|
     
|
"Expo 86"
Groove-y, relaxed, and tropical, Wolf Parade turns in a beautiful mess for album number three.
"The Dance Paradox"
The latest beau of the masked ball is techno producer Redshape, behind whose slightly unnerving red plastic visage allegedly hides a Famous Techno Producer In Disguise.
"5"
5 stands as an awe-inspiring monument to both Hyperdub and the dubstep movement as a whole.
"Bandwidth"
The creativity of these musicians is so immense there is not one single moment that feels dragged out, boring, or awkward.
"Your Snakelike King"
Weirdly sinister, illogical and fractured into a thousand tiny bits.
"Emptyset"
Emptyset can’t really decide if it’s aiming at a dancing or listening audience. It sits uncomfortably in-between and maybe that – its indecision – is what makes it so interesting.
"The Seven Storey Mountain"
The Seven Storey Mountain is able to evoke a pensive yet at times agonized experience of ecstasy, making explicit what in other performances tends to be a merely suggested spirituality.
"Atomic Weekender"
Atomic Weekender is a distinct ambient world that provides a sonic tableau against which the imagination can roam, stimulating and provoking with its plethora of acoustic connotations.
"Beautiful was the Time"
It's as if these tapes captured the moments before a nuclear explosion. The sense of impending doom grows all around the deep bass that begins to follow in the Morse code's footsteps.
"L’autopsie phénoménale de Dieu"
L’autopsie phénoménale de Dieu, the debut record by Kreng, is a set of surrealistic pieces that wrenches comfort sounds from their contexts to show the compatibility of a multitude of styles, primarily melancholy chamber pieces, operatic vocals, and subdued jazz gestures.
"Okura 73°N - 42°E"
The listener is left with an appreciation for the opportunity to experience these worlds, which, like the ones on the map printed on the cover, are unreal and couldn't come into being anywhere else.
"Sadly, The Future Is No Longer What It Was"
Here they are, finally, the awaited double LPs released by James Leyland Kirby under his birth name, now collected in a mesmerizing box set of 3 CDs.
"Field"
Polwechsel’s delicate approach towards the historical and cultural backdrop of the musical traditions that they tap into might be their greatest asset. Their non-ironic conviction in reconstructing these elements allows a breath of fresh air, a presentness in sound, to escape into the listener’s ears.
"Soni Sclavus"
Hearing what seems to be, for lack of a better term, a “pure” musical approach that exemplifies the infinite worlds of the human imagination is always exciting but exceedingly rare.
"Everything But The Beginning"
It's always a little miracle when loops, beats and improvisation match in such an indissoluble way, as happens in most of the tracks here: it's not so much a representation of nature, but of the uncanny yet fascinating and even comforting atmosphere of contemporary city life.
"Black Telephone of Matter"
It is difficult to say if this new, stark material is born of improvisation or composition, but the result is an album seemingly rife with intention.
"Leather and Lacy"
Malcolm’s take on Lacy is a good omen for those invested in Lacy’s work — fans of both Lacy and experimental guitar work should take note.
"Eating Us"
We'll have what they're having.
"Veckatimest"
Grizzly Bear step it up with an album that's full of life, love, longing, and new noises.
"The Freak of Araby"
The Sun City Girls may be no more, but Sir Richard Bishop's solo career just keeps getting better.
"Outer South"
Oberst tries to make a freewheeling record, but has trouble loosening up.
"Together Through Life"
Dylan continues to hone his blues persona and produces what may just be the perfect summer record.
"Why There are Mountains"
A rare debut that hits on nostalgic high notes with newfound authenticity.
"... For the Whole World to See"
Drag City reissues a long lost pre-punk classic.
"The Hazards of Love"
In which our heroes create a sweeping romantic rock opera that's equal parts Fellini and Weill.
"Face Control"
Wolf parade founder Dan Boeckner and his wife Alexei Perry give us a reason to like spousal rock bands.
"Beware"
Will Oldham puts on his Bonnie Prince Billy guise to deliver an album of transcendent alt country music.
