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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)

Atreyu

The Curse
Victory (2004)

The first time I ever heard Atreyu, I started laughing. Everything about them was laughable to me; from the name of the record Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses to the overly typical "singing into screaming into mosh" formula they followed, to the already played out "fashioncore" image they displayed. However, after my laughter subsided, I also said to myself, "this band is going to be huge." Sure enough, a few years down the line, Atreyu is on Ozzfest, selling out shows to random teens in AFI shirts and moving units like it's going out of style. It turns out I was right about their success. It also turns out that I still think they are comical, but this time on a different level; as a talented band that just happens to be very gimmicky. The first thing I noticed about this record though was the horrible cover art; a model in just a bra and underwear with vampire fangs instead of teeth- so utterly ridiculous. Upon my first listening of The Curse I noticed that Atreyu is as much in debt to arena rockers like Journey as they are to the metal bands they constantly try emulate. The first two … Read more

The Advantage

The Advantage
5 Rue Christine (2004)

From my childhood there are some very specific things that I can recall: the first time I had sex (in … Read more

Pedro the Lion

Achilles Heel
Jade Tree (2004)

Of all the bands I've liked at one point, I don't think I've received quite as much flack for any … Read more

Matt Pond PA

Emblems
Altitude (2004)

I once had a substitute teacher that repeated something 10 times, because he said that people have to hear something … Read more

The Magnetic Fields

I
Nonesuch (2004)

Disclaimer: I am not actually going to write much about this album itself because I don't have too much to … Read more

Ryan Adams

Love is Hell
Lost Highway (2004)

Well, it's been a busy year for our friend Ryan Adams: a rock and roll record, two EP's, a broken … Read more

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One from the archives

Creeping Weeds

We Are All Part Of A Dream You Are Having
Hot Horse (2007)

There are some bands that are just the sum of their influences and nothing more. These bands trade off their name dropping and ability to sound like their favourite bands but at the same time do nothing of any real originality. These bands seem to just be happy to follow in the footsteps of the bands before them and not make any waves knowing that they have an audience already there for them. Creeping Weeds are on of these bands. Sounding like the sort of thing people that are far too pretentious for their own good would create, We Are All Part Of A Dream You Are Having (to be called WAAPODYAH from now on) is a mix of ambient, electronic and acoustic sounds that people that like to pretend … Read more

More album reviews

Secret Chiefs 3

Book of Horizons
Mimicry (2004)

For many, Secret Chiefs 3 is considered to be "Mr. Bungle minus Mike Patton." While I feel this description does a grave injustice to the band, there are those out there blind to the genius that Secret Chiefs 3 has committed to tape. This is quite unfortunate for them, and coming from the Patton super-fan that I am, this remark … Read more

Plan of Attack

The Working Dead
Organized Crime (2004)

Upon their inception a few years ago, Plan of Attack was already a cut above a lot of the hardcore bands in the Midwest. Now, a demo, a 7", and a live 7" split with Terror & The Promise later, they continue to remain a cut above most of the hardcore bands around. Perhaps it's the background diversity of the … Read more

Ween

Quebec
Sanctuary (2003)

Ween. What the fuck is Ween? I sure don't know. If someone asked me to tell them about Ween, I would probably rub jelly on my testicles and do a handstand whilst eating Captain Crunch Cereal Bars . This band is fucked up. Not fucked up like retarded midgets playing Frisbee in a pool of peanut butter, but more fucked … Read more

Crime In Stereo

Explosives and the Will to Use Them
Blackout! (2004)

I've gone off on tangents about the current state of hardcore in a bunch of other reviews, so I'll spare you the long-winded speech. We all realize that bands that would have been brushed over two years ago are starting to get a little more attention from the mainstream. And one of the hotbeds of this recent punk rock craze … Read more

With Passion

In The Midst Of Bloodied Soil
Earache (2004)

An important point in anybody's musical listening/purchasing career is when they first realize that there are LPs and EPs. The difference between the two is that the EP, extended play, is just a handful of songs, while the LP, long play, is a full complete album usually lasting between 20-60 minutes depending on the genre. What I soon realized was … Read more

Kanye West

The College Dropout
Roc-A-Fella (2004)

Each year there are only a few hip-hop discs I pick up and really enjoy. They have to be more than something I'll listen to for a month and then quickly tire of (ex. 50 Cent). The disc this year is Kanye West's The College Dropout. I first got the album way back in February, during the initial hype for … Read more

Harkonen & These Arms Are Snakes

Like a Virgin
Hydra Head (2004)

When I was in the sixth grade I had a birthday party and for some reason one of my classmates, his name was Seth, gave me a copy of Sir Mix-A-Lot's album Mack Daddy. I didn't ask for it, I guess he just assumed it was something I would enjoy. Anyways, contained on said album is a track entitled "Seattle … Read more

!!!

Louden Up Now
Touch & Go (2004)

This whole intro paragraph is going to serve as a completely unneeded expository explanation on how dance music has all of a sudden become huge with indie kids. Yeah, so dance music. It's become pretty big hasn't it? I guess there are a few kinds: shit like The Rapture, where's these sleazy kids dancing around; terrible stuff like The Faint … Read more

Keane

Hopes and Fears
Interscope (2004)

Well it's the middle of the summer, the sun is out, the birds are singing, and there is romance in the air. What a perfect time for the release of this year's album to fall in love to. In fact, as you are reading this review I can almost guarantee you that Hopes and Fears is aiding another pair of … Read more

Keane

Hopes and Fears
Interscope (2004)

My first listen: Let's get some facts straight. Keane is a three piece band. They don't have any guitars, instead there is a piano. They are also deemed as the "next Coldplay." That's quite a misnomer; Coldplay has a guitar, sometimes two, and rock a lot harder than Keane. And Coldplay doesn't even rock hard. They can't be the next … Read more

Animal Collective

Sung Tongs
Fat Cat (2004)

So here I am. Thinking of everything else I could be doing that does not include listening to the never-ending song by the Animal Collective. Forward. Sorry! I really do like them, they are doing "Something Different" and "Breaking New Ground", even. They're interesting, cryptic... in fact, this is the perfect record to add to your collection to prove just … Read more

John Vanderslice

Cellar Door
Barsuk (2004)

Breaking News: San Francisco's favorite singer-songwriter/space cadet has returned to the home planet for his newest release Cellar Door . As his spacecraft touched down, thousands of loyal fans anxiously lined up outside of record stores to the hear musical renditions of his latest journeys via compact disc. Once the fans had attained their own personal copy of the transmission … Read more

Bonnie "Prince" Billy

Greatest Palace Music
Drag City (2004)

I will admit, I read a few reviews of this record before buying it and I still had no idea what it was. Even by the time I picked it up I was clueless as to what this record held in store. Was it other people covering Will Oldham songs? Was it Will Oldham Covering other artist's songs? Was it … Read more

The End

Within Dividia
Relapse (2004)

Whether you call it tech-metal or mathcore, it's a style of music that has captivated the head-bangers of the world. Gone are the days of the traditional and straightforward songwriting of Metallica and Slayer, they have handed over the reigns to the next generation led by the likes of The Dillinger Escape Plan and Mastodon. And following right on the … Read more

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