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5 classic

Arcade Fire Funeral

Modern Classic. That being said, it's arguable (mostly because I know many who would argue this), but in time I feel that 'Funeral' will shine through as a brilliant statement of loss, growth and family that cannot be denied. Beyond sheer song structure and power, 'Funeral', I feel, finds itself beyond the pack in ways of overall structure, and tone. The deep sadness in 'Une Annee Sans Lumiere' and 'In The Back Seat' is near heartbreaking. Just as the hope and wonder in 'Wake Up' and 'Neighborhood#2(Laika)' reach unheard heights. This, almost, 'legitimacy' tacked onto what would normally be 'pretty good' lyrics adds a sense of beauty and earnest. The Fire's overall musicianship soars as well, past all boundaries of 'Pop Music' to create something really quite gorgeous. They did it, really they fucking did.

Beach Boys Pet Sounds

The most complete and beautiful collection of American music ever produced, and quite frankly could be the best album ever, period. 'Wouldn't It Be Nice', 'Dont Talk', 'I'm Waiting For the Day', 'God Only Knows', are each arguably the best love song(s) ever penned. 'Sloop John B', 'That's Not Me' & 'I Know There's an Answer' are all amazing. The Wilson vocal harmonies that so many try (and fail) to mimic are at their peak here, and they're second to none. Deep into drugs and self seclusion, Brian Wilson pulled something extremely unique and beautiful out of this 'ego music' of his. The arrangements are beautiful, the songs resonate with heat and warmth, 'Pet Sounds' is really a thing to behold.

Blur Think Tank

At the point of writing this, I am completely convinced that Damon Albarn is a musical genius, and have been for quite some time. From start to finish, 'Think Tank' is achingly gorgeous and entirely inventive and unheard. 'Ambulance', 'Out of Time', 'On the Way to the Club' may be some of the most potent, pretty, unexpected love songs ever crafted. In 'Brothers and Sisters', Albarn yearns for us to lay off the stimulants among the extremely insightful spoken word verses. 'Good Song' is self explanatory, really it's very good, underselling. Among 'Think Tank's' pretty melodies, clings and clangs lies a masterpiece of modern music. If it remains the final album of Blurs fantastic career, at least it's a glorious send off.

Broken Social Scene You Forgot It In People

Had you heard 'Feel Good Lost' before the release of this LP; how the fuck could you see this coming? Start to finish 'You Forgot It In People' is a fantastic ride through the experimental, awkward, and very human world of Broken Social Scene. This collective of Canadian musicians came together as a single mastermind and produced (continue to) some of the greatest pop music ever created. Kevin Drew, Leslie Feist, Brendan Canning and Emily Haines at the helm, of roughly 11, float their way through walls of pop mayhem, serene beauty and superb grooves. 'Stars and Sons', 'Anthems...' and 'Lover's Spit' are particularly gorgeous, while 'Almost Crimes' & "Pacific Theme' are pretty much perfect. 'You Forgot It In People' is a shambled masterpiece, that in my opinion, should not be missed.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

David Bowie Low

Fleetwood Mac Rumours

Inner band turmoil, divorces left and right, Fleetwood's misery & marital issues sure as hell birthed some fantastic music in the process of ruining some lives. 'The Chain', 'Go Your Own Way', 'You Make Loving Fun', 'Dreams' are just the highlights on an album that is really quite near flawless. I've had this album with me for a very, very long time & it's at least one of my favorites, if not my favorite. Fun, inventive, brooding, at times extremely heart breaking, all the while remaining completely badass.

Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV

Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy

Massive Attack Mezzanine

An essential masterpiece, 'Mezzanine' is a brooding triumph that grabs you, slaps you around, reminds you it loves you, and then caresses you down to sleep. From the fantastic opener, 'Angel', Massive Attack is unrelenting in their sheer quality and scale. Each song brims with tension, tunnels of sound envelop washy vocals, the beats are borderline evil & always fantastic. Nothing is skimped on, 'Mezzanine' is some of the best you'll ever hear.

Modest Mouse The Moon & Antarctica

Glorious as it is haunting, The Moon & Antarctica is Modest Mouse's masterpiece. The ethereal, cold feeling that resonates from this music is amazing, and Brock's off-kilter vocal style shines amongst the guitar twangs and deep caverns his band mates create around him. Is there seriously any better starting 3 than this? '3rd Planet', 'Gravity...' & 'Dark Center...' are superb, and thats not to say the second half isn't as enthralling. Actually it's pretty fantastic, really the entire album is, if a bit overlong at times -- it's easily made up for by a large collection of extremely strong tracks.

My Bloody Valentine Loveless

Beautiful, in every sense of the word. Loveless, though not completely flawless, achieved heights not only never attained, but never even revealed. MBV's lush, flowing, chaos has no comparison, simply because there's nothing else that sounds quite like it. Many have recreated the sound slightly to much success, but none sound quite like MBV's layers of distortion. Bilinda Butcher's otherworldly voice drifts in an out of layers of sounds so beautifully, while Kevin Shield's pushes every last bit of gorgeous melody out of the fuzz that surrounds him. When Shield's decides to lend his vocals to the fray some of the album's best tracks are produced. 'Loveless' is not something that should be missed, it is a rigidly beautiful classic piece of music.

Outkast Aquemini

Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon

The best progressive album ever. Pound for pound some of the finest music ever crafted. My favorite Floyd, has been forever, it's truly an amazing album.

Pixies Doolittle

Radiohead OK Computer

To say that this is 'a classic' is understated, 'OK Computer' is the most essential record of the 1990s. It's easily in contention for the best piece of music I've ever heard and no matter how many times I listen to it, it hits me the same way. 'Airbag', 'Paranoid Android' & 'Subterranean Homesick Alien', are all fucking amazing. 'Climbing Up The Walls' may be the scariest pretty song I've ever heard while, 'No Surprises' & 'Exit Music' are some of the most beautiful. Plus there's really no better closer than 'The Tourist'. Radiohead achieved something really special here, and no matter how close they've come, can't seem to quite match it. But thats fine, might just be better that way.

Rage Against the Machine The Battle Of Los Angeles

Rage have painted a picture of a grim, gray world, filled with lies, treachery, murder, famine, genocide and a loss of hope. The Battle of Los Angeles unloads upon you like no other, De La Rocha backed by Morello and the boys is intense, yet they take time to build. 'Maria', 'Born Of A Broken Man' and 'Voice Of The Voiceless' seem to revel in their rising action and Rage knows all the right spots to hit to make the climax a pay off. 'Guerrilla Radio' and 'Mic Check' dig deep and rock hard, while 'Sleep Now In The Fire' is as frightening as it is jarring. LA is a battlefield, and Rage is at the helm.

Sigur Ros �gætis Byrjun

Sonic Youth Daydream Nation

The ultimate, the king of distortion, 'Daydream Nation' is beautiful as it is brilliant. To really describe the merits of this LP is harder than it seems at first, because really what makes it so essential is well, how fucking weird it really is. On first listen it may seem harsh, if a bit unfocused -- SY's vocals are less than entrancing and they spend a lot of time jamming out their distortion. This, unappealing as it may seem, is where the brilliance lies -- amongst these rough, chaotic lead voices lies the cries of a generation, on the verge of what they know is not a bright future. Sonic Youth detest the commercial world of double speak, but they understand that it's inevitable, and maybe, preferred. Beyond the phenomenal writing, lies the song structure, the composition -- it's amazing. There's no wasted note, no stray bit of distortion, everything has it's place, it's purpose there. This is why the distortion works, why, 'Daydream Nation' is a success. To encompass the full effect, full result of this album in words is futile, there's not enough time. I bought it when I was 14, and it changed the way I listen to music.

Talking Heads Remain In Light

The Beatles Abbey Road

The Beatles Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band

Hahaha, an explanation? Tracks one through thirteen please. Regardless of what anyone may think about the quality of this album, it holds an array of not only some of my favorite Beatles tracks; but I feel it's has the most success as a whole. There's nothing here I'd ever skip, or tire of -- I anticipate each track after the next with the same excitement as ever. Instantaneous joy in the purest sense.

The Cardigans First Band on the Moon

Reactions: 1. Who the fuck are The Cardigans? 2. Wait, these guys? 3. The one with 'Lovefool'?! 4. Hell yeah. ------------------- 1. A Swedish band that has been making music for almost 15 years now. For their first few albums they stuck to a lounge/rock/Sabbath-covering style(their best), then moved on to dark techno-rock - Poprock - Straight up rock over the next 3 albums. 2. Yes, The Cardigans, they rock. Superb songwriting/crafting, one of the best rhythm sections of the early 90s, capped by Nina Perssons' fantastic, furious and supremely sarcastic voice. 3. Mmhmmm, 'First Band On The Moon' not only holds the band's best album title, but compare 'Losers', 'Step on Me' & 'Great Divide' to anything from the rest of their catalog (or a lot of other musicians for that matter) and well, point made. 4. That's right -- FBOTM is a fantastic album, perfect from start to finish, hell even years after the fact 'Lovefool' is just infectious now, as opposed to infectiously annoying. They're all at the top of their game here, Persson's is as soft as she is biting and the boys in the band bounce, drone and reach all the right epic heights and beautiful lows around her. It's amazing.

The Moody Blues Days of Future Passed [1976 RECORDING REMASTERED]

The Strokes Is This It (UK Version)

The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground and Nico

Beautiful, Frantic, Haunting, Serene all that and it'll rock you to the fucking core. 'The Velvet Underground and Nico' is a blast of pure brilliance that floats it's way into your heart with 'Sunday Morning' and brashly exits in a storm with 'European Son'. That right there is really the album as a whole. It'll softly find it's way past your guard, giving you a sense of serenity before it strips downs to a blaze of reverb, but somehow maintains it's charm. Few other's can do it, and really the VU pioneered it. Plus, Nico's full, brooding voice is something really quite gorgeous.

Wolf Parade Apologies to the Queen Mary

4.5 superb

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead Source Tags and Codes

It may have been a near perfect fluke, but 'Source Tags and Codes' is nothing less than a beast of a record. Band wistfully moves between moments of ear assaulting walls of sound to relaxed, almost jammy beauty. 'It Was There That I Saw You', 'Another Morning Stoner', 'Source Tags and Codes' are amazing, and even 'Homage' is a nice blast down AFI lane.

A Sunny Day In Glasgow Ashes Grammar

22 Tracks and over an hour of beautiful dream pop, I couldn't have asked for more.

A Tribe Called Quest The Low End Theory

A Tribe Called Quest Midnight Marauders

AFI The Art of Drowning

Air Moon Safari

Animal Collective Feels

Easily my favorite Collective release, and the album that put me to bed many nights in 2006, 'Feels' is breathtaking. Leaving behind the mess of folk craziness(genius?) that was 'Sung Tongs', they go for focus and pop sensibility over washy Beach Boys inspired melodies and experimental mayhem. 'Did You See The Words', 'Grass','Banshee Beat' and 'The Purple Canoe' bring in the albums brilliant, well crafted, lively first half, which is pure bliss. 'Bees' serves as a mild, almost mono tone transfer into the albums fantastic, second portion. That is where 'Feels' really shines, the ballads in the albums later minutes, 'Banshee Beat', 'Daffy Duck' are memorizing and absolutely gorgeous. While 'Turn into Something' fades out of it's acoustic strums, horse neighs and swirls of distortion into whispery melodies and croons to end what truly is a frantic pop masterpiece.

Animal Collective Strawberry Jam

First off, this is amazing, it really is. That being said, 'Strawberry Jam' is the most radio ready (is that even fair?), and traditionally poppy Animal Collective has ever been. Really, it's just all their previous bits of pop ingeniousness strewn together with something truly fantastic (song structure!!). 'Peacebone' and 'Unsolved Mysteries' shine, 'Chores ' through to '#1' is just brilliance. 'Cuckoo Cuckoo' at times, can be a bit too crazy, and they seem to travel off into the stratosphere of weirdness, but really, would you want any less?

Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion

Wow, what an awesome way to start of 2009. I'd write more, but I'm too busy listening to 'Merriweather...' and well, suddenly few other things matter. Edit: Good luck anything else being better in '09.

