Average Rating: 3.31 Rating Variance: 0.76 Objectivity Score: 86% (Well Balanced)
Sorted by Rating | Sort by Name5 classic...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead Source Tags and CodesBadly Drawn Boy The Hour of BewilderbeastBlur ParklifeBrendan Benson The Alternative To LoveBright Eyes CassadagaBroken Social Scene You Forgot It In PeopleClipse Hell Hath No FuryCut Copy In Ghost ColoursDeath From Above 1979 You're a Woman, I'm a MachineElliott Smith Figure 8Elliott Smith Either/OrElliott Smith Elliott SmithGirl Talk Night RipperGuster Lost And Gone ForeverJeff Buckley Grace (Legacy Edition)Jeff Buckley GraceOf Montreal Satanic Panic in the AtticRyan Adams Cold RosesSpoon Girls Can TellSpoon Ga Ga Ga Ga GaThe Beatles RevolverThe Beatles Rubber SoulThe Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink RobotsThe New Pornographers Twin CinemaThe Veils Nux VomicaWilco Summerteeth4.5 superbAmbulance LTD. Ambulance LTD.Basement Jaxx Kish KashBeastie Boys Check Your HeadBeastie Boys Paul's BoutiqueBoards of Canada The campfire HeadphaseBritish Sea Power Do You Like Rock Music?Conor Oberst Conor OberstElliott Smith XOEverest Ghost NotesFlorence and the Machine LungsFountains of Wayne Welcome Interstate ManagersFugazi The ArgumentGuster Keep It TogetherJapandroids Post-NothingJimmy Eat World Bleed AmericanLCD Soundsystem Sound Of SilverM. Ward Hold TimeMonsters of Folk Monsters of FolkMy Morning Jacket It Still MovesOasis Whats the Story Morning GloryOkkervil River The Stand InsThe Stand Ins is lyrically bleak and depressing, despite the often-upbeat instrumentation, and singer and writer Will Sheff is in fine form. Just check out opener ?Lost Coastlines,? where Sheff laments ?every night finds us rocking and rolling on waves wild and wide, well we have lost our way, nobody?s gonna say it outright,? along ?Lust for Life?-esque bass and drum line before exploding into an energetic outro of ?la la la?s.? With song titles like ?Singer Songwriter,? ?Pop Lie,? and ?On Tour With Zykos,? it?s not hard to figure out the theme of the record, but never once does Okkervil River bore or weigh down. Pearl Jam TenPhoenix Wolfgang Amadeus PhoenixPulp Different ClassRaconteurs Consolers of the LonelyRaekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt IIRyan Adams HeartbreakerShe and Him Volume OneSigur Ros TakkSpoon Kill The MoonlightSpoon Gimme FictionStereophonics You Gotta Go There To Come BackThe Beatles Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club BandThe Black Heart Procession Amore Del TropicoThe Decemberists Her MajestyThe Dodos VisiterThe Fiery Furnaces EPThe National AlligatorThe Postal Service Give UpThe Roots Rising DownThe Roots retain the throne of alternative hip-hop with their eighth studio album, a record that continues this collective’s remarkable run of intelligent and socially conscious rap. ?uestlove’s beats and production as polished and stimulating as ever, but Rising Down modifies their traditional jazzy sound with murkier synths and more digital techniques that embrace a fairly dark mood. It’s appropriate for the often-political and critical lyrics of MC Black Thought, and the album as a whole comes off as a logical evolution in the sound of a band that is constantly growing.The Walkmen You & MeThe Zutons Who Killed The ZutonsThrice The Alchemy Index Vols. III and IV...Wolf Parade Apologies to the Queen Mary4 excellent...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead The Century of Self...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead Festival ThymeA.C. Newman Get GuiltyAnimal Collective Merriweather Post PavilionAnimal Collective Strawberry JamAnnie Don't StopArcade Fire FuneralAtmosphere When Life Gives You Lemons, You...The focus is on Ant and Slug’s gritty, industrial-colored lyrics and simple, rhythmic flow, telling black-and-white stories of crime, drugs, the projects, and any number of other things that influenced the two as they grew up in Minneapolis. “Dreamer” brings out the woodwinds and horns in a catchy fable about teen pregnancy while “The Waitress” wallows in funky bass and a bird-like flute while it unweaves a story about its subject. While occasionally the duo’s unremarkable voices tend to blur together and the lyrical matter is unrelenting, the ingenious production keeps things from going stale. Neither is as technically talented as rappers like Nas or Twista, neither boasts the advanced studio wizardry of producers like Kanye West or Timbaland, and neither indulges in gangster posing like Young Jeezy or 50 Cent, but Atmosphere’s unique combination of realism and straight-to-the-point beats makes their latest another gem in a long line of excellent underground releases.Beck Sea ChangeBelle and Sebastian