| 4.5 superb |
| 4hero Parallel Universe |
| A Tribe Called Quest People's Instinctive Travels & The Paths of Rhythm |
| ABBA ABBA Gold |
| Against Me! Reinventing Axl Rose |
| Agalloch Ashes Against the Grain |
| Air Moon Safari |
| Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill |
| Alice in Chains Jar of Flies |
| Anathema We're Here Because We're Here |
| Anberlin New Surrender |
| Andrew Jackson Jihad Knife Man |
| Andrew Lloyd Webber Highlights from The Phantom of the Opera |
| Animal Collective Feels |
| Animal Collective Spirit They're Gone... |
| Aphex Twin Selected Ambient Works 85-92 |
| Arcade Fire Funeral |
| Arcade Fire Neon Bible |
| Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am... |
| At the Drive-In Relationship of Command |
| Belle and Sebastian The Boy With the Arab Strap |
| Belle and Sebastian Dear Catastrophe Waitress |
| Belle and Sebastian The Life Pursuit |
| Bibio Silver Wilkinson |
| Bjork Post |
| Bjork Homogenic |
| Bjork Medúlla |
| Bjork Debut |
| Bjork Biophilia |
| blink-182 blink-182 |
| Bloc Party Intimacy |
| Blue Sky Black Death Late Night Cinema |
| Boards of Canada The Campfire Headphase |
| Boards of Canada Geogaddi |
| Bon Iver Bon Iver |
| Brand New Deja Entendu |
| Bright Eyes Cassadaga |
| Broken Social Scene You Forgot It In People |
| BT This Binary Universe |
| Burial Burial |
| Burial Kindred |
| Burial and Four Tet Moth/Wolf Club |
| Camp Lo Uptown Saturday Night |
| Catch 22 Keasbey Nights |
| Circle Takes The Square As the Roots Undo |
| Circle Takes The Square Decompositions: Volume Number One |
| so uh, i haven't heard it all the way through yet, but this is obviously a 5/5 i mean come on |
| Clint Mansell, Kronos Quartet & Mogwai The Fountain |
| Cocteau Twins Heaven Or Las Vegas |
| Converge Jane Doe |
| Converge Axe to Fall |
| CunninLynguists A Piece Of Strange |
| CunninLynguists Oneirology |
I always feel a little unjustified in slapping a 'classic' label on an album I just
listened to, but then it's as I say: "If you love it, so be it." Not having heard any of
CunninLynguists' albums prior to Oneirology, I can't comment on how well this stands
up to the trio's other efforts, what I can say, however, is that this is a work of art
conceptually, musically, and lyrically. The album is loosely based around the surrealistic
nature of dreams and the power of our subconscious (a theme that I've become obsessed with
recently). The music captures this perfectly, pushing the boundaries of contemporary hip-
hop with its dream-like aesthetic and clouded atmosphere. Certain sections border on
musical surrealism, such as the quirky left-field outro to 'Darkness,' while others work as
multifaceted infectious pop tracks ('Dreams'). In short, Oneirology is a gorgeous
hip-hop album that plays the gamut of emotion and works as an easily accessible masterpiece
whose songs should appeal to almost anyone who hears them.