Arcade Fire Neon Bible

If 'Funeral' was a masterpiece of youth, hope and family, 'Neon Bible' is The Arcade Fire's declaration of maturity and loss -- thankfully the spark is still there. The Fire bombast through out 'Neon Bible' with images of lost humanity, and a desolate future, outcries for action and reformation before we're overtaken by our own weight...some crazy shit. Though comparatively, the Fire were more joyous and bouncy on their last release, the deep dark caverns of 'Neon Bible's more reserved yet grand style shine through the wash and distortion that covers it's sound. There's something to be said though, with the loss of their youthfulness (only on record thankfully), something always feels a bit empty about it all. Not enough to detract from all the highlights of an absolutely fantastic album.

Architecture In Helsinki In Case We Die

Asobi Seksu Citrus

I stupidly wrote this off as average for quite a long time. Then I sat down, and gave it some deserved spins. wow.

At the Drive-In Relationship of Command

Beware! Be-ware!!! Or don't -- I mean I wouldn't -- you'd be missing a lot. So, 'In/Casino/Out' was sweet, 'Vaya' and 'El Gran Orgo' were alright too, but I will honestly say I shoved this off when it came out, and didn't give a proverbial fuck 'til I was about 6 years older. In one fell swoop I was sucked back into my love for Cedric. 'Relationship of Command' is intense, more than anything else any of these musicians have done since. It's smart, it's intricate, it wraps you up in it's walls of sound,(distortion, screaming, frayed off beats), plus it'll rock your face off. Thankfully At the Drive-In, were, ya know, talented, so 'Relationship of Command' reeks of slick rips, delicate (yes delicate) breakdowns and full on assaults of sound. It's not overrated, it is one of the best rock albums of this decade, --and possibly the best hardcore album ever?

Autolux Future Perfect

Robotic domination anyone? Nearly perfect, from start to finish. 'Turnstile Blues', 'Subzero Fun', 'Robots in the Garden' & 'Here Comes Everybody' are standouts in this twisted and twitchy mini masterpiece.

Beastie Boys Licensed To Ill

Beastie Boys Paul's Boutique

Beck Odelay!

Belle and Sebastian If You're Feeling Sinister

Blonde Redhead 23

A ridiculously strong album from a very very good band. Blonde Redhead have been running on over a decade of already amazing material and then culminate all their influences into a single, different entity from anything else they've produced. There's not a single weak track here, the opener '23' is the stand out, by far, but nothing else really falls far behind -- it's all pretty amazing. Adopting a prominent shoegaze aspect tacked on to their already rough Sonic Youth like sound, mixed with the atmospheric, deep mood rock of 'Misery Is a Butterfly' (their best until '23') they create something quite beautiful an unique. I guess you could call '23' a shoegaze album, most tracks, even the dance cuts, reek of MBV, Ride & Slowdive, and really, sometimes they're better than all 3. Very small stretches of course, but it's those pristine highs that bring '23' it's lasting effect and efficient hook that keeps you coming back.

Blondie Parallel Lines

Blur Parklife

Blur Modern Life is Rubbish

Boards of Canada Music Has the Right to Children

Brian Wilson Smile

Broken Social Scene Broken Social Scene

Cake Fashion Nugget

Circle Takes The Square As The Roots Undo

I was wrong -- this was some of the most epic, emotionally driven, brutal and beautiful music I've heard in a while. Surpassing all the generic short comings of "screamo" Circle Takes The Square rise above with 'As the Roots Undo', and it's is unlike much of the bullshit floating around out there. Taking to dream-scapes as opposed to emotional baggage Circle move beyond their competitors in sheer song writing alone. That's before the fantastic instrumentation, the badass vocals and amazing (almost Kid A-ish) progressive interludes. 'Crowquill', 'Non-Objective Portrait of Karma' & 'Shame Shade as Concrete' are standouts, but honestly, nothing is bad here. Awesome.

Clipse Hell Hath No Fury

Cut Copy In Ghost Colours

Cut Copy are more live action electronica I guess, they use real instruments, and they may perform with a load of people on stage, but this means each song really has like 3 separate back beats. It's pretty tight when you break it down, not to mention the infusion of shoegaze and samples only adds to the melodic quality of each song. For all of 'In Ghost Colours' bangers ('Feel the Love', 'Lights and Music', 'Hearts on Fire', 'Far Away', 'So Haunted' & 'Nobody Lost, Nobody Found') they have some straight up beautiful tracks. 'We Fight for Diamonds', 'Unforgettable Season' and 'Midnight Runner' are a gorgeous suite in the mid section merging you between the organic beginning & the sample full, pure electronic finish. 'Midnight Runner' is brimming with pretty fuzz as it fades into the beat of 'Unforgettable Season' which calls out to a lover to remain faithful during the distance. 'Midnight Runner' comes in softly with a warped beat and a guitar strumming as Whitford croons 'It's a secret I've been keeping from you' a few times as the song builds into a flowing beat and piano. It's all those little things that give 'In Ghost Colours' it's edge, it's tangible, you feel Whitford as he sings and yelps and you live in his beats as they beg you to get down.

Dan Deacon Bromst

David Bowie Hunky Dory

David Bowie The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust...

Deerhunter Microcastle

'Microcastle' sees GA based Deerhunter turn down the fuzz and learn to pretty things up a bit. Granted, their rocker 'Nothing Ever Happened' is probably the best thing they've ever record, with all it's ferocity and beautiful instrumentation. 'Microcastle' has a kinder feel than 'Cryptograms', and really that's what pushes them past the mediocrity of their debut. 'Agoraphobia' & 'Never Stops' as well as enders 'Saved By Old Times' and 'These Hands' are quite gorgeous songs. Cox showed he was capable of such things with his Atlas Sound project, but I never saw these coming. 'Agoraphobia' and it's simple beat builds to beauty as Cox croons, 'Never Stops' and 'Little Kids' follow suit in their upbeat sound, seemingly alien to the (old)band but they produce nothing short of gold. Drawbacks can be found I'm sure, it's a bit too short, sometimes the whole album can just pass you by. The mid section can be a bit too wonky as they experiment their way around fractured riffs and weird drum beats all the while keeping it pretty minimalist. But, seriously, whatever, just sit back and enjoy 'Microcastle' and all its serene beauty.

Delerium Karma

DeVotchKa How It Ends

Dirty Projectors Bitte Orca

Eels Electro-Shock Blues

What was at first, very hard on my ears, save a few songs, has since become my favorite Eels album, and really one of my favorite albums period. 'Electro-Shock Blues' is so achingly painful at points it can defer some listeners, but really, there are a lot of gems here. E's loss of family and well, hope is what crafted this album, and it is morose at times, but more often than not in his sadness there's a lot of beauty to be found. 'Elizabeth on the Bathroom Floor', 'Elfi's God', 'P.S. You Rock My World' are gorgeous, while 'Last Stop: This Town' is a nice light hearted break from the albums slower tones. Everything here is great, no song really falters in my opinion, though as a whole 'Electro-Shock Blues' can run a bit long, and it's not an album for any time. But it's beauty is really found in it's soft but hauting tones, morose themes and E's aching voice and lyrics.

Eels Beautiful Freak

Fucked Up The Chemistry of Common Life

Hardcore, infused with all the strings, horns and bells and whistles you could ask for, with a great lead singer, this is some boss shit. Yes, maybe it's a bit meandering, their instrumentals, though quite badass, are not highlights of the album. and yes, in a genre where technicality is held in an extremely high regard -- they're not. But Fucked Up excel in their arrangements, they know how to build tension, to explode, and more importantly how to rock the fuck out. Pink Eyes(Damian Abraham), has a vicious growl and a scream that shakes the earth. Coupled with clean vocals from both male and female band mates his gravel pit of a voice is pulled up from average, to powerful. This is where they shine, issues with God, modern society, family, and materialism are prominent themes, and they handle it with class. They skip the pretension by not taking themselves too seriously, as well as having a sick drummer and guitarist. Plus 'Son the Father' & 'Black Albino Bones' are easily some of the best tracks of 2008.

Gang Gang Dance Saint Dymphna

Ghostface Killah Ironman

Girls Album

Gorillaz Demon Days

Never have I been so unimpressed with an album upon first listen, I mean I heard this once, then just basically put it down for a solid month before even remotely flirting with the idea of giving it a second shot. I'm a fucking idiot. 'Demon Days' is fantastic, an eclectic mash of utter madness somehow organized into 15 tracks. Pretty much leaving behind whatever the Gorillaz were, Albarn and co. restructure this animated 'super group' into something truly quite unique. I mean the idea of mixing cool verses and hooks with some sick rhymes is hardly new, it's just few do it better than these guys here. Armed with Damon Albarn's own musical insanity and a slew of excellent guest stars, 'Demon Days' is a party album, introspective character piece and twisted/fun labor of love all at once. The album really doesn't falter from start to finish, every song seems in it's right place. It's successful as a whole, but at times can be a bit goofy, but 90% of the time, you can just roll with it and let 'Demon Days' have it's fun.

Gospel The Moon is A Dead World

Grizzly Bear Yellow House

It takes no less than the first minute of 'Yellow House' to see that Grizzly Bear have stripped themselves down from their 'recorded in a submarine' sound to something more palpable, but no less expansive, cavernous and beautiful. Said minute, which belongs to the opener 'Easier' is nothing other than gorgeous, a few chords and piano chimes fade into a nice acoustic/hummed rhythm. Then the 40th second hits, and 'Easier' opens wide into an expansive, glorious tunnel of sound. The song continues, it's a flood of folky-spacey pop accompanied by any number of guitars, drums, pianos, banjos, synth boards -- it's pretty amazing. 'Easier' is a standout (along with 'Knife', 'On a Neck, On a Spit', 'Little Brother' and 'Colorado'), and it would be easy to judge the rest of the album based on this track, but it would be a waste. Grizzly Bear transcend the usual freak-folk, star-pop and indie-rock cliches and build, an immediate, yet reserved -- expansive, yet focused, beautiful but albeit disjointed masterpiece with 'Yellow House'.

Grizzly Bear Veckatimest

GZA Liquid Swords

Hercules and Love Affair Hercules and Love Affair

Well looks like I misjudged another one. This lush, beautiful piece of modern dance music is nothing less than flooring. Mixing disco flair with a taste for soul and free jazz rarely used so well in modern electronica, Andrew Butler and his bandmates create a masterpiece. mixing infectious grooves, heart warming "ballads", and some straight up bangers that will get even the most rigid Jane and John shaking their asses. 'Hercules Theme' is the clear winner here, but nothing is short of amazing. It may take repeated listens but what gives 'Hercules and Love Affair' it's legs is that beyond all things, these tracks are purely danceable. Add the fact that they're gorgeous, fully realized pieces of music with a defined, interesting narrative and the singers slay -- it is pretty much that good.

Interpol Turn on the Bright Lights

Iron And Wine The Shepherd's Dog

Jay-Z The Blueprint

Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt

Jefferson Airplane Surrealistic Pillow

Justice Cross

Kanye West Late Registration

Kidcrash Jokes

King Crimson In the Court of the Crimson King

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin III

'III' was easily my favorite Zeppelin album years ago when I was first really introduced to them, since I've move more towards other LP of theirs, but it'll always have a spot. 'Immigrant Song' being over-licensed and over-played as it is, is still, well -- awesome. 'Since I Been Loving You', 'Gallows Pole' & 'Tangerine' are some personal favorites. Even though they have a more folk/acoustic sound this outing, it's still Zeppelin and still rocks pretty hard considering.

Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti

Los Campesinos! We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed

Year #1, Album #2(2!). 'We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed' sees the Campesino camp mature a little bit through acting just a bit more immature. As opposed to 'Hold On Now, Youngster...' their auspicious debut, where they seemed to be going over every line with red pen, 'We Are Beautiful,' is more haphazard. 'Youngster' saw all its lines end with just the perfect punch, just clever enough, and just enough emotion. Essentially showing they aren't involved as much as observing from the outside, basically they were too good for themselves; this time around they seem to feel right in their own skin. Gareth takes over the vocals predominantly, and he's basically crying about his ex, but he does it in such a way (You said he's got his teeth fixed/ I'm gonna break them!), that exemplifies a sense of here and now (Oh we kid ourselves there's future in the fucking!/but there is no fucking future!) that most other frontpeople can't attest to(My life was saved by a packet of 19 cigarettes/Held in my left breast pocket/for a closest friend). To say they have spirit is a bit cheap, they bombast through 10 tracks of glockenspiel infused, violin savvy indie rock. They keep the tensions high, the boy-girl interchanges sweet or biting and when they decide to slow it down on 'Heart Swells/Pacific Daylight Time' it pays off. It's one of their most touching tracks, they grow up just a little, enough to see their faults and deliver a fucking great follow up.

