| 12 Stones 12 Stones | 3.0 |
| A Perfect Circle Thirteenth Step | 4.0 |
| A Perfect Circle Mer de Noms | 3.5 |
| A Tribe Called Quest Midnight Marauders | 4.5 |
| A Tribe Called Quest The Low End Theory | 4.0 |
| A Tribe Called Quest We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service | 4.0 |
| Aaron Sprinkle Lackluster | 3.5 |
| AC/DC Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap | 3.0 |
| AFI Sing the Sorrow | 4.0 |
| AFI Decemberunderground | 3.0 |
| AFI The Art of Drowning | 4.0 |
| AFI Black Sails in the Sunset | 3.5 |
| Against Me! Transgender Dysphoria Blues | 3.5 |
| Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill | 3.5 |
| Alkaline Trio From Here to Infirmary | 4.0 |
| Alter Bridge One Day Remains | 3.5 |
| American Football American Football | 4.0 |
| Amia Venera Landscape The Long Procession | 4.0 |
| Anathema Weather Systems | 4.0 |
| Anberlin Blueprints for the Black Market | 3.5 |
| Anberlin Cities | 4.5 |
| Anberlin Never Take Friendship Personal | 4.0 |
| Anberlin New Surrender | 3.5 |
| Anberlin Vital | 4.0 |
| Anchor and Braille Felt | 4.0 |
Historically, when the singer of a band branches off into a softer-than-the-original-band side or solo project, the result is almost always inferior to the "main" band (think Heavens or The Almost).
That is most certainly not the case with Anchor & Braille, the "side" project of Anberlin frontman Stephen Christian. Here, he creates a lo-fi Indie Rock band that sounds like the offspring of Copeland and Elliot Smith already in its 20's - young, brimming with energy but willing to take it slow so that you can "get it."
Christian's vocals match well with the music that's produced here; he's always front-and-center but never overpowers, and he provides many falsetto's (perhaps a bit too many, but it's a small complaint). The drums, with their liberal use of snare, are never unnoticed, sometimes sounding like they might fit right in on a Sigur Ros album. Actually, the entire album seems to have taken some slight influence from the Post Rock genre. It's a perfect c.d. to listen to while lounging in a coffee house, or driving at night.
It's a great success for Christian to branch away from his main band to create Anchor and Braille, and succeed at crafting such a fine album that is miles removed from that looming shadow (as it is pointed out in Waior's review, one can listen to the entire album without once thinking about Anberlin). And make no mistake: as much as 'Felt' has going for it, that I'd first liken it to Elliot Smith and Sigur Ros than to Anberlin is its greatest accomplishment. |
| Anderson .Paak Malibu | 4.0 |
| Anderson .Paak Ventura | 4.5 |
| Andrew Lloyd Webber Jesus Christ Superstar: Original Cast | 4.0 |
| Antemasque Antemasque | 3.5 |
| Arcade Fire Funeral | 4.0 |
| Art of Noise The Seduction of Claude Debussy | 3.5 |
| Art of Noise (Who's Afraid Of?) The Art Of Noise! | 3.5 |
| As I Lay Dying Frail Words Collapse | 3.5 |
| Asheru and Blue Black Soon Come... | 4.0 |
Most might know Asheru as the MC who raps the opening theme of the cartoon "The Boondocks," and helped write part of the MLK speech in the episode called "The Return of the King."
This album, released in 2001, showcases not only his skill as a rapper, but his character as a person.
You can tell that Asheru and Blue Black (both of the underground rap group The Unspoken Heard) really enjoy some jazz (they actually name drop a few artists in some of their songs, including Thelonious Monk); it permeates throughout the entire disc. In fact, there's a live cut on the album ("Live At Home") that was recorded in what is almost certainly a jazz nightclub. That's not to say that every rhyme is laid over a jazz beat; for example, the title track (one of the best songs on the album, IMO) is backed by a simple drum/piano beat. The lyrics Asheru rhymes are intelligent and meaningful, which is very indicative of its underground roots. In fact, Asheru strings together a comprehensible string of verbs in "Truly Unique" that would make even Greg Graffin (of Bad Religion) proud.
"Soon Come" as a whole maintains a consistent atmosphere, having a really calm, cool and relaxed feel (once again bringing about a comparison to jazz music). There's also a definite "old-skool revival" feel to the album, and it will certainly bring comparisons to more current artists such as Pharoahe Monch and Talib Kwali (especially Pharoahe Monch's "Desire"); perhaps even older MC's like Nas. Either way, any fan of hip-hop ought to find this album and take a listen--I guarantee you won't regret it. |
| At the Drive-In Relationship of Command | 4.5 |
| Audioslave Audioslave | 3.0 |
| Auditory Aphasia The Peripatetics | 3.0 |
| Avenged Sevenfold City of Evil | 3.5 |
| Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys | 2.5 |
| Bad Brains Bad Brains | 4.0 |
| Bad Meets Evil Hell: The Sequel | 4.0 |
| Bad Religion New Maps of Hell | 4.0 |
| Bad Religion Stranger Than Fiction | 3.5 |
| This c.d., "Stranger Than Fiction," is by no means there best (look to either side of the 90's to find those), but it is arguably the most accessible. Not only that, but it also holds a few of their biggest hits ever ('Infected', '21st Century (Digital Boy)'), as well as a few punk gems. If you're looking to get into this band, this (or perhaps "The Process of Belief") would be a good starting point. |
| Bad Religion The Empire Strikes First | 4.5 |
| This was the very first Bad Religion album I got to be excited for. After their powerhouse comeback 'The Process of Belief', Graffin, Gurewitz and gang were looking to continue riding the momentum wave brought on by Brett's huge splash back into the band. The result was this opus: 40 minutes of what is perhaps Bad Religion's most diverse, focused and cohesive record since 'Against the Grain', and my personal favorite of theirs.rAnyone who thinks that all BR songs sound the same need only to listen to this album to figure out how wrong they are. There's the intense dual-track opener ('Overture' and 'Sinister Rouge'), the poppy leanings of 'Los Angeles Is Burning', the mid-tempo romp of a title track, and the epic Orwellian 'Boot Stamping on a Human Face Forever'. Brett's side project Error even makes a guest spot on 'Beyond Electric Dreams', providing various electronic samples and spacey tones.rAll in all, this ranks as one of Bad Religion's best albums, staying true to the classic sounds they helped pioneer 20 years prior while branching out and experimenting beyond the expected. Make sure to give it a proper listen. |
| Bad Religion Into the Unknown | 3.0 |
| This album...good songs and bad songs. The synth gets tiring half way through, because Greg used the same exact sound for every song except one ("Million Days," the only song without a synthesizer, and one of the best on the album, IMO). Still...every now and then, it makes for an enjoyable listen, and a passable divergence from the Bad Religion we know and love today. |
| Bad Religion How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | 3.5 |
| Bad Religion Suffer | 4.0 |
| Bad Religion No Control | 4.0 |
| Bad Religion Against the Grain | 5.0 |
The third of Bad Religion's holy trinity, and to me personally, the best of the three. Here's where it all came together--the speed, the melody, the most gorgeous harmonies this side of 'Recipe For Hate', whatever entwines this band to your psyche, 'Against The
Grain' does it best.