It wasn't heaven that I was seeking but a haven I sought; a canvas of the mind painted
with my thoughts |
| Current 93 Thunder Perfect Mind |
| Cursive Domestica |
| Cursive The Ugly Organ |
| Cynic Traced in Air |
| Daft Punk Random Access Memories |
| the most danceable thing you'll listen to all year |
| Dan Mangan Nice, Nice, Very Nice |
| Dan Mangan Oh Fortune |
| Danny Elfman The Nightmare Before Christmas |
| Dark Time Sunshine ANX |
| What Sobhi said. |
| Dark Tranquillity Projector |
| David Wise Donkey Kong Country 2 Soundtrack |
| Dead Kennedys Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables |
| Death Cab for Cutie Plans |
| Deerhoof Deerhoof vs. Evil |
| If I had to pick a single word to define Deerhoof's Deerhoof vs. Evil i would choose 'quirky'. Of course, another word that comes to mind and at first is ?innocent,? which inherently makes this album sound endearing. This notion is obvious once the listener gets a taste of Satomi Matsuzaki's cutesy voice. Tracks like "Super Duper Rescue Head!" are absolutely adorable - seriously, who isn't smiling when Satomi delivers these lines: 'Me to the rescue, me to the rescue / Hello, Hello, you lucky so-and-so'. Satomi's voice is so fun to listen to in fact, that I would it disguises the complexity of a lot of the tracks, but that's a great thing really, as none of them come off as sickeningly ambiguous. What's most fascinating is how they can make engaging songs out of simplistic lyrical content ("Hey I Can") and employ artsy noise-rock without it coming off as bloated and nonsensical ("The Merry Barracks"). Don't overlook this one, folks, there are so many reasons to love Deerhoof vs. Evil. |
| Deerhunter Halcyon Digest |
| Deftones Diamond Eyes |
| Deftones Koi No Yokan |
| Demdike Stare Tryptych |
| What an ambitious voyage! The broad compass of Tryptych makes it difficult to write on and in the beginning perhaps a daunting task to listen to in its entirety, but make no mistake, this is one of the finest records of early 2011 for a myriad of reasons. Classically leading things off is "Forest Of Evil" (Dusk) and its corresponding (Dawn) - both of which delve into this brooding, paranoid sound that ventures on and moves into different patterns throughout the course of 24 minutes (and these are just 2 of 23 songs). Demdike Stare indulge in dark surrealism for 2 hours and 40 minutes without coming off as tiresomely overlong because of how varied and surprisingly earthly it all sounds. Those who think it's overwrought owe it to themselves to afford Tryptych the patience necessary for it to fully sink in. |
| Depeche Mode Violator |
| Disney Soundtracks Beauty and the Beast |
| DJ Shadow Endtroducing..... |
| Eisley The Valley |
| Eisley spare no time in getting to the point and drawing their listeners in with The Valley, an album that opens in an immediately infectious fashion with Stacy's blissful vocals on the title track. The lack of mainstream success for Eisley has always baffled me, and not because of my fanboy love for them, but rather because of how insanely catchy and accessible their songs are. Take "Smarter" for example: a pop-rock jaunt that invites comparisons to artists like Paramore. Even the emotionally fraught numbers here are presented in a catchy as hell pop fashion ("Watch It Die," "Sad"). "Ambulance", arguably Eisley's best song to date, closes the album on such a gloom note that it seems almost inviting given the pop sheen of almost every other track. The album feels like it's been leading up to this release of despondence and results in their most emotionally conscious song to date. |
| El-P Cancer 4 Cure |
| Electric Light Orchestra Time |
| Elliott Smith Either/Or |
| Elliott Smith From a Basement on the Hill |
| Eluvium Copia |
| Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP |
| Emperor Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire... |
| Explosions in the Sky The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place |
| Fair to Midland Arrows and Anchors |
| I might actually like this more than Fables. The thing is, I originally adored Fables, I think I may even recall calling it one of the most enjoyable records of '07, but after revisiting it recently I can't help but lose interest because of how homogenous it is. After re-listening, I can't seem to recall a more formulaic album of that year, but I shouldn't complain too much - the formula worked well enough and there are still a lot of tracks worthy of salvaging. I have to admit, I was skeptical about Arrows and Anchors. While Fables' formula worked well enough, I knew that it couldn't be done twice without their audience losing interest. I'm a little taken aback by how much they've matured. This is a complete shocker, an album that feels progressive and sounds different all the way through. |