"Elvis Perkins in Dearland"
Perkins builds on the quiet beauty of his promising debut with the fuller, rowdier, and more joyful sound of the band's self-titled inaugural release.
"200 Million Thousand"
There may be a few hints of maturity creeping into the Lips' music, but don't worry - they're still all about drugs and rock 'n' roll.
"Hold Time"
Ward jettisons the daring production choices, varying grooves, and rhythmic dynamism of previous releases and produces an uneven seventh album.
"Tonight"
Superb production, experiments with dub, and (OMFG!) eight-minute songs make for a crackin' good third album.
"Merriweather Post Pavilion"
With their ninth album, Animal Collective refine their unique brand of electro-niche technicolor tectonic pop.
"Berlin: Live at St Ann's Warehouse"
Lou Reed performs his prodigal album live for the first time in almost 34 years.
"The Chemistry of Common Life"
The greatest hardcore band ever?
"The John Baker Tapes, Vol 1 & 2"
Using sounds of everyday objects recorded onto magnetic tape and manipulated with razor blades and sticky tape, this pioneer of electronic music predated bands like Aphex Twin by decades.
"Little Joy"
Boppy folk that will likely stand the test of time.
"Hercules and Love Affair"
Gay disco by way of Greek mythology never sounded so good.
"Alegranza!"
With influences ranging from Os Mutantes to Fela Kuti, El Guincho manages to pull off a fantasy-island feel without leaving it an empty husk of mindless pleasure.
"Offend Maggie"
By inviting others to cover songs that had not even seen a proper release yet, Deerhoof have managed to turn a publicity stunt into a genuine, worthwhile experiment in audience participation.
"Only Chimneys"
The fourth release and first to feature a full band in the recording, Imaginary Johnny fills it with disarming, sharp-edged hymns on a grander scale than before.
"Juarez"
Melbourne up-and-comers Johnny Saw Horses traverse the minefield of the dreaded "concept album" - and arrive with a stunner of a recording.
"I Was Raised Matthew, Mark, Luke & Laura"
After four years of anticipation, Casimer Pascal's band releases its debut album. Was it worth the wait? Oh yeah.
"The Best of Radiohead"
With a hamfisted, clueless tracklisting and lackluster packaging, this compilation is effectively a shameless money grab from Radiohead's former record label.
"Devotion"
Meditative, soothing and warm, Beach House's second effort is thematically tied to the idea of loving without necessity.
"Modern Guilt"
A noticeably more downbeat Beck returns with a lyrically compelling, but musically disappointing new album.
"LP3"
Prepare yourselves for the third coming of Ratatat.
"Get Awkward"
BYOP's passion for high-velocity noise-making and their unwillingness to put a single sleeper track amidst their twelve song ass-kicking assault make them worth your attention.
"At Mount Zoomer"
This sprawling sophomore effort is epic, cohesive, and certainly worth the wait.
"Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea"
Three years after the bleak Tanglewood Numbers, Silver Jews returns full of biting wit and cautious optimism.
"Now Hold On Youngster..."
High energy dance-floor-ready pop that suffers just a bit from too much throttle.
"Saturdays = Youth"
Anthony Gonzalez's dreamy, melodramatic soundscape is impossible to resist.
"Last Night"
Moby's goes back to his dance roots and makes his most interesting album since Play.
"Lay Down the Law"
Ridiculously catchy songs that sound like every band you already like.
"Attack & Release"
Producer Danger Mouse lends his Midas touch to this superb collaboration.
"Super Roots 9"
Continuing to push the boundaries of their music, this 40-minute-long song finds Boredoms performing live with a holiday choir.
"Mister Lonely: Music From A Film By Harmony Korine"
Peculiar film, winning soundtrack.
"Saturnalia"
After a long gestation, Greg Dulli's collaboration with Mark Lanegan arrives wrapped in a dark package of regret, redemption and religious imagery.