Dear Catastrophe WaitressBlur BlurBon Iver For Emma, Forever AgoIf there was such a thing, singer-songwriter Justin Vernon alias Bon Iver’s debut record would surely win Most Depressing Record of the Year. Almost entirely recorded in an isolated cabin in rural Wisconsin, For Emma, Forever Ago is a cathartic expression of break-up and recovery in the bleakest terms. The minimalist instrumentation, lo-fi recording, and Vernon’s haunting vocals all paint a picture of forlorn grief and regret in the frozen north. Forget rainy-day music; this is music to listen to while snowed in by the biggest blizzard of the year.Brand New The Devil And God Are Raging Inside MeBrendan Benson One Mississippi/The Wellfed Boy EPBrendan Benson My Old, Familiar FriendBright Eyes LuaBritish Sea Power The Decline of British Sea PowerBritney Spears BlackoutCamera Obscura My Maudlin CareerColdplay Viva La VidaChris Martin and company were in danger of treading into soft-rock and piano drudgery on 2005’s X&Y, but Viva La Vida proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Coldplay weren’t content to sit on their laurels for their fourth record. Incorporating world music styles, multi-movement epics, and some of Martin’s best lyrics yet, Viva might be Coldplay’s best album yet, and is certainly their most original and experimental.Death Cab For Cutie Narrow StairsElliott Smith From A Basement On The HillExplosions In The Sky All of a Sudden, I Miss EveryoneExplosions In The Sky How Strange, InnocenceFeist The ReminderFiona Apple Extraordinary MachineFleet Foxes Fleet FoxesSeattle fivesome take rock back to its roots; and by roots I mean down in the country, woods, and backroads of Americana folk. After My Morning Jacket’s Evil meltdown, it’s reassuring to see a fresh band take up the mantle of good ole-fashioned country rock. Taking more of a pastoral angle than MMJ’s blazing guitar solos, Fleet Foxes is an album that calls to mind more the Appalachian Trail than the Pacific Northwest, complete with church-gathering harmonizing, various wind instruments, and frontman Robin Pecknold’s unearthly howl. Yet another of 2008’s great rookie records.Flight of the Conchords Flight Of The ConchordsWhile there’s something to be said for Flight of the Conchords’ live records and actual concerts, which is one of the funniest things I have been privileged to attend, their debut album does manage to translate a good portion of their irreverent humor into the studio. The songs, as usual, don’t disappoint, running the gamut from anti-war sex anthem “Ladies of the World” to the funky bedtime jam that Marvin Gaye has tried so hard to perfect, “Business Time.” Who can resist seductive statements like “two minutes in heaven is better than one minute in heaven?” Most of the songs benefit from the added instrumentation and production, with “The Prince of Parties” sounding like the Beatles if they stayed in India longer and were a comedy duo, and “Boom” is much more understandable and palatable with Bret’s clarified vocals and the faux-reggaeton production. The only disappointment is the utter lack of new songs. While a compilation might be a necessity for casual fans or newcomers, Conchord lovers will already know pretty much every song on the disc, and one would’ve thought with the exposure the two have been getting, they would’ve jumped on the opportunity to release new material. But you can’t begrudge what they’ve already created, which is pure comic gold.Franz Ferdinand Franz FerdinandFranz Ferdinand You Could Have It So Much BetterGomez How We OperateGym Class Heroes The QuiltWhen the Heroes falter, it’s usually because McCoy’s ideas tend to run dry around the end of the 14-song-long track list, and while his flow is generally acceptable, lyrically the Heroes will never be compared to Atmosphere or Mos Def. Luckily, the uniformly innovative, genre-bending production by Stump and Cool & Dre manage to keep The Quilt afloat through its hour run and produce a pop/rap album that manages to be catchy and progressive at the same time.Harvey Danger Little By Little...Islands Arm's WayIslands VapoursJay-Z Reasonable DoubtJay-Z The Black AlbumKaiser Chiefs EmploymentKiss Kiss The Meek Shall Inherit What's LeftLily Allen It's Not Me, It's YouM83 Saturdays=YouthAnthony Gonzalez, the brainchild behind electronica group M83, has always had a fetish for taking discarded, old sounds and turning them into something new. The group’s shoegaze approach to electronica, soothing sounds built atop waves and waves of sound and layers of production, are twisted into M83’s most accessible outing on Saturdays=Youth, a record that hearkens back to that cultural touchstone everyone wants to forget: the ‘80s! Lyrically focused on teen love and emo