| Faith No More Angel Dust |
| Fall Out Boy Infinity On High |
| Fear Before The Always Open Mouth |
| Fleet Foxes Helplessness Blues |
| Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac |
| Floex Zorya |
| Florence and the Machine Lungs |
| 2009 was a fantastic year for pop music; whether it be this, Animal Collective, Mew, or fun., there were just a lot of happy, endearing albums. Florence and the Machine's Lungs is not only one of the more intriguing and immediately absorbing of these, but it's also the debut album of the year. Vocally similar to Natasha Khan, but completely different conceptually. The highlights are all such strong points that this album at times feels deserving of a 5. Dog Days Are Over, Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up), Between Two Lungs, Blinding, and Cosmic Love are all contenders for best pop songs of the year. |
| Florence and the Machine Ceremonials |
| Flying Lotus Cosmogramma |
| Frank Ocean Channel Orange |
| Firmly cements Frank Ocean's position as far and away the most talented member of the Odd Future collective. |
| Gaza No Absolutes In Human Suffering |
| Genesis Foxtrot |
| Genesis Selling England by the Pound |
| Genesis The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway |
| Gnarls Barkley St. Elsewhere |
| Godspeed You! Black Emperor Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas... |
| Godspeed You! Black Emperor F#A# (Infinity) |
| Godspeed You! Black Emperor Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada |
| Gorillaz Demon Days |
| Gospel The Moon Is a Dead World |
| Grimes Visions |
| Visions is an atmospheric work of genius. Drawing from several genres such as: IDM, Industrial, New-Age, Pop, etc., young Canadian producer/vocalist Claire Boucher has created her most focused and impassioned work to date. Its sound invites comparisons that range from the textural, drugged out electronics of Aphex Twin to the soothing calm of Enya's delicate voice, all the while sounding like it's charting unexplored territory. With skilful production techniques and blissful vocals, Visions ends up being a record that far and away exceeded my impossibly high expectations after hearing "Oblivion", and given the right amount of time to set in, it may just very well end up as one of the year's best. |
| GZA Beneath the Surface |
| Hop Along Get Disowned |
| How to Dress Well Love Remains |
| How to Dress Well Just Once |
| In Flames Reroute to Remain |
| In Flames Come Clarity |
| Iron Maiden Powerslave |
| Iron Maiden The Number of the Beast |
| Iron Maiden Iron Maiden |
| Iron Maiden Seventh Son of a Seventh Son |
| James Blake Klavierwerke |
| James Blake Overgrown |
| Janelle Monae The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III of IV) |
| Jedi Mind Tricks Violent By Design |
| Honestly, does rap get any better than this? This is exactly what rap should be; dark, dense and intense. The lyrical themes are intricate and relevant to real worldly issues, and the samples are all so fitting in context to their songs. An absolute must for fans of rap; an excellent start for those skeptical of the genre. |
| Jeff Buckley Grace |
| Jeff Buckley Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk |
| Jesper Kyd Assassin's Creed 2 |
| John Mayer Continuum |
| John Talabot Fin |
| Jonsi Go |
| A contrast from the entirety of Sigur Ros' discography, although it seemed blatantly obvious from Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust that Jonsi was delving into poppier realms. Go picks up from that point and further shows his foray into more accessible, happier pop music, with tracks like 'Go Do', 'Animal Arithmetic' and 'Boy Lilikoi', exuding energy and being catchy. This is recommended for those who have been following Sigur Ros and for those who thought Jonsi's work with Sigur Ros was laden with dissonance |
| Judas Priest Painkiller |
| Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy |
| Obnoxious, chauvinistic, crude, arrogant, presumptuous, egotistical - they are all words pertaining to Kanye West's persona, but let's give credit where it's due: he's a god damn genius. Despite whatever your perspective of the man is, we can't deny that he's a marketing aficionado. Whether he's sampling Daft Punk's well-known, infectious electronica anthem 'Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger' or collaborating with any number of artists, he's done his part in making himself relevant in pop culture and has become the subject of much controversy (his proclamation of being the 'new Michael Jackson' and his recent notorious spiel at the Video Music Awards Ceremony during which he publicly embarrassed Taylor Swift.) Up until this point, his personality has been swiftly conveyed through his albums in such an in-your-face manner that it's off-putting and difficult to enjoy the music of a man who's so clearly riding a wave of vanity all the way to the top of the charts. However, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is a statement - something that could only derive from the psyche of someone as sporadic and odd as Kanye; distinguishing itself from anything the boisterous star has done in the past, while still feeling comfortable enough to retain old fans. |
| Kashiwa Daisuke Program Music I |
| More people need to hear this, this is near musical perfection. Stella is simply put, one of the greatest songs ever made. The instrumentation is pure bliss, and never before has violin sounded so beautiful, uplifting, dark, and evoked so much emotion. The prodcution is perfect, crisp and clear. Don't let the length of the tracks put you off, you will slip into them as softly and willingly as you do your bed after a hard day's work. |
| Katatonia Night Is the New Day |
| Kate Bush The Sensual World |
| Kate Bush The Kick Inside |
| Kate Bush 50 Words for Snow |
| Kayo Dot Choirs of the Eye |
| Killer Mike R.A.P. Music |
| Killer Mike's R.A.P. Music plants its flag high for all to see, imparting new life to the realm of hip-hop in doing so. Mike, via El-P's production, simultaneously channels the contemporary styling of Big Boi and peak '90s Ice Cube, drawing on the compositional prowess of the former and honing the powerful emceeing abilities of the latter. This blend of nuanced sounds and slick beats juxtaposed with Mike's engrossing narrative produces great results, and Mike's convictions are in plain view: "Mother fucker, my dad was a cop/You don't think I know a dirty ass cop when I see one?/Shake down, take down, disrespecting the badge!" ("Don't Die"). His words are poignant, and the music itself feels like some grand hip-hop revitalization; made to be be huge but fated to be overlooked by many. "Rap is my religion" |
| Kurt Vile Wakin on a Pretty Daze |
| Laura Stevenson Wheel |
| Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy |
| Linkin Park Meteora |
| Lostprophets Start Something |
| Start Something is an intrepid release from an otherwise safe-played band. Such distinguishing characteristics are heard from songs such as the title track, to the truculent 'We are Godzilla, you're Japan', to the culminating 'Sway', which seems out of character in an experimental sense, but acts as the strongest song Lostprophets have written thus far. Overall, a surprising listen from a band you likely wouldn't expect. |
| M.I.A. Kala |
| M.I.A. Maya |
| M83 Hurry Up, We're Dreaming |
| Madvillain Madvillainy |
| Manchester Orchestra Mean Everything To Nothing |
| Marijuana Deathsquads Tamper, Disable, Destroy |
| Massive Attack Mezzanine |
| It's somewhat difficult for me to imagine the same artists who made the disappointing Blue Lines have crafted an album this captivating. The first four songs all rank among their best, and some of the finest songs of all time. "Tear Drop", "Risingson", "Inertia Creeps", and "Dissolved Girl" are some of the best songs of the 90's. "Inertia Creeps" in particular is aural bliss with its layers of sound and euphoric feel; the album has constant displays of this euphoria while remaining dark in scope that allows for drug adduced imagery. The hyperbole cannot be argued with, this is clearly Massive Attack's best album and is the epitome of exceptional trip-hop music. They are going to have to go above and beyond to top Mezzanine. |
| Max Richter The Blue Notebooks |
| Megadeth Rust in Peace |
| Megadeth Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? |
| Mesa Verde The Old Road |
| Wow, my soundoff for this was fucking awful. |
| Metallica Master of Puppets |
| Metallica Ride the Lightning |
| Mew No More Stories |
| mewithoutYou Brother, Sister |
| mewithoutYou It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's all |
| MF DOOM Special Herbs: The Box Set |
| Minutemen Double Nickels On the Dime |
