Recent reviews

Our latest album reviews, featuring the records we've most enjoyed (or not) over the past few weeks.

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Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)

Thrice

Beggars
Vagrant (2009)

The release of Thrice's latest album, Beggars came as a big surprise to a lot of fans for a couple reasons. One reason is because the band released the last two volumes of The Alchemy Index only last year and they were quick to the studio to record it's follow-up. The other reason is how quickly it leaked onto the internet, months before it's release even. The question that most Thrice fans are asking with this album is "What are they going to do next?" The Alchemy Index EP's showed the band is capable of branching out into different styles and doing it well, but how exactly are they going to showcase all of these new styles on their next album? The answer to the last question is they don't. Well, at least on Beggars, they don't touch on all of the sounds they experimented on with The Alchemy Index. Beggars sounds like a more accessible version of what they were doing on The Alchemy Index as they continue to venture into progressive territory, but not that deep into it. The Alchemy Index was very off-putting to a lot of fans and was almost too much to handle as Thrice … Read more

Sick Sick Birds

Heavy Manners
Toxic Pop (2009)

Sometimes life gets in the way of good music. When the Thumbs disbanded in 2003, Mike Hall and Bobby Borte … Read more

King Khan & The BBQ Show

Invisible Girl
In The Red (2009)

In his two-piece with Mark "BBQ" Sultan, King Khan & The BBQ Show brings garage rock as it's meant to … Read more

Rabid Rabbit

Rabid Rabbit
Interloper (2009)

As certain styles of music catch hold and thus become revered and oft emulated, making or doing something to makes … Read more

Lipona

Pigeonholed
Independent (2009)

In what's already been a solid year for punk releases, Lipona's new self-released EP, Pigeonholed might fall under the radar … Read more

Eagle Twin

The Unkindness of Crows
Southern Lord (2009)

Gentry Densley is somewhat of a living legend in the metal world. Unfortunately I am not as familiar with his … Read more

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One from the archives

The Plot To Blow Up the Eiffel Tower

Love in the Fascist Brothel
Revelation (2005)

In 2003, San Diego's Plot to Blow up the Eiffel Tower unleashed Dissertation Honey upon an unsuspecting crowd of jerks with messy hair. The release mixed elements of jazz and post-hardcore seamlessly, making it one of the most exciting albums of the year. Love in the Fascist Brothel is the Plot's second full length, a record that, logically, should fully recognize the group's potential, and grant them the hype they deserved two years ago. The thing is, see, this album's kind of boring. Boring isn't a term I'd usually associate with this sort of frantic sound, but in this case, it's hard to ignore. The album hijacks that trumpet intro from Start Today before exploding as necessary, but (assuming you know what to expect) it doesn't really capture your attention … Read more

More album reviews

Nadja / Black Boned Angel

Nadja / Black Boned Angel
20 Buck Spin (2009)

Having these two notable monikers teaming up for a second collaboration is just right up my alley, particularly because their previous collaborative effort, Christ Send Light is one of my favorite recordings from both Nadja and Black Boned Angel thus far. This second effort (actually recorded around the same time as their previous collaboration) is two pieces of sonic manipulation … Read more

The Get Up Kids

Something to Write Home About (Reissue)
Vagrant (2009)

The release of The Get Up Kids' debut full-length Four Minute Mile is something that I recall with the greatest of ease. My sister won a contest from a record store, getting a slew of just released CD's for free. Amongst the various punk compilations and releases from bands on Epitaph, Fat Wreck, and Lookout! was said album from The … Read more

Aidan Baker

Gathering Blue
Equation (2009)

The amount of work that Aidan Baker produces is absolutely staggering. Besides solo releases like Gathering Blue he releases records as part of Nadja and Whispering Room as well as collaborations with Tim Hecker, ThisQuietArmy, and others. A double LP, Gathering Blue is one coming via Equation Records and in limited quantities (so much so that these might all be … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Fired Up

Doomed to Repeat
Youngblood (2009)

