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Murder By Death

Who Will Survive, And What Will Be Left of Them?
Eyeball (2003)

I'll be honest right off the bat. The first mention I heard of Murder by Death was when they were making their name change from Little Joe Gould. I had yet to hear any music that the band plays, and my initial reaction was that based on namesake it was going to be another one of those emo-metalcore acts that … Read more

Tunes For Bears To Dance To

7"
Somberlain (2004)

Who wants to be sad forever? While most screamo bands wallow in their sadness and hide beneath the stairs in a gutter of sorrow, Tunes For Bears To Dance To drop kicks any tear in sight and bursts through the fog into sunshine. Not only do they absorb the Vitamin D from the sun's rays, but they suck it in … Read more

27

Let The Light In
Hydra Head (2004)

27 reach beyond simple classification. Combining bits and pieces from indie rock and trip-hop, as well as post-rock and traditional emo, 27 creates their own distinct sound within the teeming indie rock scene. With an EP, full-length, and a notable guest appearance (Isis - Oceanic) under their belts, the band has been together long enough to mold themselves from their … Read more

Madvillain

Madvillainy
Stones Throw (2004)

On this highly anticipated release from arguably two of underground hip-hop's most interesting personalities- wunderkind producer/MC Madlib (a.k.a. Otis Jackson, Jr., Quasimoto, Yesterday's New Quintet) and eccentric rapper MF Doom (a.k.a. Daniel Dumile, Viktor Vaughn, King Geedorah, Zevlove X) combine each of their unique talents to create an undeniably challenging and masterfully constructed record. Although there's an unquestionable cohesion to … Read more

Xiu Xiu

Fabulous Muscles
5 Rue Christine (2004)

This is the first time I've ever managed to find the perfect soundtrack for an art exhibit. After viewing a collection called "Late Modern European Prints," and listening to Fabulous Muscles on the drive back, I realized that both works were attempting to challenge the limits of creative representation in order to show that when said challenging occurs, art can … Read more

Eagles of Death Metal

Peace Love Death Metal
Ant Acid Audio (2004)

For those of us that follow the happenings of the music world closely, it seems there is always a release that involves a Queens of the Stone Age member around the corner. This time Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, alias Carlo Von Sexron, is lending his talents to Eagles of Death Metal, the creation of close friend … Read more

Sufjan Stevens

Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lakes State
Sounds Familyre (2003)

Although this can be said for every state in the Union, Michigan seems to produce two types of people. Extroverts who are either pushing their backwards views on you or calling you names: Michael Moore, Ted Nugent, Eminem, the average Detroit citizen. Introverts are completely different. They move up north, avoid Detroit at all costs, and live their lives, content … Read more

Van Johnson

Holiday Tour EP
Independent (2004)

The first time I heard of Van Johnson, I assumed it was a porn star. Immediately when I got home from seeing Off Minor and overhearing a conversation about them, I fired up my computer. It was pornography time for me! (this is also known as "Zed Time") I whipped it out and soon after realized that disappointment was in … Read more

Shockwave

The Ultimate Doom
Facedown (2004)

There was a time during my childhood when my after-school hours were dominated by sitting in front of the television to catch the latest episode of Transformers. It was my love for the show that prompted me to spend every penny I earned buying up Transformers toys. Fortunately I am able to relive those days vicariously by listening to The … Read more

Volcano, I'm Still Excited!!

Volcano, I'm Still Excited!!
Polyvinyl (2004)

Over the past 2 years, the exclamation point has become more played out than "Hey Ya!" has over these past couple months. The exclamation point is used to show urgency, uprising, excitement. Volcano, I'm Still Excited!!, like Stop It!! the previous year, manage to avoid all three of those in their debut record. What you'll get with this record is … Read more

Onelinedrawing

The Volunteers
Jade Tree (2004)

Long before the MTV defined "screamo" fad took the music world by storm, there was the underground phenomenon Far, a four-piece outfit from Sacramento, CA. And fronting this pioneering group was Jonah Matranga, one of the most beloved and respected songwriters in music today. His honest lyrics and soothing harmonies epitomized a genre that owes a lot to him for … Read more

In Control

In Control EP
Indecision/Martyr (2003)

A piece of hardcore music is going to die when In Control bows out later this year. They are one of the most loved, respected, and important bands in the scene currently and the West Coast is going to feel a bigger disturbance in the Force than Obi-wan Kenobi did when Alderon was blown to bits by the Emperor's Death … Read more

Through The Eyes Of The Dead

The Scars Of Ages
Lovelost (2004)

A lot of the time when I see "true metal" kids referring to metalcore they put quotes around the metal because it's not true enough for them. After millions of hours of research upon the topic I came upon a few realizations on the subject of the difference between metal and metalcore. For the most part what it comes down … Read more

Error

Error
Epitaph (2004)

It wasn't that long ago that a band released an album entitled The Shape of Punk to Come. While many ignored its principles, others took the manifesto that Refused declared with that album to heart. By combining elements of electronica, industrial, and punk, Error have done their best to realize the objectives that were intended to "start a revolution." With … Read more

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