| Mono Hymn To The Immortal Wind |
| Mount Eerie Clear Moon |
| Mount Eerie Ocean Roar |
| My Bloody Valentine Isn't Anything |
| My Chemical Romance The Black Parade |
| Nas Illmatic |
| Niechec Smierc w miekkim futerku |
| Noir Dsir Veuillez rendre l'âme (à qui elle appartient) |
| Noisia Split The Atom |
| Nujabes Modal Soul |
| Nujabes Spiritual State |
| What a damn shame it is that Jun Seba's life came to a tragic end at such a young age. This posthumous album is the perfect way to celebrate his life and everything he's accomplished, though. The jazz-tinged hip-hop beats here are some of the best associated with his name, and we honestly couldn't have asked for a more suitable and enjoyable album; it's soothing, meditative, and aptly titled. Rest in peace, sir. |
| Oasis (What's The Story) Morning Glory? |
| Our Lady Peace Spiritual Machines |
| Our Lady Peace Clumsy |
| Our Lady Peace Happiness is not a fish that you can catch |
| Outkast Stankonia |
| Outkast Aquemini |
| Owen I Do Perceive |
| P.O.D. Greatest Hits: The Atlantic Years |
| P.O.S. Audition |
| Panic! At the Disco A Fever You Can't Sweat Out |
| Parades Foreign Tapes |
| Passion Pit Gossamer |
| Here it is everyone: the indisputably feel-good pop album of 2012. Well, at least that's how it sounds on the surface, though it's admittedly kind of ironic to label it 'feel-good' with lines like "Love is just greed/It's almost taking me" and "It's not fair; still I'm the only one that seems to care". Angelakos is extremely adept in fabricating insanely infectious hooks, despite his overlying themes of cynicism and nearly self-pitying nature. And therein lies Angelakos' strongest trait: his ability to keep to his deeply personal side without letting it dominate the music. Whereas Angelakos' emotions sometimes overstepped the music on Manners, he shows more restraint and tact on Gossamer, purging his emotions through yearning and desire tinged with melancholy. Tracks like "Take a Walk" and "Constant Conversations" are wistful pop songs, finding Anegelakos capable of evoking emotion while satiating a craving for hooks and choruses suitable for the feverish heat of summer. It's hard not to get hooked, even when his lyrics seem to completely betray a feeling of immense happiness. |
| Pink Floyd Animals |
| Pixies Best of Pixies: Wave of Mutilation |
| Public Enemy Fear of a Black Planet |
| Queen A Night at the Opera |
| Queen A Day at the Races |
| Queens of the Stone Age ...Like Clockwork |
| Racebannon In the Grips of the Light |
| Radiohead TKOL RMX 1234567 |
| Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt II |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication |
| Red House Painters Red House Painters I |
| Rivet Amid The Roar |
| Rush Moving Pictures |
| Rush Clockwork Angels |
| Simply put: Clockwork Angels is Rush's best album in 30 years. Moreover, it's an album that challenges Rush's heydey material and sees a return to the concept album. Neil Peart, through a loosely tethered narrative, casts a young man pursuing his dreams in a world of chaos and fantastical steampunk themes. I shan't delve too much into it, but know that it's typical Rush (that is to say it's goofy but awesome). The music at hand far overshadows that of Rush's 2007 misfire Snakes & Arrows; it's far more proggy (but doesn't compromise the hooks), focused, and polished. Through a convoluted plot, Clockwork Angels (unsurprisingly) comes full circle in the end, and, beyond its intrinsical narrative, it's very musical. Neil Peart is at the top of his game: his acuity of technicality makes his playing sound second-nature to him -- so unmanufactured and instinctive. Likewise, Geddy Lee's bass playing is masterfully mixed and given more prominence than on previous albums, easily servicing to be a highlight. It may be a little difficult to digest at first, as Rush albums are wont to do, typically being exhaustively long, but it's a ridiculously strong musical statement, and a fine, fine return to form. In fact, I'd like to amend my original statement to this: Clockwork Angels might just be Rush's best album, period. |
| Sadistik Flowers For My Father |
| Saves the Day Stay What You Are |
| Say Anything ...Is a Real Boy |
| Say Anything In Defense of the Genre |
| Scott Walker The Drift |
| Secede Bye Bye Gridlock Traffic |
| Shearwater The Golden Archipelago |
| Shpongle Ineffable Mysteries From Shpongleland |
| Sigh Hangman's Hymn |
| Sigur Ros Ágætis Byrjun |
| Sigur Ros ( ) |
