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The Mars Volta

Frances the Mute
Universal (2005)

Have you seen the Frances The Mute cover art yet? Cast your eyes to the right, it's on display there. Two guys, both blindfolded, and oblivious to the world around them. Or maybe they just don't care what else is going on. It's all about them, driving their vehicle, with their own rules and their own vision. That painfully obvious … Read more

Red Sparowes

At The Soundless Dawn
Neurot Recordings (2005)

Even though Red Sparowes is a new project, they didn't have much difficulty making a name for themselves. Neurosis visual-effects man Josh Graham and Isis members Bryant Clifford Meyer and Jeff Caxide were members of the band at the time of recording. But if you weren't sold on the band based solely on its members previous projects, perhaps this description … Read more

Comeback Kid

Wake the Dead
Victory (2005)

This has been one of the hardest reviews I have ever written simply because I do not like this album whatsoever, yet I still feel compelled to review it. Instead of writing a wordy explanation let me draw out a Comeback Kid timeline for you. 2003: Turn It Around is released on Christian label Facedown Records. Record is embraced by … Read more

Sugar Eater

American Idle
Eyephat (2005)

Remember when "pop-punk" wasn't a dirty word or condescending insult to a band's integrity? Remember when it meant simple, memorable songs combining infectious hooks with raw energy? Remember when it referred to bands like the Ramones, the Buzzcocks, the Descendents, and Husker Du? Remember when it had nothing to do with MTV, Hot Topic, or the mall? Well, even if … Read more

Fordirelifesake

Dance.Pretend.Forget.Defend
Thorp (2004)

Henry Rollins had this to say about being in a band in his book Do I Come Here Often: Black Coffee Blues Pt. 2: "I see now that it's a lot more than just the music that got them [Janes Addiction] where they are. There's a lot of planning and wise moves made. Timing is a key element... I just … Read more

This is Hell

This is Hell (Demo)
Run for Cover (2004)

Essentially, there are two types of hardcore bands. The first gravitates towards kids who are really into hardcore. The second is enjoyed by casual hardcore fans. Then there are the bands that fit in both categories (Terror, American Nightmare, etc.) Although this is This Is Hell's first release, a demo/EP, all the ingredients are present for This Is Hell to … Read more

Codeseven

Dancing Echoes / Dead Sounds
Equal Vision (2004)

A lot of albums are released during the course of a year. Hell, even if you rule out all the albums that you know you have no interest in at all, there will still be some that you just don't get around to fully checking out until much after the fact. So while everyone else is focusing on the next … Read more

The Pax Cecilia

Nouveau
Independent (2004)

So you're in a rock band and you already look different than other bands with your crazy hair and fingernail polish, but you want to sound different. So you add a keyboard to your band. Fucktacular, bro! In addition to adding a new instrument to a band, another option that The Pax Cecilia takes with Nouveau is to synthesize previously … Read more

The Loved Ones

The Loved Ones
Jade Tree (2005)

Memories of listening to Lifetime and hanging out with the crew every day of the week, skating, partying, or what have you, will always be there for me. It was undoubtedly some of the best times of my life. So when I heard about The Loved Ones and their comparisons to Lifetime, I was very intrigued. I hadn't had such … Read more

Bright Eyes

I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
Saddle Creek (2005)

The morning is generally associated with hope and rebirth. Leave it up to sad-eyed pessimist Conor Oberst to reverse this symbol in I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning . Now the morning reveals all the clandestine secrets that lurk in the dark, all the secrets forgotten from a drunken night of destruction bask and glimmer in the sunlight. It brings consequences … Read more

LCD Soundsystem

LCD Soundsystem
DFA (2005)

I have too much love for James Murphy, the man behind LCD Soundsystem. This guy sits atop a throne of excellence, which sits atop a black mountain of cracked vinyl, which sits atop the sweaty corpses of the over-danced. You'd think that being named one of the coolest people on the planet would render a man intolerably arrogant - but … Read more

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

Worlds Apart
Interscope (2005)

Vocalist Conrad Keely poses a question on the album's title track; "What's the future of Rock-n-Roll?" A rhetorical question? Perhaps, but he chooses to answers anyway, even if it is sarcastically: "Does it matter?" To answer his question, yes, it does. For if the future is filled with annoying indie/pop acts like Franz Ferdinand and the revival of washed up … Read more

The Fiery Furnaces

Blueberry Boat
Sanctuary (2004)

Music as true art begs to be delved deeper into. Controversially classic albums such as Daydream Nation, Zen Arcade, and Kid A warrant very little before much time and myriad repeat listens. On first hearing, albums such as the aforementioned often appear completely impenetrable, inaccessible, and, in some cases, entirely unlistenable; nothing exists to grab the listener instantaneously by the … Read more

Let it Die

Stick to Your Guns
Spook City (2004)

The city of Detroit has a bad reputation on the streets of, well, the entire United States. It's known as a dirty, crime-ridden city full of despair and wretched individuals. While I am sure there is some truth to this, it is likely nothing more than a generalization blown way out of proportion. Nevertheless, the city has spawned some fairly … Read more

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