New Music Reviews

July, 2008

	One Day as a Lion One Day as a Lion rating: 4 of 5 's
	Zack de la Rocha has always been a spitfire and his counter-cultural, geo-political band Rage Against the Machine certainly seemed to fit his emphatic speak-singing style. On what is ostensibly his solo debut—no discredit to drummer Jon Theodore... full review

	Feral Children Second to the Last Frontier rating: 3 of 5 's
	Seattle’s Feral Children have no manners. Much like fellow Seattlites Modest Mouse, the ‘F-kids,’ as they like to call themselves, know how to make a great indie rock song but choose to sabotage it in any way they can. As soon as a song is... full review

May, 2008

	Mates of State Re-Arrange Us rating: 5 of 5 's
	Warning: it’s infectious! But don’t be alarmed. This kind of contagion won’t leave blisters, rashes or puss-filled whathaveyous. It will, however, produce what we in the non-scientific community call ‘ear worms.’ This means that one to ten of... full review

April, 2008

	Makana Different Game rating: 4 of 5 's
	In 2005, Makana’s three albums earned him the Artist for Peace Award. His fourth album, “Different Game,” goes further in proving his commitment to spreading messages of hope and change; sometimes his singing voice is the driving vehicle, sometimes,... full review

	Night Marchers See You In Magic rating: 4 of 5 's
	Punk is back in the garage working on a new 16-horsepower, nostril flaring, super charged band. The proof is in the debut album from former Rocket From the Crypt and Hot Snakes frontman John Reis. Hailing from San Diego, California, his newest... full review

	Black Francis SVN FNGRS rating: 4 of 5 's
	The on again, off again Pixies frontman Frank Black, also known as “Black Francis,” has never been one to sit still. Since 1994’s “Teenager of the Year,” Black has released almost an album a year either by himself or with the Catholics. “SVN FNGRS”... full review

	Eric Avery Help Wanted rating: 3 of 5 's
	Eric Avery, the former (and founding) Jane’s Addiction bassist who has also played with Alanis Morrisette, Garbage and the Smashing Pumpkins, has finally stepped out of the second fiddle shadows and directly into the spotlight. “Help Wanted,”... full review

	The Breeders Mountain Battles rating: 1 of 5 's
	Since 2002’s “Title T/K” everyone’s been wondering about the Breeders. With their latest album, “Mountain Battles,” no one need care any more. There is absolutely no spark, no energy, no up-tempo, no care or concern, nothing! Listless and... full review

	P.O.D. When Angels & Serpents Dance rating: 2 of 5 's
	This is the album that fans did not want P.O.D. to make. After a pretty successful run with their last three studio albums, the San Diego natives decided to stop progressing and return to the stagnant lull of formulaic nu-metal rock. All the... full review

	Colour Revolt Plunder, Beg and Curse rating: 4 of 5 's
	Simply put, there is no relaxing with “Plunder, Beg and Curse.” Fuzzy guitars dominate the soundscape on this debut. As friendly as it is uncomfortable, this Oxford, Mississippi outfit is like a cousin who comes over to play but steals all the... full review

	The Sword Gods of the Earth rating: 4 of 5 's
	It’s metal - plain and simple. Heavy power riffs designed to do nothing but destroy and repeat. Loud. Fast. Louder. Faster. The Sword make metal music for everyone. There are no devils and goats, no leather bound girlies and no bullshit. The... full review

March, 2008

	Gnarls Barkley The Odd Couple rating: 3 of 5 's
	There is a reason why Gnarls Barkley doesn’t offer lyrics in the liner notes. Cee-Lo has issues! The sophomore LP from the team of Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo Green offers a dark, twisting album that is not as radio-ready as their debut, “St.... full review

	The Kills Midnight Boom rating: 5 of 5 's
	Quick, simple songs never sounded so huge. Behind the hugeness is a duo: Alison “VV” Mosshart and Jamie “Hotel” Hince on vocals and guitar respectively. Together, they rock a dirty, sexy, solid set of slab-thumping, indie-blues on their third... full review

	Shane Tutmarc and the Traveling Mercies Hey Lazarus! rating: 5 of 5 's
	He may never admit it, but Shane Tutmarc is a preacher. One need only listen to his latest album, “Hey Lazarus!,” to hear the proof. What’s more, you’d be hard pressed to dismiss the man’s message. Tutmarc sings of love and religion with the... full review

	Mark Pickerel and His Praying Hands Cody's Dream rating: 4 of 5 's
	The line “Foot Forward/ Get Ahead,” from “Cody’s Dream,” the second release from Mark Pickerel and His Praying Hands, sets the tone for an album that captures a dusty, desert sound that begs greasy spoon imagery and endless miles of open road... full review

	Black Crowes Warpaint rating: 5 of 5 's
	The ol’ saying of the sum being greater than the parts is absolutely true. Case in point, the seventh album from Georgia’s Black Crowes, “Warpaint.” Oh everyone remembers the Black Crowes, right? They stormed onto the mainstream stage ready to rock... full review

