Recent reviews

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

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

Set it Straight

My Favorite Words
West Coast Worldwide (2005)

My Favorite Words is the debut album from Set it Straight, a straightedge band from Redding, CA. This CD gets you pumped, it inspires you, and the intro to "Conversation" will be stuck in your head for hella days. The CD is nine songs and clocks in at only 20 minutes. The length is perfect for this kind of band, as it has you savoring every sing-along, guitar riff, and drum roll. The production of My Favorite Words is very clean. It perfectly captures the energy of their live show and packs it into nine songs you can experience over and over again. Let me tell you, I'm a sucker for posi bands. I'm always in the mood for some positive lyrics, and singing along can brighten up the shittiest day of my life. This is the CD I listen to on the way to a show, and it always gets me pumped. It never gets old, and the energy of this CD never tires itself. Every time I listen, it seems to have more and more energy. The lyrics are hella posi. Every song showcases bad life experiences, and the end of the song shows solutions to these problems. … Read more

Hot Snakes

Audit in Progress
Swami (2004)

Where are they? Where did they go? Did they pull an At the Drive-In, or should I say a Jehu? … Read more

Iron and Wine

Woman King
Sub Pop (2005)

Judging an artist based on another's artistic merit is an unfair and pretty bogus way of looking at music, but … Read more

Cursed

II
Goodfellow (2005)

Cursed - the movie or the band? Well considering one is likely a story lifted from a Goosebumps book and … Read more

With Honor / The Distance

Split
Martyr (2004)

Two of the best bands in Connecticut doing a split together? "Sign me up!" I think to myself, and how … Read more

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 … Read more

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One from the archives

Vitality!

Introspection
Iron Mind (2006)

1988 has been heralded as the halcyon days of youth-crew hardcore. All the bands were posi and all the bands were...good? Okay let's not push it folks, for every Judge and Gorilla Biscuits there was a Wide Awake or an Up Front opening for them. By today's standards it's hard to believe that Youth of Today was allowed to put out records, let alone Halfmast. Youth-crew in 2006 has transformed itself into a perfected art form. All the bands have the right shoes and the right crucial band shirts. They also know exactly when to execute some mosh or a two-step part. Or they know when to have the best stage bending pile on. It's all been done before and now it's been done right. Sometimes I miss the days … Read more

More album reviews

The Number Twelve Looks Like You

An Inch of Gold for an Inch of Time
Eyeball (2005)

2003 might seem like forever ago for some, possibly even two years ago for the majority of us. There were many good releases in those twelve months. Put On Your Rosy Red Glasses was one of these. So naturally I was very excited for The Number Twelve Looks Like You's next release. The first thing I noticed on An Inch … Read more

Queens of the Stone Age

Lullabies to Paralyze
Interscope (2005)

Tornadoes, while not traditionally known as positive forces in the world, certainly provide for some excitement, amazement, and entertainment. Much like a car accident, we all want to see what happened, the ensuing destruction, and if we're lucky, a body or two. Exhibit A: Twister. No matter how many times I watch this flick, I still come back just to … Read more

Queens of the Stone Age

Lullabies to Paralyze
Interscope (2005)

Before Lullabies to Paralyze could even be committed to tape, frontman Josh Homme was faced with several important choices. And none was going to be more crucial than his decision to fire close friend and bassist Nick Oliveri. Was it the appropriate decision to make? I don't think we'll ever know. All we can really do is take the music … Read more

E. Town Concrete

Made for War
Ironbound (2004)

Let me start off by saying that E. Town Concrete is the only band I know of that can mix hip hop and hardcore and not come out looking like idiots. Their last release, Renaissance was a solid release, equal parts rap with equal parts hardcore. Made for War, on the other hand, leans more towards the hardcore genre and … Read more

The Joy Circuit

EP1
Independent (2005)

The Joy Circuit formed out of a unique situation; they were the backing band Ken Andrews hired on for his most recent space/indie/rock outfit Year of the Rabbit. Despite releasing what I considered to be two quality releases, the band fell into shambles. But rather than go their separate ways, drummer Tim Down, bassist Solomon Snyder, and guitarist Jeff Garber … Read more

Bonnie "Prince" Billy & Matt Sweeney

Superwolf
Drag City (2005)

What an album cover! It's the kind that would fit perfectly with the whole music sounding like album cover mantra that makes for a great last resort when you can't really come up with a good description of the music within on your own. With enough embellishing, it can work for almost every album ever created. But alas, Will Oldham … Read more

Repercussion

And the Winner is...
Spook City (2004)

While this album has been out for a little while now, it's somewhat coincidental that I am reviewing it as television is graced with The Contender. Just like the 16 boxing contestants that are competing for a chance at a lump sum to change their life, Repercussion is completing with the ever-increasing number of tough-guy hardcore bands fighting for our … Read more

Comadre

The Youth
Bloodtown (2005)

Whoever said there's only so many different ways to say you like something lied. Actually, I don't remember anybody ever saying that. But here we are, and I get to attempt to convey to you why I think this album is worth your time to listen to because I like it. Not only do I like it, but it has … Read more

Bright Eyes

Digital Ash in a Digital Urn
Saddle Creek (2005)

Digital Ash in a Digital Urn appears to be out of character for Conor Oberst. He incorporates heavy beats and samples that force his signature acoustic guitar into the closet. The initial shock caused me to put the album away for a month, because I thought it was such an immense departure from his previous albums. I pulled it out … Read more

M83

Before the Dawn Heals Us
Mute (2005)

I don't know why I used to assume that following up an amazing album is hard to pull off. Listening to this release, you wouldn't think that at all. M83's second release, Dead Cities, Red Seas and Lost Ghosts gave My Bloody Valentine an electronic makeover, but with enough character of its own to avoid being dismissed as some sort … Read more

Dead Hearts

Dead Hearts
State of Mind (2004)

The melding of hardcore and rock-n-roll seems to be quite the rave as of late. So when you have a sudden influx of bands taking aim at a new look of an established genre, you are going to get the full spectrum. That is to say you'll get everything from fantastic to downright horrible. With their self-titled release, Dead Hearts … Read more

New Idea Society

You Are Awake Or Asleep
Magic Bullet (2005)

Cave In has been on hiatus for a couple months now and Stephen Brodsky has decided to not sit still. Rumor has it he is working on a new solo album, there is a video being worked on for his solo stuff, and he finally got around to putting out a New Idea Society full length, a follow-up to their … Read more

The Mars Volta

Frances the Mute
Universal (2005)

Have you seen the Frances The Mute cover art yet? Cast your eyes to the right, it's on display there. Two guys, both blindfolded, and oblivious to the world around them. Or maybe they just don't care what else is going on. It's all about them, driving their vehicle, with their own rules and their own vision. That painfully obvious … Read more

Red Sparowes

At The Soundless Dawn
Neurot Recordings (2005)

Even though Red Sparowes is a new project, they didn't have much difficulty making a name for themselves. Neurosis visual-effects man Josh Graham and Isis members Bryant Clifford Meyer and Jeff Caxide were members of the band at the time of recording. But if you weren't sold on the band based solely on its members previous projects, perhaps this description … Read more

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

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