This disc also contains some of the best songs in the band's multi-decade catalogue. "Modern Man," a no-holds-barred denigration of the human race, is an incredible Hole Shot of an opener. The title track, an atypical anthem for the ages, has been a fan-favorite
since the album's release. The original (and many would say 'better') version of "21st Century (Digital Boy)" appears here, unaware that it would become the band's biggest single in four years' time. And "Anesthesia," the first song on the album longer
than 2:00, is counted among the band's greatest achievements...and personally, that minute-long half-time outro is one of the best things Bad Religion has ever recorded.
Sure...'Suffer' is the "legendary" punk album. And maybe "No Control" is the "classic" Bad Religion album. But in my opinion, despite the filler, "Against The Grain" is Bad Religion's all-around "best" album. |
| Bad Religion Recipe for Hate | 3.5 |
| Bad Religion Generator | 3.5 |
| Bad Religion The Gray Race | 4.0 |
| A new guitarist. A major record label. Sounds like good progress for a band, right? Well, not Bad Religion. With Brett gone, it looked like Greg would have to tackle the whole writing process alone. And this album's the result. A lot of people pan this album (and the next two, of course) because one-half of that unstoppable tandem is gone. I, however, love it. This album contains some of Greg's best songs. The Streets of America is a scathing mid-tempo criticism of the culture of commerce, and Come Join Us ranks among Greg's best song lyrically. Cease and Punk Rock Song are also huge highlights. rI can, at least, understand why people don't like it, though there are people that will at least say that it's Bad Religion's best album of the "Unholy Trinity." But I will stand by my opinion that this is one of BR's best, and I'll continue to defend it against those who say otherwise. |
| Bad Religion The Process of Belief | 4.5 |
| Bad Religion Back to the Known | 3.5 |
| Bad Religion The New America | 3.0 |
| Bad Religion 30 Years Live | 4.0 |
Bad Religion doesn't disappoint. With Brett in the mix, the vocal harmonies ("oozin' ahhs") are amazingly strong and on point, and the sound quality is amazing. The tracklist is curious, as well: the exclusion of quite a few of their more popular songs ("Generator," "Infected," "21st Century (Digital Boy)," etc.) in favor of some of their not-as-often played material ("Man With A Mission," "Tomorrow," "Marked") are appreciated for not being a carbon copy of the tracklist from 'Live at the Palladium'.
I would've gladly paid for this. The fact that they released it for free is just icing on the cake. |
| Bad Religion The Dissent of Man | 3.5 |
| Bad Religion No Substance | 2.5 |
| Bad Religion True North | 4.0 |
| Bad Religion Age of Unreason | 3.0 |
| Bad Religion Christmas Songs | 3.5 |
| Becoming The Archetype Dichotomy | 3.5 |
| Beloved Failure On | 3.5 |
| Between Home And Serenity Power Weapons In The Complex | 3.0 |
| Between the Buried and Me Coma Ecliptic | 3.5 |
| Billy Talent Billy Talent | 4.0 |
| Bionic Jive Armageddon Through Your Speakers | 3.0 |
| Black Star Black Star | 4.5 |
| Blackalicious A2G | 3.5 |
| Blackalicious Blazing Arrow | 4.0 |
| Blackfield Welcome To My DNA | 3.5 |
| This is the album that truly sets Blackfield apart from Porcupine Tree. |
| Blindside Silence | 4.5 |
| Blindside About A Burning Fire | 4.0 |
| Blindside The Great Depression | 3.0 |
| Blindside A Thought Crushed My Mind | 2.5 |
| Blindside With Shivering Hearts We Wait | 3.5 |
| Bob Dylan Bringing It All Back Home | 5.0 |
There's nothing, nothing, NOT A FUCKING THING better to listen to on vinyl than this album. Not even ten seconds into
"Subterranean Homesick Blues," and however much you paid for your record player, and however long you spent looking for an
original pressing of this album, and however many times you had to bid on it on E-Bay without being sniped in the last 10
seconds...they ALL become worth it. |
| Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited | 4.0 |
| Bodyjar How It Works | 3.5 |
| Bodyjar Plastic Skies | 3.5 |
| Boysetsfire Tomorrow Come Today | 4.5 |
| Boysetsfire The Misery Index: Notes From The Plague | 4.0 |
| Boysetsfire After The Eulogy | 3.5 |
| Brand New Daisy | 4.0 |
| Brand New Deja Entendu | 4.5 |
| Brand New The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me | 4.0 |
| Brand New Science Fiction | 4.0 |
| Brand New Your Favorite Weapon | 3.5 |
| Breaking Benjamin We Are Not Alone | 2.5 |
| Breaking Benjamin Phobia | 2.5 |
| BT Movement In Still Life | 4.0 |
| BT These Hopeful Machines | 4.0 |
| BT This Binary Universe | 4.5 |
| BT Emotional Technology | 3.0 |
| BT Ima | 3.5 |
| BT ESCM | 4.0 |
| BT If The Stars Are Eternal So Are You And I | 3.5 |
| BT A Song Across Wires | 3.0 |
If you're going to listen to this album, it needs to be the Original Mix version, which has only one song that runs under six
minutes long.
This is BT once again showing his EDM side, and it takes after albums like 'These Hopeful Machines' and 'Movement In Still Life',
as opposed to 'This Binary Universe' and 'If The Stars Are Eternal...'. The thing is, all but two songs have features, so it's
almost like an album full of BT's versions of other people's music. The results are a mixed bag, to say the least--some songs,
like "Must Be The Love" and "Tomahawk," are excellent additions to BT's song catalogue, while "Letting Go" and "City Life" don't
work out quite as well. The best songs, "Skylarking" and "Vervoeren," are pure BT.As a whole, the album is pretty good as far as
commercialized EDM goes, but BT has much better albums even in that vein.