"The Complete On the Corner Sessions"
A new box set containing the raw material for this underrated masterwork once again identifies Davis as anticipating dance, soul and electro-funk music decades from being invented.
"Antidotes"
With pulsating drum beats, hypnotically catchy guitar and rhythmic vocals, Foals takes the build-and-crescendo aesthetic of techno music and applies it to its own punk-funk mandate.
"Street Horrrsing"
Doing away with typical songwriting clichés such as beginnings, endings, and coherent themes, Fuck Buttons' cacophony of sound is strangely addictive.
"Sun Giant EP"
Mr. 1974 emerges from the Retirement Home of Years Past to give Fleet Foxes the best of his love.
"Heretic Pride"
The prolific, grandiloquent John Darnielle returns with a new album of short story-songs that effortlessly blends poignancy with humor.
"Snooze"
Snooze's self-titled third album reflects a resurgence of interest in tropicalia while still displaying their tendencies towards american alt-country.
"I Wanna Go Backwards"
A revelatory five-disc set provides the proof that Hitchcock transcends quirk and eccentricity to reassert himself as a prodigious songwriter.
"Made in the Dark"
Variety is both the strong suit and the weak link in Hot Chip's third and latest endeavor.
"Distortion"
Stephen Merritt returns with his trademark ironic songwriting drenched in layers of Distortion
"Shocking Pinks"
A near-flawless record resulting from the compilation of previous releases, our album of the week doesn't falter for even the briefest of moments.
"There Will Be Blood"
Radiohead's resident musical genius wades further into experimental classical territory with this searing, esoteric soundtrack to Paul Thomas Anderson's film.
"Glory Hope Mountain"
The Acorn achieves mastery over the difficult concept of life-story-turned-album in this affecting and brilliant record.
"Untrue"
Untrue transcends dubstep to present a classic depiction of urban isolation and loneliness.
"Do You Like Rock Music?"
British Sea Power asks the question, and delivers the answer with a resounding YES.
"Love is Simple"
The painstaking care of their recording process meshes with the giddy energy of their live shows in Akron/Family's latest album.
"Chrome Dreams II"
Back in his comfort zone, Young is once again able to reconnect to his past with being over-sentimental.
"Mono in VCF"
West coast folk collides with Phil Spector thunder and Carpenters-style lushness for a sophisticated debut record.
"Ape-ology"
A two-disc collection detailing the height of Perry's creative powers at Black Ark studio, complete with the original mixes and bonus tracks, is not to be passed up.
"The Modern Lovers"
Bridging the gap between the Velvet Underground and the 70s New York punk scene centered around CBGBs, Jonathan Richman's Modern Lovers gets a long-overdue digital reissue.
"Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon"
Banhart's quirky creativity and sense of musical adventure finds its home in this sprawling, elaborate and slightly bizarre record.
"Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind"
The fragile folk princess's earliest recordings reveal the would-be pop star that lurked beneath the surface.
"The Flying Club Cup"
Zach Condon, AKA Beirut, returns with another travelogue in song form, rich with traditional instruments and lush arrangements to complement his unique voice.
"Bolts of Melody"
Some artists quietly deliver their best work years after their supposed hey day, and Swervedriver's Franklin gives us a prime example with this album.
"Autumn of the Seraphs"
Angular, dense and incredibly catchy, Seraphs takes the best of Pinback's earlier efforts and makes a great leap forward.
"In Rainbows"
Junkmedia's staff weighs in with a group review for the long awaited new Radiohead album.
"Widow City"
Siblings Eleanor and Matt Freidberger have recorded an album of grandiose freakouts, which unfolds to reveal itself as their most focused, well-sequenced collection of songs to date.
"White Chalk"
Starkly Victorian, bleakly rapturous, and chillingly well-realized, PJ Harvey stuns with a new album devoid of her trademark guitar playing.
"Collected Works"
One of the greatest, though short-lived, acts of the post-punk era finally gets its due.
"Strawberry Jam"
Menacing and beautiful, mind-addling and transcendent, Animal Collective make music for music's sake.