February, 2008

	Ghostland Observatory Robotique Majestique rating: 3 of 5 's
	Straight out of the world of space disco comes Ghostland Observatory, a band that weaves in and out of all things rocking and booty shaking. “Robotique Majestique” finds the Austin, Texas duo of Aaron Behrens and Thomas Ross Turner tweaking knobs... full review

	Rocket from the Crypt R.I.P. rating: 3 of 5 's
	Ah, the live album, always a risk for a band. Still, San Diego’s now defunct, and yet self-proclaimed hardest working band in the business, Rocket from the Crypt, finally took the plunge. Most likely, non-fans won’t be swayed by the quirky... full review

	Punch Brothers Punch rating: 3 of 5 's
	There’s a new musical genre called new-grass. It’s like bluegrass but newer. If you haven’t heard it, you’re about to. Let’s begin at the beginning or maybe just a little before. Everything was going quite well for the Grammy winning folk and... full review

	Mike Doughty Golden Delicious rating: 4 of 5 's
	He scats; he bobs; he’s got crazy wordplay, an acoustic guitar and seemingly no effort. In this way, Mike Doughty reminds us that there is a serious lack of funky white boys. Before fronting the now defunct Soul Coughing, Doughty had cut his... full review

	Bell X1 Flock rating: 3 of 5 's
	Chuck Yeager may have broken the sound barrier while piloting the Bell-X1, but “Flock,” the new album from the Irish band Bell X1, won’t make waves in America. Sure, the foursome has crafted a strong set of songs for their third release... full review

	Morcheeba Dive Deep rating: 5 of 5 's
	“Dive Deep” isn’t so much an album as it is a dose of calm, sweet aural relaxation. The Godfrey Brothers, Paul and Ross, the long time musical force behind England’s Morcheeba, have created an album that soothes the soul through a multitude of... full review

January, 2008

	Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend rating: 5 of 5 's
	What is it about New York City? It never sleeps, yet, it has given us a plethora of unique musical acts. The latest to storm out of the Big Apple is Vampire Weekend. Consisting of four Columbia University friends who share a love of African... full review

	Xiu Xiu Women As Lovers rating: 3 of 5 's
	So far, nothing from Xiu Xiu (pronounced shoo shoo) has ever been easy. “Women as Lovers,” the new album from the sometime Seattle, sometime Bay-area, art-rock outfit is no different. On it, singer Jamie Stewart’s manic voice swings through a... full review

	Drive-By Truckers Brighter Than Creation’s Dark rating: 5 of 5 's
	The Drive-By Truckers are determined to drive all night. Releasing the strongest album of their career, the Truckers aren’t wallowing in the 2007 loss of long time band mate Jason Isobell. “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark” boasts ‘four sides’ loaded... full review

	MGMT Oracular Spectacular rating: 4 of 5 's
	You might not know it but you’ve certainly heard MGMT before. (Oh and don’t call them Management; it’s MGMT!) Hiding behind NHL footage and TV commercials is the tune “Time to Pretend,” a great hook-filled pop song that spares the listener the full... full review

November, 2007

	The Hives The Black and White Album rating: 3 of 5 's
	Pompous and without remorse, Sweden’s favourite sons, The Hives, continue to survive as one of the “The” bands that came out of the turn of the century. Their latest release “The Black and White Album,” finds the band working harder than ever to... full review

	Dust Galaxy Dust Galaxy rating: 3 of 5 's
	Dust Galaxy – “Dust Galaxy” Vivicolor Sound/ESL Music: released Nov. 6, 2007 Genre: psychedelic electro-rock RIYL: Thievery Corporation, Kula Shaker, the Fratellis Creating music that drifts through space is nothing new for Rob Garza. Being... full review

	Angels & Airwaves I Empire rating: 4 of 5 's
	Tom DeLonge is growing up. The second release from his latest band, Angels and Airwaves, expands on the themes and sounds explored on the first album with one exception: the band’s patience and confidence has grown stronger and surer. There is a... full review

	Sigur Ros Hvarf/Heim rating: 4 of 5 's
	Dreamy and haunting, Sigur Ros’ double EP “Hvarf/Heim” is a collection of previously unreleased songs (Hvarf), and reworked acoustic versions of existing tracks (Heim). The result from the Icelandic eight-piece is, in a word, typical. Please, allow... full review

October, 2007

	Buck 65 Situation rating: 5 of 5 's
	Richard Terfry, aka Buck 65, has always been a well-armed rhyme-sayer capable of spitting game with the best MCs. His themes of choice, however, have always set him outside the hip-hop’s mainstream radar. (That and the fact that he is white and it... full review

	Puscifer V is for Vagina rating: 2 of 5 's
	Maynard James Keenan is a busy man. For him, it’s not enough to sing in the hugely successful, hard-rock outfit ‘Tool’ and front the side project ‘A Perfect Circle.’ Nope. Keenan is now channeling a third muse: a project named ‘Puscifer.’... full review