Love Forever Changes

Beautiful, engrossing, reflective, haunting, heartbreaking, reaffirming, brilliant -- amazing. 'Forever Changes' is a gorgeous chronicle of Arthur Lee, lead singer, as he was living during the late 60s, the cusp of the 'hippie revolution' and a time he was convinced he was going to die. The lyrics are morose, but the music itself is lush and even upbeat. The horn sections that roar throughout the album only compliment the pristine string arrangements and soothing riffs. The fantastic instrumentation only brings forth the beauty of Lee's voice, and his lyrics. Bits like "Sitting on a hillside -- Watching all the people die -- I'll feel much better on the other side." become all the more haunting and long lasting. A pinnacle of American music.

Lupe Fiasco Food & Liquor

M.I.A. Arular

M83 Dead Cities, Red Seas and Lost Ghosts

My favorite soundtrack music ever -- M83's 'Dead Cities, Red Seas and Lost Ghosts' is an electronic masterpiece. Mixing equal influences from Air & My Bloody Valentine, Anthony Gonzalez creates an eclectic masterwork of epic proportions. Add MBV's fuzzed out guitars with a French love for synths and you've pretty much got M83 in a pigeon hole -- or so it would seem. They go more rough, less pretty -- frightening as opposed to serene, this is not dream pop. Vocals are mostly kept to indeterminable male (Gonzalez) or robot, almost completely electronic female ones -- or a spoken word story here and there (see 'America'). Really though, this is mostly an instrumental album, along the lines of an Air, or Eluvium. Air is a fair (heh) choice for a comparison seeing as both electronic duos are French, and pretty much sound like it. The music broods with romantic turmoil, bevies of emotion as well as those awesome, awesome synths. Regardless of all M83's obvious comparisons, Gonzalez is able to bring his music to something totally different. With a soundtrack quality to his epic inclinations his music comes out sounding tried and exuberant, yet beautiful and serene. It always sounds HUGE, and really, benefits from that fact. 'Unrecorded', 'Run into Flowers' and 'In Church' -- hell every track is stand out. Get this.

Massive Attack Protection

Essentially taking their successes from 'Blue Lines' and running, Massive Attack's second album 'Protection', is a deep, beautiful album. With 9 tracks that will floor you, and well, 'Light My Fire'. 'Protection', 'Euro Child', 'Sly' and 'Three' are fantastic. The diverse group of brilliant Brits, again, were able to create a fantastic, fluid success with their mix of deep dub beats, evil distortions and truly beautiful voices.

Massive Attack Blue Lines

Menomena Friend And Foe

Modest Mouse The Lonesome Crowded West

A bold statement of modern 'Americana', 'The Lonesome Crowded West' could/would easily stand as Modest Mouse's crowning achievement of lonesome travel and desolate landscapes. This is of course if 'The Moon and Antarctica' had not shattered it with it's brazen outlook and ethereal tones. But -- that's not to say that this album is anything less than amazing. With 'Lonesome Crowded...", MM created a bleak outlook on the idea of modern, expansive America with it's frayed morals, uneven persona's and earthen tones. Brock's reference's to the characters of 'Jesus/God','the dogs', 'the woman' and 'the long bitter road' first really arise here on their sophomore release, but hardly play out their time. At 70+ minutes too, 'The Lonesome Crowded West' is quite the listen, but, everything flows together pretty flawlessly. MM's, Pixies-esque style is taken for a full ride, and really expands upon itself to give the first, real inkling of what sound this band would soon adopt for the remainder of their career (up until this point). Song's like 'Heart Cooks Brain', 'Convenient Parking', 'Trailer Trash' and 'Out of Gas' are standouts but that's like saying anything here is sub-par. 'The Lonesome Crowded West' is a masterpiece, it's a truthful/expressive/forgiving/unrelenting outlook on what it's like to live as an American, as well as what it was like for this one - Brock - in specific.

My Bloody Valentine You Made Me Realise

Nas Illmatic

No Doubt Tragic Kingdom

Oasis Whats the Story Morning Glory

Blah blah blah, they desperately want to be The Beatles -- who the fuck cares? They got it right at least 2 times (3 1/2 in my opinion), and this, an argument for 90s rock and how absolutely phenomenal it *could* be. Morning Glory's strengths are played through in every song, every lick, every verse, every groan of Liam's brash, almost Lenon-esque voice. The band just knew how to sell their slick, insightful rock with a hint of modern peace and love. Moving from moments of sheer badassery to complete and utter beauty ('Wonderwall', 'Champagne Supernova', 'Don't Look Back in Anger' and 'She's Electric' please stand up) or just straight rock you to the core (Everything else). Oasis crafted a truly stupendous piece of music -- here's to hoping they can do it again.

Orchid Chaos Is Me

Outkast Stankonia

'Stankonia' is a beacon for all artists -- this is how you make an album. 'B.O.B.', 'Ms. Jackson'. 'So Fresh, So Clean', 'Gasoline Dreams', 'I'll Call Before I Come', are brilliant, OutKast are miles beyond their competition. The world's best MC's -- Andre 3000(then), and Big Boi(now), prove their worth with an opus of southern rap. Stankonia, everyone should be so lucky to visit.

Outkast ATLiens

Panda Bear Person Pitch

Pg. 99 Document # 8

Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Pink Floyd The Wall

Pink Floyd Animals

Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here

Pixies Surfer Rosa

Portishead Dummy

Portishead Third

'Third' is not only a reinvention of the genre (trip hop), but a logical progression for a set of some forefathers and that�s after only a 10+ year hiatus . 'Third' is less a return to form as it is a reminder of quality, quality that Portishead have always held themselves to, and it just so happens they took their damn time to remind us of just how viable they are(were). 'Third' is not the same Portishead, they've moved from the lounge club to the movie screen, crafting soundtrack gems that always manage to be as terribly frightening as they are beautiful. And Beth Gibbons, let it be said her voice has aged wonderfully, she masterfully sings over bombast beats (Silence, Machine Gun, We Carry On), acoustic strums (Small, The Rip) and even sways her way through the surf rock of 'Deep Water'. Her voice has deepened, she sounds heftier, weathered, less kitsch and naive, but this plays to her as all kinds of new strength. On cuts like 'Machine Gun' who's unsettling beat alone could be enough to turn some listeners away at first, that's before Beth grabs a hold of it, and matched with her croons it somehow becomes gorgeous. Or check 'The Rip' and it's slow build before it explodes from a great synth line to electronic bliss -- Gibbon's lights up giving her best performance on record. Exclaiming: "Wild white horses/They will take me away" leaving her mundane imagery behind for a little hope is an example of 'Third's core. A little darkness leads way to the light.

Pretty Girls Make Graves Good Health

Prince Purple Rain

Public Enemy It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us

Radiohead Kid A

Radiohead The Bends

Radiohead In Rainbows

Now 'In Rainbows' has risen from the pile of shit that is a lot of modern music to remind us what we should expect (demand?) from our artists. Not a single track is wasted,('Bodysnatchers', 'All I Need', 'Jigsaw Falling Into Place' & 'Reckoner' being highlights). Best part? There's no 'downside' here, there's no filler, and they still manage to sound distinctly like themselves, but still a drastic change from their previous effort. Problem? No -- It's all gravy.

Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine

Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication

Roots Manuva Brand New Second Hand

Saint Etienne So Tough

Saint Etienne Fox Base Alpha (UK)

Serena Maneesh Serena-Maneesh

Shoegaze isn't dead! Well, kinda, really Serena-Maneesh is a volatile mix of MBV vocal styling and soundscapes, with a Sonic Youth pension for distortion. They might even *gulp*, rock harder than either ever have, but in the literal sense -- being loud, cause well, they're particularly fucking loud. 'Drain Cosmetics' and 'Un-Deux' find Emil Nikolaisen at the top of his whispy vocal game and are stand out tracks, but its in the soulful, angelic voice of his female counterpart Lina Holmstr?hat that SM's magic lies. She's particularly fantastic on 'Selina's Melodie Fountain' & 'Sapphire Eyes' as well as damn near floors in 'Candlelighted', the albums best track. Serena-Maneesh are an extremely promising band, and for a debut, this is spectacular, but it is very much their first album. It's a bit overlong, and at times can drag after 'Don't Come Down Here', not to say that the three remaining tracks are bad , they're not (though 'Your Blood In Mine' didn't *have* to be 12min did it?). It's just when everything else is practically flawless, why even settle for the smallest sully?

Slowdive Souvlaki

Sonic Youth EVOL

Spoon Kill The Moonlight

It clocks in at just slightly over 30 minutes, and the band has since become more adventurous with their sound as their budget for albums increases -- but 'Kill The Moonlight' slays. Every song has it's hook and damn do they ever catch, you'll be hard pressed not to get these little indie rock gems stuck in your head. Daniel's lyrics and the song writing are at their peak here, straying from studio tricks and epic inclinations. Songs like 'Small Stakes', 'The Way We Get By', and 'Jonathan Fisk', bring forth your standard verse-chorus-verse structure. But the songs are jam packed with memorable 1 liners, slick guitar riffs, great drumming and keyboard fills. Plus the riffs on 'All The Pretty Girls Go To The City' and 'Something To Look Forward To' are almost too infectious. Spoon came out of the gates swinging with their debut ('Telephono') and continued with a string of great releases. But not until 'Kill The Moonlight', their opus of catchy, concise and intelligent yet accessible rock music, did they understand how to make a complete, fulfilling listen from start to finish -- thankfully they never forgot.

St. Vincent Actor

Stars Set Yourself On Fire

Sublime Sublime

Talib Kweli Quality

Ted Leo And The Pharmacists Hearts of Oak

The Avalanches Since I Left You

The Beatles The Beatles

The Beatles Revolver

The Beatles Rubber Soul

The Beatles Help!

The Besnard Lakes The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse

The Blood Brothers Burn Piano Island, Burn

The Cardigans Life

The Go! Team Thunder, Lightning, Strike

The Kinks The Village Green Preservation Society

The Kinks Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)

The Mars Volta De-Loused in the Comatorium

Listening to 'Son et Lumiere' take place then subsequently fade into 'Inertiatic Esp' pretty much put to rest my worries that this record would come close to being sub par upon first listen. Little did I know it would become a defining record of my teenage years. Safe to say I hold 'De-Loused in the Comatorium' particularly high and (almost sadly) I probably judge each Volta, or any ex-ATDI member's release in comparison. A barrage of notes and sound will flood your ears almost from the get-go, like almost any Volta release since, but 'De-Loused' has a particular magic to it, that they've yet to ever grasp again. The epic, noise-prog holds together here a lot more cohesively than anything they've produced, and granted, their best song may be on their sophomore release, it's in their debut that their masterpiece record lies. Their prog/virtuoso ambitions aren't drowned out by their need to be different, they just seem to be having more fun on this record. There's no wasted track, they all deliver in the utmost sense.

The Microphones The Glow pt.2

The Notorious B.I.G. Ready To Die

The Prodigy The Fat Of The Land

The Roots Game Theory

The Roots Things Fall Apart

The Twilight Sad Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters

Completely miscalculated this one too -- I seem to be making a habit of that recently. *shrugs* More to come soon, but safe to say there's more to "Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters', than wah-wah guitar, distortion, Grahams gorgeous yelp and Post-Rock grandeur. Tho The Twilight Sad will be damned if they let you know that.

The Who Quadrophenia

The Who Tommy

The sweetest fucking concept album/rock opera ever. The movie -- not so much, but can't win 'em all. The Who are the ultimate in successful artistic excess, 'Tommy' is the key argument that sometimes a little erratic indulgence is best.

The XX xx

Titus Andronicus The Airing of Grievances

I wouldn't really call 'The Airing of Grievances' an album as much as a collection of 9 arguments, and front man Patrick Stickles is more giving a first-hand account than "singing". He yelps and screams over most of Titus Andronicus' debut disc, which is a gem of indie-emo self loathing, too smart for my surroundings (New Jersey!) bliss. His band mates do a very ample job of booming and blasting around his scream, twanging away on their guitars and smashing their drums and piano keys. Stickle's lyrics convey a hurt man, he may scream the odd "We can betray each other in dreams every night." Or "What could be the harm?/What a six week vacation from the use of my right arm?". Or maybe a chant of "Do do do do/Do do do do/Fuck everything/Fu-uck Me." Stickles is pissed sure, at himself, at god, at his parents, at the institutions he was forced to attend; but honestly, while he plays music, you couldn't tell. He couldn't be happier, even as his cries become blood curdling. It really shows in the band's music, it's fast (for the most part), fist pumping, chant worthy; it just so happens to be that their lead singer kinda sounds like Conor Oberst and he kinda whines a little. But whatever, they could give a fuck less, and that's why Titus succeed. 'Grievances' sounds like it was recorded in a submarine on shitty lowfi mics, as Stickles was in the next room screaming his lungs out. But this sound is fleshed out, real, and it works for them. They may be angry and bitter, but Titus Andronicus don't skip on the life affirming pop with a debut to be reckoned with.