angst, the music is a blend of synthtastic new-wave pop and frothy, bubbling techno all buoying Gonzalez’s wispy voice. It would’ve made a hell of a soundtrack to the Breakfast Club.Manchester Orchestra Mean Everything To NothingManic Street Preachers Journal For Plague LoversMiike Snow Miike SnowMos Def The EcstaticNeko Case Middle CycloneNeko Case Fox Confessor Brings The FloodNoah and the Whale The First Days of SpringOasis Definitely MaybeOf Montreal The Sunlandic TwinsOK Go Oh NoPanic! At the Disco Pretty. Odd.Portugal. The Man The Satanic SatanistRegina Spektor Begin To HopeRilo Kiley More AdventurousRise Against Appeal To ReasonRyan Adams CardinologyShout Out Louds Our Ill WillsSomeone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin PershingStars Set Yourself On FireStars In Our Bedroom After The WarT.I. Paper TrailEveryone knew house arrest couldn?t stop T.I. Going back to old-fashioned pen and paper to write down lyrics and finishing with around 50 songs for the album, Paper Trail?s 16 final cuts are some of mainstream rap?s best of the year. Hard-hitting beats combine with T.I.?s inimitable vocal dexterity and lyrics that fairly drip with venom to make an album of surefire commercial hits as well as a few that stand up to any cerebral rapper?s catalogue. And, of course, that Numa Numa sampling on ?Live Your Life? was true producing genius.Taken By Trees East of EdenTaylor Swift FearlessThe Auteurs After Murder ParkThe Avalanches Since I Left YouThe Beatles 1The Beatles Help!The Beatles Beatles '65The Brunettes Mars Loves VenusThe Decemberists PicaresqueThe Decemberists Castaways and Cut-outsThe Decemberists The Hazards Of LoveThe Duke Spirit NeptuneThe Fiery Furnaces I'm Going AwayThe Fiery Furnaces Gallowsbird's BarkThe Fireman Electric ArgumentsThe Hold Steady Separation SundayThe Lemonheads VarshonsThe Lemonheads The LemonheadsThe Mountain Goats Heretic PrideSinger-songwriter John Darnielle’s folk-rock project Mountain Goats has been a mainstay of the lo-fi scene since 1991, but it wasn’t until their last release, Get Lonely, that he started receiving mainstream attention. Unlike that record’s nihilistic, depressing attitude, however, Heretic Pride is a welcome breath of exquisitely produced, introspective indie rock. First, however, one must overcome Darnielle’s unique voice: an odd cross between Neutral Milk Hotel and Chris Carrabba, a rather terrifying combination. On songs like “Autoclave” it is tuneful and melodic, complementing the acoustic instrumentation well, but on ones like the title track, it can take an off-putting turn towards high-pitched and whiny. The production, however, is what truly elevates the album. From the graceful strings of “San Bernardino” to the vibrant percussion on “In The Craters On The Moon,” each track sounds fleshed-out and musically rich. The New Yorker once called Darnielle “America’s best non-hip-hop lyricists.” Now coupled with an amazing production team and far less morbid subjects, Mountain Goats seem ready for even greater success. The Mountain Goats The Life of the World to ComeThe National BoxerThe New Pornographers Electric VersionThe Sleepy Jackson Personality - One Was a Spider, One Was a BirdThe Veils Sun GangsTilly and the Wall Wild Like ChildrenVampire Weekend Vampire WeekendI always try really hard to ignore blogosphere hype that seems way too blown out of proportion, and after hearing the somewhat underwhelming opener “Mansard Roof” I thought I could safely file Vampire Weekend under “over-hyped Internet sensations.” But this is a record that grows on you, and while initially I found it amateur-ish, I can safely say that this is one of the great debuts of the year. Ivy League pedigree be damned; Vampire Weekend is a record that can be enjoyed by anyone with an appreciation for simple, catchy chamber-pop tunes.Weezer PinkertonWeezer Blue Album Deluxe EditionWilco Yankee Hotel FoxtrotWilco Sky Blue SkyWilco Wilco (The Album)Yeah Yeah Yeahs It's Blitz!3.5 great...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead So Divided22-20s 22-20s311 Greatest Hits '93-'03Andrew Bird Noble BeastAnnie AnniemalBadly Drawn Boy About A Boy [Soundtrack]Basement Jaxx ScarsBeastie Boys Ill CommunicationBeck Modern GuiltBeck Odelay!Ben Kweller Changing HorsesBibio Ambivalence AvenueBrendan Benson LapalcoBright Eyes I'm Wide Awake, It's MorningBritish Sea Power Open SeasonCamera Obscura Let's Get Out of This CountryClap Your Hands Say Yeah Clap Your Hands Say YeahCold War Kids Robbers and CowardsColdplay A Rush Of Blood To The HeadCut Off Your Hands You & ICymbals Eat Guitars Why There Are MountainsDeath Cab For Cutie TransatlanticismDelta Spirit Ode To SunshineDemi Lovato Here We Go AgainDo Make Say Think Other TruthsDoves Some