	Black Eyes & Neckties Apparition! rating: 3 of 5 's
	What the hell is in the water in Western Washington? Cheap beer? Lead? Urine? All of the above? The answer may be uncertain and probably unproven as far as science is concerned, but one thing is clear: something (read this part slowly and... full review

	Black Dice Load Blown rating: 4 of 5 's
	The title pretty much sums it up on the new Black Dice release, “Load Blown.” If you ever wondered why casinos never shut down it is because this is the sound that the slot machines would make if ever they were given time off. A funky mix of... full review

	Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Raising Sand rating: 5 of 5 's
	Led Zeppelin’s lusty machismo coupled with the Queen Bee of bluegrass? It’s a combination that, practically speaking, just shouldn’t work. Yet, these two unlikely teammates released one of 2007’s most pleasant surprises. “Raising Sand” is an... full review

	Phosphorescent Pride rating: 5 of 5 's
	The first thing one should know about "Pride" is that there is magic in this record. It completely fills any space with the simplest of strategies: a pounding bass drum; the slap of a tambourine; shaker beads; a few chords plucked from a guitar.... full review

	Coheed & Cambria No World for Tomorrow rating: 4 of 5 's
	Sales of singles are making LP records a rarity. The typical single goes straight to ringtone or iTunes without a thought for longevity. Yet, in this same climate, New York City’s Coheed & Cambria have quietly amassed four albums that align an... full review

	Dave Gahan Hourglass rating: 4 of 5 's
	It’s true. The truth hurts. Dave Gahan’s first solo album, 2003’s “Paper Monsters,” for example, was, on a good day, mediocre. Ouch! As frontman of the legendary electronic seduction machine Depeche Mode, Gahan learned to perfect his vocals.... full review

	Band of Horses Cease to Begin rating: 5 of 5 's
	Band of Horses’ “Cease to Begin” is one of the best albums of 2007. It rocks hard without sacrificing melody and it gets increasingly better with volume—these songs unleash worlds of sound that float gingerly, then come crashing down. Better still... full review

	Radiohead In Rainbows rating: 4 of 5 's
	The latest release by Brit-rock juggernauts Radiohead has been noted by many as the album that is changing the way bands do business. By cutting out the middle-man (read: major labels and distributors) thereby making the album available solely... full review

	The Blakes The Blakes rating: 3 of 5 's
	The Blakes: “The Blakes” Light in the Attic Records/released October 2, 2007 Genre: garage rock RIYL: The Strokes, Jet, Wolf Mother OK, I admit: I’d sleep with The Blakes. But there’s no way I would ever commit to them. Sure, they’re fun.... full review

	Wooden Shjips Wooden Shjips rating: 3 of 5 's
	It must be 1969. “We Ask You to Ride’s,” smooth bassline, soft and snappy snare drum, crazy psychedelic keyboard and short bursts of voice blasted through an echoey effects pedal, take us to the Sunset Strip where a Doors’ concert is taking place.... full review

September, 2007

	Stars In Our Bedroom After the War rating: 5 of 5 's
	I take back everything I said about Bat for Lashes and UNKLE, this is the album of 2007. Brings tears to my eyes (manly tears) while my head slams to the beat, which can often drift into the maniacal. In other words, I love it. Here's a short... full review

	Weakerthans Reunion tour rating: 5 of 5 's
	Lyrical storytelling is what makes The Weakerthans one of the strongest bands making music today. “Reunion Tour,” the Canadian four (or sometimes six) piece’s fourth album, follows the folksy guidebook established by their earlier work; that is to... full review

	Sea Wolf Leaves in the River rating: 4 of 5 's
	The sound of rain captured in the opening moments of “Leaves in the River” sets the tone for the rich, organic songwriting that follows in every song on Sea Wolf’s debut full-length. The slow churning mix of gentle guitar, piano key plucking, and... full review

	Iron & Wine The Sheperd's Dog rating: 5 of 5 's
	“The Sheperd’s Dog” is a fresh breath of songs that may be Iron & Wine’s best and most beautiful to date. Since the band’s early days, principle songwriter Sam Beam has been growing and stretching the trademark Iron & Wine sound through the... full review

	The Acorn Glory Hope Mountain rating: 4 of 5 's
	Nothing is more beautiful than the love between mother and child. That is, until, it got trumped by "Glory Hope Mountain," the new album from the Canadian folk outfit the Acorn. What has happened is that the child, now fully grown, has written... full review

	Jeremy Fisher Goodbye Blue Monday rating: 3 of 5 's
	Already sporting the endorsement from Barnes and Noble, Jeremy Fisher has your Mom’s ears and purse strings right where he wants them. This young songwriter’s first single, “Cigarette” is blowing up on Yahoo! Music Stop! and has been getting steady... full review

