36 total search results — Page 2 of 2
The Libertines – The Libertines
Review — September 24, 2004
Pete Doherty is so rock n' roll. Every other day the kid is in rehab, and on the other days he's escaping from it. Just look at the cover of this CD; Doherty's fellow band mate looks like he is trying to help him from passing out from a drug …
Interpol – Antics
Review — October 10, 2004
Turn on the Bright Lights is a great debut album. The guitars are compelling when paired with Paul Banks's jarring vocals, letting bizarre lyrics like "subway is a porno" slide. The bass lines are far from boring and the drumming is precise and deliberate. All this talent was fused into …
The Delays – Faded Seaside Glamour
Review — September 28, 2004
Nothing really sets the Delays apart from other mediocre Brit pop rock bands. They are all trapped in limbo between the achievements of Radiohead and Oasis and the sewage of bands like__________and__________(I can't remember any Brit bands that I thought were absolutely horrendous). No matter how ordinary the band may …
The Thrills – Let's Bottle Bohemia
Review — October 3, 2004
Foreign territories naturally exude mystery and romance. Dubliners the Thrills found California so intriguing that they wrote their whole debut, So Much for the City, about it. Their blatant references in song titles, from "Big Sur," "Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far)," to "Hollywood Kids," and their Beach Boys-influenced …
Earlimart – Treble & Tremble
Review — October 12, 2004
What does coping with the death of Elliott Smith sound like? It sounds poignant and pretty; in essence, it sounds like Smith's spirit is living vicariously through Aaron Espinoza. Music is a catharsis for many artists and the finest music is produced when songwriting is used to expel intense emotions. …
Moving Units – Dangerous Dreams
Review — October 19, 2004
Moving Units played at last year's Sunset Junction Street Fair, which had an impressive line-up of indie pop and rock bands, including Guided by Voices, Rilo Kiley, and Earlimart. I groaned when I first heard Moving Units' debut Dangerous Dreams, because I anticipated an indie pop or rock band …
Johnson, Will – Vultures Await
Review — December 5, 2004
Will Johnson not only fronts the incestuous bands Centro-matic and South San Gabriel, but he also has a solo career on the side. After recording numerous albums in eight prolific years, Johnson is still not at a loss for words. He suppressed and collected his sorrow over time to relinquish …
Hope of the States – The Lost Riots
Review — January 5, 2005
On The Lost Riots, Hope of the States debuts with tragedy on their shoulders. In midst of recording the album, founding guitarist James Lawrence was found dead in the studio as a result of an apparent suicide. Do not, however, write this album off as merely pieces of suicide …
Bright Eyes – I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
Review — February 14, 2005
The morning is generally associated with hope and rebirth. Leave it up to sad-eyed pessimist Conor Oberst to reverse this symbol in I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning . Now the morning reveals all the clandestine secrets that lurk in the dark, all the secrets forgotten from a drunken night of …
Bright Eyes – Digital Ash in a Digital Urn
Review — March 8, 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 …
Bloc Party – Silent Alarm
Review — April 17, 2005
Hype generates a high death count, because critics are merciless. Bands with ridiculous amounts of hype seem to have big white signs with bold red lettering that spell out "KICK ME" on their backs. When these particular bands do not deliver, every minor insufficiency is exacerbated to squelch them out …
Ryan Adams – Cold Roses
Review — May 10, 2005
The name Ryan Adams has become synonymous with the word "prolific," but not so much with the words "genius" and "brilliant"- those are thrown around by hardcore fans and earnest publicists. After releasing five full-length albums in a span of four years, his debut, Heartbreaker, still undeniably remains his …
Stars – Set Yourself on Fire
Review — May 25, 2005
"Ladies and gentlemen, set yourself on fire!" exclaims novelist Ibi Kaslik on the inside cover of Stars's sophomore album, Set Yourself on Fire. This begins a rather brief but punchy tirade about how we should not laze about while fascist dictators, ahem Bush, are in power. While there are …
Spoon – Gimmie Fiction
Review — June 15, 2005
Music elitists say that excellent music has not come out since the 70's; that the past thirty odd some years have been regurgitated, diluted crap. Some might admit that there have been some good bands in the past couple of years, but none of those bands are groundbreaking or memorable. …
Hot Hot Heat – Elevator
Review — June 23, 2005
Hot Hot Heat has managed to weave in and out of the limelight in the last few years. Often compared to the Cure, they are able to hold onto the fringes of the mainstream thanks to the "new" new wave and dance rock movements. The single that broke them to …
