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The Cool Kids

The Bake Sale
C.A.K.E. (2008)

When hip-hop exploded in the 1980's it was characterized by flashy outfits, breakdancing, and of course, ghetto blasters. The music was primarily comprised of ridiculously big bass, rather simplistic beats, and free-flowing rhymes. Over the years hip-hop has been repeatedly flipped on its end and repackaged for all to enjoy. Many might just see Chicago-based duo The Cool Kids as … Read more

Deerhunter

Microcastle
Kranky (2008)

Dear 1992, Wow. It's really been a long time. I bet you're kind of surprised I'm writing to you at all. We didn't really know each other when you were around. But I was pretty busy. I had that gig taping firecrackers to GI Joes and that other one where I kept buying six soft tacos, no cheese, at taco … Read more

Alkaline Trio

Agony & Irony
Epic (2008)

Dear Matt Skiba, I recently picked up your band's latest release in the cut out bin at my favorite used CD store. After your last official long player, Crimson, which by the way sucked, I have given up all hope that your Alkaline Trio would ever release anything worth my time. Now here we are, Matt, with your first major … Read more

Puscifer

V is for Viagra: The Remixes
Puscifer Entertainment (2008)

Remix album - blah blah - no one buys them - yadda yadda - only useful for DJs - hamana hamana hamana. Now that that's out of the way, we can talk about this Puscifer release. For anyone not in the know, Puscifer is a solo-ish project by Maynard James Keenan of Tool and A Perfect Circle fame. To those … Read more

sBACH

sBACH
Suicide Squeeze (2008)

Like his Hella counterpart Zach Hill - well, his original counterpart prior to the band's recent additions - Spencer Seim has recently ventured out on his own. Working under the moniker sBACH, Seim offers up his first compilation of solo recordings. As one listens through sBACH it becomes rather apparent that Seim has either played a major role in the … Read more

Zach Hill

Astrological Straits
Ipecac (2008)

Zach Hill is quite the accomplished drummer. Hill co-founded the genre-bending duo (now a fivesome) Hella with Spencer Seim. In addition, Hill has found time to collaborate with a plethora of talented individuals on multiple projects: Team Sleep with Chino Moreno, Goon Moon with Chris Goss, Omar Rodriquez-Lopez, Mike Patton, and many others. Needless to say, Hill is a known … Read more

Battle of Mice / Jesu

Split
Robotic Empire (2008)

Wow, this split is a long time coming after its initial announcement roughly this time last year as being one of the last of a slew of Jesu-related releases to come out last year. Instead listeners are only now being able to listen to these recordings from both groups. Battle of Mice is a project from Josh Graham (ex-Red Sparowes, … Read more

Baby Guts

The Kissing Disease
Guilt Ridden Pop (2008)

I have to wonder what rock critics would've done without L7 and Babes in Toyland, as it seems every writer feels compelled to make comparisons to these bands whenever a female-fronted group is being discussed. That said, Minneapolis' Baby Guts show a bit of the ol' influence themselves. This is no sludgy L7 stuff and there's no pitch-shifting Bjelland on … Read more

Lagwagon

I Think My Older Brother Used to Listen to Lagwagon
Fat Wreck Chords (2008)

Closing in on twenty years as a band, Lagwagon presents us with new songs, perhaps aiming to revive that nearly defunct Fat/Epitaph sound. Having grown up on this band, I was giddy to hear they were releasing new material for the first time since 2005's Resolve, but found myself bummed after learning it was only an eight-song EP. Couple this … Read more

No Harm Done

Escape
Think Fast! (2008)

Sometimes, on paper a band can look really good. But when you get around to listening, it just doesn't add up. No Harm Done is that kind of a band for me. The Florida natives play fast, melodic hardcore with the occasional pop-filler. Escape is the band's latest full-length and first for Think Fast! Records. The fourteen tracks that comprise … Read more

Clouds

We are Above You
Hydra Head (2008)

After debuting with last year's Legendary Demo, Boston-based rockers Clouds return with their sophomore full-length. Fronted by former Cave In guitar maestro Adam McGrath, the band has delivered another fine offering here, though they have refined their fuzzed-out punk sound with an even wider sampling of influences. We are Above You begins with "Empires in Basements." The song is a … Read more

The Banner

Frailty
Ferret (2008)

The Banner is the last great hope for Ferret Music since Dead Hearts broke up recently. I mean would you look at Ferret's current roster. They have two of the worst bands ever created in The Hotness and Foxy Shazam. Madball and Poison the Well haven't put on decent albums in nearly a decade. That leaves us with Misery Signals … Read more

Metallica

Death Magnetic
Elektra (2008)

The Metallica debate has been one of the most hotly contested that music has ever seen. Pro or Anti. Sellouts or one of the few bands of the people and for the people. There's an argument for both sides, to be sure, but in the end, if you're not for them, you're probably against them. If we're going to throw … Read more

COG

Course Over Ground
Moonlee (2007)

I don't get the chance to review Croatian bands very often. And I definitely don't get many chances to review Croatian noise rock bands (try never). This is why the band COG caught my eye. The first thing I noticed with this album was the packaging: sturdy, coarse paper in contrast to the thin, glossy paper that is the norm … Read more

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