for "The Gang's All Here"-era Dropkick Murphys.

The Get Up Kids - Guilt Show: Sacrificing musical maturity for the sake of record sales is something I cannot get behind if I didn't like you before you matured.

Review(s): Evergreen, Faithless, The Fire Theft

Evergreen - Evergreen: The first post-Slint Avante Gardecore album is a mixed affair, but one that will at least warrant another listen.

Faithless - No Roots: I hate this album with much of my being, but I love the single (well, the single edit version).

The Fire Theft - The Fire Theft: If 'Return of the Frog Queen' has the feel of a classic, The Fire Theft's self-titled debut already is.

Review(s): The Deviants, The Dresden Dolls, Jeremy Enigk

The Deviants - Ptooff!: Put down the drugs.

The Dresden Dolls - A is for Accident: It seems as though nothing they do is an accident as this live collection showcases versions of familiar songs that barely (save for some clapping and laughing) stray from their original.

Jeremy Enigk - Return of the Frog Queen: It's not good, but it's got the feel of a classic.

Review(s): The Cure, Karen Dalton, The Desperate Bicycles

The Cure - Three Imaginary Boys: Sometimes I hit myself for jumping on the bandwagon late.

Karen Dalton - It's So Hard To Tell Who's Going To Love You The Best: So raw, so emotive, so engaging. Man, do I love the blues.

The Desperate Bicycles - Another Commercial Venture: Punk is supposed to be about the singles and this post-punk band is no exception with this collection showing off several wonderful singles, but nothing that brings it to another level.

Review(s): David Cross, Crowhate Ruin, Cul De Sac

David Cross - Shut Up, You Fucking Baby: David Cross' punchlines aren't what's funny, it's his little additions, side tracks and tangents that he throws in with the story that'll get you laughing.

Crownhate Ruin - Until The Eagle Grins: SSD ripoff that doesn't get the exposure it deserves based upon the label behind them.

Cul De Sac - Ecim: One of the better pieces of post-rock by a band not name Godspeed or Explosions.

Review(s): Bitish Sea Power, John Cage, Charalambides

British Sea Power - The Decline of British Sea Power: If it ends after track 10 it makes the Top 10 of 2003. It doesn't end after track 10.

John Cage - Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano: Oddly-timed piano pieces isn't something to listen to straight through.

Charalambides - Joy Shapes: Absolutely riveting (compared to anything by The Azusa Plane).

Review(s): John Coltrane, Animal Collective, David Bowie

John Coltrane - Ultimate Blue Train: This may be my favorite jazz album.

Animal Collective - Sung Tongs: The Books done well.

David Bowie - Low: A nice collection of songs but not the album that 'Ziggy Stardust' was.

Review(s): Can x2, The Chameleons

Can - Monster Movie: Proto-Post-Rock

Can - Tago Mago: Another piece to the puzzle that links Prog to Post-Rock.

The Chameleons - Strange Times: Influential, perhaps. Forgettable, absolutely.

Review(s): David Banner, Blind Faith, Centro-Matic

Banner, David - MTA2:Baptized In Dirty Water: I'd rather spend $18 on a disc with 6 really strong tracks than $12 on a disc with 18 tracks, 6 of which are really strong. This disc has several really strong tracks, but too much filler.

Blind Faith - Blind Faith: The blue balls of Rock 'n' Roll.

Centro-Matic - South San Gabriel Songs-Music/Flashes And Cables: Add Centro-Matic to the ever-growing list of emotionally convincing indie-folk.

Review(s): Aqualung, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Ash

Aqualung - Still Life: Just listen to Elbow. Just don't forget the name.

Art Ensemble of Chicago - Bap-Tizum: Quite possibly the worst jazz album I have ever heard. This includes all vocal-jazz wastes of time.

Ash - 1977: Inexplicably enjoyable.

Review(s): 14 Iced Bears, 2pac, The Album Leaf

14 Iced Bears - Let The Breeze Open Our Hearts: Just listen to The Stone Roses.

2pac - All Eyez On Me: I had some respect for 2pac before listening to this.

The Album Leaf - In A Safe Place: Broken Social Scene (Feel Good Lost-era) meets Sigur Ros. Emphasis on the Sigur Ros.

Review(s): The Dresden Dolls, The Beatles, Stabbing Westward

The Dresden Dolls - The Dresden Dolls: Evanescence done well is basically a female version of the pAper chAse done not as well.

The Beatles - Anthology 1: Worth owning for historical relevance, but offers little in the way of repeat listening.

Stabbing Westward - The Essential Stabbing Westward: Some bands don't have enough good songs for a greatest hits. Stabbing Westward doesn't have any.

Review(s): Nailbomb, Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto

Nailbomb - Proud To Commit Commercial Suicide: This doesn't sound like a live album. There's no crowd, no fuzz and no difference in the songs from their debut.

Birdsongs of the Mesozoic - Sonic Geology: If I were make a movie, I'd call on them to make the score, but I wouldn't release that score commercially.

Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto: Awfully bluesy for a jazz album, but I like it.

Review(s): Bud Powell, Phew x2

Bud Powell - The Amazing Bud Powell: Amazing is right.

Phew - Phew: There's something very peaceful and calming about Eastern-influenced music. This is no exception.

Phew - Our Likeness: Knowledge of the language would make for a far more enjoyable listen.

Review(s): Machito, Pro-Pain, Proclamation

Machito - Kenya: If Ricky Ricardo (of 'I Love Lucy') made a jazz album, it'd be awesome, right? See for yourself.

Pro-Pain - The Best of Pro-Pain: Assuming a chronological tracklist, early Pro-Pain was far better than their later material, which sadly dominates this disc.

Proclamation - Let The Truth Be Told: Edge bands are a dime a dozen and few rise to the top of their chosen genre. Proclamation fail to do so.

Review(s): Wynton Marsalis, Marginal Man, Procol Harum

Wynton Marsalis - Black Codes (From the Underground): How I could have missed this guy when I went through my jazz period I don't know, but I regret it.

Marginal Man - Identity/Double Image: Choose an identity, because you have far more than two images presented here.

Procol Harum - A White Shade of Pale: Pink Floyd (or David Bowie) with Beatles' pop sensibility. Why this band is not bigger, I will not understand, but I hereby make it my mission to educate people about them.

Review(s): The Polyphonic Spree, The Whole Nine, Morrissey

The Polyphonic Spree - Together We're Heavy: Despite boasting more members than an NFL roster, this effort seems slightly sparser than their first. It is just as enjoyable though, just in a different way.

The Whole Nine - Falling Out and Falling In: "Until the day I die..."

Morrissey - Suedehead: The Best Of Morrissey: What a self-centered, self-loathing and depressed individual. I still liked it though, perhaps too much.

Review(s): Muse, Nailbomb, Nas

Muse - Absolution: In the increasingly overcrowded genre of britpop I wonder why this band is getting all the hype.

Nailbomb - Point Blank: Metal will forever be a genre of unfulfilled potential.

Nas - Illmatic: Chingy take note; this is what rap is supposed to sound like.