Tool Lateralus

It's very easy for me to say that Tool crafted one of the greatest albums ever with 'Lateralus', because it is. It's deep, brooding music, that explodes with a ferocity that is rarely matched. Tool seemingly move through moments of metal fury, progressive bombast and demure beauty -- they do it with class, it's flawless. The band is on point around a lead singer who's voice could carry an album on it's own. Keenan belts like a champ and digs deep for flat, grim vocals when needed. Carey's drums as well, are at their best, they're relentless. There's so much here, so much to listen to, to discover, and rediscover. That's really what gives 'Lateralus' all it's power, there's always something new to hear. It's been about 6 years now and I still find new reasons to love these songs, fucking amazing.

Tool Aenima

TV on the Radio Dear Science

TV On The Radio pretty much ditched the complicated fuzz/anthem rock of 'Return to Cookie Mountain' for some dance hall, electronic, funk/fuzz rock, soulful balladry bullshit. And it was all for the better, not necessarily better than 'Return', but for the better of the band. 'Dear Science' is like 25 minutes and 8 tracks shorter, but whatever, it?s still some boss music. 'Half Way Home' 'Love Dog' & 'DLZ' are the best songs that never made it onto '..Cookie', 'Golden Age', 'Crying', 'Dancing Choose' and 'Red Dress' are funk infused, rap, indie masterpieces. While their dance songs and rockers shine, 'Dear Science,' really lets it all go when it's heart is showing. Tracks like 'Stork & Owl' and 'Family Tree' are gorgeous ballads, adorn with sweet horns and strings, while 'Lover's Day' is probably the best song about a raucous fuck ever. Ever.

TV on the Radio Return to Cookie Mountain

U2 Achtung Baby

U2 The Joshua Tree

U2 War

White Rabbits Fort Nightly

A wonderful blend of Ska and Indie rock The White Rabbits look to take you back to the time of Model T's and Great Gatsbys -- trust me it works. The Rabbits are able to handle this interesting concept by packing each one of their superbly composed, instantly catchy songs with more depth and drama than most artist fit into a multitude of LPs. By the time you reach 'March of the Camels', Fort Nightly's stand out track, you think the Rabbit's have pulled out all the stops...very very wrong. If the rest of the album wasn't convincing enough, 'Camels' is masterfully layered and blisteringly catchy. Did I mention cool as hell? Check the creepy kid choir on the chorus.

Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Wu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs Is Is [EP]

This may be the best stuff the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have put out. Something about this just strikes me right, 'Rockers to Swallow' and 'Kiss Kiss' just bite, while 'Down Boy' and 'Isis' are dark and cavernous. Karen O sounds her best, ever really, while Zinner and Chase pretty much keep pace with O. High hopes for the up coming album.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs Fever To Tell

4 excellent

A Camp A Camp

A Place to Bury Strangers Exploding Head

AFI Black Sails in the Sunset

Air The Virgin Suicides: Original Motion Picture Score

Air Talkie Walkie

Air France No Way Down

A group of Swedes mix high flying syth lines, great samples, a little heart and some bass that resonate heat. I honestly would listen to 'No Way Down', 2008's best EP, to feel like it was summer. Regardless of the temp outside, I was on an island, sipping away on ritas. I've heard it described as "post-rave bliss", and it's quite fitting. They fill their lush electronics, with full horn sections, great vocal samples and beautiful strings plus, the whistle on 'June Evenings' is where it's at.

Animal Collective Sung Tongs

Arctic Monkeys Favourite Worst Nightmare

Monkeys mature and craft not just their best CD, but easily one of the best to arrive this year. 'Teddy Pickers' & 'Fluorescent Adolescent' happily bump their way to the top of the list here. Each is resoundingly catchy and the Monkey's tongue in cheek observational writing holds forth to give them some substance beyond the notes. Though 'Old Yellow Bricks' is the album's stinker, the rest holds up to bring together an extremely solid album. Plus '505' is a pretty badass final track.

Asobi Seksu Hush

At the Drive-In This Station is Non-Operational

Battles Mirrored

Badass robot rock, Battles clearly crafted something all their own here. Acceding past their 'math rock' confines, they are able to transcend the cliches found in their genre of choice and really etch their own spot in modern music. Evolving their sound from early, instrumental, EPs and giving Tyondai Braxton's 'vocals' a dominant presence, they've created a nice musical balance amongst all their beeps, effects and single string plucking. Mostly indeterminable, Braxton's voice is more machine than man, going through a mess of filters before finally reaching the speakers. Thankfully, it only adds to the robotic feel they handle so well, plus John Stanier is a maniac drummer. 'Race In' - 'Atlas' - 'Rainbow' and 'Leyendecker' are personal favorites. They jam out a bit at times, and it's never quick. Sometimes the music just tends to mesh together, but more often then not it just astounds.

Be Your Own Pet Be Your Own Pet

We're on two wheels baby! Rawk Out!! At least that's what Be Your Own Pet would hope(demand) of us. And with this clusterfuck of sound that is their debut, BYOP find a nice niche for themselves. It's just a question of if you appreciate that niche or not. Armed with a young punk spirit, bad ass instrumentation, a long play into a tongue-in-cheek and, well, Ms. Jemina Pearl, these kid's are looking to knock you onto your ass. Let it be their extremely loud sound, or Pearl's extremely dirty mouth, BYOP are out to attract a little attention, as well they should. They've got some shit to say (albeit sometimes it can be a bit stupid...) -- but maybe it won't hurt to listen just a little. I mean lines like 'Have fun and be safe with it -- Just kidding! Fuck shit up!' probably couldn't fly if BYOP saw themselves as god's next gift to rock and roll. A little pulp here and there is alright, which exactly what BYOP are all about. Stop taking yourself so seriously, chill the fuck out, and enjoy being young/allow the youth to have their fun. Simple.

Beastie Boys Hello Nasty

Beastie Boys Ill Communication

Belle and Sebastian Dear Catastrophe Waitress

Belle and Sebastian The Life Pursuit

Blackalicious Blazing Arrow

Blonde Redhead Misery is a Butterfly

Blur The Best of Blur

Blur 13

Blur Blur

Blur The Great Escape

Blur Midlife: A Beginner's Guide to Blur

Slightly tops the 'Best of Blur' greatest hits comp, which is saying something considering that usually comps suck, and there's enough quality Blur material to fill up two, two disc compilations. The fact that these songs continue to carry their essential punch even years after the fact doesn't hurt either. These dudes haven't released an album since 2003, and yet somehow there's a distinctly different feel to this as compared to 'Best Of'. 'Mid Life' carries a sense of accomplishment, a cannon of 90s Brit pop which the previous comp couldn't even hold a candle to. Now if Albarn, Coxon and co. could put down their swords, pick up their guitars and just rock again. Added bonus, everything here slays and it's not all album only tracks or singles. 'Woo hoo!' indeed.

Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago

Brazilian Girls Brazilian Girls

Brazilian Girls Talk to La Bomb

Broken Social Scene Feel Good Lost

Burial Untrue

Camera Obscura Underachievers Please Try Harder

Camera Obscura My Maudlin Career

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Some Loud Thunder

Cocteau Twins Treasure

Cocteau Twins Heaven Or Las Vegas

Common Like Water for Chocolate

Daft Punk Discovery

Daft Punk Alive 2007

Daft Punk Homework

Damian Marley Welcome To Jamrock

David Bowie Young Americans

Death Cab For Cutie The Photo Album

Delerium Poem

Delerium Chimera

Delorean Ayrton Senna EP

DeVotchKa Curse Your Little Heart (EP)

DeVotchKa A Mad & Faithful Telling

Devotcka, a Denver group of Mexican/Eastern European Gypsies (lol, no) put out their 2nd best album with their 4th effort. 'A Mad and Faithful Telling' is a little less epic, and a little shorter than their previous, better, effort, but it still floors. 'Brasso Profundo' starts off 'Telling' with a bang, it's violins and Spanish guitar floating over the bouncing upright base as Theo Urata cries out for his fellow revolutionaries. Now this is not very alien to them, it's the mid song jam out they do before picking it right back up again to finish off. The song shows right away that this is no 'How It Ends', and really is better for it. Had they just rehashed their Little Miss Sunshine album, it would've been a waste, they dig deep into their southwestern influences and Urata digs into his theme of a South American revolutionary. Their form of bouncy gypsy punk works best on songs like 'Clockwise Witness' and 'Undone' and their 'No Cars Go' remake of 'Head Honcho' bears similar results. The slower songs like 'New World', 'Blessing in Disguise' and 'Along the Way' shine as highlights while Urata croons and cries over beautiful string, horn and bell arrangements. Urata also has that voice -- and their drummer is boss; mm mmm good.

Dirty Projectors Rise Above

What could have easily been a bullshit phone it, comes out breathing new life into a classic. Though not really too similar to Black Flag's 'Damaged', save lyrical similarities, 'Rise Above' is still, a faithful re imagination of the hardcore classic. The Projector's Dave Longstreth wails and quivers his way around 'Rise Above', and at first, it's his off putting voice that is the albums biggest detractor. The tripled choir of female voices that join Longstreth's particular croon is nothing but a delightful break and really a fantastic contrast. Its in this that the Projector's really sell 'Rise Above', amongst it's awry guitar twangs and walls of distortion, a certain balance and groove is found in the vocals. The brash, almost annoying voice of Longstreth is compliment by the softer choir of women and in turn his voice really becomes quite beautiful. 'What I See', 'No More', 'Depression', 'Gimme Gimme Gimme' are standouts on a fantastic retread.

DJ Shadow Endtroducing

Do Make Say Think You, You're a History in Rust

I was reluctant as first to pick this up, the I heard 'The Universe!' and well that's all it took. Brooding, dark, and yet epic and glistening Do Make Say Think have crafted a fantastic album.

Dr. Dre The Chronic

Eagles Hotel California

Eluvium Copia

Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP

Explosions In The Sky Those Who Tell the Truth...

Explosions In The Sky The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place

Explosions In The Sky How Strange, Innocence

Fleet Foxes Sun Giant Ep

Fleetwood Mac Tusk

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac

Flight of the Conchords The Distant Future-EP

Flight of the Conchords Flight Of The Conchords

Foo Fighters The Colour And The Shape

Frightened Rabbit The Midnight Organ Fight

Girl Talk Night Ripper

Girl Talk Feed the Animals

Gnarls Barkley St. Elsewhere

Gorillaz Gorillaz

Grandaddy Under the western freeway

Green Day American Idiot

Green Day Insomniac

Green Day Dookie

Grouper Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill

Impressively beautiful, and quite utterly spellbinding at points 'Dragging a Dead Dear Up a Hill' is a flat out fantastic record. Liz Harris' brand of shoegaze is a fuzzy, confined mess of rapture. Somehow she's able to manage a great balance between her buzz and beauty, which aids to the albums great success. 'Heavy Water/I'd Rather Be Sleeping' may also be one of the most gorgeous tracks I've heard in recent memory(or ever). It can be a bit long, and it's a grower -- kind of, but overall she's crafted a near masterpiece record.

Incubus A Crow Left Of The Murder

Incubus S.C.I.E.N.C.E.

Jack Johnson Brushfire Fairytales

Jay-Z American Gangster

Junkie XL Big Sounds Of The Drags

Kanye West The College Dropout

Kevin Drew Spirit If...

Kevin Drew makes a break up album, that pretty much sounds like another Broken Social album -- but it's brilliant. 'Spirit If...' on it's own is hardly a Kevin Drew album, it's still created much in the vein of his other band (who technically "present" this record). A bunch of established artists come together to create some all around rock goodness. But something about it all seems distinctly him, like no one else could create this sound, it all comes back to Kevin Drew. 'Farewell to the Pressure Kids', 'Tbtf', 'Fucked Up Kid' are on spot BSS tracks, while 'Safety Bricks' and 'Lucky Ones' sound like a nice mix of The Boss and Dinosaur Jr. All the tracks here are stand out, though as a whole, the album can run a bit long (66 mins) and Drew's ideas at times, can't be saved from his own eccentric experimentation. Other times, it's just that which makes it beautiful.