Doomed to Repeat is a posthumous release from Fired Up. Fired Up plays extremely fast youth crew inspired hardcore and gained a little bit of notoriety for being a band that played this style of hardcore...but they weren't straightedge. Whoopee-do. Doomed to Repeat is the type of record you'd expect from Youngblood Records. There's plenty of sing-a-longs, parts to point … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Face Reality

Positive Change
Dead End (2009)

It's nice to see in 2009 that's there is still youth crew hardcore bands out there. Face Reality is from Michigan and play fast hardcore with plenty of fun breakdowns. The vocals remind me of Ray Cappo with a cold. Musically it's a cross between Ten Yard Fight and The First Step. The lyrics are positive and on the straight-end … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Jeff Caudill

Try to be Here
Fortunate Son (2009)

Rising from the remains of the pop-punkers Gameface, Jeff Caudill heads out on the road by himself on this trip. Well, not exactly. He does the consistency of the producing and also being the drummer for this project. Also involved is none other than Robbie Rist (yes-"Oliver" from The Brady Bunch!) Check out YouTube for a funny clip of Robbie … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Medusa

En Raga Sul
Hawthorne Street (2009)

If the band name and scary artwork didn't tip me off that this was going to be a brutal audio assault, I guess the Hitler sample at the start of the release should have been a clue. Punishing riffs, caterwauling vocals, and plodding drum beats typify the songs on this record. If that sounds like something you need to have, … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Young Fresh Fellows

I Think This is
Yep Roc (2009)

I love the PR insert that is included with this one. "First new album in 66 years! Produced by Robyn Hitchcock! No 'special guests' (except Robyn and Peter Buck) Includes 3 DIFFERENT-SIZED helmets." I'm still looking for my helmets, but I know it hasn't been quite that long since the last Young Fresh Fellows record. Scott McCaughey hasn't lost his … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Foreign Cinema

Non-Synchronous Sound
Parallax Sounds (2009)

Moody, dark, atmospheric rock from this two-piece based out of San Francisco will send a shiver down your spine with this release. Think Peter Murphy backed up by members of The Cure and Mission UK on holiday. There's a definite Faith influence here which I am being drawn into after repeated listens. The last song on this release is a … Read more

Blacklisted

No One Deserves to be Here More Than Me
Deathwish Inc. (2009)

There probably hasn't been a record in recent months that has garnered any more whoopla than Blacklisted's No One Deserves to be Here More Than Me. My word, once people started getting in their pre-orders there was numerous threads and Facebook statuses either for or against this album. If anything, Blacklisted created probably the most talked about album of 2009. … Read more

Annabel

Each and Everyone
Count Your Lucky Stars (2009)

It's been a while since my last review and I'm still shaking off the writing cobwebs. After multiple tests and papers discussing the typical critiques of Western academia over the past few weeks, that module of my brain is somewhat worn out. So I am approaching the end of the decade with a somewhat lazy, but never inattentive, mindset on … Read more

Doomriders

Darkness Come Alive
Deathwish Inc. (2009)

Doomriders debut effort Black Thunder launched the Boston-based outfit into action with their dark-themed hybrid of punk, metal, and hardcore. Since its release the band has kept busy with a slew of recordings surfacing. There was a live 7" EP released shortly after their debut, two split recordings - with Coliseum and Disfear respectively - spread out over the past … Read more

The Human Quena Orchestra

The Politics of the Irredeemable
Crucial Blast (2009)

Surprising as it was to me that The Human Quena Orchestra is a project featuring members of Creation is Crucifixion that flew completely under my radar, I am jumping at the chance to check out what some of those guys are up to with their music. Anyone that ever gave Creation is Crucifixion a listen may recognize the electronic nature … Read more

After the Fall

Fort Orange
Raise Your Fist (2009)

As far as melodic punk goes, After the Fall are very good at what they do. They play a fast, aggressive style of punk that's similar to bands like Propagandhi, Good Riddance, and A Wilhelm Scream. Influence from said bands is evident on first listen to this record. In fact, they pay homage to their influences in some of the … Read more

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Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)

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