"We Are Him"
Michael Gira's band outdoes itself with this masterpiece of an album, offering dazzling arrangements and a sense of emotional release.
"You're Gonna Miss Me"
Robert Ham takes a look at the feature-length documentary of Texas sonic misfit Roky Erickson as well as the accompanying soundtrack documenting his psychedelic exploits.
"Our Earthly Pleasures"
With their second release, Maximo Park jumps to the head of the Britpop class.
"It's a Bit Complicated"
Art Brut is to fellow Brit-poppers The Arctic Monkeys what Pulp was to Oasis — looser and more fun.
"Moo, You Bloody Choir"
The culmination of all Augie March does well - dense, literate lyrics, haunting textural arrangements, and an insatiable appetite for rare instrumentation.
"Sleight Of Hand"
In a bid for accessibility, Broken Social Scene's side project takes itself too seriously to make the leap into pop.
"Live at Glastonbury (1994-2004)"
Showcasing the electronic innovators' five seminal performances at Glastonbury, this also serves as a remarkable documentation of the modern summer music festival.
"Family Tree/New Moon"
Two recent posthumous releases focus less on the myth of the wounded poet and more on Drake's and Smith's abundant talents.
"Our Love To Admire"
Two-time MVP's for Matador records return with their major-label debut, but this time the power-gloom New Yorkers decide to play it safe.
"Easy Tiger"
After an eighteen-month hiatus, the unusually prolific Adams returns with an album that doesn't disappoint.
"Favorite Worst Nightmare"
The Monkeys outclass their debut with a swift, polished and self-assured follow-up
"Sky Blue Sky"
On their sixth album, Wilco eschew experimentalism, instead focusing on excellent songwriting and musical camaderie
""
Sometimes too much cool is a bad thing and sometimes it's not.
"Release the Stars"
Still not the masterwork of which Wainwright is capable, but a satisfying step closer.
"Boxer"
Haunting and hushed in some places, urgent and galloping in others, Boxer is an urban lament in which each song is a standout track
"Reissues"
Finally, two of the great-but-vastly-underrated funk outfits of the 70s get their due as their defining albums get reissued
"God Save the Clientele"
A masterpiece of eminently hummable tunes that distill the spirit of sixties and seventies pop into the world-weariness of the times
"Volta"
Rough, raucous and rapturously sensual, Björk returns with an album that revisits earlier incarnations while firmly placing herself in the present.
"Black Pompadour"
The third album by the Chicago-based band is a successful departure from their previous spare sound
"Cassadaga"
Conor Oberst & Co. take the listener on a supernatural journey through personal struggles and spiritualist storytelling
"Vessels"
Loud experiments in psych-rock hint at potential future epics from the Austrailian quartet
"Reformation Post TLC"
Mark E. Smith and his latest lineup of cohorts reexamine and reinvent the "Fall Sound"
"Neon Bible"
Karl Butler discovers that Arcade Fire's sophomore effort really IS all that and a bag of chips
"The Magic Position"
Wolf's beautiful third album is a joyful love letter to the world which belies a hidden brooding melancholy
"Be He Me"
Infectious and hypnotic, the debut album from North Carolina's Annuals delivers a varying collection of songs full of ingenuity and charm.
"Person Pitch"
Noah Lennox mixes melodies with good old-fashioned experimentalism to bring us a dream of music
"The Amber Gatherers"
Sparkling folk rock wrapped in not-quite-traditional British Isle arrangements earns kudos from two of our writers.
"In Advance Of The Broken Arm"
A journey album, existential and unconventionally prophetic.
"Songs III: Bird on the Water"
Loss never sounded so pretty.
"I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On"
Melancholy beneath the blanket of euphonious pop.
"Appendix"
A sonic resume detailing some of Fakesch and de Luca's finest contributions for others.
"Rites of Uncovering"
The veil of overall mediocrity is intermittently lifted by the odd promising track.
"Pavement: Wowee Zowee: Sordid Sentinels Edition, Chavez: Better Days Will Haunt You"
Matador lovingly reissues two Indie classics.