LCD Soundsystem Sound Of Silver

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin I

Less Than Jake Hello Rockview

Less Than Jake Losing Streak

Lil Wayne Tha Carter III

Lily Allen Alright, Still

Los Campesinos! Sticking fingers Into Sockets

Los Campesinos! Hold On Now, Youngster...

What could've been a haphazard mix of indie pop, punk spirit and a heap of distortion ends up working out as an well crafted, insightful album. Los Campesinos! hold true their roots, embracing much of what made their genre enjoyable in the first place, this being said nothing here is fantastically original. They just play to their strengths, handle themselves with class and honestly don't craft a single bad track on this album. 'Death to Los Campesinos!' starts of 'Youngster' strong & EP winners 'Don't Tell Me to Do the Math(s)' & 'You! Me! Dancing!' hold up as album highlights. Though the crown goes to '...And We Exhale and Roll Our Eyes in Unison'. With pop sensibility, tight, intelligent song writing and the best tongue-in-cheek spirit seen in a while, 'Hold On Now, Youngster...' is an extremely strong debut.

M.I.A. Kala

M83 Before The Dawn Heals Us

Massive Attack 100th Window

Menomena I Am The Fun Blame Monster!

Metric Live It Out

Mew No More Stories

Modest Mouse We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

Modest Mouse Good News For People Who Love Bad News

Monty Are I Heart's Bleeding EP

My Bloody Valentine Isn't Anything

Nirvana In Utero

Nirvana Nevermind

Oasis Definitely Maybe

Of Montreal Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

Of Montreal Satanic Panic in the Attic

Outkast Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik

Passion Pit Manners

Paul Van Dyk Out There and Back

Pearl Jam Ten

Pg. 99 Document #1

Pink Floyd The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Pixies Bossanova

Pixies Best of Pixies: Wave of Mutilation

Q-Tip The Renaissance

Radiohead Hail To The Thief

Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt II

Rage Against the Machine Renegades

Rage Against the Machine Evil Empire

Ratatat Classics

Red Hot Chili Peppers BloodSugarSexMagik

Reel Big Fish Our Live Album Is Better Than Your Live

Reel Big Fish Turn The Radio Off

Rilo Kiley More Adventurous

Roots Manuva Run Come Save Me

Roots Manuva Awfully Deep

Santogold Santogold

So, this album is righteous, in the fullest sense of the word. 30 something, ex punk band singer(chick) living in NYC(via PA), DIY's a badass solo debut. She mixes mod rock, dub, reggae, electronica, punk and tops it off with a nice helping of distortion. Did I forget to mention she's badass? Or downright crazy? In cuts like 'L.E.S. Astistes' she hopes her art/career "will be worth what I give up" as she tries to "stand up for the things that she believes". While in "Creator"('Santogold's 2nd best) she exclaims she is just that(an artist? a god? whothefuckcares.); "setting friction to this bitch, creepin in just like an itch", by the end you're apt to take her word for it. This is of course after the songs mingling tribal beat and bird like cries in the beginning have already dropped and exploded into a bad bass line and a booming beat. By booming I mean 'Creator' will rock the shit out of any trunk you got, son. 'Creator' is followed by the acid washed 'My Superman', which is then followed by the high flying mod rock of 'Lights Out'. This is really where 'Santogold' pulls itself past the crowd. She seems to move effortlessly between styles, and she varies it up enough to keep every song interesting. Yes there are the "dub songs", and the "mod songs" and the "electronic bouncers", but they are all pretty separate from one another. Distinct in their own way, each track showing prowess in a differnt aspect of musical composition, plus they all rock, so, kudos lady.

Shiny Toy Guns We Are Pilots

Sigur Ros Takk

Sigur Ros með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

Slint Spiderland

Snoop Dogg Doggystyle

Sonic Youth Rather Ripped

Sonic Youth Sonic Nurse

Sonic Youth Murray Street

Sonic Youth Sister

Soundtrack The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack

Soundtrack Requiem For A Dream

Spoon Gimme Fiction

Stars Heart

Sublime 40 Oz. to Freedom

Swan Lake Beast Moans

Ted Leo And The Pharmacists The Tyranny of Distance

Tenacious D Tenacious D

The Beatles Love

The Beatles Let it Be

The Beatles A Hard Day's Night

The Beatles The Capitol Albums Volume One

The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour

The Big Pink A Brief History of Love

The Bug London Zoo

The Cardigans Long Gone Before Daylight

The Cardigans Super Extra Gravity

The Cardigans Gran Turismo

The Cardigans Emmerdale

The Cars The Cars

The Distillers Coral Fang

The Fireman Electric Arguments

The Flaming Lips The Soft Bulletin

The Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

The Flaming Lips Embryonic

The Go! Team Proof of Youth

Fun and uplifting, The Go! Team strike again! Really though, quality album, still a controlled mess of sheer pop rapture, but this time around they seem a bit more tangible. I guess that's what happens when your kitchen sink project turns into an actual band. Though when you have a slew of quality guests, and Ninja at your helm, there's a certain quality to be expected, luckily they deliver. These songs sound like they could be done live to a resounding success -- which is why, on a whole, Proof Of Youth will rock you particularly hard.

The Hold Steady Boys and Girls in America

The Horrors Primary Colours

The Jesus and Mary Chain Psychocandy

The Juan MacLean The Future Will Come

The Knife Silent Shout

The Mars Volta Frances the Mute

The New Pornographers Twin Cinema

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

The Police Outlandos d'Amour

The Police Zenyatta Mondatta

The Police Synchronicity

The Postal Service Give Up

The Roots Phrenology

The Roots Illadelph Halflife

The Roots Do You Want More?!!!??!

The Shins Wincing the Night Away

The Shins Chutes Too Narrow

The Shins Oh, Inverted World

The Strokes Room On Fire

The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground

The Who The Who Sell Out

Tricky Maxinquaye

Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend

Replay, replay, replay. There ya go, that's why this biatch works. Slick rips of Police style vocals/riffs mixed with some understated strings and a nice Afro twist - Vampire Weekend are pretty sweet. Too bad a good chunk of the album sounds all like the same song/verse/gimmick. It's pretty good though, regardless -- and the album kicks it up substantially after 'M79' and the last three tracks almost make up for everything on the album, but not quite.

Various Artists (Indie) Dark Was The Night

Weezer Pinkerton

Weezer The Blue Album

Wilco Wilco (The Album)

Yacht See Mystery Lights

Yeah Yeah Yeahs It's Blitz!

Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer Jalopy Go Far

3.5 great

311 Grassroots

A Perfect Circle Thirteenth Step

A Place to Bury Strangers A Place to Bury Strangers

A Weather Cove

AFI Sing the Sorrow

Arcade Fire The Arcade Fire EP

Architecture In Helsinki Fingers Crossed

Arctic Monkeys Humbug

Asobi Seksu Asobi Seksu

To look back on this now after listening to both 'Citrus' and 'Hush' at length almost give's the New York shoegaze band a sense of history and place. Asobi Seksu's 2004 self titled debut presents a band with a clear set of skills and an honest vision but the lack of any direction. Tracks like opener 'I'm Happy But You Don't Like Me' or 'Walk On The Moon' present clear indications that band members Yuki Chikudate (vocals, keyboards) and James Hanna (guitar, vocals) know what they'd like to do, just not exactly how to get there. The songs are accessible, containing fun loving bouncy grooves, coupled with 1-2-1, verse-chorus-verse build ups that all have extremely satisfying ascensions and conclusions, 'Asobi Seksu' is a gem. It is however a gem because on subsequent albums the band showcases their maturation with not only layering tracks (see 'Citrus' and the 10 levels of sound in each song) but handling chaos with beauty. While 'Asobi Seksu' is hardly a bad album, it feels misplaced, unfinished and a bit cranky at times. This is all however mixed with the bands obvious prowess of distortion control & song structure plus they make some truly amazing music here -- other times it sounds like 'It's Too Late'.

Asobi Seksu Rewolf

An absurdly successful 'acoustic arrangement' take on the effects laden, pedal pushing star punk of Brooklyn's Asobi Seksu. They break down the core of the songwriting and bring the focus onto Hanna's musicianship and Yuki Chikudate's beautiful, effervescent voice. Luckily it pays off and 'Rewolf' turns out to be more than just an acoustic fan service.

ATB No Silence

Atlas Sound Logos

Band of Horses Everything All the Time

Bat For Lashes Two Suns

Beach Boys Smiley Smile

Beck Sea Change

Bjork Debut

Bjork Vespertine

Bjork Volta

Black Eyed Peas Behind the Front

blink-182 blink-182

blink-182 Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (Bonus Tracks)

Blur Leisure

Brendan Canning Something For All of Us...

lol Broken Social Scene solo outings, they're always pretty good, but they're always pretty scattered. Canning is able to bring himself out beyond the shadow of his BSS counterparts, but he does this mainly by purveying his key (natural) sound. He's the community man, and he shows it in full here. Taking the core BSS sound and building upon it (much like Kevin Drew), Canning is electric. 'Something For All of Us', 'Chameleon' and 'Possible Grenade' are the stand out rockers, 'All the Best Wooden Toys are Made In Germany' is a heaping of prog-indie bliss while 'Churches Under the Stairs' is one of the best BSS associated tracks ever. Canning leans more towards the commune feel, as opposed to Drew's reserved whispers and croons. And while Kevin turned up his vocals, Brendan chooses to wash his voice much like his bands albums. He's softer, more pleasant even, and what seems to be the obligatory "girl spot" on these 'BSS Presents' is held by Amy Milian (elegant and powerfully). 'Something For All of Us' makes sense really, I'm yet to meet someone that finds nothing to love here.

Cake Comfort Eagle

Chapterhouse Whirlpool

Clipse Lord Willin'

Cold War Kids Robbers and Cowards

Coldplay A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Common Be

Dave Matthews Band Under The Table And Dreaming

Death Cab For Cutie Plans

Death Cab For Cutie Something About Airplanes

Deerhunter Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP

DeVotchKa SuperMelodrama

DeVotchKa Una Volta

Doves Kingdom of Rust

Dropkick Murphys The Warriors Code

Dropkick Murphys The Gang's All Here

Dungen Ta Det Lugnt

Eagles One of These Nights

Easy Star All Stars Dub Side of the Moon

Easy Star All Stars Radiodread

Eels Eels With Strings - Live At Town Hall [live]

Eels Blinking Lights & Other Revelations

Eels Souljacker

Eels Daisies Of The Galaxy

Eels Hombre Lobo

Elbow The Seldom Seen Kid

Eminem The Eminem Show

Eminem The Slim Shady LP

Fatboy Slim You\'ve Come A Long Way, Baby

Feist The Reminder

Field Music Tones of Town

Foo Fighters Foo Fighters

Fugees The Score

Garbage Version 2.0

Garbage Garbage

God Help The Girl God Help The Girl

Goldfrapp Seventh Tree

Well...wow, ok didn't see this coming. Honestly I expected another heaping pile of electronic bullshit with a few awesome tracks hidden beneath the sonic vomit. I was wrong! It's pretty awesome. The electronic acoustic sound Goldfrapp has adopted for 'Seventh Tree' shines through out. 'Clowns' mutters in an out of beautiful, barely discernible verses, while 'Caravan Girl' and 'Cologne Cerrone Houdini' find them adopting an almost vast/epic feel unseen in any other Goldfrapp LP. Plus 'Eat Yourself' is fucking awesome. They got more laid back, though I'm not sure how exactly, but it works tremendously. A truly beautiful album, with few missteps, but few innovations as well.

Grandaddy The Sophtware Slump

Grizzly Bear Horn of Plenty

Guns N' Roses Appetite For Destruction

Handsome Furs Face Control

Hooverphonic Blue Wonder Power Milk

Hooverphonic The Magnificent Tree

I'm From Barcelona Let Me Introduce My Friends

Incubus Morning View

Incubus Make Yourself

Jack Johnson In Between Dreams

Jay-Z The Black Album

Jeff Buckley Grace

Jefferson Airplane Volunteers

jj jj n° 2

Journey Greatest Hits

Jurassic 5 Power In Numbers

Justin Timberlake Justified

Kanye West Graduation

Kanye created a shambled masterpiece -- at his worst lyrically but his best song composition by far. The risks he takes with his production seemingly make up for the fact that his writing, is well, not great. Realistically though, did you really appreciate Ye for his writing in the first place? No, you appreciate Mr. West because he creates sonic masterpieces, overall songs, and there's yet to be a single person in modern music that can do it better.