If you're trying to find out what the hype behind this guy is all about, this probably isn't the best place to start. |
| Caleb McAlpine Science Fiction | 4.0 |
| Catherine Wheel Chrome | 4.0 |
| Catherine Wheel Ferment | 4.0 |
| Celldweller Celldweller | 3.5 |
| Celldweller Wish Upon a Blackstar | 3.5 |
| Celldweller End of an Empire | 3.5 |
| Chamillionaire Ultimate Victory | 3.5 |
| Chapterhouse Whirlpool | 4.0 |
| Cherry Poppin Daddies Zoot Suit Riot | 3.0 |
| This is the album most people have heard from the Cherry Poppin' Daddies. It isn't an actual studio album; instead, it is a compilation of most (if not all) of their songs that conform to their "Swing Revival" side, as opposed to the Ska band that they really are. There are a few classics on here, such as the well-known "Zoot Suit Riot" and "Ding Dong Daddy...;" there are also a few hidden gems, like "Master and Slave" and "Drunk Daddy." All in all, while it may not be TRUE swing, it's a great listen every now and then, and serves as a reminder to why Swing dominated the music scene for a decade. |
| Chevelle Vena Sera | 3.0 |
| Chevelle Wonder What's Next | 3.5 |
| Chevelle This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In) | 3.5 |
| Circa Survive On Letting Go | 3.0 |
| Circa Survive Juturna | 3.5 |
| Cocteau Twins Heaven or Las Vegas | 4.0 |
| Coldplay Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends | 4.0 |
| Coldplay Prospekt's March | 3.5 |
| Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head | 3.5 |
| Coldplay Parachutes | 3.5 |
| Coldplay X&Y | 3.0 |
| Collide Chasing the Ghost | 3.5 |
| Common Be | 4.5 |
| Common Resurrection | 4.0 |
| Common Like Water for Chocolate | 3.5 |
| Common Black America Again | 3.5 |
| Cracker Kerosene Hat | 3.0 |
| Cynic Traced in Air | 4.0 |
| Daft Punk Discovery | 3.5 |
| Daft Punk Random Access Memories | 3.5 |
| DangerDoom The Mouse And The Mask | 4.0 |
| This is a joint effort between two people who are among the best at what they do. MF Doom spits rhymes that are smooth yet complex; Danger Mouse (famous as one/half of the duo known as Gnarls Barkley and prolific in his own right) is among the best producers/DJ in hip-hop today. Besides the magic that is guaranteed from a cooperation between those two, and besides the fact that the entire album is an homage to CN's Adult Swim programming block (full of name drops and cameos by the ATHF, Brak and Space Ghost, among others), this album is worth a listen because it makes for an excellent starting point to get into a gigantic underground/borderline-mainstream group of rappers, among whom are acclaimed MC's like Mos Def, Talib Kwali and Ghostface Killah, as well as lesser known artists like Asheru, The Black Lincolns, and Black Star. In case you aren't getting the message, you should listen to this album ASAP. As in right now. |
| Days Away Mapping An Invisible World | 4.5 |
| Not many people have heard of Days Away, which is a shame; they sound like Death Cab for Cutie meets Mae and hangs out with Sunny Day Real Estate. The album is really beautiful-sounding, you see; it has some nice rocking numbers (such as 'God and Mars'), but quite a few of the tracks are mid-tempo (the album does keep a nice pace throughout, however). The songs are varied in structure, yet they're all around the same length (every song excluding the first and last tracks are between 3:15 and 4:00). It never sounds boring, and the band incorporates some interesting sounds in their songs. The production is also top-notch, making sure each instrument is heard but does not drown out the singer (who, by the way, puts much emotion in his voice without sounding like he's trying too hard). This is a band I've tried really hard to get people into - hopefully this helps. |
| Days Away Ear Candy For The Headphone Trippers | 3.5 |
| Dead Letter Circus The Catalyst Fire | 4.0 |
| Dead Letter Circus This Is The Warning | 4.5 |
| Dead Letter Circus Aesthesis | 3.5 |
| Dead Poetic Vices | 3.0 |
| Deadmau5 For Lack of a Better Name | 3.5 |
| Deana Carter The Story of My Life | 3.0 |
| Deftones White Pony | 4.5 |
| Deftones Saturday Night Wrist | 4.0 |
| Deftones Deftones | 3.5 |
| Deftones Around the Fur | 3.5 |
| Deftones Diamond Eyes | 4.5 |
| Deftones Koi No Yokan | 4.0 |
| Deftones Ohms | 4.0 |
| Deltron 3030 Deltron 3030 | 3.5 |
| Demon Hunter The Triptych | 3.5 |
| Demon Hunter Summer of Darkness | 4.0 |
| Demon Hunter Storm the Gates of Hell | 3.5 |
| Demon Hunter Demon Hunter | 3.5 |
| Demon Hunter The World Is a Thorn | 4.0 |
| Descendents Milo Goes to College | 4.5 |
| Destrage Are You Kidding Me? No. | 4.5 |
| Destrage A Means to No End | 3.5 |
| Devin Townsend Ocean Machine: Biomech | 4.5 |
| Devin Townsend Terria | 3.5 |
| Devin Townsend Empath | 4.0 |
| Devin Townsend Project Addicted | 5.0 |
Back when AnotherBrick suggested that I check 'Addicted' out, I had no idea what I was in store for. Now, 10 years on, I can say without hyperbole that this may be the most important album that Sputnik has ever given me. Why? Well, it's the one that introduced me to Devin Townsend.
Devin is a maestro of melody, meticulously monitoring every minute of music for minutae that may be manipulated into marvelous masterworks of that magniloquent metal that makes up his MO. His wall-of-sound production is certainly fun, but what keeps me hanging on is the man himself. Townsend is your favorite guitar god's favorite guitar god, with an obsession for perfection that draws people to his music. And my GOD, his voice! On this album, however, he takes a step aside to let Anneke Van Giersbergen's atrium-filling vocals share top-billing (sometimes through entire songs). She provides a soaring, angelic counterpart to Devin's impossible growls, a combination so potent that Devin kept her on for four more albums (and counting).
When I first heard this album, I didn't realize that this was a sound that I had so sorely needed to hear. But the album title is prophetic--it is among the top 10 albums I have listened to the most in my life, and one that I continue to listen to to this day. For most people, a fun metal album with amazing vocals and huge sound. For me, a record that shook what I thought I knew about my musical preferences, and that I haven't been able to let go of for a decade. Absolutely a 5. |
| Devin Townsend Project Deconstruction | 3.5 |
| Devin Townsend Project Epicloud | 4.0 |
| Devin Townsend Project Z2 | 3.5 |
| Devin Townsend Project Transcendence | 4.5 |
| Disturbed The Sickness | 3.0 |
| Disturbed Ten Thousand Fists | 3.0 |
| DJ Shadow Endtroducing..... | 5.0 |
Never in music history has the phrase "more than the sum of its parts" been more applicable than with DJ Shadow's legendary
debut. The first album ever to be made entirely from samples, Shadow has taken bits and pieces from every corner of the record
store, and somehow managed to piece them together like Lego pieces to form one of the most beautiful records to come out of the
'90's.