	Schoolyard Heroes Adominations rating: 4 of 5 's
	No, Schoolyard Heroes aren’t exactly Satan worshipers, but as lead singer Ryann Donnelly belts during “Cemetery Girls,” “I am the Devil and I come to do the Devil’s work,” one has to know that this is one seriously dark band with an even darker... full review

	Bella No One Will Know rating: 4 of 5 's
	Catchy, electro-hooked pop is the order of the day for Bella’s second release, “No One Will Know.” The twelve songs on the full-length are perfect little pop tunes. They balance keyboards and guitar work to create driving hooks that have a... full review

	Magnet The Simple Life rating: 5 of 5 's
	Singer-songwriter Even Johansen recorded “The Simple Life” at his Norwegian farm’s home studio. He played almost all of the instruments on the record himself then went in search of the perfect horn sections and string arrangement to round out the... full review

	Eddie Vedder Into the Wild Motion Picture Soundtrack rating: 3 of 5 's
	Unlike the traditional Hollywood soundtracks punched out on a weekly basis, “Into the Wild” is much more intimate. There’s no long list of mega-stars paired with other mega-stars with mega-producers making mega-singles that are bound for ubiquitous... full review

	Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood Out Louder rating: 5 of 5 's
	Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood September 14, 2007 The Moore Theater, Seattle What does it take to be considered a “jam band?” Is it the audience? (Dread-headed drummers and bra-less girls spinning endlessly to the music.) Is it the tendency... full review

August, 2007

	Northern State Can I Keep This Pen? rating: 4 of 5 's
	When Northern State released their first full length album "All City" on a major label in 2004, it was well received by critics. The girls, Hesta Prynn, Spero, and Sprout, were working hard touring with the likes of Tegan and Sara and Cake.... full review

	MIA Kala rating: 4 of 5 's
	“Some people say we’re stupid, but we’re not” MIA sings on her newest release, “Kala.” But who the hell thinks throw back artwork from the days of early cut-and-paste Photoshop sessions featuring bright neon colors and digital graphics is still... full review

	Floratone Floratone rating: 5 of 5 's
	Alive and organic - this is the stuff that Mother Earth listens too when she is left alone to sit and grow... stuff. The grooves that guitarist Bill Frisell and percussionist Matt Chamberlin create on their latest project, “Floratone,” are unlike... full review

	Jenni Potts the Fourth EP rating: 2 of 5 's
	Jenni Potts’ music is, in one word, fragile. Her songs are like diary entries and listening to them is like reading the painful struggles of one who has been left wounded and vulnerable by a bad relationship. Her debut release, “the Fourth,”... full review

	No Age Weirdo Rippers rating: 1 of 5 's
	There is little argument that the DIY scene has been a blessing for artists. For the fans, however, it’s more like Pandora’s Box. The Los Angeles based duo No Age are a great case in point. Their new album, “Weirdo Rippers” as well as their... full review

	Billie Holiday Remixed & Reimagined rating: 1 of 5 's
	The idea of taking old vocal recordings of famous jazz singers and matching them up with contemporary beats sounds great in theory. DJs are always looking for surprises to throw out to club goers and typically look to these types of ideas for... full review

	del Sol On My Way rating: 3 of 5 's
	Upon hearing the opening licks of “On My Way,” the first track off of de Sol’s album of the same name, I was excited to break out the beers, the BBQ and capture the last rays of sunshine. Reminiscent of Carlos Santana’s guitar sound, the music... full review

	Marissa Nadler Songs III : Bird on the Water rating: 4 of 5 's
	Through lyrics that read like beautiful stories and poetry, Marissa Nadler breathes out imagery that comes to life through her guitar and minimally structured songs. Like listening to soft AM radio ballads, the album, “Songs III: Bird on the Water,”... full review

July, 2007

	UNKLE War Stories rating: 5 of 5 's
	Like dark stormy clouds moving at an ominous pace towards a tiny, unsuspecting village, so begins Unkle’s third full length release "War Stories." After a quick spoken word intro that seeks forgiveness and a sampled bit from the French band Air, War... full review

	Tegan & Sara The Con rating: 4 of 5 's
	The Quin twins, Tegan & Sara, continue to evolve as musicians and songwriters improving in exactly the right way. “The Con,” their fifth full-length record, flexes indie muscle while at the same time keeping a solid pop sensibility. Banking... full review

	Bad Religion New Maps of Hell rating: 2 of 5 's
	Holding the “New Maps of Hell” album in my hand my immediate thought was, “Does the world really need another Bad Religion album?” On the one hand it is exciting to see one of LA’s punk legends still making music. Yet on the other, one has to ask if... full review

June, 2007

	Editors An End Has a Start rating: 3 of 5 's
	This is, hands down, the best album that Interpol never released. Editors second album, “An End Has a Start,” is full of the same music found on any release by the goth-rock New York band Interpol. But Editors are not from New York. In fact,... full review