Kanye West 808s And Heartbreak

LCD Soundsystem LCD Soundsystem

Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions

Led Zeppelin Presence

Led Zeppelin How The West Was Won

Less Than Jake Anthem

Lostprophets Start Something

Lostprophets The Fake Sound Of Progress

Ludacris Back For The First Time

Ludacris Word Of Mouf

Ludacris Chicken 'N' Beer

Lush Spooky

Made Out of Babies The Ruiner

Metallica Kill Em All

Metric Grow Up and Blow Away

Metric Old World Underground, Where Are You Now

Metric Fantasies

Micachu Jewellery

Modest Mouse No One's First And You're Next

Monty Are I Wall Of People

Monty Are I The Red Shift

Mos Def The Ecstatic

Murs Murs 3:16: the 9th Edition

My Bloody Valentine Glider

My Bloody Valentine Ecstasy and Wine

Nas God's Son

Nas Hip Hop Is Dead

Nas It Was Written

Neko Case Middle Cyclone

Neutral Milk Hotel In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

Nick Drake Pink Moon

Nirvana MTV Unplugged in New York

Oasis Familiar To Millions

Oasis Be Here Now

Oasis Dig Out Your Soul

Outkast Idlewild

Outkast Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

Pearl Jam Vs.

Pearl Jam Yield

Pg. 99 Document #11

This EP is only 9mins long, but it's some of the most epic 9 minutes you'll ever experience. Plus 'Diagram For A Suicide' is essentially the shit.

Phoenix It's Never Been Like That

Phoenix United

Pixies Complete B-Sides

Pretty Girls Make Graves The New Romance

Radiohead Pablo Honey

Radiohead The Astoria London Live 27/5/94 [DVD]

Reel Big Fish Cheer Up!

Reel Big Fish Why Do They Rock So Hard?

Rilo Kiley The Execution of All Things

Rilo Kiley Take-Offs & Landings

Snoop Dogg R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta) The Masterpiece

Snowing Fuck Your Emotional Bullshit

Sonic Youth The Eternal

Soundtrack Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Soundtrack The Dark Knight Official Soundtrack

Soundtrack Slumdog Millionaire- Music From The Motion Picture

Soundtrack Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King

South Park South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut OS

Spoon Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

St. Vincent Marry Me

Stars In Our Bedroom After The War

Stars Nightsongs

Stephen Marley Mind Control

Sunset Rubdown Random Spirit Lover

Sunset Rubdown Dragonslayer

System of a Down Toxicity

T.I. King

Talib Kweli The Beautiful Struggle

The Alchemist Chemical Warfare

The Antlers Hospice

The Beatles 1

The Chemical Brothers Come with Us

The Chemical Brothers Surrender

The Cool Kids Totally Flossed Out EP

The Cool Kids The Bake Sale

The Cranberries Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?

The Cranberries No Need to Argue

The Dodos Visiter

The Flashbulb Soundtrack to a Vacant Life

The Good, The Bad & The Queen The Good, The Bad & The Queen

The Hold Steady Separation Sunday

The Hold Steady Stay Positive

The Jesus and Mary Chain Darklands

The Knife Deep Cuts

The Lonely Island Incredibad

The Long Blondes Someone To Drive You Home

The Long Blondes Couples

A solid follow up to equally as solid debut. The songs may have rocked harder before and the writing could have done with more quick quips and flowing narratives. but hey -- at least it's cohesive this time. The Long Blondes are able to keep their feet firmly planted in the post-punk that got them through 'Some One to Drive You Home' so successfully, and allow their hands to dabble around. The pulp they find this time is not mod life or 50s nostalgia, but lush lounge grooves and electro-pop of the disco floor. Kate Jackson's laissez faire croon spurt out tales of modern romance, nearly all soar, some fall flat on their face, but most of the time "Couples" is a little number that just keeps you coming back for more -- even though you know you shouldn't.

The Low Anthem Oh My God, Charlie Darwin

The Mars Volta The Bedlam In Goliath

Yyyesss!! It doesn't suck, oh man, thank god this time it doesn't suck. 'Ilyena', 'Calvalettes' and 'Soothsayer' are actually some of the tightest Volta tracks ever. 'Bedlam' much like 'Frances' has the tendency to jam the fuck out on the distortion, but not in a good way, in more of a stupid white noise way; and unlike 'FTM' everything else isn't absolutely killer. The first two tracks are alright and the mid section starts to drag out a bit. But, at least it's a great LP.

The Microphones Window

The Most Serene Republic Population

Running with the success of 'Underwater Cinematographer', MSR add a little Flaming Lips, & a lot of Polyphonic Spree for their second record, 'Population'. Still wearing their influences on their sleeves, proudly at that, it almost makes it forgivable that their sound is really a culmination of many of their contemporaries. It all adds up to a fantastic end product though, somehow, I'm really still not sure how. 'Population' boasts it's BSS and New Pornographer song style with flair, and two lead singers that pretty much sound exactly like Ben Gibbard and Amy Milian -- and yet they're able to find a sound that is distinctly them. The swooping melodies, jazzy interludes/drumming and varied vocals give the Republic something of their own, independent of their peers. Their musicianship really isn't where their weakness lies, they're quite good at layering sounds and their song composition at times is really fucking impressive (or just sweet) -- but man those lyrics get pretty vapid. Their heart is in the right place, 'Population' is full of fantastic alterations to suburban life, big brother, modern living and the quest for happiness. Then there are gems like 'Suffers breasts - and the dryness of climatic milk' - what the fuck guys? 'Population' is still a beast of a record, The Republic are able to sprawl over nearly an hour of flowing, fantastic tunes. Though sometimes, you just need a break.

The New Pornographers Mass Romantic

The New Pornographers Electric Version

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart Higher Than The Stars EP

The price of admission is worth it for the remix alone.

The Police Ghost In The Machine

The Roots Rising Down

The Roots on autopilot, thankfully autopilot = dark, dense, brooding, amazing hip hop. They don't top 'Game Theory', their 2nd best, but they do push themselves into a new area of sound that is at least as intriguing. 'Rising Down' offers up something somewhat new from the Roots, an ass load of distortion, each of 'Rising Down's songs are washed in it, they sound akin to listening to them as they play underground. It's pretty f'in cool. Thought's lines aren't as tight as before, but thankfully this is no 'The Tipping Point'. Granted, he does rhyme 'nigga' like 50 times on '75 Bars', but at least it's surrounded by a seemingly huge and inexistent, thick bass line. It plays to 'Rising Down', Black Thought may not always be hot, but ?uestlove and the rest of them will be damned if they're not on fire. The instrumentation on 'Rising Down' is enough to make this one of the best hip-hop albums of this year, thankfully Thought is still tight and their guests have honestly just gotten better (Mos Def, Peedi Peedi and Dice Raw slay), but Malik B is seriously missed. If they were smart, they'd just keep him around all the time, because it seems to work out all the time (see: Things Fall Apart & Game Theory).

The Twilight Sad Forget The Night Ahead

The Velvet Underground White Light/White Heat

The Walkmen Bows + Arrows

The White Stripes White Blood Cells

Thom Yorke The Eraser

Tiesto Parade Of The Athletes

Tiesto In Search of Sunrise 3: Panama

Tokyo Police Club A Lesson in Crime

Tokyo Police Club Elephant Shell

So, logical progression from 'A Lesson in Crime'? Yes. Is it good? Oh hell yeah, 30 minutes of bliss, awesome guitar work, still spacey and synth soaked, and Dave Monk's voice has got all it's Casablancas power and frustration. Could they have made a better record? With out a doubt. But doesn't mean that 'Elephant Shell' is anything less than f'in sweet. 'Sixties Remake' & "The Harrowing Adventures of...' are they only really weak tracks here, and that's only if you're being nit-picky. It's just you've heard it all before -- but with all these boring additions it somehow sums up into something quite interesting and re playable.

Tool Undertow

Tool Opiate

TV on the Radio Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes

Tycho Past is Prologue

UGK UGK (Underground Kingz)

UGK UGK 4 Life

Weezer Green Album

Why? Alopecia

Wilco Sky Blue Sky

Wintersleep Welcome To The Night Sky

Wolf Parade At Mount Zoomer

Krug didn't quite 'fail' me, but he's certainly the weaker half on '...Mount Zoomer'. Wolf Parade have seen themselves turn from a band, to a collective of musicians, two whom are very distinct. Boeckner wails with all the fury of Bowie and Black, his detest for the concrete jungle and modern living is still very prominent in his songs on 'Zoomer & he's almost *more* prolific this time around. Sacrificing blunt song writing for a streamlined product that comes out sounding slicker -- but that's not to say they don't indulge in their progressive inclinations. I mean pretty much all of Krug's songs sound like Sunset Rubdown B-sides he just happened to record with his other band. Talk about prog indulgences, every record that band (Sunset Rubdown) has produced could easily be called 'A Day at the Renaissance Fair'. This comes out full force on Krug's contributions to 'Mt. Zoomer', which can be good (California Dreamer) or asinine ('Animal in Your Care'). Really, when they just let it all go and rock the fuck out for 10 minutes on the closer 'Kissing the Bee Hive', (the album's original title, wtf?)Spencer and Danny finally decided to get together and just be Wolf Parade agai -- it's quite mesmerizing.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs Show Your Bones

Yeah Yeah Yeahs Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Yo La Tengo I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass

Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer

Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer The Popsicle EP

3 good

!!! Myth Takes

311 From Chaos

311 311

311 Soundsystem

50 Cent Before I Self Destruct

Fitty spends the better half of the decade making more money and fucking more bitches than you. All the while making 1 good album and some great singles. I guess he was listening to all the shit people were talking about his skill cause here he goes making his best album since 'Get Rich'. 'Before I Self Destruct' is not groundbreaking by any means, but the beats are deep and mean and his syrupy flow has found it self again along with his pen. Its not an album full of a predominance of hip hip love songs and a couple of street worthy bangers here an there. It's actually got some kind of structure(albeit *loose*) and attention to the filler tracks as opposed to just the 4 hit singles. Basically its chill, and worth your time, unlike 90% of the rest of his catalog.

A Camp Colonia

Something just gets lost in those 8 years and 2 Cardigans' albums that split 'ACamp' and 'Colonia'.

A Perfect Circle Mer de Noms

AFI Decemberunderground

AFI Very Proud Of Ya

Animal Collective People [EP]

Animal Collective Here Comes The Indian

Animal Collective Water Curses EP

Another Animal Collective LP, another subsequent EP where the title track is the shit and everything else is filler. Woo.

Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am....

Atlas Sound Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See...

Average noise That's it. Good for some occasions, but, even then, there's better. 'Scraping Past' & 'Small Horror' are pretty good, while the first 6 tracks are pretty much trash. It's an alright experiment and could be pretty cool live...maybe.

Band of Horses Cease to Begin

Bat For Lashes Fur and Gold

Be Your Own Pet Get Awkward

'Get Awkward' is good, no doubt about that. That is of course if you're down for BYOP's style of punk rawk with a little jammy/indie flair mix it all around Jemina Pearl's southern fried spunk and snarl and you've got yourself a hell of an album. Kind of...I mean you had a hell of an album, with their self-title debut. 'Get Awkward' sees the same slick riffs (a lot slicker than anyone this young should be putting out), an unquenchable punk spirit and, well, immense disdain for at least one boy in particular, but it can't hold it all together as well. 'BYOP's strengths were found in it's tongue-in-cheek lyrics, powerhouse guitar work and a nice dose of punk chord crunch. It's all still here, it's just not as new, fresh, or interesting. They seem to overcook it sometimes ('You're a Waste', 'What's Your Damage'), or not cook it enough ('Food Fight') , but I mean, then there's always the fist 9 tracks which are solid as hell. And Pearl's voice/scream/snarl can still carry the band on it's own, thankfully her backing band kicks major ass, so, she needn't worry.