Trip-hop has other classics, but neither the genre, nor modern music in general, has ever managed to produced an album that was
a work of art for more than simply the sounds it made. |
| Dr. Dre The Chronic | 4.0 |
| DragonForce Inhuman Rampage | 3.0 |
| Dream Theater Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory | 4.5 |
| Dream Theater Images and Words | 4.0 |
| Dream Theater Octavarium | 4.5 |
| Dream Theater Awake | 3.5 |
| Dream Theater Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence | 3.5 |
| Dream Theater Black Clouds and Silver Linings | 4.0 |
| Dream Theater Train of Thought | 3.5 |
| dredg El Cielo | 4.5 |
| dredg Catch Without Arms | 4.5 |
| dredg The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion | 3.5 |
| dredg Leitmotif | 3.5 |
| Dressy Bessy Pink Hearts Yellow Moons | 3.5 |
| Edge of Sanity Crimson | 3.5 |
| Eiffel 65 Europop | 2.5 |
| Eighteen Visions Obsession | 3.0 |
| Eisley The Valley | 3.5 |
| Element Eighty Element Eighty | 2.0 |
| Emerson, Lake and Palmer Tarkus | 3.5 |
| Emery The Question | 3.5 |
| Emery The Weak's End | 3.0 |
| Emery I'm Only A Man | 3.0 |
| Emery ...In Shallow Seas We Sail | 3.5 |
| Eminem The Slim Shady LP | 4.5 |
| Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP | 4.5 |
| Eminem The Eminem Show | 4.0 |
| Eminem Encore | 2.5 |
| Eminem Relapse | 2.0 |
| Eminem Recovery | 2.5 |
| Enigma MCMXC a.D. | 3.5 |
| Estelle Shine | 3.0 |
| Evanescence Fallen | 2.0 |
| Evitan Speed of Life | 4.0 |
| Explosions in the Sky The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place | 4.0 |
| Failure Fantastic Planet | 4.5 |
| Failure The Heart Is a Monster | 4.5 |
| Failure In The Future Your Body Will Be The Furthest Thing From Your Mind | 4.0 |
| Fair The Best Worst-Case Scenario | 3.5 |
| If you go to Tooth & Nail's website, you'll find the usual big bands (UnderOath, mewithout You, Anberlin, etc.)...but you also might find some great bands that hardly get any attention at all: Starflyer 59, Showbread, Far-Less, and these guys, among others. Aaron Sprinkle (the producer for a lot of those bands) fronts it, and they craft some nice, soft Pop-Rock songs--"Carelessness," in particular, is an amazingly beautiful song IMO. Very nice to drive to, or for something smarter and easier to listen to than, say, Mayday Parade. |
| Fair to Midland Fables From a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times is True | 4.5 |
| I've been listening to this album more than almost any other this year so far. And it's worth the repeat listens. It's really hard for me to describe the sound these guys create; it is at once complex and simplistic. I think a lot of that has to do with the lead vocalist, who puts a lot of dynamic in the band and drives a few of the songs. Or perhaps it's the keyboardist who is barely heard in the background of the album, yet adds so much to each song. Not sure...and to be frank, I don't care. All I know is that this album sounds better and better every time I listen to it, and I'd recommend it to fans of almost any type of music. |
| Fair to Midland Inter.Funda.Stifle | 3.5 |
| Fair to Midland Arrows and Anchors | 4.5 |
| Fall Out Boy Infinity on High | 3.5 |
| Fall Out Boy Folie a Deux | 3.0 |
| Finger Eleven Finger Eleven | 3.0 |
| Fleet Foxes Helplessness Blues | 4.0 |
| Fleet Foxes Crack-Up | 3.5 |
| Flight of the Conchords Flight of the Conchords | 3.5 |
| Flobots Fight with Tools | 3.5 |
| Flying Lotus Until the Quiet Comes | 4.5 |
| Flying Lotus You're Dead! | 4.5 |
| Flying Lotus Cosmogramma | 4.0 |
| Flying Lotus Los Angeles | 3.5 |
| Flyleaf Flyleaf | 3.0 |
| FM Static What Are You Waiting For? | 3.0 |
| Foo Fighters In Your Honor | 3.5 |
| Foo Fighters The Colour and the Shape | 4.0 |
| Foo Fighters Wasting Light | 4.0 |
| fun. Aim and Ignite | 3.5 |
| Funeral for a Friend Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation | 3.5 |
| Girl Talk Feed the Animals | 3.0 |
| Gnarls Barkley St. Elsewhere | 3.5 |
| Goo Goo Dolls Dizzy Up The Girl | 3.5 |
| Good Charlotte The Chronicles of Life and Death | 3.5 |
| I was worried when I received this as a present. I feared that it would be just the same ol' stuff--the high-school faux-pop-punk (it was fun back then, but it got kinda old). I was so pleasantly surprised, then, when I listened to this. No more mentions of Waldorf or "my dad walked out on me." Instead they take a look at different aspects of life; everything from cradle to grave. And they explore different styles on here, as well. They get a little harder on "Walk Away (Maybe)," get a little 90's pop on "I Just Wanna Live," and there's even a song ("The Truth") that's just piano, drums, and Joel singing his heart out. This is definitely a Good Charlotte I wouldn't mind hearing more of. |
| Good Charlotte The Young And The Hopeless | 2.5 |
| Good Charlotte Good Charlotte | 3.0 |
| GOOD Music Cruel Summer | 2.5 |
Maybe I had my hopes set too high. But when you have the likes of Common, John Legend, Kid Cudi, and a height-of-career Kanye
West, et. al. together on a single album, along with guest stars like Raekwon, Ghostface Killah and Jay-Z, what else should I
expect from G.O.O.D. Music other than...well, good music? But no; what we have instead is the disappointing result of a
collaboration that should have been the defining work of G.O.O.D., but instead is hardly even qualified to be called "good."
There are moments of brilliance here, of course--the production on "To The World" sounds like it could've been straight from the
mind of No I.D., and Ghostface Killah's appearance on "New God City" is the single best guest-star moment on the entire album
(actually, "New God City" as a whole is probably the best song here). But positives like these come few and far between the sub-
par lyrics ("Clique" is a notable offender), monotonous tempos, and too many boring, uninteresting beats. Factor in the fact
that this comes off the promises set by 'My Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy' and 'Watch The Throne', and you get an album that is
so, so much less than the sum of its parts. |
| Good Old War Only Way To Be Alone | 4.0 |
| Green Day Dookie | 3.5 |
| Green Day American Idiot | 3.5 |
| Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction | 3.5 |
| Guster Lost And Gone Forever | 4.0 |
| Guster Goldfly | 3.5 |
| Gym Class Heroes The Papercut Chronicles | 3.5 |
| Haiku d'Etat Haiku d'Etat | 3.0 |
| Hammock Raising Your Voice... Trying to Stop an Echo | 4.0 |
| Harvey Danger Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone? | 3.5 |
| Haste the Day Burning Bridges | 3.5 |
| Haste the Day When Everything Falls | 3.0 |
| Haste the Day Pressure the Hinges | 3.0 |
| Hawk Nelson Smile, It's the End of the World | 2.5 |
| He Is Legend 91025 | 3.0 |
| He Is Legend I Am Hollywood | 4.5 |
| This album was, for a time, my favorite album. Every song on here, every single one, is amazing! Everybody excels at their instruments (especially the bassist!), and Schuyler (whose last name I can't spell) creates awesome stories to scream to us :-). Don't be fooled by those people who tell you that the last song on here is the only worthwhile song on here - those are people who are only looking for something to mosh to. If you enjoy songs that paint a detailed picture using metaphors such as Romeo and Juliet, coffee-drinking monsters and lazy gardeners (a few of which are so large they have to be carried over multiple albums), performed by a band that can scream, sing, shred and so much more, then this album is for you. A collection of songs, to be sure, but a collection of AMAZING songs, no doubt. Listen to this as soon as possible. |
| He Is Legend Suck Out the Poison | 3.5 |
| He Is Legend It Hates You | 4.5 |
| He Is Legend Heavy Fruit | 4.0 |
| BEASTLY. |
| He Is Legend few | 4.0 |
| He Is Legend White Bat | 4.5 |
| He Is Legend Endless Hallway | 4.0 |
| Hoobastank Hoobastank | 3.0 |
| Hoobastank The Reason | 3.0 |
| Hoobastank Every Man for Himself | 3.5 |
| Hoobastank Fight or Flight | 3.5 |
| Hot Water Music Exister | 4.0 |
| Hot Water Music Light it Up | 4.0 |
| Title track is a Bad Religion song. Your mileage may vary as to whether that's a good thing, but I'm hooked. |
| Hugh Laurie Let Them Talk | 3.5 |
| In Flames Whoracle | 3.5 |
| In Flames Colony | 4.0 |
| In Flames Come Clarity | 4.0 |
| In Flames Sounds of a Playground Fading | 3.5 |
| In Flames The Jester Race | 4.0 |
| Incubus (USA-CA) Morning View | 4.0 |
| Iron Maiden Powerslave | 4.0 |
| Jane's Addiction Strays | 3.5 |
| Jane's Addiction The Great Escape Artist | 4.0 |
| Jane's Addiction Nothing's Shocking | 3.5 |
| Janelle Monae The ArchAndroid | 4.0 |
| Japandroids Post-Nothing | 4.5 |
Much like the Black Keys, there's something immediately likable in this two-man music. The carefree, upbeat attitude that plays throughout the entire thing makes you want to throw caution into the wind, forget whatever holds you back from doing what you want, and road trip across the country with nothing to worry about except "those sunshine girls." (I've almost done just that a couple of times after hearing this album, no lie).
