Swans
To Be Kind
Young God (2014)
Listen, I will fully admit that I am a hopeless Swans fan boy and might even listen to a record filled with sounds of the members defecating and giggling to each other while doing such a dirty deed; so imagine my immense surprise that not only did To Be Kind not immediately blow me away with its intense two plus … Read more
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
Hearts of Oak
Lookout! (2003)
I can always tell how much I will spin an album following its first listen. That feeling I had after listening to Hearts of Oak was immeasurable. "The Ballad of the Sin-Eaters" is a song that will instantly make you shake your ass and shout the words even though you don't know them yet because you're listening to it the … Read more
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
Hearts of Oak
Lookout! (2003)
Wanna have fun? Wanna dance? Want a record that can be, not only enjoyable to listen to, but the perfect record that can still be fun, even when you aren't paying much attention to it? Well this record is it. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists have followed up their 2001 full length, Tyranny of Distance with Hearts of Oak, a … Read more
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
Hearts of Oak
Lookout! (2003)
[NOTE: Okay, I'll admit it. I'm way late. Hearts of Oak came out in February and now, half way into May, I'm finally sitting down to write this. Well, as they say, "better late than never," right?] So, all the hype is coming from New York City these days. There, you will find such indie rock favorites such as The … Read more
Ten Grand
This Is the Way to Rule
Southern (2003)
Who knew that such an exciting and promising musical force was sitting right across the border from me? After hearing so much about this band and being severely disappointed when they postponed their Omaha show (and still haven't made it up), I was glad to finally get my hands (figuratively) on their newest album. In all its underproduced glory, "This … Read more
Ten Grand
This Is the Way to Rule
Southern (2003)
Upon listening to this in a moving automobile with my father, he was quick to inform me that the singer of this band sounded like vocalist of The Murder City Devils. I have no idea what he was talking about. Ten Grand manages to give off a raw sounding vibe without playing very simple music, which I'm sure is a … Read more
Ten Grand
This Is the Way to Rule
Southern (2003)
Ten Grand (formerly The Vidablue) are definately an acquired taste. Hearing their stuff before I thought it was just alright. Nothing to go nuts over. After seeing them live, my outlook on them changed drastically. I gave them a second chance and found out I had been kidding myself. This new record is no different. I suppose you could classify … Read more
The Blood Brothers
Burn Piano Island, Burn
Artist Direct (2003)
I don't even know where to begin. The Blood Brothers are one of the hardest bands to describe out there right now. The terms 'avant-hardcore' and 'artsy hardcore' are thrown around a great deal, but they don't even begin to describe what the Blood Brothers are doing. Dual vocals that stand out more than any other vocalist(s) I have ever … Read more
The Blood Brothers
Burn Piano Island, Burn
Artist Direct (2003)
I've never been insane, but if I were, I think this is what my thoughts would sound like. Although, that would require me to be one of those genius crazy people...but that great thing is that I'm pretty sure all five members of the blood brothers aren't crazy, but just genius. The music can be described as two babies fighting … Read more
The Blood Brothers
Burn Piano Island, Burn
Artist Direct (2003)
A year and a half ago, I picked up this band's first full-length CD, This Adultery Is Ripe. and brought it with me through Italy that summer. The urban centers seemed like a perfect backdrop for the music. The uncomfortable humidity, overflowing materialism and excessive amount of skin all embody the Blood Brothers' sound. Burn Piano Island, Burn is the … Read more
The Blood Brothers
Crimes
V2 (2004)
When it comes to The Blood Brothers, you could call me a fan boy. Everything they've released (minus Rumors Laid Waste which I won't count) keeps progressing, keeping me on my toes. With This Adultery Is Ripe, The Blood Brothers were able to release some of the most energetic music without constraining themselves to a single genre. March On Electric … Read more
The Blood Brothers
Crimes
V2 (2004)
The Blood Brothers' second album in little over a year and half finds the Seattle quintet treading some unfamiliar ground, to say the very least. Not to fret, long-time fans of the Brothers of Blood - the trademark frenetic rhythms, angular guitars (which often recall Duane Denison on a bad crack binge), stop-start dynamics, and the dual shrieking voices of … Read more
The Chinese Stars
Listen to Your Left Brain
Three One G (2007)
This is the catchiest Three One G release I have ever heard. Coming from a label that normally specializes in the extreme outer reaches of noise punk, this is practically a pop album. Yet, this still has the classic bratty Three One G art-school vibe. Named for the 1980s epidemic of grade school kids carrying around throwing stars, The Chinese … Read more
The Chinese Stars
Listen to Your Left Brain
Three One G (2007)
Let's get the ex-members of comparisons out of the way: I loved Arab on Radar. Their assembly line anti-anthems stimulated the same part of my adolescent brain that was dedicated to naked girls and prescription drugs. I listened to tunes like "Attack on Tijuana" over and over, thoughtfully contemplating Mr. Pottymouth's hysterical confessions about yellow snow and oral sex. The … Read more
The Goodwill
That Was A Moment
Negative Progression (2003)
Now, I don't like New Found Glory, but I bet these guys do. Read more
The Goodwill
That Was A Moment
Negative Progression (2003)
Holy shit this sucks. It's not the worst music I've ever heard, they know how to use their instruments, but they lack the pizzazz of such pop artists as Michael Jackson and rock artists as Queen. In one song they even try to do the screaming back up thing, and contrived crap smells really bad. It's not even worth reading … Read more
The Goodwill
That Was A Moment
Negative Progression (2003)
Run of the mill hardcore-influenced pop-punk. The music is tolerable, nothing spectacular at all. I would rather listen to this than jump out of an airplane, I can say that, but I'll probably never listen to this album again. The CD was as predictable as a Friday the 13th sequel. Standard pop-punk songs all the way through, with the second … Read more
The Gutter Twins
Saturnalia
Sub Pop (2008)
So here we have the much-anticipated collaboration between Greg Dulli of Afghan Whigs/The Twilight Singers fame and Mark Lanegan of Queens of the Stone Age/Screaming Trees fame (as well as an excellent solo career along with collaborations with Isobel Campbell). The Gutter Twins, as this duo refer to themselves, have been a rumored project for several years now that finally … Read more