""
Reissues from two of the Velvet Underground’s founding members.
"Milk White Sheets"
Music that haunts in it its odd delicacy.
""Pussy Cats" starring The Walkmen"
Eclectic and vibrant, this recreation is an unqualified success.
"Entomology"
Anyone who's worn out their post-punk/new wave collection should have a great time with Entomology.
"Knives Don't Have Your Back"
This haunting debut solo record will shock fans and garner new admirers.
"Ys"
Newsom brings back everything from her debut to create one of the greatest albums of 2006.
"The Information"
This is Beck's hip hop statement. Sort of.
"Songbird"
Nelson is placed in unfamiliar settings with excellent results.
"The Crane Wife"
The Decemberists are peerless in their brand of theatrical pop music.
"Dark Blue World"
Set against a backdrop of consummate musicianship, Elizabeth Fischer has found the perfect setting for her poetic devices.
"Beach House"
Elegantly draped with stylized sounds and slow, gorgeous melodies, Beach House is a near masterpiece.
"Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of Mountain"
The reclusive king of atmospheric malaise comes down from the mountain with another offering for his followers.
"Nightclub Version of the Eternal"
Despite an inevitable cult following, most will consider this a colossal waste of time.
"I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass"
Yo La Tengo re-assert their relevance in no uncertain terms.
"In Concert, Vol. 1"
The Sadies' defining statement.
"Blood, Sweat, and Towers"
Towers of London makes Spinal tap look like master songsmiths.
"Come Into Our House"
Imaginative psych-folk from the mystical Nick Castro.
"High Society"
Nashville quartet raids the dollar bin for their impressive sophomore disc.
"Accidents EP"
Reclusive songwriter takes his homespun folk to the next level.
"Classics"
Ratatat's superb sophomore album drips with effortless cool.
"The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras From the Illinois Album"
"The Eraser"
Radiohead frontman finds beauty and intimacy inside electronica.
"Scale"
Matthew Herbert drops a disco classic.
"Black Sheep Boy Appendix"
An EP-length "do-over" for Will Sheff's harrowing lyrical themes.
"Strange Geometry"
The Clientele's atmospheric, baroque pop takes no chances.
"Paquet Surprise"
Davis and Roux have crafted an electronic record that even casual music fans can enjoy.
"Descended Like Vultures"
Vultures blazes forward with the kind of assured bravado not usually seen this side of U2.
"Feels"
Just another striking, inventive album from the progenitors of a new folk music.
"Apologies to the Queen Mary"
Montreal's Wolf Parade draws further, fresh blood from the indie rock stone.
"The Campfire Headphase"
Another trip to the purple hills of that beautiful place out there in Canada.
"The Runners Four"
San Francisco's Deerhoof are ambient and direct, childlike and adult, hard-rocking and unapologetically esoteric.
"Suckfish"
Matthew Dear's first foray into 4/4 techno as Audion is pure audio porn.
"Plat du Jour"
Mr Herbert puts his creative methods through a meat
grinder to abstractly critique the way the western world eats
in 2005.
"Broken Ear Record"
The hardcore-cum-
ambient noise kingpins lose a drummer and find a beat on Broken Ear
Record.
"Blitzkrieg Pop"
T. Raumschmiere continues to plumb the depths of punk through his one-two dancefloor filter.
"Crime And Dissonance"
A gorgeous collection of the 20th century's most influential film composer.
"Twin Cinema"
The first New Pornographers record you'll want to sit through from beginning to end.
"Singles. Period."
10 years of singles from Dutch agit-punk heroes.
"Giving Up The Ghost"
Singular, atmospheric pop from a peripatetic duo.
"Singles. Period."
10 years of singles from Dutch agit-punk heroes.
|
Of Montreal "Coquet Coquette" [ Polyvinyl ] Kristen Hersh "Coals" [ Throwing Music ] 200 Lurkers "feetfirst" [ Moonbirds ] More MP3s... |
