Reviews of albums release in 2003

238 total reviews — Page 7 of 14

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

My Morning Jacket

It Still Moves
RCA (2003)

My Morning Jacket pulled it off. They have officially won me over. Recently signed to RCA, they released their third full length to surprisingly, a lot of press coverage. After giving this a couple run throughs, I can clearly see why. Starting the record off with a twangy trill from a guitar and vocals with more reverb than you can … Read more

None More Black

File Under Black
Fat Wreck Chords (2003)

Somewhere around the turn of the millennium, Fat Wreck Chords decided it wanted to be the best punk label around. File Under Black, None More Black's first full length offering is a perfect example of how Fat has come to be just that. The band is fronted by longtime scenester, Jason Shevchuk, front man of the legendary melodic hardcore band … Read more

North of America

Brothers, Sisters
Level Plane (2003)

There's an alternate universe somewhere out there, one in which Steve Albini moved to Guelph, Ontario, hooked up with members of the Rapture and Hot Cross, and made some intense, danceable, abrasive rock music. Unfortunately, we do not live in that universe, but we may have one up on that equation, as we have North of America, another band that … 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

Notwist

Neon Golden
Domino (2003)

When Jeff suggested we get this cd for review I was like "Um ok. Who the hell is that?" So I got the cd and gave it a listen. Since then, I haven't doubted Jeff's suggestions once. This cd would be one of the better CDs this year if it weren't such a great year for music. Closest I could … 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

Outkast

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
La Face (2003)

Everybody likes Outkast. How can you not? Aside from some kind of genetic predisposition to bad taste, there really isn't an excuse. Carefully blending innovation with standard hip hop elements and topping it off with an amazing pop-sense, the dynamic duo of hip hop have been able to please all kinds of people, regardless of their typical musical taste. From … Read more

Over My Dead Body

Sink or Swim
Indecision (2003)

Throughout the 1990s, San Diego, California, became well known for its lucrative pop-rock scene. Notable artists such as Blink 182, Unwritten Law, and Sprung Monkey sprung up from the depths of the just-north-of-the-border metropolis. Towards the end of the decade a band named Over My Dead Body,or xOver My Dead Bodyx to the Straight Edge kids, started playing decent-sized shows … Read more

Ozma

Spending Time on the Borderline
Kung Fu (2003)

A friend had described Ozma to me as being 'like Weezer, but wussier.' I've never been a fan of Weezer, I could never get into them. Ozma, on the other hand, I liked instantly. While not being a particularly heavy band, Ozma are a great band to 'spend time' listening to, if you are a fan of guitar-driven, keyboard-laden emo … 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

Pelican

Australasia
Hydra Head (2003)

Pelican flirted with my heart earlier this year when they released their self-titled debut. And now with the release of their first full length, Australasia, they have completely taken me. It's been quite some time since a band has been able to garner my attention away from all other happenings in the musical world. They have pieced together a heavy … Read more

Please Inform the Captain, This Is A Hijack

Please Inform the Captain This Is A Hijack
Empire (2003)

Hardcore is a genre that is known to be stifled in it's own mediocrity. Creativity is frowned upon, in fact, in the hardcore scene it seems as if everything is backwards. Mediocre, stagnant bands are often regarded as the best in the genre, and creative bands that take risks are usually scorned. With that in mind, it's great to see … Read more

Premonitions of War

Left In Kowloon
Victory (2003)

What can I say about Toledo, Ohio? Honestly, I never found anything about the city to be remotely appealing at all. Then again, I might be a bit biased against the city after the time I got a flat tire on my way home from a show in Detroit and was stuck repairing my tire in the rain while being … Read more

Pretty Girls Make Graves

The New Romance
Matador (2003)

While there definitely are problems with musical priority in this album, after listening to Good Health, the most negative thing I can say about this album is it pales in comparison to PGMG's debut. While "slow and soft" is not necessarily a bad thing, it is in the case of The New Romance. When your biggest feature is the guitars … Read more

Pretty Girls Make Graves

The New Romance
Matador (2003)

'What is this band? Quasi-popular tripe not worth my time. What's the problem? The band is way too dependent upon the guitars to entertain the audiences. Although the guitarists do excellent work at times in the album, it's not enough to make this bad band good. Is the band any good? Not with what they emphasize. It's pretty easy to … Read more

Q and Not U

X-Polynation/Book of Flags
Dischord (2003)

Sometimes I find myself shaking my ass, clapping my hands, and just plain out getting down. I can say that, for 80% of these moments, Q and Not U is the soundtrack to such ass shaking. Sure Different Damage didn't provide nearly as many ass shaking moments but when it provided one, it far surpassed any of them on No … Read more

Radiohead

Hail to the Thief
Capitol (2003)

Thom Yorke had billed this record as OK Computer 2, and Radiohead's cookie doesn't crumble all that different from the motion picture industry, the sequel doesn't live up to the original, but with such an amazing record to live up to, Hail to the Thief has plenty of room left to still be a great record, which it is. The … Read more