CitiesEarlimart Hymn and HerEels Hombre LoboElliott Smith Roman CandleElliott Smith New MoonFeist Let It DieFruit Bats The Ruminant Bandfun. Aim and IgniteGirl Talk Feed the AnimalsGirls AlbumGnarls Barkley St. ElsewhereGoldfrapp Seventh TreeIt takes about six and a half minutes before a casual listener might realize their listening to an electronica outfit, as a drum machine explodes onto the scene halfway through ?Little Bird.? Whereas previous albums focused on Gregory?s innovative beats and textures, Seventh Tree?s focus is on Goldfrapp?s lovely, breathy voice. While the down tempo ballads that start off the album might initially turn off fans, later songs such as ?Happiness? feature beautiful, multi-tracked vocals and a bouncy pop beat and build a pleasant vibe that continues, with just a few bumps in the road (see snoozer ?Eat Yourself?), for the rest of the record. Gorillaz GorillazGuster Ganging Up on the SunHeadlights Some Racing, Some StoppingHeartless Bastards All This TimeJay-Z The BlueprintJay-Z American GangsterJimmy Eat World FuturesJustice CrossLCD Soundsystem LCD SoundsystemLove Is All A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At NightLudacris Theater of the MindMadonna Hard CandyMark Ronson VersionMetric FantasiesMGMT Oracular SpectacularMiles Benjamin Anthony Robinson Summer Of FearMy Morning Jacket ZNas UntitledOasis Don't Believe The TruthPhoenix It's Never Been Like ThatPulp This is HardcorePulp His 'n' HersRazorlight Up All NightRegina Spektor FarRegina Spektor Soviet KitschRilo Kiley The Execution of All ThingsRyan Adams Love is HellRyan Adams Rock 'n' RollRyan Adams GoldRyan Adams DemolitionSecret Machines Now Here is NowhereShout Out Louds Howl Howl Gaff GaffShpongle Ineffable Mysteries From ShponglelandSnoop Dogg Ego Trippin'stellastarr* stellastarr*Sufjan Stevens Run Rabbit RunT.I. KingTegan and Sara SainthoodThe Antlers HospiceThe Apples in Stereo New Magnetic WonderThe Apples in Stereo Her Wallpaper ReverieThe Auteurs New WaveThe Auteurs Now I'm A CowboyThe Beatles Anthology 1The Beatles Anthology 2The Beatles The BeatlesThe Beatles Let it BeThe Big Pink A Brief History of LoveThe Black Crowes Before the Frost...Until the FreezeThe Decemberists The Tain EPThe Faint Wet From BirthThe Fiery Furnaces Widow CityThe Flaming Lips At War With The MysticsThe Flaming Lips The Soft BulletinThe Format Dog ProblemsThe Hold Steady Stay PositiveHold Steady vocalist Craig Finn says the band’s fourth is about “aging gracefully,” but the righteous racket and vibrant storytelling these bar band rockers serve up seem as suggest that growing up is overrated. Slicker and better produced than their previous albums, it nevertheless retains the Springsteenian classic rock feel of their earlier work and Finn’s lyrics are as sharp and relatable as ever.The Libertines The LibertinesThe Long Blondes CouplesThe Long Blondes have an ace up their sleeve: firebrand lead singer Kate Jackson’s vibrant personality, powerful voice, and satirical lyrics, all of which dominate Couples. Lead single “Century” is about as New Wave as you can get in 2008, with Jackson sounding like Debbie Harry reborn and the music all Depeche Mode synths and bubbly bass lines. “Guilt” and “The Couples” continues the album’s theme of tragic relationships, but unlike the weepy Cure-mimicking love songs common in the New Wave-revival scene, Jackson is merciless and acidic towards her ex’s, defiantly proclaiming “guilt has nothing to do with it” to a dumped boyfriend. Couples unfortunately slows down around the midway point, however, with songs like “Round the Hairpin” and “Too Clever By Half” meandering off into showy drum work and the kind of slow balladry that only stunts the album’s momentum. Half of an album of excellent songs and Jackson’s distinctive vocals, however, are more than most bands can offer today.The New Pornographers Mass RomanticThe New Pornographers ChallengersThe Rapture Pieces Of The People We LoveThe Raveonettes Lust Lust LustComing off the heels of their sole major-label record, Pretty In Black, many thought that the Danish couple of Sharin Foo and Sune Rose Wagner would continue the commercial, 50s-pop-fixation of that record. However, with their switch back to an indie label, Lust Lust Lust arrives as a ringing endorsement of their older, fuzz-guitar noise rock. Opener “Aly, Walk With Me” starts off with a slick drumbeat and a guitar that threatens to overcome the track with reverb. Foo’s and Wagner’s androgynous vocals are a highlight of the whole record, floating along smoothly in sharp contrast to the bursts of raw noise that the Raveonettes specialize in. Those same effects, however, are often a detriment to the band’s sound, as is apparent in the annoying static effect in “Sad Transmission” and “Expelled from Love,” sometimes sounding like you’re listening to the band play on a distant AM station located somewhere underground. Overall, Lust Lust Lust is a strong continuation of the band’s pop/noise blend that can at once be sweetly enchanting and nostalgic while still sounding unmistakably fresh. The Raveonettes Chain Gang of LoveThe Raveonettes In and Out of ControlThe Shins Wincing the Night AwayThe Strokes First Impressions of EarthThe Strokes Is This It?The Thrills So Much For The CityThe Veils The Runaway FoundThe XX xxThrice BeggarsTilly and the Wall OWale Attention DeficitWeezer MaladroitWilco Kicking Television: Live in ChicagoYo La Tengo Popular Songs3 good...