	Get Shakes Sister Self Doubt rating: 3 of 5 's
	Rappers might not be lined up to steal these beats but booties will be shakin' when DJs spin the “Sister Self Doubt” EP. This freaked out, computer generated dance music will have fans thinking about getting’ it on with their laptops. Comprised... full review

May, 2007

	Great Northern Trading Twilight for Daylight rating: 4 of 5 's
	Twilight is that time of day when the earth begins its decent into darkness. Darkness may have many negative or, forgive me, dark connotations but it’s not always a bad thing. There are indeed soft, calming nights that birth hope. Great... full review

	Mystery Jets Zootime rating: 4 of 5 's
	On their side of the Atlantic, there’s no mystery behind the UK’s “Mystery Jets”, but in the States, the band is still flying slightly below the radar. However, buzz is building like a slow motioned sonic boom due in part to the band’s ability to... full review

	Tori Amos American Doll Posse rating: 5 of 5 's
	In 2001 Tori Amos released the album "Strange Little Girls," a record entirely of covers featuring photographs of various female characters portrayed by Amos, representing each song’s personality. Fans of her work were likely not surprised by this... full review

April, 2007

	Porcupine Tree Fear of a Blank Planet rating: 3 of 5 's
	Lyrically bleak and musically deep, Porcupine Tree’s latest release, “Fear of a Blank Planet,” warns of the numbness that has infected our youth. The album’s lyrical content and artwork is based on the theme of hollowed children becoming victims to... full review

February, 2007

	Lillydale The Art of Becoming One’s Own Shadow rating: 5 of 5 's
	Infectiousness comes easy for Lillydale. Long after the music stops, the melodies, choruses and peculiar nuances (dime-store siren whistles, the Lillydale All Girls Choir) float through the inner-ear in perpetual repeat. Were the power-pop... full review

January, 2007

	Tom Brosseau Grand Forks rating: 5 of 5 's
	First, a clarification: the title is not a reference to very big utensils but to that “island in a prairie sea,” Grand Forks, North Dakota. Even more specifically, Brosseau likens his spartan nine-song collection to the historic flood of 1997 that... full review

	Carly Simon Into White rating: 3 of 5 's
	Only two songs on Carly Simon’s new album are self-penned. The remaining twelve tracks are personal favorites of the dusky vocalist most famous for her 1972 hit “You’re So Vain.” The compositions are minimalistic, allowing for lots of room around... full review

October, 2006

	Damien Jurado And Now That I’m In Your Shadow rating: 3 of 5 's
	“Listless pap!” proclaimed one listener. “It’s the same depressing song over and over.” To some, Damien Jurado is just that: a sad marauder plundering the dregs of other people’s misery for his own art. To others, Shoreline, WA’s premier poet is a... full review

September, 2006

	Audioslave Revelations rating: 3 of 5 's
	At the end of the 90s, the “Grunge Movement” was at its close. Nirvana was dead. Soundgarden threw in the towel. Even the politically charged Rage Against the Machine called it quits. Rock fans who lived through the excitement, the passion and the... full review

August, 2006

	Jessica Simpson A Public Affair rating: 1 of 5 's
	Following the divorce, Jessica Simpson’s ex-husband recorded “What’s Left of Me.” Yet, for her post “Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica” album, there is no regret. In fact, the newly single Simpson is just the opposite; she’s ready to party. The question is:... full review

	Paris Hilton Paris rating: 0 of 5 's
	When Paris coos, “Maybe ‘cause I’m hot to death, and I’m so, so, so sexy, all the boys, all the silly boys, they want to fight over me,” I think that the hotel heiress doesn’t represent everything that is wrong with this country, but she comes... full review

	DJ Krush Stepping Stones: the Self-Remixed Best rating: 3 of 5 's
	The remix is a funny animal. Generally, it’s a new set of ears given to a song adding another sensibility or aesthetic to reinterpret the music. Think of Picasso painting a Renoir or Johnny Cash rethinking a Soundgarden track. What does it mean... full review

July, 2006

	Ryuichi Sakamoto Bricolages rating: 1 of 5 's
	Renowned electronic artist Ryuichi Sakamoto enlisted a cadre of top-notch avant-garde/electronica artists to remix tracks from his 2005 outing, CHASM. As far as offering an upgraded, restructured, reconstituted collection, the album fails.... full review

June, 2006

	Various Artists Unsound Volume 1 rating: 3 of 5 's
	I heart punk rock. Its energetic and rebellious spirit is infectious. What began in the garages and basements of the late 60s has morphed into an influence that spans most of today’s musical spectrum. For the last10 years, Epitaph collected... full review

	Conner Hello Graphic Missile rating: 4 of 5 's
	Conner is like a Swiss Army Knife: full of multi-purpose appendages, yet all anchored in a handy base. For a band that draws from such a vast musical palate, it would be easy for Conner to deliver a mix tape for their third LP. Thankfully, this is... full review