Beastie Boys To the 5 Boroughs

Ben Folds Rockin' The Suburbs

Ben Folds Way To Normal

Bjork Medulla

Bjork Homogenic

Black Eyed Peas Bridging the Gap

blink-182 The Mark, Tom, And Travis Show

blink-182 Enema Of The State

blink-182 Dude Ranch

blink-182 Buddha

blink-182 Cheshire Cat

Bloc Party Silent Alarm

Brazilian Girls New York City

Bright Eyes Four Winds

Buckcherry Time Bomb

Buckcherry Buckcherry

Cold War Kids With Our Wallets Full (EP)

Cold War Kids Up In Rags (EP)

Coldplay Parachutes

Coldplay Viva La Vida

Common Electric Circus

Daft Punk Human After All

Damien Rice O

Dave Matthews Band Before These Crowded Streets

Dave Matthews Band Crash

De La Soul Are You In?

Death Cab For Cutie Transatlanticism

Death Cab For Cutie Narrow Stairs

It's ok, well, the first 3 tracks and 'Your New Twin Sized Bed' are great, but everything else here is general Death Cab. Now that would be ok, if the instrumentation was a tight as it was on say 'The Photo Album' or 'Something About Airplanes', but even 'Plans' outplays this album. Gibbard's fantastic voice can't save him from imploding into his own sappy lyrics and the plastic encasing his band's tunes. 'Narrow Stairs' is a confusing and sometimes frustrating journey, but it's hardly a bad one. 'I Will Posses Your Heart' almost sells the whole thing, but sadly, DC decided, in the end, regardless of what they may want us to think, to play it safe.

Deerhoof Friend Opportunity

Deerhunter Cryptograms

Dizzee Rascal Boy In Da Corner

Dropkick Murphys Sing Loud, Sing Proud

Dropkick Murphys Blackout

Eagles Desperado

El Pus Hoodlum Rock, Vol. 1

Electric Six Sénor Smoke

Evanescence The Open Door

Evanescence Fallen

Explosions In The Sky All of a Sudden, I Miss Everyone

Fatboy Slim Palookaville

Fauxliage Fauxliage

Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes

Flogging Molly Drunken Lullabies

Foo Fighters Skin And Bones

Foo Fighters One By One

Foo Fighters There Is Nothing Left To Lose

Franz Ferdinand Tonight: Franz Ferdinand

Goldfrapp Black Cherry

Goldfrapp Supernature(US)

Goo Goo Dolls Gutterflower

Gorillaz Laika Come Home

Gorillaz G-Sides

Green Day Warning

Green Day Nimrod

Green Day Kerplunk

Grizzly Bear Friend EP

Guns N' Roses Use Your Illusion I

Guns N' Roses Use Your Illusion II

Guns N' Roses The Spaghetti Incident?

Harvey Danger Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone?

Some good tracks, and a whole lot of bullshit -- but the good tracks contain 'Flag Pole Sitter' which merits this album a 3 on it's own.

Have A Nice Life Deathconsciousness

I Would Set Myself On Fire For You I Would Set Myself On Fire For You

Incubus Light Grenades

Interpol Our Love To Admire

Jack Johnson On and On

Japandroids Post-Nothing

Jay-Z The Blueprint 3

Jens Lekman Night Falls Over Kortedala

Jens Lekman Oh You're So Silent Jens

Jet Get Born

Jimmy Eat World Bleed American

Joanna Newsom Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band

Justin Timberlake FutureSex/LoveSounds

Kid Sister Ultraviolet

It's like if MIA and 36 Mafia had a baby and Spank Rock and Amanda Blank got down -- then those 2 babies fuuuuccckkedd. That baby is Kid Sister -- even tho she's older than all of them.

Korn Follow The Leader

Led Zeppelin In Through the Out Door

Less Than Jake Borders And Boundaries

Lifehouse Stanley Climbfall

Lifehouse No Name Face

Lily Allen It's Not Me, It's You

Linkin Park Meteora

M83 Saturdays=Youth

Major Lazer Guns Dont Kill People... Lazers Do

Matchbox Twenty Yourself Or Someone Like You

Matchbox Twenty Mad Season

Metallica S&M

Method Man and Redman Blackout! 2

If you take it at face value (It's Wu-Tang...), and just appreciate that these two dudes got back together and created a sequel equal to it's predecessor, albeit a bit less surprising, you'll probably find something to enjoy here.

MGMT Oracular Spectacular

Modest Mouse This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To..

Monty Are I Thanks for the Metal Sign

Mount Eerie Wind's Poem

Phil went crazy, and skuzzed up his already skuzzy music with heaps and heaps of 'metal'. 'Wind's Poem' proves that Elvrum is an extremely talented musician (duh...) and that genre hopping, as it always has been, is quite easy for him. Sadly though, 'Wind's Poem' delivers significantly less than the sum of it's parts. He seems to sacrifice his superior songwriting talent to fit genre conventions that he's less than adept at recreating. While about as easy to swallow as any of his albums, 'Wind's Poem' lacks that essential aftertaste that gave all his previous work it's legs. This bitch stumbles right out the gate and struggles to keep it together throughout the duration.

MSTRKRFT Fist Of God

Murs Murs For President

Muse Absolution

Muse Origin of Symmetry

Muse Black Holes and Revelations

My Chemical Romance The Black Parade

No Age Nouns

Oasis Don't Believe The Truth

Oasis The Masterplan

Of Montreal Skeletal Lamping

Paul McCartney Memory Almost Full

Paul Van Dyk The Politics of Dancing, Vol. 2

Portishead Portishead

Queens Of The Stone Age Songs For The Deaf

Radiohead Com Lag (2plus2isfive)

Radiohead My Iron Lung EP

Radiohead I Might Be Wrong [Live Recordings]

Red Hot Chili Peppers Stadium Arcadium

Red Hot Chili Peppers One Hot Minute

Red Hot Chili Peppers Mothers Milk

Reel Big Fish We're Not Happy 'Till You're Not Happy

Roots Manuva Dub Come Save Me

Slowdive Just for a Day

Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream

Snoop Dogg The Blue Carpet Treatment

Snoop Dogg Paid Tha Cost To Be Da Bo$$

Snoop Dogg Tha Doggfather

Soundtrack Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Stars Sad Robots EP

Take out a few tracks from 'In Our Bedroom...' and plug these in, you've got yourself a hell of an album. For an EP it's pretty fully packed, and the live version of 'Going, Going, Gone' is haunting. But really, after many listens. 'Sad Robots' amounts to some bad ass cover art, 1 worthless instrumental, a live song, 3 great songs that should have been on the album instead, and 1 dud (Title Track).

Stone Temple Pilots Purple

Sunset Rubdown Shut Up I Am Dreaming

T.I. T.I. vs. T.I.P.

T.I. Trap Muzik

T.I. Urban Legend

T.I. Paper Trail

Talib Kweli Eardrum

Ted Leo And The Pharmacists Living With the Living

Tenacious D Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny

The Beatles Anthology 2

The Beatles Anthology 1

The Besnard Lakes Volume 1

The Blood Brothers Crimes

The Chemical Brothers We Are The Night

The Distillers The Distillers

The Distillers Sing, Sing Death House

The Flaming Lips At War With The Mystics

The Killers Hot Fuss

The Libertines The Libertines

The Most Serene Republic Underwater Cinematographer

The Most Serene Republic ...And The Ever Expanding Universe

The Police Regatta de Blanc

The Red Paintings Walls [EP]

The Streets Original Pirate Material

The Streets A Grand Don't Come For Free

The Strokes First Impressions of Earth

The Twilight Sad Killed My Parents and Hit the Road

The White Stripes The White Stripes

The White Stripes Elephant

The White Stripes Icky Thump

Tool 10,000 Days

Tricky Angels With Dirty Faces

U2 How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

U2 All That You Can't Leave Behind

Wale Attention Deficit

We Were Promised Jetpacks These Four Walls

If you put Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad into a supersonic gravitron at the local Glasgow city fair, they'd come out as We Were Promised Jetpacks -- and they wouldn't play their instruments as well as before.

White Rabbits It's Frightening

Wilco A Ghost is Born

Yellowcard Lights And Sounds

Yellowcard Ocean Avenue

2.5 average

1990s Cookies

Black Eyed Peas Elephunk

Black Kids Wizard Of Ahhhs

Buckcherry Fifteen

Bush Razorblade Suitcase

Bush Sixteen Stone

CKY Volume 1

Coheed and Cambria In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3

CSS Cansei de Ser Sexy

Deer Tick Born on Flag Day

If these dudes didn't grow up right up the street from me I could give a fuck less. Standard folk rock; delivered on nothing that 'War Elephant' had promised -- even though 'Little White Lies' and 'The Ghost' are pretty much boss, don't be fooled.

dredg El Cielo

Eels Shootenanny!

Electric Six Fire

Eminem Encore

Fatboy Slim Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars

Film School Hideout

Flogging Molly Swagger

Flogging Molly Alive Behind the Green Door

Foo Fighters Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace

Welcome to the world of phoning in albums. This, much like 'In Your Honour',is just the Foos making another Foos album. Some acoustic songs, some harder rock ones, a few 'singles' here and there. Whatever, 'The Pretender' is bullshit. 'Summers End' and 'Ballad Of The Beaconsfield Miners' are the few redeemable tracks on this disc. I'm still not sure what the big deal is.

Fort Minor The Rising Tied

Goo Goo Dolls Dizzy Up The Girl

Goo Goo Dolls A Boy Named Goo

Good Charlotte Good Charlotte

Interpol Antics

Jimmy Eat World Futures

Joanna Newsom Ys

Kidcrash New Ruins

Kings of Leon Aha Shake Heartbreak

Kings of Leon Youth and Young Manhood

Le Tigre Feminist Sweeptakes

Less Than Jake In With The Out Crowd

Limp Bizkit Significant Other

Linkin Park Reanimation

Linkin Park Hybrid Theory

Ludacris The Red Light District

Modest Mouse Sad Sappy Sucker

Muscles Guns Babes Lemonade

Muse Showbiz

My Chemical Romance I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought...

My Chemical Romance Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge

Nas STILLmatic

Oasis Heathen Chemistry

Oasis Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants

Oasis Stop The Clocks

Paramore Riot!

Patrick Wolf The Bachelor

I mean maybe it's just me but, if there is such a thing as 'too quirky' or 'forced pretension' Wolf has done everything in his power to infest every second of 'The Bachelor's run time with just that. Too much quirkiness and an array or forced, lackadaisical pretensions drown out what could have been a very solid release. Album cover is ill tho...

Peter Bjorn and John Living Thing

PB&J come back with all the heart, but this time they seem to have forgot the tunes. 'Living Thing' is about as interesting as tofu -- as a slug -- or maybe a rock. Basically every song, no matter what the intention of it might be, trugs along with an annoying ebb and flow that does nothing but bore the shit out of you. Even when they almost get it (I Want You!, Lay It Down, Stay This Way), the songs still seem to get lost in their own 'experimentation'. By that I mean a boring blast of distorted vocals here, or a total lack of a rhythm (section) in the song there. A hiccup in an otherwise great catalog of music, 'Living Thing' is the Swedish groups certifiable dud, and here's to their next outing having a bit more longevity and spirit than 'Living Thing'

Radiohead Amnesiac

Rancid ...And Out Come The Wolves

Red Hot Chili Peppers By The Way

Reel Big Fish Monkeys for Nothin' and The Chimps...

Silversun Pickups Swoon

Smashing Pumpkins Machina: The Machines of God

Snoop Dogg Last Meal

Soundtrack Garden State

Soundtrack Juno

Stars of Track and Field Centuries Before Love and War

Sum 41 All Killer No Filler

The Faint Media

The Mars Volta Amputechture

The Offspring Smash

The Prodigy Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned

The Streets The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living

The Unicorns Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?

The White Stripes De Stijl

The White Stripes Get Behind Me Satan

U2 POP

Velvet Revolver Contraband

Weezer Maladroit

2 poor

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead Worlds Apart

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead The Century of Self

Radio Rock + Booze worthy chanting + bad drumming + Strings + AFI - Emo x U2 = 'The Century of Self'

3 Doors Down Away From The Sun

3 Doors Down The Better Life

Amy Winehouse Back To Black

Architecture In Helsinki Places Like This

Blargh, what the fuck happened? Now I understand that 'In Case We Die' is a mixed bag for most -- for me is was a damn near perfect experience. I even really really enjoy some 'Fingers Crossed' and it's twee goodness from time to time, but 'Places Like These' is without a doubt, by far, the biggest disappointment of '07 for me. Album starts off pretty well too, 'Red Turned White' is a pretty good Architecture song, 'Heart it Races' is easily one of their strongest tracks ever -- then it stops, then it's shit.