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead Worlds Apart...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead MadonnaAmy Millan Masters of the BurialArcade Fire Neon BibleAtlas Sound LogosAu Revoir Simone Still Night, Still LightAugustana Can't Love, Can't HurtBeck GueroBeck Midnite VulturesBen Kweller On My WayBlur The Great EscapeBlur 13Blur The Best of BlurBright Eyes Fevers & MirrorsBright Eyes Lifted or the Story is in the Soil...Britney Spears CircusBritney Spears Greatest Hits: My PrerogativeCarrie Underwood Some HeartsCold War Kids Loyalty to LoyaltyColdplay ParachutesCrocodiles Summer Of HateCrystal Castles Crystal CastlesDatarock RedDeath Cab For Cutie PlansDJ Quik & Kurupt BlaQKoutEarlimart Treble & TrembleAaron Espinoza does a good job of imitating Elliott Smith, not such a good job of being Aaron Espinoza. A haunting tribute to the late singer-songwriter, but not one that stands up to any of its late hero's work.Explosions In The Sky Those Who Tell the Truth...Explosions In The Sky The Earth is Not a Cold Dead PlaceFall Out Boy Folie a DeuxFoo Fighters One By OneFountains of Wayne Utopia ParkwayFranz Ferdinand Tonight: Franz FerdinandGoldfinger Hello DestinyGuns N' Roses Chinese DemocracyHeadlights WildlifeHot Hot Heat ElevatorHuman Highway Moody MotorcycleJanet Jackson DisciplineWhile Janet’s last two albums had many thinking she had lost her pop touch, Discipline throws her back into the club with a number of righteous jams and a few duds. First single “Feedback” opens with its namesake before dropping back to a steel-drum rhythm and Janet’s seductive, Michael-esque voice telling the listener that “tonight my body’s an exhibition baby / don’t be scared to touch it / so come and get it babe.” Hey, no one ever said Jackson was a lyrical genius, but the production on the song by D’Mile and Darkchild is irresistibly danceable. Not all of the songs on the album are as club-ready, such as the boring “Rock With U” and the embarrassing ballad “Can’t B Good.” Jackson’s inexplicable decision to include a number of interludes where she talks to a robot or says unintentionally comedic nuggets like “four words: love, faith, hope, destiny” stunt the album’s momentum.Jenny Lewis Acid TongueJimmy Eat World ClarityKaiser Chiefs Off With Their HeadsKasabian EmpireKelly Clarkson All I Ever WantedLinkin Park ReanimationLinkin Park Hybrid TheoryMajor Lazer Guns Dont Kill People... Lazers DoMariah Carey The Emancipation of MimiMika The Boy Who Knew Too MuchMoby Last NightStrict vegetarian and eternally bald hipster Moby returns to his platinum-selling roots on Last Night, turning toward a more electronica/dance style that characterized his hit club record Play way back in 1999. Beginning with the catchy “Oh Yeah” and continuing nearly unabated to the album’s closer, the epic “Last Night,” the record chronicles an all-night romp through New York’s clubs, anchored by Moby’s diverse, eclectic range of beats. Strong points include the 80s-tastic “Disco Lies” and the Nintendo-mimicking sounds of “257.zero,” but the record bogs down a little with the slow jam “Degenerates,” and the second half of the record overall takes the energy level down a notch. Last Night’s potential for dusk to dawn bootyshaking, however, remains much higher than most of Moby’s contemporaries. Mono Hymn To The Immortal WindMorrissey Years Of RefusalN.E.R.D. Seeing SoundsNoah and the Whale Peaceful, the World Lays Me DownOasis Dig Out Your SoulOrphans of Cush White NoizeRick Ross TrillaRilo Kiley Under the BlacklightRogue Wave Descended Like VulturesRoyksopp JuniorRyan Adams Easy TigerRyan Adams Jacksonville City NightsRyan Adams Follow The LightsSimian Mobile Disco Temporary PleasureSmoosh Free To StaySo Many Dynamos The Loud WarsSomeone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin BroomSondre Lerche Heartbeat RadioSpoon Series of SneaksSt. Vincent Actorstellastarr* CivilizedSunset Rubdown DragonslayerTeenage Cool Kids Foreign LandsThe Bad Plus These Are the VistasThe Beatles Anthology 3The