It's the type of album that makes you forget what a stuffy, elitist music critic you've become, and instead makes you want to listen to music simply to feel good again. |
| Japandroids Celebration Rock | 4.0 |
| Jay-Z The Black Album | 3.5 |
| Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt | 4.0 |
| Jay-Z The Blueprint | 4.0 |
| Jay-Z The Blueprint 3 | 3.0 |
| Jeff Buckley Grace | 4.0 |
| Jimmy Eat World Futures | 4.0 |
| Jimmy Eat World Bleed American | 3.5 |
| JJ DOOM Key To The Kuffs | 3.5 |
| Joey Badass B4.DA.$$ | 4.5 |
| Joey Badass 1999 | 3.5 |
| John Coltrane Coltrane Time | 4.0 |
| John Frusciante The Empyrean | 4.5 |
| John Mayer Continuum | 3.5 |
| John Mayer Battle Studies | 3.0 |
| John Mayer Trio Try! | 3.5 |
| Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison | 4.5 |
| Johnny Cash At San Quentin | 5.0 |
| Jon Foreman Spring and Summer | 3.5 |
| Jon Foreman Fall and Winter | 4.0 |
| Jonezetta Popularity | 4.0 |
| I like it. That's about all the explanation I can give. |
| Jonsi Go | 3.5 |
| Justin Timberlake The 20/20 Experience | 4.0 |
"justin said he wanted timb to "get back in his real zone" even if it meant alienating the tweens born after 86 who never ever heard
of the sly slick and wicked i mean suit and tie is the MOST UNLIKELY james brown production reference
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cMaw3MXmKo
but of course unless you got a master degree in soul-ology this won't mean shit to you. and i told him my assistant zarah (born in 88)
was frowning like "i don't like this song" and is he cool with the fact that only 35 year old people who love their soul in 95 bpm
zone will "get" this song. and he was like 'why do we put all of our power in the hands of 18 year olds....i wanted to make a joint
that 40 year olds would love too' and by the time the video came out all the 86 after sect were aboard again...i love the songs, but
was worried on how he will cut the prime rib to feed to toothless babies. ballsy move however. i applaud ballsy moves"
-?uestlove |
| Kanye West The College Dropout | 4.0 |
| Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy | 4.0 |
| Kanye West Yeezus | 3.0 |
| Karnivool Sound Awake | 4.5 |
| Karnivool Themata | 4.0 |
| Katy Perry One of the Boys | 2.0 |
| Kelela Hallucinogen | 3.5 |
| Kendrick Lamar To Pimp a Butterfly | 5.0 |
| Kendrick Lamar Section.80 | 3.5 |
| Kendrick Lamar good kid, m.A.A.d city | 3.5 |
| Kendrick Lamar untitled unmastered. | 4.0 |
| Killer Mike R.A.P. Music | 4.5 |
| King Crimson In the Court of the Crimson King | 5.0 |
This album is in a class of it's own. The first album of the band King Crimson, it is generally agreed that this was also the first album to be called "Progressive Rock," which remains one of the most enduring music genres today. Robert Fripp would go on to create many more albums under the King Crimson moniker, and other members would go on to other similar projects (such as Emerson, Lake and Palmer), but nothing would ever achieve the amount of influence this album has.
The album itself is a monumental piece of awesome! It must be heard to be believed, must be experienced to be understood. Fripp and company use a large array of instruments to give each song a feeling and a mood--"21st Century Schizoid Man" is a psychotic cacophony of a track, unrestrained by such trivial things as time signatures and lyrical coherency, while the following track "I Talk To The Wind" is a soft, floaty tune that wisps along smoothly. The instrumentation is very dynamic, as well: a flute in "I Talk To The Wind" is almost unrecognizable to the one used in the title track. Triangles and cymbals play a larger role in these 5 songs than on almost any other album I've ever heard. Greg Lake's diverse vocal range might here him screaming out at the top of his lungs in one song, nearly whispering in the next, then hitting a dramatic and beautiful high note in the next. The most amazing thing is that this all WORKS, and together help create this masterpiece of music.
Such blatant disregard for convention could have turned out to be disastrous (and perhaps killed off Progressive Rock before it even started), yet instead it turn this album into one for the ages. Nothing is quite like "In The Court of the Crimson King," and it deserves nothing less than full marks. |
| Kittie Funeral For Yesterday | 2.0 |
| KMD Bl_ck B_st_rds | 4.0 |
| Kutless Hearts of the Innocent | 2.5 |
| Kutless Kutless | 3.0 |
| Kutless Sea of Faces | 2.5 |
| Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill | 4.0 |
| Linkin Park Hybrid Theory | 3.5 |
| Linkin Park Meteora | 3.5 |
| Linkin Park Minutes to Midnight | 2.5 |
| Linkin Park Living Things | 3.0 |
| 'Living Things' is surprisingly good. Wait...rephrase--it's good, surprisingly, if only just. Unlike every other Linkin Park album, though, this one is not heavy for the sake of heaviness, not angsty for the sake of angst, and not monotonous for the sake of maturity, yet it's still very interesting and fun to listen to...and that's where its true charm lies. |
| LL Cool J Mama Said Knock You Out | 3.5 |
| Lo-Pro Lo-Pro | 3.5 |
The protege band of Staind actually manages to rise above the pitfalls of their adopted musical genre with interesting melodies and the astoundingly (or even absurdly) powerful vocals of Pete Murray. Lo-Pro prove masters of creating heavish-yet-catchy songs such as "Sunday" and "Reach," the kind that can get stuck in your head for days, even weeks on end.
The album is definitely not without its flaws (structural repetition, weak lyrics, etc.), but it is certainly solid, especially for a debut. One can only wonder how the band will progress from here, with all the potential this album showcases bubbling underneath them. |
| Lo-Pro Letting Go | 3.5 |
| Lostprophets Start Something | 3.5 |
| Lostprophets The Fake Sound Of Progress | 3.5 |
| This is Lostprophets first album, the heavier, nu-metal-y one. I first heard it when my roommate played it in our room, and I was surprised to hear that it was those same guys that sang "Last Train Home." So I checked out the entire album, and I liked what I heard. Lot of raw stuff here...and lots of emotion. "Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja" is a great song, as is "Kobrakai." Critics, of course, called this album "unoriginal;" I really like this album, though, so I think I'll keep my fake sounds, thank you very much. |
| Love Axe Phenomenomenons | 3.5 |
| Ludo You're Awful, I Love You | 3.0 |
| Lupe Fiasco Food & Liquor | 4.0 |
| Lupe Fiasco The Cool | 3.5 |
| Lupe Fiasco Lasers | 2.5 |
| Lupe Fiasco Tetsuo and Youth | 4.0 |
| M83 Hurry Up, We're Dreaming | 4.0 |
| Madvillain Madvillainy | 4.0 |
| Mae The Everglow | 4.5 |
| Mae Singularity | 3.5 |
| Mae (m)orning | 3.5 |
The (M)orning EP represents some of the best material Mae has come up with in a long time. It represents a newly inspired Mae, one not bogged down by the expectations of a big music label whose biggest concern is the bottom line. It represents a band once again driven by the passion for creation of art, and once again living up to its full potential (and name).