May, 2006

	Rescue Me [Soundtrack] Various Artists rating: 3 of 5 's
	Denis Leary’s post 9/11 New York firefighter series, Rescue Me, is for men and about men. The brave firemen of 62 Truck live fast, die hard and battle demons, drinking, dead cousins, divorce and danger; basically, the stuff that makes for good... full review

	Les Claypool Of Whales and Woe rating: 2 of 5 's
	Les Claypool is one goofy guy but, man, can he play a mean bass guitar. Whether with Primus, Sausage, Oysterhead, Holy Mackerel or his Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, (am I forgetting anything?) the music is always centered on Colonel Claypool’s... full review

	The Twilight Singers Powder Burns rating: 2 of 5 's
	The album “Twilight as Played By The Twilight Singers” was a stunning debut. From the opening piano chords that lazily twinkled a short promising melody, the listener knew that this record was going to be an experience, a lumbering work of carefully... full review

	Espers II rating: 4 of 5 's
	I bought the first Espers record when it was released on Locust in 2004. I’d mark the first album as good (not great), and lump it in with the other more recent folk albums obviously inspired by the mostly-British folk music of the late sixties and... full review

	Arctic Monkeys Who The Fuck Are The Arctic Monkeys? rating: 3 of 5 's
	The title of this EP by the UK’s most popular group of frozen simians cheekily asks the question most everyone has been asking outside of England since Arctic Monkeys exploded onto the scene early this morning. Just who the fuck are these four... full review

	Various Artists The Sound the Hare Heard rating: 5 of 5 's
	I never expected a scrappy punk label like Kill Rock Stars to assemble such a captivating collection of singer-songwriters; yet, the 21-songs hand picked by KRS owner Slim Moon are nothing less than breathtaking. And if I could, I would tell Slim to... full review

	Jolie Holland Springtime Can Kill You rating: 3 of 5 's
	Jolie Holland is as restless as her muse. She left the Be Good Tanyas, a Vancouver band she co-founded, before their 2001 debut “Blue Horse” was in stores. Two years later, she released her first solo album Catalpa that found some audiences lightly... full review

	Pearl Jam Pearl Jam rating: 4 of 5 's
	It’s been nearly three years since Pearl Jam released its last record and now PJ is back attempting to reclaim the crown of rock king it once proudly wore during its heyday of the early 1990s. The question is should we care? Eddie Vedder and his... full review

	Wolfmother Wolfmother rating: 5 of 5 's
	When you’re in a band that constantly gets compared to Zeppelin, Sabbath and Deep Purple and it’s not the 1970s either something is either going very well or you’re being mistaken for a rip-off of The Darkness. For Australian three-piece Wolmother,... full review

	The Boy Least Likely To The Best Party Ever rating: 3 of 5 's
	The childlike drawings of balloons, bears and bunnies that populate the bright yellow cover of this debut is an example of perfect packaging. One would expect a charming, feel good collection of innocent pop. And that is exactly what this British... full review

	Mon Frere Blood, Sweat & Swords rating: 4 of 5 's
	In the band publicity photo, lead singer Nouela Johnston has got a sinister look in her eye, one that is matched only by the ferocious quality of her voice. It jumps off the record and pushes the listener around while thick guitar riffs, poppy keys... full review

April, 2006

	Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs Under the Covers Vol. 1 rating: 4 of 5 's
	Pop darlings Susana Hoffs of the Bangles and Matthew Sweet of Matthew Sweet may not be basking in the limelight of the public eye, but that doesn’t mean that they haven’t been writing and recording. Aside from appearing as the band Ming Tea in the... full review

	Pretty Girls Make Graves Élan Vital rating: 4 of 5 's
	For a band who lifted their moniker from a Smiths song, Pretty Girls Make Graves sound nothing like a whiny band from Britain. On the contrary, this Seattle five-piece makes intense post-punk with sharp angular guitars, bombastic rhythms and... full review

	Built To Spill You In Reverse rating: 5 of 5 's
	Everyone give a hearty welcome to the guitar record of 2006! You In Reverse is arguably the best record to come from Doug Martschs’ Built To Spill—ever! BTS’s second album 1994’s There’s Nothing Wrong With Love is not only one of the... full review

	Van Hunt On the Jungle Floor rating: 4 of 5 's
	The soul-infused vibes given off by the 16 tracks on Atlanta-based R&B crooner Van Hunt’s latest record “On the Jungle Floor” may well just put the Hot in Hot-lanta. If you have any doubt about that statement I dare you to put the album’s in your CD... full review

March, 2006

	Mates Of State Bring it Back rating: 5 of 5 's
	If modern radio weren’t so messed up, this is exactly the kind of pop music we’d all be listening to. Full of beautifully bold melodies, innovative instrumentation and unorthodox song structures, “Bring it Back” demonstrates that indie can be... full review