Beatles Abbey RoadThe Bird And The Bee The Bird and the BeeThe Decemberists The Crane WifeThe Dodos Time to DieThe best way I can describe my feelings towards this album is that, while I thoroughly enjoyed it after a couple of listens and thought it was quite an acceptable folk-rock record with the kind of oddball touches the Dodos specialize in, it pales in comparison to Visiter. It's amazing how much more my ears perk up when "A Time to Die" fades out and my iTunes proceeds to the opening song of Visiter, "Walking." Time To Die is a good album, and would have made fairly great debut, but coming after what was surely one of the debuts of the year in the Visiter, it's a bit of a letdown.The Fiery Furnaces Bitter TeaThe Format Interventions and LullabiesThe Horrors Primary ColoursThe Postmarks Memoirs At The End Of The WorldThe Shins Oh, Inverted WorldThe Shins Chutes Too NarrowThe Sleepy Jackson LoversThe Stills Oceans Will RiseThe Thrills TeenagerThe Zutons Tired of Hangin' AroundThrice The Alchemy Index: Vols. I and II...Trevor Giuliani SubcontrarioWeezer Green AlbumWeezer RaditudeWilco Being ThereYoung Jeezy The RecessionListeners don’t come to a Snowman album looking for lyrical nuance or subtle metaphors, but they definitely do come for the Dirty South production, the gangsta vibe, and Jeezy’s imitable wheezy drawl, and The Recession has all of this in spades. What saves The Recession from being just another lame Dirty South record is the production by a series of semi-famous producers like J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and Drumma Boy, who create an appropriately dark, urban atmosphere replete with snare hits and rumbling bass to accompany Jeezy’s rants. While The Recession is never going to win any awards, it is a fitting late summer jam for those who like their hip-hop with more brawn than brains.2.5 averageAll-American Rejects When the World Comes DownArctic Monkeys HumbugBadly Drawn Boy One Plus One is OneBadly Drawn Boy Have You Fed the Fish?Beach House Devotion Beach House’s music perfectly coincides with their name; as one might take a trip over to a beach house for a weekend of relaxation in the sun, so does the band’s music resemble a peaceful reverie of calm days where there is absolutely nothing to do. While doing nothing does have its benefits, it does get old. This is Beach House’s mistake; rather than party it up occasionally, they maintain the same pace throughout their second record, Devotion, trying as hard as possible to keep the noise down and not disturb the neighbors. Lead single “Gila” epitomizes this problem. Rather than develop on the musical ideas they present at the beginning of the song, the duo is content to ride along gently on vocalist Victoria Legrand’s dreamy lyrics while a fuzzy guitar and piano follow along. Lyrically the album is strong, focusing on themes that would behoove its title: loyalty, love, friendship, and their opposites. Legrand has a haunting, ethereal voice that perfectly fits the record’s mood, and it’s surprisingly soulful in a quiet sort of way. While the chill-out tempos and Legrand’s comforting voice make for a potent musical sleeping aid, Devotion’s failure to deviate from the band’s dream-pop formula makes a full listen through the album ultimately boring. Hey, it’s better than Jack Johnson.Beastie Boys Hello NastyBen Folds Way To NormalBen Kweller Sha ShaBen Lee Awake Is The New SleepBen Lee The Rebirth of VenusBeyonce I Am... Sasha FierceBlur Think TankBrand New DaisyBrett Dennen Hope for the HopelessBright Eyes Digital Ash in a Digital UrnBritney Spears In The ZoneBritney Spears BritneyBroken Social Scene Broken Social SceneCarrie Underwood Play OnCursive Mama, I'm SwollenDavid Cook David CookDirty Projectors Bitte OrcaDoves Kingdom of RustEarlimart Mentor TormentorMeet the new Earlimart: same as the old Earlimart. That is to say, Aaron Espinoza continues his Elliott Smith impression and the music is a pleasant, if not particularly revolutionary, brand of hazy shoegaze pop/rock.Elbow The Seldom Seen KidManchester Britpop band Elbow is one of the most critically acclaimed bands on their side of Atlantic, but commercial success has continued to elude them, and the group is practically unknown in America. The Seldom Seen Kid, their fourth album, aims to reach wider audiences with its epic brand of indie rock, with vocalist/guitarist Guy Garvey’s distinctive British tenor leading the way. The record starts off with slow burner “Starlings,” mostly a bubbling synthesizer and Garvey’s tender voice punctuated by occasional blasts of horn. Ultimately boring, the band luckily picks up the pace with the quintessentially British-sounding “The Bones of You,” which sounds like a mix of the Verve’s intelligent