| Undoubtedly Sigur Ros' magnum opus, and one of the greatest albums of all time. Vaka is gripping and sad, Samskeyti is fraught with emotion and would likely see its place in my top 10 greatest songs of all time, and Popplagio evokes a brooding frame of mind and features some of the best drumming to be heard in modern music. Hopelandic (a language spoken by only Jon Birgisson) is essentially meaningless syllables but it fits the context of the music so well that its pretension is excusable. There's not much I can say to do this album justice, it needs to be heard in its entirety; this is essential listening to anyone who appreciates meaningful music. |
| Sigur Ros Takk... |
| Sigur Ros Heima (DVD) |
| Slint Spiderland |
| Snow Patrol Eyes Open |
| Soundtrack Metroid Prime & Fusion: Original Soundtracks |
| Soundtrack Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog |
| Steve Reich Music for 18 Musicians |
| Streetlight Manifesto Everything Goes Numb |
| Streetlight Manifesto Somewhere in the Between |
| Streetlight Manifesto The Hands That Thieve |
| you know it's good when 4.5s are bringing down the overall average |
| Styx Greatest Hits |
| Submotion Orchestra Fragments |
| Almost as good as Finest Hour. |
| Sufjan Stevens Illinois |
| Sufjan Stevens The Age of Adz |
| Sun Kil Moon April |
| Swallow The Sun The Morning Never Came |
| Swans The Seer |
| Swarms Old Raves End |
| This may very well end up being the record of the year for me with subsequent listens. |
| Tangerine Dream Phaedra |
| Taylor Swift Speak Now |
| The Angelic Process Weighing Souls with Sand |
| The Antlers Burst Apart |
| The Beatles Rubber Soul |
| The Beatles Abbey Road |
| The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour |
| The Cinematic Orchestra Motion |
| The Cinematic Orchestra Ma Fleur |
| The Cinematic Orchestra Les Ailes Pourpres |
| this is astonishingly good. seriously, anyone that happens upon this page, do yourself a favour and check this out. |
| The Decemberists Picaresque |
| The Flashbulb Soundtrack to a Vacant Life |
| The Knife Tomorrow, In a Year |
| The Mars Volta De-Loused in the Comatorium |
| The Mars Volta Frances the Mute |
| The Mountain Goats Transcendental Youth |
| The National Boxer |
| The National High Violet |
| The Orb Orbs Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld |
| The Police Reggatta de Blanc |
| The Polyphonic Spree Together We're Heavy |
| The Pop Group Y |
| The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed |
| The Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream |
| The Tallest Man on Earth There's No Leaving Now |
| Thursday Full Collapse |
| Thursday No Devolucion |
| Titus Andronicus The Monitor |
| Tori Amos Little Earthquakes |
| Tricky Maxinquaye |
| Trophy Scars Hospital Music |
| wow my soundoffs in 2010 were baaaaaaad |
| Trophy Scars Bad Luck |
| Trophy Scars Darkness, Oh Hell |
| Underoath Define the Great Line |
| Warning Watching from a Distance |
| Weezer Pinkerton |
| Why? Mumps, Etc. |
| Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot |
| Wilco The Whole Love |
| Women Public Strain |
| 4.0 excellent |
| 65daysofstatic One Time for All Time |
| A Perfect Circle Thirteenth Step |
| A Perfect Circle Mer de Noms |
| Agnes Obel Philharmonics |
| Amon Tobin ISAM |
| Anaal Nathrakh In the Constellation of the Black Widow |
| Anberlin Cities |
| Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion |
| Animal Collective Fall Be Kind |
| Animal Collective Centipede Hz |
| Arcade Fire The Suburbs |
oh shit
this is AWESOME.
a 5 in the first listen, i ve never expect this can top any arcade fire release, i was sceptic about it but this is just godly. Holy shit!!!!!?!?!?!!!!!124'nnrw!!
|
| Arctic Monkeys Favourite Worst Nightmare |
| As Cities Burn Come Now Sleep |
| ASAP Rocky LongLiveA$AP |
| At the Gates Slaughter of the Soul |
| Autechre Amber |
| Avenged Sevenfold City of Evil |
| Bad Religion Against the Grain |
| Bat For Lashes Two Suns |
| Baths Cerulean |
| BATS Red In Tooth and Claw |
| Belle and Sebastian Tigermilk |
| Big Boi Sir Lucious Left Foot |
| Billy Talent Billy Talent II |
| Black Sabbath Master of Reality |
| Black Sabbath Black Sabbath |
| Bloc Party Silent Alarm |
| Bloc Party Four |
| ti0n: well, that might be because both intimacy and four are better than silent alarm. |
| Blu and Exile Below the Heavens |
| Blue Hawaii Untogether |
| Blue Sky Black Death NOIR |
| Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago |
| Boris New Album |
| Braids Native Speaker |
| Brand New Daisy |
