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Our latest album reviews, featuring the records we've most enjoyed (or not) over the past few weeks.

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Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)

Pujol

X File On Main St.
Infinity Cat (2011)

There’s no wasting time on X File on Main St. Within the first few lines, singer Daniel Pujol has taken his stance on careers, art, children, and life in general. I don’t know much, if anything, about his previous acts Meemaw and Saigon Baby, but Pujol plays noisy, stripped down garage that celebrates a DIY punk ethic. His vocals are shouted and direct, and the music is beautifully sloppy and energetic. Oh, and with a bit of classic rock’n’roll sleaze added to the picture (“I make my art the same that I cum: hard”). The record, from Jeff the Brotherhood’s Infinity Cat label, is a celebration of the Nashville, TN scene. While this sounds rather insular, the music extends beyond its references, playing on the universal appeal of the themes mentioned earlier. This isn’t the punky garage from Denton, TX, however. There’s a lot more fuzzed out lo-fi involved, which makes sense given that Pujol is something of a one-man project, albeit with numerous guest musicians throughout. A glance at the wavelength for any song on the album is more or less maxed out at all times. When the guitars are toned down, a walking bass line drives the rhythm … Read more

Atlas Sound

Parallax
4AD (2011)

Bradford Cox is in many ways like a ghost. There’s his whispery vocal style, like that of a specter, haunting … Read more

Pete Rock & Smif N Wessun

Monumental
Duck Down (2011)

Aptly-titled, Monumental brings together a legendary producer and two of the underground’s most revered MCs: Pete Rock—half of the duo … Read more

Retox

Ugly Animals
Ipecac (2011)

Many wondered what was next for Justin Pearson. The man known for many project (Swing Kids, The Locust, 31G Records, … Read more

Forge Of Clouds

Self Titled
Independent (2011)

I'd like to invite you to look at the cover art of Forge of Clouds for just a moment. This … Read more

Dream Theater

A Dramatic Turn Of Events
Roadrunner (2011)

A dramatic turn of events, indeed. Anyone who's been following the soap opera that has been Dream Theater's existence over … Read more

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One from the archives

No Harm Done / Offsides

Split
Seafoam (2009)

200 Words Or Less

Seafoam Recordings teams up No Harm Done from Florida and Offsides from Connecticut on this limited edition split 7". The a-side features the final three tracks from No Harm Done, who just recently called it quits. This Floridian outfit continues their melodic hardcore and punk assault that follows the lead of Strike Anywhere and Rise Against. I've always found this band to be run of the mill and these songs don't really change that - "Vs. Vultures" is, however, the best thing I've heard by the band. But they're since broken up, so I guess that's said and done. It's rather ironic their final song here is titled "Goodbye." Offsides handle the b-side with three new tracks. These songs pick up where their previous It's a Struggle to Communicate EP … Read more

More album reviews

Primus

Green Naugahyde
Prawn Song (2011)

I, for one, thought Primus were officially dead in regards to new material. Their last studio album was 1999's Antipop before they went on hiatus, and since their reformation, the only new material we've gotten is the so-so 2003 EP Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People. The fact that they could somehow get it together enough to actually … Read more

Confront Hate

Diabolical Disguise of Madness
Hell Xis (2011)

We all have artists we love, artists we want to emulate. That's part of what makes each person's music unique: we bring in elements of a wide array of influences, and the music we create is decidedly original. That's why two artists can be in the same genre and sound almost nothing alike. Of course, sometimes a band can get … Read more

Reclusa

The Anticonscience
Crucial Blast (2011)

Reclusa has joined the ranks of the crucial blaze releases and take little time to make their intentions known. While the group released a few short run cassettes this is their first big project. Their style matches seamlessly to the labels' general modus operandi revelling in a strained and disturbed combination of noise, industrial and black metal. The press release … Read more

UpCDownC

Calaveras
Field (2011)

