Recent reviews

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

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

Black Moth Super Rainbow

Eating Us
Grave Face (2009)

Wow, just seriously wow, even though Black Moth Super Rainbow has been on my list to check out for a while now, I am glad that their latest album, Eating Us is my first exposure to the group because it is a breath of fresh air at just the right time. When trying to describe the band to people (as I excitedly was showing the record to anyone with whom I came into contact) words just fumble out of my mouth in a mostly unintelligible manner because Black Moth Super Rainbow is difficult to describe in some ways while in others they are easy to put words to but those words seam to oversimplify what they sound like. My best description seems to amount to a poppy, spacey sound that the group drenches in mostly clean reverb; but as I say, this is a terrible description but wholly fitting. Immediately, listeners can find themselves in a state of sheer captivation of the vintage sounds of keyboard melodies and the sheer cavernously huge sound of the drums that populate the aural population of Eating Us, while the drenching of the vocals in reverb adds a depth to the sound (without veering … Read more

Iron and Wine

Around the Well
Sub Pop (2009)

As a long-time Iron and Wine fan, I was intrigued by the announcement of this double-disc release that spans the … Read more

Church of Misery

Houses of the Unholy
Metal Blade (2009)

By a stroke of luck, my Last.fm did something good for once and recommended me this band called Church of … Read more

All Teeth

I am Losing
High Fidelity (2009)

Every so often you hear a record and it instantaneously floors you. All Teeth's debut full-length I Am Losing is … Read more

Gore

Mean Man's Dream (Reissue)
FSS (2008)

A great deal of hyperbole flies around regarding re-issues, which in it of themselves can be very tricky propositions, particularly … Read more

The Paper Chase

Someday This Could All Be Yours (Part 1)
Kill Rock Stars (2009)

The first thing that's going to strike you about The Paper Chase is that they're a quirky indie band. What … Read more

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One from the archives

Blitzen Trapper

Wild Mountain Nation
LidKerCow Ltd. (2007)

When I'm on a road trip, I get this undeniable urge to listen to All-American music. We're talking CCR and we're talking Skynyrd and Tom Petty, and we're talking Violent Femmes and Pavement and Modest Mouse. Something about that western scenery. Just like you can hear the British in an Ozzy or Kinks' record, you can hear the American in everything these bands put out. They exhibit varying levels of weirdness (basically they got weirder as time progressed), but they share a certain kind of melody writing, a certain kind of fuck-off fun. The All-American Club isn't very exclusive - that's part of its charm - but we can tell who's faking it, and the fakers are most definitely out. I want to extend a conditional invitation to Blitzen Trapper. … Read more

More album reviews

Monolith

Eclipse
Independent (2008)

A first record for a band taking their first steps is both exciting as well as potentially harrowing when putting one's work out for others to hear. Monolith make that leap with their debut album, Eclipse, and to be completely honest, I admire the fact that this Pennsylvania four-piece put the record out themselves. Monolith is one of those "post-rock" … Read more

Dinosaur Jr.

Farm
Jagjaguwar (2009)

This may be going out on a limb here, but Dinosaur Jr.'s reunion album in 2007, Beyond was one of the best albums of said year, if not one of the best reunion albums ever. Bands reuniting is always seen as a lame cash-in attempt by artists going bankrupt, but with Beyond it felt more like Dinosaur Jr. were making … Read more

Sabertooth Zombie

…And Your Fathers are Dead in the Ground
Twelve Gauge (2009)

California's most intriguing current hardcore outfit, Sabertooth Zombie, returns with their latest full-length effort. Since they've last released Midnight Venom in 2006, the group has released a dual-EP 10" and a 7" EP as well as re-recording and re-compiling a few recordings for CD releases. Needless to say, Sabertooth Zombie has kept themselves busy. And You Fathers are Dead in … Read more

Junior Battles

Hotel Bibles
Black Pint (2009)

Ah, summer in full swing. For those of you attempting to battle high temperatures, I empathize as I sit in my apartment with my blinds closed and fight off the forecast 105-degree heat. But I try not to be bitter despite my preference for cold weather, and keep in mind the more exciting facets of summertime. One of these is … Read more

Shook Ones

The Unquotable A.M.H.
Paper + Plastick (2009)

Now on their third album, Shook Ones already have a pretty solid reputation. After the melodic hardcore masterpiece that was Facetious Folly Feat, I thought it would be difficult to make another record that was as fast and energetic as that one. Well, what does the band do instead? How about make one of the catchiest records of 2009 while … Read more

Oceans

Nothing Collapses
Copper Lung (2009)

Chicago natives Oceans offer up nine tracks with sixty minutes worth of music on their debut effort. The five-piece maintain a post-rock inspired craft throughout the bulk of the full-length but also find ways of incorporating mid-90's emo and post-hardcore sounds into their songs. Nothing Collapses begins with "Lit Up Under Streetlights" and you get eight minutes of light-footed post-rock … Read more

Phoenix

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Glass Note (2009)

Phoenix has always been successful at lifting spirits and making people dance. Based out of Versailles, Phoenix has been going at it for almost a decade now, and their fourth full-length, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, came at the perfect time for Summer. And no, it's not a Mozart cover album. Apparently, the somewhat egotistical sounding title was a product of the … Read more

Anchor Down

Steel to Dust
Solidarity (2009)

It's always great to find all of these new breeds of punk bands coming about lately. There have been so many that I've found out about the last couple of years. And the funny thing is, nearly all of them have stuck with me. I still listen to all of these bands on a pretty frequent basis. Another band to … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Outbreak

Work to Death
Think Fast! (2009)

I'll be honest here. I was never a huge Outbreak fan. You Make Us Sick was fairly decent, but I was never really sold on the group. I have a lot of friends that swear by that record and the subsequent release of Failure. but I'm just not one of them. Anyway, Work to Death is a new 7" single … Read more

200 Words Or Less

The Reed Sea

No Help
Independent (2009)

Hailing from Oregon, this four-piece outfit has brought forth a four-song EP titled No Help. The title of the EP is fitting as the band has recorded and packaged the entire release themselves. Granted, it's limited to screen printed cardboard sleeves, but that's still cool. I appreciate the DIY effort. "Holy Pigs" is the lead song and immediately you're greeted … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Man Overboard

Hung Up on Nothing
Independent (2008)

Man Overboard is the latest bubble-gum pop-punk band to come around, joining the existing one hundred thousand others. This four-piece hails from New Jersey, and like so many others they take influence from groups like Blink 182. I'm not blaming Man Overboard by any means, but I'm starting to get sick of these kinds of bands By the way, if … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Outrage

Savior
Panic (2008)

Here we have a decent seven-song slab of 90's hardcore with some newer influences. Outrage sounds like they take the best riffs from the New Age catalog of 1995, speed it up and toss some impassioned vocals on top of it. I can see anyone into Outspoken to Defeater enjoying this band. I found it to be an enjoyable listen … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Tim Easton

Porcupine
New West (2009)

This new release finds Easton actually fronting a band after many years of mainly playing solo acoustic. Electric guitar leads are abound, and the music is powered by the drumming of Sam Brown. But don't worry kids, the ace songwriting is still in full force. "Broke My Heart" is great pop song, but more heady subjects are also addressed. "7th … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Steve Kilbey

Painkiller
Second Motion (2009)

The first solo record from The Church frontman in seven years, Kilbey handles all the instruments here except drums. Thankfully it does not sound like a Paul McCartney record. Tim Powles, drummer from The Church covers the sticks and production duties. But there's still a strong guitar presence on this one. "Outbound" features a flowing bassline, while 'Wolfe" seems to … Read more

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