| I understand that Brand New reinvent themselves with each new album, and the same applies for Daisy. However, it feels more like a regression both lyrically and musically for Brand New. Certain songs are just clear duds: 'Bed' bores; 'You Stole' drags; 'Bought A Bride' is almost inaudible, and amongst these are some good- great songs. The extremely misleading opener 'Vices' ends up being a highlight, and 'At The Bottom' may be the best song of 2009. Despite its flaws, it's still an enjoyable listen with some great songs to be heard, but disappoints overall. |
| Broken Bells Broken Bells |
| BT ESCM |
| Burial Truant/Rough Sleeper |
| Camera Obscura Let's Get Out of This Country |
| Cee Lo Green The Lady Killer |
| Circa Survive On Letting Go |
| Circle Takes The Square Circle Takes the Square |
| Coheed and Cambria In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 |
| Coheed and Cambria The Second Stage Turbine Blade |
| Coheed and Cambria From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness |
| Coheed and Cambria The Afterman: Ascension |
| Coldplay Viva La Vida |
| Converge All We Love We Leave Behind |
| Cradle of Filth Nymphetamine |
| Crystal Castles Crystal Castles II |
| Crystal Castles Crystal Castles III |
| Current 93 Baalstorm, Sing Omega |
| Cynic Carbon-Based Anatomy |
| Daft Punk Discovery |
| Danny Brown XXX |
| Dark Tranquillity The Mind's I |
| Daughters Canada Songs |
| after all of these years my thoughts about this album remain the same: it's a short, cacophonous mess, and it freaking rules because of that. |
| Dead Can Dance The Serpent's Egg |
| Death Cab for Cutie Narrow Stairs |
| Deerhoof Breakup Song |
| Deerhunter Microcastle |
| Defeater Travels |
| Disney Soundtracks Mulan |
| Disney Soundtracks The Hunchback of Notre Dame |
| Drake Take Care |
| dredg El Cielo |
| Eleventh He Reaches London Hollow Be My Name |
| Eminem The Slim Shady LP |
| Emperor In the Nightside Eclipse |
| Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) What It Takes To Move Forward |
| Fair to Midland Fables From a Mayfly |
| Fall Out Boy From Under The Cork Tree |
| Fleetwood Mac Tango In The Night |
| Fleetwood Mac Tusk |
| Foals Total Life Forever |
| Foals Holy Fire |
| is nice. is very very nice. |
| Future Of The Left The Plot Against Common Sense |
| Glassjaw Worship and Tribute |
| Hammock Departure Songs |
some of these soundoffs are hilarious - especially lucidity's... seriously, that is just
retarded. |
| Have A Nice Life Deathconsciousness |
| Hilltop Hoods Drinking From The Sun |
| HORSE the band Desperate Living |
| Hugh Laurie Didn't It Rain |
| Incubus Make Yourself |
| Interpol Turn on the Bright Lights |
| Jack's Mannequin Everything In Transit |
| James Blake Enough Thunder |
| James Horner Casper |
| Justin Timberlake FutureSex/LoveSounds |
| Kansas Leftoverture |
| Katatonia Dead End Kings |
| Greatness yet again |
| Kate Bush Aerial |
| Kent Vapen & ammunition |
| KiD CuDi Indicud |
| Lana Del Rey Born to Die |
| Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin |
| Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV |
| Lindstrom Smalhans |
| Linkin Park Hybrid Theory |
| Lovelock Burning Feeling |
| M83 Before The Dawn Heals Us |
| Mae (e)vening |
| Holy. Fucking. Shit... |
| Manchester Orchestra Simple Math |
| Maps & Atlases Beware and Be Grateful |
| Marina and The Diamonds Electra Heart |
| maudlin of the Well Bath |
| Megadeth Endgame |
| Metric Fantasies |
| Mew And the Glass Handed Kites |
| Mew Frengers |
| mewithoutYou A to B: Life |
| mewithoutYou Ten Stories |
| Michael Giacchino Lost: Season 1 |
| Mogwai Mr. Beast |
| Mumford and Sons Sigh No More |
| Muse Origin of Symmetry |
| Mutyumu Ilya |
| My Bloody Valentine Loveless |
| My Chemical Romance Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge |
| Neverending White Lights Act II: The Blood And The Life Eternal |
| Nirvana In Utero |
| Of Monsters and Men My Head is an Animal |
| OneRepublic Native |
| Opeth Watershed |
| Our Lady Peace Gravity |
| Our Lady Peace Healthy In Paranoid Times |
| P.O.D. Murdered Love |
| Panda Bear Tomboy |
| Panic! At the Disco Pretty. Odd. |
| Panic! At the Disco Vices & Virtues |
| Pantha Du Prince Black Noise |
| Paramore Riot! |
| Paramore Brand New Eyes |
| Passion Pit Manners |
| Pavement Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain |
| Pg. 99 Document #8 |
| Pianos Become the Teeth The Lack Long After |
| Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon |
| Pixies Trompe Le Monde |
| Pixies Bossanova |