At the rate I'm going, I'm going to seriously depreciate the value of the phrase "like Mogwai, only better." Then again, it's not exactly my fault that it's such an easy status to obtain (*zing*). The latest band to fall under this label, Kent-based post-rockers up-c down-c left-c right-c abc + start (thank god they're now going by simply UpCDownC), … Read more

Kodiak

Self Titled (Collection)
Denovali (2011)

Even in this so-called digital age of information where anyone can have anything delivered right to their mobile phones in the blink of an eye, there are still moments where items, music, movies from outside of your physical domain slip by completely unnoticed; and, quite frankly, this whole circumstance is proof to me that there is still some mystery left … Read more

Airs

Gloomlights
Music Ruins Lives (2011)

Gloomlights appears as a double disc spectacular. One hour forty-two minutes, and eighteen tracks of pure pop/shoegazey/synthy melancholia - each disc bringing a distinct taste and sound to the table. Airs are a duo based on opposing sides of America, making music in the rawest sense and recording everything themselves. Each release being something a little bit special considering the … Read more

Chuck Ragan

Covering Ground
Side One Dummy (2011)

With guest spots from Brian Fallon (Gaslight Anthem), Chris Phillips (Squirrel Nut Zippers), Frank Turner, Audra Mae, Rick Steff and Todd Neene (Lucero), and Christopher Thorn (Blind Melon), it would be easy to think of Covering Ground as one of those records that builds itself around special appearances and musical specialties that can’t be re-produced live. Instead, Chuck Ragan’s lengthy … Read more

Big Black Delta

BBDLP1
Coming Home (2011)

How the hell do you take a genre as overworked as pop music and make it interesting? If your name happens to be Jonathan Bates, then you do this “by purposefully doing everything slightly wrong.” The result is his debut album, Big Black Delta's BBDLP1.This stems mainly from Bates's insistence on mixing styles in ways that don't always make sense. … Read more

Get Rad

Choose Your Own Adventure
Halo of Flies (2011)

Choose Your Own Adventure is the latest offering from Midwestern hardcore punk four-piece Get Rad.“Be the Wave” is the first track. Seeing as how Get Rad is from Milwaukee, WI I’m not convinced the song is about surfing though. I suppose it could be a metaphor for skateboarding. Perhaps the wave is actually made of concrete? That means if you … Read more

Light Bearer

Lapsus
Halo OF Flies/Alerta Antifascista (2011)

You know there are those moments in songs where everything is just so perfect that you don’t want it to end? You do? Fantastic. Light Bearer have this in spades and none more so than on "Prelapsus," a track so soaring in tone that the sense of elation is enough to make even me crack a smile. But let’s not … Read more

Nekrasov

The Ever-Present
Crucial Blast (2011)

Nekrasov as an artist has made a name for himself over the past few years. Working in a rather limited, hard to define genre (Black Noise) and managing to inadvertently become one of the flagship artists in the current crop of artists in this genre. Black Noise itself is best defined by the over arching characteristics of it. That being … Read more

Seed From The Geisha

Talk Peace to the Wolf
M&O Music (2011)

Don't be turned away by the album cover! I assure you, this review has absolutely minimal content involving werwolves. Probably. I'm actually writing this introduction prior to finishing the last fifth or so of the review, so it's entirely conceivable I could change my mind. Let's assume I don't so that I can talk about the excellent debut from the … Read more

Alberta Cross

The Rolling Thunder
ATO (2011)

Approaching the closure to their set last weekend at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia, the London born Alberta Cross kept spirits alive, playing “…one from the new album.” The rejuvenating “Money For the Weekend” boosted energy throughout the venue, and does just that as the opener to the band’s recent EP, The Rolling Thunder.Opening for Portugal. The Man in support … Read more

You, Me, & Everyone We Know

Things Are Really Weird Right Now
Topshelf (2011)

You, Me, & Everyone We Know came to my attention with the announcement of their break-up earlier this year. I didn't give them a listen until their post-humous EP, Things Are Really Weird Right Now. I was taken aback, as I wasn't expecting something as poppy as this from Topshelf Records. That isn't necessarily a bad thing though.The first song … Read more

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Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)