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Good Riddance

Bound By Ties of Blood and Affection
Fat Wreck Chords (2003)

Oddly enough, this album doesn't start off with a 30 second sound clip. That being said, the album blasts off immediately with pure hardcore fury. For those not familiar with the band, do not let this description repel you. These guys belt out their hardcore with a fresh dose of pop-punk and melodic, yet abrasive vocals. In fact, their style, … Read more

Jawbreaker

Dear You (Reissue)
Blackball (2004)

Many people consider Dear You to be a perfect record. I'm not one of them, and I'm a Jawbreaker fan, too. Nope, I'm one of those finicky kids that thinks they hit their stride around the time that 24 Hour Revenge Therapy was released and that a major label budget nearly ruined them. Nearly. I never said that, while imperfect, … Read more

Hella

The Devil Isn't Red
5 Rue Christine (2004)

Good Goddamn, it's about time. The beginning of 2004 shall be riddled with great albums from such artists as the Catheters and Lightning Bolt, but Hella will start us off with a bang. The Devil Isn't Red is Hella's return to the indie two-man group of Hold Your Horse Is that stole me and Zed's collective hearts a year and … Read more

Deerhoof

Milk Man
Kill Rock Stars (2004)

Deerhoof, never one to rest on their laurels, is back in 2004 with Milk Man. Things seem to be the same as always as the public wonders, "Can Deerhoof really top Apple O'?" The same question was asked this time last year except it was Apple O' being questioned if it could live up to Reveille. The album's "concept" is … Read more

For the Crown

Blueprint
Give Me Strength (2003)

It's so sad when a great band releases a great album and then breaks up soon after before they even get a chance to showcase their talent to the world. Such a thing happened to For the Crown, a melodic hardcore band hailing from the Bay Area in California. The quartet released on one full length in their short lifespan. … Read more

The Deathray Davies

Midnight At the Black Nail Polish Factory
Glurp (2003)

This Dallas based band made their own bed and now they have to lie in it. Their press releases and website state that their latest effort Midnight at the Black Nail Polish Factory sounds like: "The Pixies at their tightest and The Beach Boys at their loosest." We interrupt this broadcast for a healthy and much deserved scoff. There might, … Read more

Orange Island

Orange Island
Triple Crown (2003)

Orange Island are one of those bands who have had the unfortunate luck of being horribly mislabeled as emo. A more accurate description of their sound would be calling them an abrasive yet matured indie-rock band with an awareness of a pop-filled past. With the help of two previous releases, an EP and full-length with Iodine Records, Orange Island have … Read more

The Mountain Goats

We Shall All Be Healed
4AD (2004)

As any lover of lo-fi already knows, the complexity of The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle and his work is vast. He records every album on a living room boombox, has a large backup band despite a very small amount of accompaniment on any given record, and has a penchant for weird lyrics of which he is the only person who … Read more

Paint It Black

CVA
Jade Tree (2003)

Now this is how hardcore is supposed to be played: fast, loud, and pissed off. From beginning to end this disc is brutal. You'll find no sissy, emo bullshit here. This is 17 songs in well under 20 minutes, or "fuckin' quick" as some may like to call it. "But wait," you may ask, "Isn't this on Jade Tree?" Yes, … Read more

Year of the Rabbit

Year of the Rabbit
Elektra (2003)

Before I even begin to go in depth about Year of the Rabbit's major-label debut I want to get one thing clear. I find it unfair to make comparisons and set standards to bands based upon their involvements in previous efforts. Yet, it happens all the time, most recently with The Fire Theft and their past as Sunny Day Real … Read more

Dispensing of False Halos

With Prayers and A Scalpel
Init (2003)

So comrade, this elderly man walks into a bar and asks the bartender, "Where can I find the most recent issue of Sports Illustrated?" Then out of fucking left field, sometimes inadvertently perceived as right, Dispensing Of False Halos busts through the adjacent wall and tears that geezer a new blowhole. Now, what exactly instigated this odd situation and, better … Read more

Notwist

Different Cars and Trains
Domino (2003)

In many cases, EPs of new material from bands who have released prolific albums in the last couple of years are enfuriating teases and rehashes that offer the faithful listener little new material if any at all. It's also difficult to accept an artist's re-rendering of some of your favorite songs. In most cases, tracks are placed in unfamiliar hands … Read more

Mental

Get an Oxygen Tank!
Bridge Nine (2003)

You know, I could sit here and lie to you about how there are certain artists that are doing something important and/or completely original. Why not? I mean most people who review albums for other websites do. I could do that, but it wouldn't really matter 'cause the people who will read this probably won't care anyway. Mental comes from … Read more

Ani DiFranco

Educated Guess
Righteous Babe (2005)

Ani DiFranco is, without a doubt, one of the most active singer/songwriters in music today. Since her 1990 debut, she's put out about 20 other releases on her very own label. Needless to say, she's a very hard worker and an even better writer. Over the years, her albums have featured a vast array of other instruments to help transform … Read more

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