| Pixies Come On Pilgrim |
| Porcupine Tree The Incident |
| Portico Quartet Portico Quartet |
| Queensryche Queensryche |
| Quietdrive When All That's Left Is You |
| Radiohead The Bends |
| Regina Spektor Far |
| Rise Against The Sufferer and the Witness |
| Rivet Grifter/Sundry |
| Rush 2112 |
| Russian Circles Empros |
| Saosin Translating the Name |
| Shearwater Animal Joy |
| Shinedown The Sound Of Madness |
| Sigh In Somniphobia |
| No one can ever accuse Sigh of lacking innovation, that much is sure, but what of this album? Well, it is absolutely fucking nuts. Refusing to ever sit still, and utilizing congas, accordion, flutes, theremin, etc., Sigh create a sound unlike anything you're going to hear all year. From the tastefully bluesy number (yep, lounge-metal) "Amnesia", to the demented circus that is "Far Beneath The In-Between"(seriously, Nightwish should take notes), In Somniphobia is an incredibly challenging album, marrying all of Sigh's best traits and adding new tricks to the mix. Progressive, avant-garde, experimental, psychedelic - In Somniphobia is a metal album pushing the envelope, challenging the conventions of metal while borrowing from the past (Imaginary Sonicscape). |
| Sigur Ros med sud i eyrum vio spilum endalaust |
| Sigur Ros Valtari |
| Silversun Pickups Carnavas |
| Silversun Pickups Swoon |
| Sixx:A.M. Heroin Diaries Soundtrack |
| Sole and the Skyrider Band Plastique |
| Sole and the Skyrider Band Hello Cruel World |
| To hell with Adam Thomas. Seriously, who the hell does he think he is? |
| Soulsavers The Light The Dead See |
| Soundtrack Moulin Rouge! - Music From Baz Luhrmann's Film |
| Soundtrack Across the Universe |
| Soundtrack Super Metroid Soundtrack |
| Soundtrack (500) Days of Summer |
| State Faults Desolate Peaks |
| Streetlight Manifesto Keasbey Nights |
| Sufjan Stevens All Delighted People |
| Taking Back Sunday Louder Now |
| Tame Impala Lonerism |
| Taylor Swift Fearless |
| Taylor Swift Red |
| The Academy Is... Almost Here |
| The Avalanches When I Met You |
| The Beatles A Hard Day's Night |
| The Beatles Let It Be |
| The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band |
| The Birthday Massacre Violet |
| The Birthday Massacre Walking With Strangers |
| The Chemical Brothers Dig Your Own Hole |
| The Dear Hunter Act III: Life and Death |
| The Devin Townsend Project Ghost |
| The Dillinger Escape Plan Calculating Infinity |
| The Dillinger Escape Plan Option Paralysis |
| The Fall of Troy Doppelganger |
| The Killers Hot Fuss |
| The Last Shadow Puppets The Age Of The Understatement |
| The Mars Volta The Bedlam in Goliath |
| The Men Open Your Heart |
| The Monkees Greatest Hits |
| The Roots Do You Want More?!!!??! |
| The Roots undun |
| The Roots are the most consistently great hip-hop band of all time. Such a statement is daringly bold, but I can't at this time think of any other group out there who've managed to keep in with the current trends without sounding somewhat disingenuous in doing so. How I Got Over is the most obvious indicator of this: The Roots made their sound considerably more streamlined, but they were still able to one-up the vast majority of their contemporaries in doing so. Now, undun falls somewhere in the middle of that new-age hip-hop sound and their edgier, more raw approach. The Roots are managing to churn out some rof their best material on this concept record; atmospheric, aggressive, and...classical? undun is an incredibly varied and honed sound for the band and sends us a simple message: The Roots are still kicking serious ass! |
| The Shins Chutes Too Narrow |
| The Shins Wincing the Night Away |
| The Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness |
| The Veils Time Stays, We Go |
| The Wednesday Club Passing Strange |
| The Weeknd Thursday |
| The Weeknd Echoes of Silence |
"After all is said and done, House of Balloons wins based purely on the catchiness of the
thing."
It isn't a contest and that's a really shallow perception! Seriously though, this album is
really good - definitely more enjoyable than Thursday on the whole. |
| Thursday War All the Time |
| Thursday A City By the Light Divided |
| tUnE-yArDs w h o k i l l |
| U2 The Joshua Tree |
| Various Artists (Hip Hop) 8 Mile OST |
| VOICEsVOICEs Origins EP |
| Why? Alopecia |
| Xavier Rudd White Moth |
| Yann Tiersen Dust Lane |
| Oh my god this is amazing. |
| Yellowcard Ocean Avenue |
| Yellowcard Lights and Sounds |
| Yo La Tengo Fade |
| oh my gawd. this album, man |
| Youth Lagoon Wondrous Bughouse |