witticisms and Blur’s innovative instrumentation. The highlight of the record is obviously Garvey, whose velvet pipes expertly complement his dreamy storytelling, as is most evident on lead single “Grounds for Divorce,” where he describes feelings of nostalgia as “there’s a hole in my neighborhood / down which of late I cannot help but fall.” Sadly, Garvey’s talents as a songwriter can only go so far, and unfortunately The Seldom Seen Kid suffers from the same affliction as its starting record: it is too ponderous to hold the listener’s attention for long. Songs drag along on waves of noise and guitar, with only Garvey’s voice to lead a path through the musical bog. Empire Of The Sun Walking On A DreamFlight of the Conchords I Told You I Was FreakyFlogging Molly FloatWith Float, the band is living by the adage ?if it ain?t broke, don?t fix it.? The band has remained stuck in their own culture, maintaining virtually the same gimmick since their debut album of Pogues-inspired rock and leading to albums that generally sound the same from one song to another. That isn?t to say the gimmick doesn?t work. ?The Story So Far? and the title track slow the tempo down and focus on singer Dave King?s soulful vocals and, on the latter, a wistful fiddle. Generally, however, much of Float sounds like a manic leprechaun singing jigs about drinking too much and poverty-stricken city workers with the metronome turned up way too far. Fountains of Wayne Traffic And WeatherGnarls Barkley The Odd CoupleSt. Elsewhere was a debut worthy of the heaps of praise it accumulated from the press, a eclectic, diverse arrangement of alternative hip-hop mixed with Danger Mouse’s extraordinarily experimental production and Cee-Lo’s oddball lyrics and fluid phrasing. The Odd Couple is pretty much St. Elsewhere redux, and considering the potential within these two guys, it’s unerring sameness is frustrating.Gorillaz Demon DaysKaiser Chiefs Yours Truly, Angry MobKanye West 808s And HeartbreakKasabian West Ryder Pauper Lunatic AsylumLa Roux La RouxLady GaGa The FameLights The ListeningLinkin Park MeteoraMariah Carey E=MC²Metric Live It OutMika Life in Cartoon MotionNeutral Milk Hotel In the Aeroplane Over the SeaOasis Be Here NowOf Montreal Skeletal LampingKevin Barnes has been cruel to me. After the one-two punch Satanic Panic in the Attic and Sunlandic Twins turned Of Montreal into one of my favorite bands, the experimental squall of Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? was interesting, to be sure, but turned me off more than a little after the perfect electronica-meets-power-pop of the aforementioned records. Skeletal Lamping is perhaps even more disjointed and uneven than Hissing Fauna, a record that bounces from random idea to opaque lyric to out-of-the-blue musical flourish with the attention span of a ADHD-afflicted schizophrenic six-year-old with a sugar rush. Barnes is no doubt a kind of musical visionary; just not the kind I expected or really even wanted.Paramore Brand New EyesPeter Bjorn and John Writer's BlockPlacebo Battle For The SunSilversun Pickups Swoonstellastarr* Harmonies for the HauntedStereophonics Language.Sex.Violence.Other?System of a Down ToxicityT.I. T.I. vs. T.I.P.The Beatles Yellow SubmarineThe Darkness One Way Ticket To Hell And BackThe Darkness Permission to LandThe Dears No Cities LeftThe Faint FasciinatiionThe Flaming Lips EmbryonicThe Game LAXThe Kooks Inside In/Inside OutThe Kooks KonkThe Kooks have perfected the formula for the perfect pop song with "Always Where I Need To Be": doo-doo-doos in the chorus, Pritchard’s amusing but contrived Jagger-esque howls, and a stuck-in-your-head beat. “Mr. Maker” is recycled Britpop, “Shine On” is dripping with the corniest sentiments this side of the Goo Goo Dolls, and Pritchard’s lyrics generally could use more than a little work. But it is guitarist Hugh Harris that saves the album. From the multi-tracked wizardry of “Do You Wanna” to the tasteful strumming on “Sway” to the ridiculously bouncy riffs and solos on virtually any song, Harris’ work makes the album a relatively pleasing memory of Britpop’s heyday.The Libertines Up The BracketThe Rapture EchoesThe Raveonettes pretty in blackThe Strokes Room On FireThe Thrills Let's Bottle BohemiaThe Verve ForthThe Verve are old pros at creating songs that practically live in their own atmosphere, and the layers of sound that decorate Forth lead to tunes that reveal new, subtle differences with each listen. Such care produces songs that regularly pass the five-minute mark and beyond; six songs go well over the six-minute mark, and while at times it can be the album?s biggest plus, it also tends to lead to tracks that drag rather than evolve. It's the Verve being the Verve, which is good