	Rob Zombie Educated Horses rating: 2 of 5 's
	Whether a filmmaker, a front man or solo artist, Rob Zombie has a fascination with doom and gloom. Despite the breadth of his 15-year oeuvre, he has yet to say anything of import. More than any other artist, this self-professed “Hellbilly” has used... full review

	Loose Fur Born Again in the USA rating: 2 of 5 's
	Jim O'Rourke, Jeff Tweedy, and Glenn Kotche reconvene as Loose Fur for this follow-up to their 2003 debut. It's disappointing that three artists who were involved in two of the better albums in recent years (Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, O'Rourke's... full review

	Placebo Meds rating: 3 of 5 's
	Brit rock is a fickle beast. For every Oasis and Radiohead that find intercontinental success across the pond there are the Muses, Pulps and Arctic Monkeys of the lot. You know, the bands that are wildly popular in the U.K. but can’t quite figure... full review

	Editors The Back Room rating: 3 of 5 's
	Editors, a British foursome, are breaking into the US market with their debut album The Back Room. Like Interpol, Editors have obvious influences from gothic and German inspired groups such as Joy Division and Bauhaus. In fact, upon a first... full review

	Neko Case Fox Confessor Brings the Flood rating: 4 of 5 's
	Every Neko Case album endures frequent, nay, persistent listening. The haunting quality she elicits and invokes is usually right on the surface, guiding the listener through a world spun from her poetic prowess. But on her fourth studio album... full review

February, 2006

	Hypatia Lake …And We Shall Call Him Joseph rating: 5 of 5 's
	This album is Syd Barret's Pink Floyd meeting Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida for a Desert Session with Josh Homme. It will blow your mind and if you’re not careful, your speakers too. Seattle’s Hypatia Lake take their name from a... full review

	Metal Hearts Socialize rating: 2 of 5 's
	Listening to the sophomore release by this Baltimore band is like driving across Washington state in first gear; and not I-90, Highway 2. It’s scenic, and at times, interesting but it takes forever. Blame it on the lyrical repetitions that... full review

	Teddy Thompson Separate Ways rating: 3 of 5 's
	Teddy Thompson’s sophomore album is not full of lyrical insight or whimsy, nor is it all together complex. For the most part Thompson plays it safe, cute and coy, with many of the 12 songs buoyed only by their catchy guitar chords. While the... full review

	The Lashes Get It rating: 2 of 5 's
	Another wave of boybands has hit the shores of mainstream rock with the requisite hair dye, studded belts and V-bangs! Oh, thank God, but can they dance? Seriously. The market is already commanded (some would say flooded) with 80s influenced... full review

	Eels With Strings: Live At Town Hall rating: 4 of 5 's
	You won’t see Mariah Carey, Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Simpson or any of the others recording live album now or any time soon. The reason being—in a word—because they’re shite! But for real bands in the world, many are finding the concert album a... full review

	Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not rating: 4 of 5 's
	Leave it to the British to produce another band of intelligent post-punk, power pop. And leave it to those crafty Brit masses to take note and quickly embrace this critically thinking—albeit punkishly mischievous—Sheffield foursome. Thus the... full review

	Beth Orton Comfort of Strangers rating: 4 of 5 's
	Girls are heady creatures. They think too much and, occasionally, say too much, especially regarding their feelings… I can say this because I’m a girl. In Comfort of Strangers, Beth Orton gives melodic voice to those thoughts amid the rhythmic... full review

January, 2006

	Film School Film School rating: 4 of 5 's
	There is a lone guitar vibration sailing through this record like a whale crossing the sky. Rising from its wake are waves upon waves of atmospheric moans and drones, stacked so high it makes your head float. How do they do that? How can music raise... full review

	Audio Bullies Generation rating: 1 of 5 's
	If Generation were a college essay, Audio Bullys would have been kicked out of school for plagiarism. Not only do they rip off talented artists like The Streets, Mr. Oizo, and Basement Jaxx, they do it badly. Audio Bullys, a British duo of London... full review

	The Gossip Standing in the Way of Control rating: 3 of 5 's
	Brace Paine’s guitar is the meatiest in rock and roll. Coupled with Beth Ditto’s rally-cry vocals and new drummer Hannah Billie’s Napoleonic* hammering, this rollicking three-piece is one of the most exciting live shows in the Pacific Northwest. The... full review

	The Elected Sun, Sun, Sun rating: 4 of 5 's
	Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis is so good that her band-mate Blake Sennett would rather start a side project than compete with her elegant vocals. Now he has his own four-piece that sounds like Rilo Kiley without Jenny Lewis. And we, eager listeners have... full review

	Cat Power The Greatest rating: 5 of 5 's
	First, the facts: 1.) Chan Marshall is Cat Power. 2.) Despite the name, this is not a greatest hits record. 3.) You’re only as good as the company you keep. This is true in life but it is especially true in the recording studio. Ms.... full review

	stellastar Harmonies For The Haunted rating: 3 of 5 's
	As the opening track "Lost In Time" suggests, this Brooklyn based band is an anachronistic four-piece that may find themselves twenty years too late. Though they’re not reinventing the dark, airy Britpop that defined the 80s New Wave, they are... full review