To make it clear: Mae's new EP (which runs for nearly 40 minutes) represents a band out to raise the already blisteringly high bar it has set for itself. Excellent release; can't wait for more! |
| Mae Destination: Beautiful | 3.5 |
| Mae (e)vening | 4.0 |
| Mae (a)fternoon | 3.0 |
| Manchester Orchestra Mean Everything to Nothing | 4.5 |
| Manchester Orchestra Simple Math | 4.0 |
| Manchester Orchestra A Black Mile to the Surface | 4.5 |
| Matchbook Romance Voices | 3.5 |
'Voices' is a very underrated album, in my opinion. I enjoyed a few songs from "Stories and Alibis" (like 'My Eyes Burn' and 'The
Greatest Fall of All Time'), but this album, "Voices," is such a huge leap above the former that one can hardly tell that they
were created by the same band. Mr. Andrew Jordan drops the grating high-alto voice found in many early '00 pop-punk bands, and
instead embraces an awesomely haunting tenor-type vocalization that helps set Matchbook Romance apart from the pack.
Each song is so well put together...you won't find the same old re-hashed chords and progressions in these songs. You may find
remnants of familiarity, but even the heavier chords sound new. Ahh...and let's not forget about the lyrics. The album starts off
with a song called "You Can Run, But We'll Find You," which just makes you picture a stalker with a 12-inch blade and a Cheshire-
Cat grin on his face. There's songs of hopelessness, hopefulness, self-reflection, and even the songs about love lost sound brand-
spanking-new.
I'd recommend this to anyone who thought MR was just another generic pop-punk band. You'll be in for a treat, I promise. |
| maudlin of the Well Part the Second | 3.5 |
| Mayday Parade A Lesson In Romantics | 3.5 |
| Maylene and the Sons of Disaster Maylene and the Sons of Disaster | 3.5 |
| Metallica Ride the Lightning | 3.5 |
| Metallica Master of Puppets | 3.5 |
| Metallica ...And Justice for All | 3.5 |
| Metro Station Metro Station | 1.5 |
| Mew Frengers | 4.5 |
| mewithoutYou Catch For Us the Foxes | 4.0 |
| mewithoutYou It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All A Dream! It's Alright! | 4.0 |
| mewithoutYou Brother, Sister | 4.0 |
| mewithoutYou Ten Stories | 3.5 |
| MF DOOM MM.. Food | 4.0 |
| Michael Jackson Thriller | 4.0 |
| Michael Jackson Bad | 3.5 |
| Miles Davis Kind of Blue | 4.0 |
| Miley Cyrus Breakout | 2.0 |
| Minus the Bear Planet of Ice | 4.0 |
| Mobb Deep The Infamous | 4.5 |
This is not an album you let wash over you. It's viscous and vicious, dark and dense, with atmosphere that just oozes
ominousness. This is not a picture of the ghetto given a digestible gloss so that the masses can absorb it; Nas and Biggie gave
the world that much a year earlier. No, this is a manifesto of the streets, by the streets, and for the streets, with a very real
fear that the authors might soon perish from the Earth.
The beats are never crisp; instead, they hang low and dank like the smell of sewage in a New York alleyway. The lyrics don't
speak much of hope or luck or making it out; rather, they live entirely within the urban strife that made up the lives of Prodigy
and Havoc to that point, from being harassed by police after a family member's arrest, to learning the hard way that the master
of the street is usually the one with better aim.
'The Infamous' is one of hip-hop's greatest albums because it doesn't hide its disdain for the environment in which it was born.
There's no sugarcoating here, only what might be the most unabashed account of inner city ever to grace a record. THUG LIFE in
context, without glamour. YOLO as a survival instinct. Real. Heavy. Deep. |
| Mos Def Black on Both Sides | 4.5 |
| Mos Def The Ecstatic | 3.5 |
| Motion City Soundtrack Commit This to Memory | 3.5 |
| Mumford and Sons Sigh No More | 3.5 |
| Murs Murs 3:16: the 9th Edition | 3.5 |
| Muse Origin of Symmetry | 4.5 |
| Muse Black Holes & Revelations | 3.5 |
| Muse Absolution | 4.0 |
| Muse The Resistance | 2.5 |
| Muse Showbiz | 3.0 |
| Mutemath Reset | 4.0 |
| Mutemath Mutemath | 4.5 |
| Mutemath Armistice | 3.5 |
| Mutemath Odd Soul | 4.0 |
| My American Heart The Meaning in Makeup | 3.0 |
| My Bloody Valentine Loveless | 4.5 |
| My Bloody Valentine m b v | 4.0 |
| My Chemical Romance Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge | 3.5 |
| My Chemical Romance The Black Parade | 3.0 |
| My Chemical Romance I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love | 3.0 |
| N.W.A. Straight Outta Compton | 4.0 |
| Nas Illmatic | 5.0 |
"Illmatic" is one of the best hip-hop albums ever written, mainstream or underground, old- or new-skool, period. There is not a single poor track on the album; even the opening skit is worth a listen. Each song is set over perfectly accompanying beats, and each successive verse on the album makes you appreciate why Nas was called the best rapper of the time after only one album.
The songs on this disc rank among the best that hip-hop has ever created. In fact, it is my personal opinion that, all things considered, "The World Is Yours" IS the best hip-hop song ever. Not a single weak track, not a single questionable beat, not a doubt in my mind that this album deserves a 5. It stands proud among hip-hop's elite, and it single-handedly made Nas a star. |
| Nas Life Is Good | 3.5 |
| Neutral Milk Hotel In the Aeroplane Over the Sea | 5.0 |
At no point during my time here on Sputnik did I ever think that I would love or hate this album. I thought it would simply be
another album in my collection, one of those that I would simply "enjoy," even as everyone else on Sputnik sang its praises from
the mountaintops while collectively jizzing over how raw and authentic and so incredibly INDIE it was.
But somewhere along the line, at a point that I didn't even know had passed by, I began climbing, too (as did my rating), drawn in
by Jeff Mangum's crooning vocals and the intensely satisfying grooves found in songs like "Oh, Comely" and "In The Aeroplane Over
The Sea." And before I realized it (and trust me, I didn't realize it), I, too, had reached the semen-stained mountaintops, and
eventually joined in the heralding chorus, singing off-key at the top of my lungs, "I LOVE YOU, JESUS CHRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIST!"
Jesus Christ, I love this album. Yes...I do. |
| Neutral Milk Hotel Beauty | 3.5 |
Somewhere back in time, before Elephant 6 or even Neutral Milk Hotel proper, there were just Jeff Mangum's random ideas and experiments recorded to cassette tapes. 'Beauty', the second of these tapes, is where we
really start to hear the makings of something truly great.