at putting one to sleep but not too much else. Tilly and the Wall Bottoms of BarrelsTinted Windows Tinted WindowsU2 No Line On The HorizonWilco A Ghost is Born2 poorAshlee Simpson Bittersweet WorldWith Bittersweet World, the younger, more tone-deaf Simpson sibling has wholeheartedly embraced the ‘80s, beat-tastic sound that has been gaining speed in the pop world over the years. The result is a mixed bag. Lead single “Outta My Head” is built on a nagging guitar beat and a simple drum machine, but sadly the lyrics are ridiculously inane (“what you lookin’ at me for huh? / show me respect or I will show you the door”), and Ashlee fails miserably at sounding sassy. The album isn’t totally worthless, however. For every cringe-inducing break-up song (“Little Miss Obsessive”) and pointless bad-girl posturing (“Rule Breaker”), there are a couple bright spots: the dark pulse of “Murder” and the whirling guitar pop of “Ragdoll,” and no one can ever accuse Ashlee of lacking energy. All in all, Bittersweet World is more of a party than her earlier efforts, but still a plastic, manufactured one at that.Ashley Tisdale Guilty PleasureBeastie Boys To the 5 BoroughsBeck The InformationBlack Kids Partie TraumaticBritney Spears Oops!...I Did It AgainBritney Spears ...Baby One More TimeColdplay X&YDJ Sprinkles Midtown 120 BluesElectric Six FireFlo Rida R.O.O.T.S.French Kicks SwimmingGuillemots RedHot Chip Made in the DarkJay-Z Kingdom ComeJessie James Jessie JamesJimmy Eat World Chase This LightKasabian KasabianKings of Leon Only By The NightLil Wayne Tha Carter IIIAn overblown, bloated, scattered collection of egoism that had just as many misfires as it had genuine hits. 2008 was without doubt the year of Weezy, but there is such a thing as too much Weezy; the over-saturation of Lil Wayne on the airwaves led to Tha Carter III as not having much more than that which you haven’t already heard. It was ambitious and defiantly creative, but not the modern rap masterpiece many critics made it out to be.Linkin Park Minutes to MidnightMariah Carey Memoirs of an Imperfect AngelMiley Cyrus BreakoutModest Mouse Good News For People Who Love Bad NewsMy Morning Jacket Evil UrgesNeutral Milk Hotel On Avery IslandOasis Standing On The Shoulder Of GiantsOasis The MasterplanOasis Heathen ChemistryOf Montreal Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?Panic! At the Disco A Fever You Can't Sweat OutRaconteurs Broken Boy SoldiersRazorlight Slipway FiresScarlett Johansson Anywhere I Lay My HeadSecret Machines Secret MachinesSlim Thug Boss of all BossesT-Pain Thr33 RingzTapes N Tapes Walk It OffThe songs on this latest record are more easily categorized under indie rock than the grab bag of styles that marked 2006’s The Loon, and while this increased focus benefits the overall flow of the album, some of the songs tend to sound too similar. The funky guitar line and fixed bass on “Hang Them All” imparts a sense of urgency that characterizes Walk It Off, as if the band is desperately trying to tell someone that they matter. Singer Josh Grier’s warbly vocals will either be a turn off or a pleasure depending on the listener, although on songs such as “Headshock” they make the song. Aside from the tango-ish tune “Conquest” and the relaxed vibe of “Say Back Something,” most of Walk It Off suffers from the Strokes Syndrome, or sounding remarkably the same throughout much of the record, that has afflicted too many guitar-rock bands in recent memory. The Bravery The BraveryThe Fiery Furnaces Blueberry BoatThe Fiery Furnaces Rehearsing My ChoirThe Fray How to Save a LifeThe Fray The FrayThe Sounds Crossing the RubiconUsher Here I StandWeezer The Red AlbumAt this point, it’s hard to say that Weezer’s latest was a real disappointment, as I’ve expected nothing but that from this once-proud band since 2005 (yes, I hung on even after Maladroit). The Red Album was trumpeted as the band’s comeback, and while it showed a few fading signs of the old Weezer, the band’s delusions of grandeur and Cuomo’s declining lyrical abilities made it instead a last gasp, “Pork and Beans” reminding me only of what could have been.Wolf Parade At Mount Zoomer1.5 very poorArctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am....Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Some Loud ThunderDeath From Above 1979 Romance Bloody RomanceDiscovery LPJessica Simpson Do You KnowJonas Brothers Lines, Vines and Trying TimesMiley Cyrus The Time of Our LivesRazorlight RazorlightRyan Adams 29The Apples in Stereo Velocity Of Sound1 awfulGirl Talk Secret DiaryKevin Federline Playing with FireP.O.D. When Angels And Serpents DanceParis Hilton ParisPussycat Dolls Doll DominationWeezer Make Believe
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