Audioslave Audioslave

Audioslave Revelations

Ben Folds Songs for Silverman

Black Kids Partie Traumatic

Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! -That was my initial reaction, it hasn't changed much. 'Partie Traumatic' falls victim to boring composition, squeaky clean production, and indie-pop cliches. Reggie Youngblood sounds a whole hell of a lot like Robert Smith yes, and true his backing band can drop some pretty addicting/danceable beats, but as a whole it's trite and pretty boring. Better luck next time.

Breaking Benjamin We Are Not Alone

Breaking Benjamin Phobia

Bright Eyes I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning

Bush The Science Of Things

CocoRosie Noah's Ark

Coheed and Cambria Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV...

Cold War Kids Loyalty to Loyalty

Coldplay X&Y

Coldplay Prospekt's March EP

Dave Matthews Band Everyday

Eminem Relapse

Really good beats and the fact that Em still has a better flow than most modern rappers can't save 'Relapse' from imploding in upon itself. Bloated and almost sophomoric the songs never find their way out of Em's verses (which are just as quirky and disturbing as ever) to a hook that has any chance of paying off. Basically there are no hooks, or if there's an attempt (3am, Mother,Insane -- fuckit the whole album) "Relapse" gives them no room to breathe. Instead they chock up to a rushed Em continuing his lame, accented flow to a chorus about how many drugs he does, how fucked up he is, or how much he goes against the grain. If 'Relapse' is supposed to be that jolt that rockets Marshall sky high once more, you couldn't tell. It feels more like Eminem is still searching for his wings, never mind trying to soar.

Foo Fighters In Your Honor

Garbage Beautiful Garbage

Green Day 21st Century Breakdown

Guns N' Roses Chinese Democracy

This title track is fucking awesome High five guys! You took over a decade to make 1 good song and successfully bastardized the rest of your catalog that has shown it's age immensely over the years.

Junkie XL Booming Back At You

His beats became repetitive, his interlays asinine and his voice recordings/samples are just plain aggravating now. He sounds like he sought out to make another 'bombastic, booming classic! yeah!', but instead the Dutchman collapsed under his own weight. Just see him live, or get 'Big Sounds of the Drags'.

Korn Korn

Le Tigre This Island

Metallica Garage, Inc

Midtown Living Well is the Best Revenge

Midtown Forget What You Know

My Bloody Valentine This Is Your Bloody Valentine

My Chemical Romance Life on the Murder Scene

My Morning Jacket Evil Urges

Nas Untitled

Queens Of The Stone Age Lullabies to Paralyze

Rancid Indestructible

Snow Patrol Final Straw

Sparta Porcelain

Sum 41 Half Hour Of Power

System of a Down Mezmerize

The Faint Blank-Wave Arcade

The Field From Here We Go Sublime

*insert beat*-*repeat* 2 minutes pass *insert 2nd beat*-*repeat* 1 minute passes *insert 3rd beat*-*repeat* 30 seconds pass *end song* or *repeat for next 6 minutes* Lame.

The Fiery Furnaces Gallowsbird's Bark

The Receiving End of Sirens Between the Heart and the Synapse

The Roots The Tipping Point

This was one of the stupidest records from one of hip-hops shining lights. 'Don't Say Nothing', 'Guns are Drawn' and 'Boom!' sound essentially like dumbed down Roots songs. Which if anything is worse than just being bad, they kind of just remind you of what you're missing in the first place. Everything else pretty much goes over as 'meh', boring beats and surprisingly lame rhymes. Nothing really fantastic, but at least some of the Roots signature laid back jazz & live music feel kind of hang around -- kind of.

Timbaland Shock Value

U2 No Line On The Horizon

Yellowcard Paper Walls

1.5 very poor

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead So Divided

311 Don't Tread On Me

311 Evolver

Amanda Blank I Love You

CKY Infiltrate Destroy Rebuild

Common Universal Mind Control

Dave Matthews Band Stand Up

Disturbed Believe

Element Eighty Element Eighty

Evanescence Anywhere But Home

Fall Out Boy From Under The Cork Tree

Flobots Fight With Tools

Godsmack Awake

Godsmack Godsmack

Jet Shine On

Jonas Brothers A Little Bit Longer

I sat through this at my grandmother's usual Xmas Eve gathering. My little cousin loves it, the kid's a peach so I just kept my mouth shut and dealt with it. Imagine if the seminal 90s boy bands were just *slightly* less corny and played their own instruments -- and were all ****ing related.

Kings of Leon Only By The Night

After hearing the atrocious 'Sex On Fire' plus all their other bullshit releases I'm not really sure why I bothered with this. Watching this band ascend past their supposed grass roots to arena status has been less than gratifying, at least on their part. Passing up the inspired instrumental play between band members and their old Southern feel for a plastic sheen ready to reflect the stage lights, they produce their biggest flop yet. It may seem that I'm bitching about them 'making it. No, I'm bitching about their new lack of inspiration on phone-in's like 'Closer', 'Use Somebody' and 'Manhattan', not to mention the worst offender, lead off single 'Sex On Fire'. A song about a lead singer's great sex life collapses with boring riffs, awful drumming and a clunky chorus. These problems plague the whole of 'Only By The Night' and leave it as a lack luster release from a band that, personally, is yet to find themselves, let alone reach a stride.

Korn Issues

Korn Life Is Peachy

Lady GaGa The Fame

Lifehouse Lifehouse

cheesy and Lame. That's it really, they lost their sense of conviction. Wade's lyrics sound false and almost a farce of what they once were. Lifehouse made a 'Lifehouse Album', or, a standard adult contemp album. Snoozefest.

Limp Bizkit Chocolate Starfish...

Limp Bizkit Three Dolla Bill Y'all

Linkin Park Minutes to Midnight

This is one of the stupidest albums I've ever heard. Their songwriting has become extremely base, and well, the chug-chug guitar after a while becomes very grinding. Nothing is a worthwhile listen, the only reason this shit floats even a little bit is the slick production, and I'm not exactly sure the Rubin Touch really made this better.

Lostprophets Liberation Transmission

Ludacris Release Therapy

Metallica Reload

Metallica Load

Nas I Am...The Autobiography

New Found Glory New Found Glory

Peaches The Teaches of Peaches

Shiny Toy Guns Season of Poison

Ditching almost all of their electronic sound and adopting a prominent guitar scheme right and ready to compete with the best of top 40 radio, Shiny's flunk. 'Season of Poison' is a dud, there's 3 good tracks -- good ones. Not great, or amazing, good ('I Owe You a Love Song' 'Season Of Love' & 'Turned To Real Life'). Rather than coming to the choruses and banging through on drop d power chords they create electronic bliss, unlike the rest of the 'Season'. Shiny Toy Guns were interesting because regardless of how much they played to cliches, they surrounded it with a truly sick electronica song. Couple that with decent verses and instrumental play and you've got yourself a solid album (We Are Pilots). Mix crappy industrial, bullshit grunge and a dose of rap rock (check new singer Sisley Treasure on 'When Did This Storm Begin') and you've got this balls follow up. They may have ditched Carah (The best part...) but Sisley can hold her own; but she's barely there (3 tracks!). Me thinks Chad doesn't trust her, but if 'Frozen Oceans' is any indication, they'll find their savior in her voice. 'Season of Poison' sees a talented band flounder with the loss of an obviously integral member. They mix many styles and jumble genres in trying to move away from their previous core sound. Shinys may think they're evolving -- honestly it just seems like they're running out of ideas.

Smashing Pumpkins Zeitgeist

Soundtrack Moulin Rouge! - Music From Baz Luhrmann's Film

System of a Down Steal This Album!

The Bravery The Bravery

The Darkness Permission to Land

I love Queen; Justin, you sir, are no Freddie Mercury and your band is no Queen. Stop it.

The Fiery Furnaces Blueberry Boat

The Killers Sam's Town

The Sounds Crossing the Rubicon

Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman One Man Revolution

Velvet Revolver Libertad

Weezer Make Believe

It's hard at times, I feel, to write about albums that suck, mostly because, how much do you really have to listen before you realize, 'enough is enough'. Here, it took about 4 full listens and a handful of spins in a friends car before Weezer's 'Make Believe' was just too much. That being said, you know my experience with this album -- it sucks. 'Beverly Hills' was a sweet single, that's cool, but umm, where's the rest of this album? You call the remaining 11 tracks of utter bullshit songs? Damnit...you do. Well I guess I might I was just pop out the CD and toss it. Yep, and that's exactly what I did.

1 awful

A Perfect Circle eMOTIVe

I'm like 'lol, this poor excuse for a turd is an album?' Maynard is like 'Yah dude, totally is the best cover album ever -- probably the best thing I've done' Then he went off and formed Pussifer. Oops.

Adema Adema

Asher Roth Asleep In The Bread Aisle

Audioslave Out Of Exile

Black Eyed Peas Monkey Business

Bullet For My Valentine The Poison

CocoRosie The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillbo

Crazy Town The Gift of Game

Disturbed The Sickness

Eiffel 65 Europop

Eminem Eminem Presents: The Re-Up

Good Charlotte The Young And The Hopeless

James Blunt Back To Bedlam

Korn Untouchables

Lifehouse Who we are

Limp Bizkit Results May Vary

If I took a HUGE dump, and recorded it, burnt it onto a CD for a full 2 hour album, the sounds of my butt hole -- I'd be very interested in listening to this should you tell me my other option is 'Results May Vary'. I felt like this when I was 15, I don't feel much different now(7 years later). That stands for something in my mind, that this is one of the worst albums ever recorded. Nice one Fred!

Linkin Park/Jay Z Collision Course (The Ulitmate Mash-Up)

Matchbox Twenty More Than You Think You Are

Metallica St. Anger

It's like if 'Kill em All' really sucked, maybe it would sound almost as bad as this. I had just thought 'St. Anger' was a weak single, not the strongest track on the album(it's total shit for Christ's sake!). 'Shoot Me Again','Invisible Kid' and 'Purify' are worthless, I understand all the pain & frustration in bedded here, it just sounds so contrived. Metallica sacrifices their skill with lightning riffs and sick licks for the 'chug-chug' guitar method -- what the hell.

Mike Jones Who Is Mike Jones?

Nas Nastradamus

New Found Glory Sticks and Stones

Nickelback The Long Road

I can't really even begin to express the hatred and detest I feel for this album. The unfortunate fact I was even remotely convinced that 'The Long Road' was 'so much better than the last one' was incredibly foolish on my part. Mostly because I've actually heard this all the way through...more than once. Some people can handle 'Flat on the floor' and 'Feeling way too damn good' or 'Another hole in the head' and other assorted asinine song titles, I can't. Not one song is really independent from the other, it's all the same boring riff, the same lame Kroger croon. That's really their biggest problem, the cheese factor, Nickleback really succeed best at being as lame as humanly possible, and I guess if you're into that, well give this a spin. If not, steer clear.

Nickelback Silver Side Up

Panic! At the Disco A Fever You Can't Sweat Out

Peaches Fatherfucker

Peaches Impeach My Bush

Puscifer V Is For Vagina

I would go so far as to say I'm a Tool fan, and that I have been for a while. I was one of those nerds buying 'Lateralus' on the day it came out, prompted from my 12th and 13th years of life where 'Undertow' and 'Anemia' were in heavy rotation. I even went so far as to pick up every Maynard side project I could and I would even call myself a fan of A Perfect Circle. Recently though I've acquired his Pussifer albums and to quote Sean Rizzo from our very own Sputnik review (*ahem*): 'unless borderline spoken word vocals fronting repetitive and primitive beats tickles your fancy, the album is a complete bore fest.' They don't He's right, this album is atrocious.

Simple Plan No Helmets, No Pads... Just Balls

Soundtrack Across the Universe

Excuse me while I take a big shit all over the years and years of tried and true accomplishment of this group of musicians. Wait? Someone already did? Oh...

Stars Do You Trust Your Friends?

The Bravery The Sun and the Moon

The Killers Day & Age

The Ting Tings We Started Nothing

The Used The Used

Weezer Christmas with Weezer

You've got to be kidding me. Let's chug through 6 lame ass Christmas songs. Sounds like they did this last night in a drunken stupor and mixed it through the morning.

will.i.am Songs About Girls