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Josh Ritter

The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter
Sony (2007)

Awarding Josh Ritter the title of "the next Bob Dylan" seems audacious, but repeated listens to The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter proves it a worthy statement to make. The opening track, "To the Dogs or Whoever," exhibits Dylan-esque vocals and rhythm, reminding me of '65 when Dylan tried to innovate folk music by plugging in. Ritter, too, attempts to … Read more

Coalesce

There is Nothing New Under the Sun (Reissue)
Hydra Head (2007)

Yes, Hydra Head has been pumping out the reissues of late (look to Botch having American Nervoso and We are the Romans re-released in super updated formats just recently and yeah I know this review is late), but this reissue not only includes the entirety of the original release for There is Nothing New Under the Sun but it also … Read more

Pash

The Best Gun
Exotic Fever (2007)

There are two basic guidelines to follow when being apart of the D.C. punk scene: the first is that it is absolutely necessary to be a vegan, straight edge, and a bike messenger, or at least a combination of two of those, or else you're going to feel a bit alienated. I for one think this is really fucking stupid, … Read more

Call Me Lightning

Soft Skeletons
French Kiss (2007)

One of the hardest tasks of rock and roll is possibly the simplest: make a good, consistent, and memorable rock album. That's it. That's all it takes. Yet there are few, very few, who have achieved this. Call Me Lightning, a rock band straight from who-knows-where-Milwaukee-is?, has met this problem with great success with their sophomore release Soft Skeletons. The … Read more

Carrie Biell

When Your Feet Hit the Stars
Independent (2007)

Amy Winehouse. Lily Allen. Jenny Lewis. All are media darlings. Despite any and all current public backlash, neither lady could release an album of humming in an aluminum coffee tin without the pundits all standing and cheering - the applause deafening. Carrie Biell deserves this adoration more than any of them but will never ever get it. Why? Because: a) … Read more

See it Through

Breakthrough
Fierce Justice (2007)

I don't really know much of anything about Reno, Nevada other than it's like a smaller, less fun version of Las Vegas. The only other things that I have learned about Reno have come at the hands of Reno 911, even though the show isn't actually filmed there. And while I find that show to be quite entertaining, I doubt … Read more

Far From Finished

Living in the Fallout
Think Fast! (2007)

There's a big goddamn yellow sticker taking up most of the top half of this CD proclaiming that Far From Finished has been seen on tour with Less Than Jake (*gasp*), Roger Miret and the Disasters (No Way!) and also had some stage time at Warped Tour (OH WOW!). Color me unimpressed. Far from Finished aren't winning any early points … Read more

Amber Asylum

Still Point
Profound Lore (2007)

The first time I listened to Still Point I was riding to work on the top deck of a double-decker bus at eight o'clock in the morning. Record opener "In the Still Point He Remains" was just starting; sounds could be heard moving backwards and forwards in the dark; slow strings breathing and playful chimes jangling, the inevitable build having … Read more

Call it Arson

The Animal Strings Album
Kill Normal (2006)

Bob Dylan has an awful lot to answer for; without him literally thousands of terrible folk influenced bands would not be thrusting their faux liberal views down our throats. Sure, he wasn't the first to mix music and politics, but he was undeniably one of the single most influential in the rise of guitars and socio- political commentary. Thankfully not … Read more

Ronen Kauffman

New Brunswick, New Jersey, Goodbye: Bands, Dirty Basements, and the Search for Self
Sub City/Hopeless (2007)

High fives to Ronen Kauffman for head stomping all over my pretentious attitude about what good literature should be. When I first heard about this book's release I was glad to see a paperback devoted to the subject matter but I was a little annoyed that yet another memoir was hitting the shelves. Are people self-centered enough to think their … Read more

Angels of Light

We are Him
Young God (2007)

When Michael Gira disbanded Swans in 1997, he declared himself free of the connotations that came with being in that group who were considered the loudest band and invoked the ire of noise ordinances everywhere. Angels of Light is Gira's project of the last ten years that is the polar opposite to the expectations that were heaped upon him while … Read more

The Ruins of Beverast

Rain Upon the Impure
Ván (2007)

This is the only album I've ever heard that sounds like it should have been wrapped in a shroud. Relentlessly bleak and resoundingly brilliant, this project of Nagelfar (no, the other one*) drummer Alexander Von Meilenwald is the best ambient black metal album to come around since .well, since the project's last album, Unlock the Shrine, with a couple of … Read more

Kris Racer

Has a Banner Year
Two Thumbs Down (2007)

I don't want to pigeonhole this record; Kris Racer lacks the pink hair and Hawaiian shirts of a Chris Conley or the weird Ricky Martin-esque bravado of a Chris Carrabba. Racer, (or Narunatvanich, his actual name) is a Midwesterner, hailing from the prairie state, Illinois. And though his geographic location doesn't quite converge with the majority of "pop punkers gone … Read more

First to Leave

Forging a Future
Wednesday/Lobster (2007)

First to Leave have been the unfortunate victims of poor timing, not once, but twice. The first time occurred shortly after the release of their debut 7". The band garnered a decent amount of attention with their mixture of melodic hardcore and pop-punk music, resulting in the signing with upstart label, Feeding Frenzy Records, for the release of their debut … Read more

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