	Morningwood Morningwood rating: 2 of 5 's
	Anyone who has ever wished that Frank Black had let Kim Deal play a larger role in the Pixies will have their dreams realized by the debut from Brooklyn-based foursome Morningwood. It’s a super group of sorts featuring members of Spacehog, Cibo... full review

December, 2005

	Ryan Adams 29 rating: 5 of 5 's
	Though his third release in 2005, this is his first written and performed without his band The Cardinals. With only two exceptions, the songs are gaunt recordings with little more than delicate touches of the piano or tender guitar strums... full review

November, 2005

	Coheed and Cambria The Second Stage Turbine Blade (re-issue) rating: 2 of 5 's
	The debut full-length from the Upstate New York emo-rockers originally released in 2002 on Equal Vision has been reissued for 2005. The reissue offers new artwork and three additional tracks: the previously unreleased B-side "Elf Tower New Mexico",... full review

	Queens Of The Stone Age Over The Years And Through The Woods rating: 4 of 5 's
	Bucking the trend of greatest hits albums, many bands are turning to concert records that showcase fan favorites in the live setting. In the case of the Queen’s new album, it’s a sampling from two sold out nights in London. The 14-song collection... full review

September, 2005

	Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Clap Your Hands Say Yeah rating: 4 of 5 's
	Despite all the indie hubbub surrounding this debut, my first impression leaned more toward “He sounds too much like David Byrne.” Not an impossible chasm to cross but one that requires a dose of determined fortitude. After all, everyone’s talking... full review

	Richard Swift Novelist/Walking Without Effort rating: 4 of 5 's
	This double disc is re-release of two hard to find albums: The Novelist and Walking Without Effort. Taking a listen is akin to a hit from grandpa’s old take-me-back-in-time pipe. It’s smoky kaleidoscope of images and sounds from yesteryear’s... full review

August, 2005

	OK GO Oh No rating: 2 of 5 's
	I first discovered the Chicago foursome Ok Go not by way of their music, but by their music videos. Namely, the ever-so-silly “A Million Ways” wherein four male hipsters dressed in dapper suits perform a choreographed dance routine in someone's... full review

	The Fading Collection Supertron rating: 4 of 5 's
	The digital duo of Sarah McCulloch and Matt Frickelton once again raise the bar for Seattle’s burgeoning electronic scene with the release of their new full length. The key to their success lies in the sincerity of their sound that is seeped in... full review

July, 2005

	Christopher Blue Songs for Lovers Loners and Losers rating: 3 of 5 's
	Christopher Blue has undoubtable talent both as a poet and musician. Backing him up on this debut full length, are many of his talented friends, namely S.E. Sharma of the burgeoning Seattle band Neo, whose knob tweaking and mixing give the record a... full review

	Brandi Carlile Brandi Carlile rating: 3 of 5 's
	Don’t be fooled, the name may suggest a solo artist but Brandi Carlile is really a trio. The paternal twins Tim and Phil Hanseroth used to front the swashbuckling pop rock outfit The Fighting Machinists but after several years of broken big label... full review

	Sufjan Stevens Come On Feel The Illinoise rating: 5 of 5 's
	Sufjan Stevens has some kind of magic. Singing along to his latest full-length, one forgets that these are "Land of Lincoln" songs. Blame it on the sophisticated orchestrations that the multi-instrumentalist has penned around songs about The Seer's... full review

June, 2005

	Lillydale Erstwhile confessions of a butterfly heart rating: 3 of 5 's
	Though not immediately impressive, this unadorned debut EP has a gradual and undeniable infectiousness. It is a pop record, no doubt; yet, it keeps itself modestly uncaffeinated and sugar-free, so that the catchy choruses and unassuming melodies... full review

May, 2005

	Oneida The Wedding rating: 4 of 5 's
	If you can't afford quality drugs, try Oneida. Oneida is a trio that crafts psychedelic, heavy metal songs with enough haze, fuzz and muscle to wrap your mind around their little finger. It's an Apocalyptic journey that starts the instant you slip... full review

April, 2005

	Damien Jurado On My Way To Absence rating: 3 of 5 's
	This troubadour knows the essence of melancholy. It's in each of the twelve songs on his latest release. Be it up tempo or down, Mr. Jurado's words and soft sung heart evokes bittersweet reflections on love and loneliness, the trials and... full review

	Okkervil River Black Sheep Boy rating: 4 of 5 's
	If the song "For Real" isn't the best song you've heard in the last 12 months, I don't know what to say to you. Will Sheff's precious tenor is put to the test as his heart and solar plexus force his voice all over the map as he presses and purges... full review

March, 2005

	Angels of Light The Angels of Light sing “Other People” rating: 2 of 5 's
	For ten years, all I’ve wanted from Michael Gira is an album that could pa