Opening track "Engine" is a slow, sweet lullaby written while Jeff was ironically going through depression. The song has since seen a proper studio release as a b-side to a single, and is still played at concerts
even today. On "Sailing Through," Jeff emotes with such passion that the refrain's lyric, "You are a liar/and you are a lie," crescendos into something beyond incoherent. The best song on the tape, though, is
"Wishful Eyes," a slow, hypnotic six-minute track with a simple chord progression that carries the weight of the song as Jeff croons, "Everybody knows/the world continues slow/whether or not you're still
breathing." Despite sounding incomplete, the melody is among Mangum's best, one that will have you rewinding it over and over.
The real value of 'Beauty' lies in the fact that it showcases the work of a near-mythical musician well before he ever attained that status. This is not really Neutral Milk Hotel; there are no accordions or
flugelhorns or musical saws. This is just a man with a guitar recording songs and random other things, and seeing if any of these ideas might bear fruit. But much more than 'Invent Yourself A Shortcake' (the first
tape), you can start to see where the seeds were planted that would eventually grow into the sound of the band we have come know and love. |
| Neutral Milk Hotel Invent Yourself A Shortcake | 2.5 |
| Basically a recording of Jeff Mangum's early auditory experiments, a lot of the tracks are pure gibberish, but there are some gems on here, including "Sinking Ship" and "Synthetic Flying Machine" (the latter of which many will recognize as an early version of a song that appears on 'In The Aeroplane...'). Still, a far cry from the material that would come to define the band years later. |
| Neutral Milk Hotel On Avery Island | 3.0 |
| Newsboys Going Public | 3.0 |
| Nickel Creek This Side | 4.0 |
| Nightwish Once | 4.0 |
| Nightwish Wishmaster | 4.0 |
| Nine Inch Nails With Teeth | 3.5 |
| Nine Inch Nails Pretty Hate Machine | 3.5 |
| Nirvana Nevermind | 3.5 |
| No Doubt Tragic Kingdom | 3.0 |
| NOFX The Decline | 4.5 |
| Nomak Calm | 3.5 |
| DJ Nomak is a hip-hop producer from Japan that uses instruments such as flutes, violins and pianos in his beats. On this c.d., the music is very reminiscent of traditional Japanese music, except remixed to fit a hip-hop motif. Pismo, Aaron Phiri and Abstract Rude are a few of the MC's that are featured on some of the tracks on this c.d., but there are also quite a few instrumentals. It's one of those c.d.'s that meant to be appreciated for the vibe it emits, and the musicality it brings to hip-hop. It's about as unique as one can get in rap music today. |
| Nomak Muziq and Foto | 3.0 |
| Norma Jean O' God, the Aftermath | 3.5 |
| Norma Jean Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child | 3.0 |
| Norma Jean Redeemer | 3.5 |
| Norma Jean Meridional | 4.0 |
| Norma Jean Polar Similar | 4.0 |
| Nothing Tired of Tomorrow | 4.5 |
| Nothing Dance On The Blacktop | 4.0 |
| Nothing The Great Dismal | 4.0 |
| Nothing More Nothing More | 3.5 |
| of Montreal Cherry Peel | 3.5 |
| of Montreal Satanic Panic in the Attic | 4.0 |
| of Montreal Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? | 4.0 |
| OutKast Aquemini | 4.0 |
| P.O.D. Satellite | 3.0 |
| Paramore Riot! | 3.0 |
| Paul Oakenfold Bunkka | 3.0 |
| Pearl Jam Ten | 4.0 |
| Pennywise Reason to Believe | 3.5 |
| Pennywise Land Of The Free? | 3.5 |
| Pharoahe Monch Desire | 4.0 |
| Pharoahe Monch W.A.R. | 3.5 |
| Pillar Where Do We Go from Here | 3.0 |
| Pillar Above | 2.5 |
| Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here | 5.0 |
Pink Floyd released a handful of albums that are considered among the best in music, including a couple that are among the best-selling of all time. Most are quick to name drop "Dark Side of the Moon" or "The Wall" when thinking of which 'Floyd album is actually the best. They're both amazing in their own right, but in my eyes, the magnum opus of the Pink Floyd discography is "Wish You Were Here."
Like King Crimson's epic "In The Court of the Crimson King," this album is 45 minutes long and contains 5 tracks. Also like ITCOTCK, each track is a monumental achievement in Prog Rock. From the very processional-esque opener "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (pts. 1-5)," you know you're in for a ride, and Pink Floyd does not disappoint whatsoever. Every track, distinct from each other yet essential to the whole, leaves you satisfied and fulfilled, to the point where you just want to listen to the entire thing again and again.
Most of Pink Floyd's albums are grand, but I believe this to be their greatest work, and in fact, one of the greatest albums ever produced. This is essential listening for any fan of any sort of music, and it deserves nothing less than a 5-score rating. Absolute genius on a disc. |
| Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon | 4.0 |
| Pink Floyd The Wall | 4.0 |
| Porcupine Tree Fear of a Blank Planet | 4.5 |
| Porcupine Tree The Incident | 3.5 |
| Porcupine Tree In Absentia | 5.0 |
'In Absentia' isn't Porcupine Tree's best album. There's quite a bit of low-energy moments, there are songs that don't go
anywhere, and it's about 15-20 mins. too long. Hell, their best song isn't even on this album. So why, then, is it the
only PT album out of the six I have that I've given a '5'? Simply put, it's my favorite by the band.
What does that mean? Well...it means that even though 'Fear of a Blank Planet' was the album I heard first (and has both
"Anesthetize" and "Way Out of Here"), and even though 'Stupid Dream' flows way better and is a much easier listen, and
even though I can put damn near every song from 'Deadwing' on a list of my favorite PT songs, none of those albums give me
the feeling that I get when I put on 'In Absentia' and hear the opening chords of "Blackest Eyes," and know everything
that comes after. That feeling that this is the exact thing to listen to, no matter when I listen to it. That feeling
that, yeah, they may have better songs and better albums musically, but what they have on this album transcends all that.
What they've created on this album just gives you that feeling that, yeah...this is perfect. |
| Porcupine Tree Stupid Dream | 4.5 |
| Porcupine Tree Deadwing | 4.5 |
| Porcupine Tree Lightbulb Sun | 4.0 |
| Porcupine Tree Closure/Continuation | 3.5 |
| Protest the Hero Scurrilous | 4.0 |
| Puddle of Mudd Come Clean | 2.5 |
| Pulley No Change In The Weather | 3.5 |
| Pushmonkey Pushmonkey | 4.0 |
| Pushmonkey Year of the Monkey | 3.0 |
| Queen Latifah Black Reign | 4.0 |
| Queensryche Operation: Mindcrime | 4.0 |
| Rabbit Junk Project Nonagon | 3.5 |
| Rachel Loy Love The Mess | 3.0 |
Rachel Loy's debut album is an excellent showcase of her talent as both a singer and a songwriter. A whole slew of pop gems are present here, from brightly optimistic "Big Sky" to the pop-punk influenced "Posers" to mid-tempo, bass-driven "Unscrew You." The album as a whole, though comprised of songs with very separate sounds, is consistent in style and definitely rings with a specific body-parts-in/on-other-body-parts tone.
Ms. Loy doesn't have a huge voice, and the songs don't have that over-the-top layered feel found in many big-name pop stars today, which makes for an easy listen. Do not take this album lightly, though; the songs on here have much more substance than most mainstream artists today (which should be expected from an artist who was a part of the Austin music scene).
As it is her debut, the sound is not quite as defined as it could be, but it definitely is no small feat to create as enjoyable a listen as "Love The Mess" on the first time out, and for that Rachel Loy should be commended. Pick this album up on Amazon.com and give it a listen; it might be a pleasant surprise. |
| Radiohead OK Computer | 4.0 |
| Radiohead The Bends | 3.5 |
| Radiohead In Rainbows | 3.5 |
| Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt II | 4.5 |
Man...I remember the first time I heard that pulsating beat on "House of Flying Daggers," and how amazed I was that such a
repetitive beat could be so catchy, and how impressed I was at Method Man's verse. Even more, I remember how good it felt to
actually be into a new hip-hop album. Back then, it seemed to me that hip-hop truly was dead--five years and MAYBE as many
quality albums to how for it in that time. Then this dropped, with damn near the whole Wu in on it, and its dark production,
slick rhymes, oozing attitude and atmosphere, and I was enraptured. Every time I listened to it, I lost myself in the world it
described, sat entranced as the Chef cooked up some heavy ass rhymes, and had that wonderful feeling, even then, that this
album would be something much, much more than simply really fucking good. I felt like, for the first time in a good LONG time,
rap may just be redeemed; that maybe, MAYBE, there may be some life left for hip-hop outside of the backpack.
And who better to do it than the Wu-Tang Clan? If anyone genre needed a boon, it's hip-hop; if any city needed a revival, it's
New York; if any group needed a new lease on life, it's the Wu; and if any rapper deserved to turn hip-hop back on its head,
it's Raekwon. And his album, 'OB4CL II', which stands currently as the hip-hop album I've listened to more than any other in my
life, is exactly what all of them, and myself, needed. |
| Raekwon Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang | 4.0 |
| Rammstein Mutter | 3.0 |
| Red (USA) End of Silence | 3.5 |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik | 4.0 |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication | 3.5 |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers By the Way | 4.0 |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers Stadium Arcadium | 3.0 |
| Relient K Five Score and Seven Years Ago | 2.5 |
| Ride Nowhere | 4.0 |
| Ride Weather Diaries | 3.5 |
| Rise Against Siren Song of the Counter Culture | 4.0 |
| Rise Against Revolutions per Minute | 4.0 |
| Rise Against The Sufferer and the Witness | 4.0 |
| Rise Against Endgame | 3.5 |
| Robert Glasper Experiment Black Radio 2 | 4.0 |
| Robert Glasper Experiment Black Radio | 4.0 |
| Rufus Wainwright Want One | 3.0 |
| Run Kid Run This Is Who We Are | 3.0 |
| Run the Jewels Run the Jewels | 4.5 |
| Run the Jewels Run the Jewels 2 | 4.0 |
| Run the Jewels Run the Jewels 3 | 3.5 |
| Rx Bandits Mandala | 4.0 |
| Saosin Saosin | 3.0 |
| Scale the Summit The Collective | 4.0 |
| Secret And Whisper Great White Whale | 3.5 |
| Sigur Ros ( ) | 4.5 |
| This HAS to be what Jesus listens to in Heaven. Either this, or Becoming The Archetype. |
| Sigur Ros Agætis byrjun | 4.0 |
| Sigur Ros Med Sud i Eyrum vid Spilum Endalaust | 3.5 |
| Silent Civilian Rebirth of the Temple | 3.5 |
| Silverstein Discovering the Waterfront | 3.0 |
| Silversun Pickups Swoon | 3.5 |
| Simon and Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water | 4.0 |
| Simon and Garfunkel Bookends | 4.0 |
| Sleep Parade Things Can Always Change | 4.0 |
| Sleep Parade Inside/Out | 3.5 |
| Slint Spiderland | 4.5 |
| Slipknot Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses | 4.0 |
| Slipknot All Hope Is Gone | 3.0 |
| Slowdive Souvlaki | 3.5 |
| Smile Empty Soul Smile Empty Soul | 3.0 |
| Soulja Boy Souljaboytellem.com | 1.5 |
| Soulja Boy iSouljaBoyTellEm | 1.0 |
| Soundtrack (Film) Garden State | 4.0 |
| Soundtrack (Theatre) Avenue Q - Original Broadway Cast | 4.0 |
As Shrek is to CGI films, Avenue Q is to musicals. It's raunchy, politically incorrect, and absurdly funny. By listening to these puppets (muppets?) pour their cotton-stuffed hearts out in song, you come to learn the answers to a few of life's never-asked, yet oft-wondered questions--questions such as, "What can you do with a B.A. in English?" and "Why does the internet exist?"...and of course "What ever happened to Gary Coleman?"
Really, though, if you have to actually sit through an album of showtunes from a musical, why not make it the one where muppets (puppets?) sing you songs about sex, money and racism? Lord knows you could definitely do worse. |
| Spice Girls Spiceworld | 3.0 |
| Spice Girls Spice | 2.5 |
| Spineshank Self Destructive Pattern | 3.5 |
| Spoken Last Chance to Breathe | 3.5 |
| Starflyer 59 Dial M | 4.5 |
| Starflyer 59 Old | 4.0 |
| Starflyer 59 Talking Voice vs. Singing Voice | 4.5 |
| Starflyer 59 I Am The Portuguese Blues | 3.5 |
| Starflyer 59 Silver (Deluxe) | 3.5 |
| Starflyer 59 Leave Here A Stranger | 4.0 |
| Starflyer 59 The Changing of the Guard | 3.0 |
| Starflyer 59 Silver | 4.0 |
| Steven Wilson Hand. Cannot. Erase. | 3.5 |
| Steven Wilson The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories) | 4.0 |
| Stone Sour Come What(ever) May | 3.0 |
| Stone Temple Pilots Thank You | 4.0 |
| Story of the Year Page Avenue | 3.0 |
| Strapping Young Lad City | 4.0 |
| Stutterfly And We Are Bled Of Color | 3.5 |
| Sublime Sublime | 4.0 |
| Sum 41 All Killer No Filler | 3.5 |
| System of a Down Mezmerize | 3.5 |
| System of a Down Toxicity | 4.0 |
| System of a Down Steal This Album! | 3.5 |
| System of a Down System of a Down | 3.0 |
| System of a Down Hypnotize | 3.0 |
| T.I. Paper Trail | 3.0 |
| Taking Back Sunday Where You Want To Be | 4.0 |
| Taking Back Sunday Tell All Your Friends | 3.5 |
| Team Sleep Team Sleep | 3.5 |
| Tenacious D Tenacious D | 4.0 |
| Tenacious D The Pick of Destiny | 3.5 |
| Tenacious D Rize of the Fenix | 3.5 |
| Thank You Scientist Stranger Heads Prevail | 3.5 |
| The Angelic Process Weighing Souls With Sand | 4.0 |
| The Apples in Stereo Fun Trick Noisemaker | 4.0 |
| The Apples in Stereo New Magnetic Wonder | 3.5 |
| The Apples in Stereo Her Wallpaper Reverie | 3.5 |
| The Beach Boys Pet Sounds | 4.0 |
| The Beatles The Beatles | 3.5 |
| The Beatles Abbey Road | 4.0 |
| The Big Pink A Brief History of Love | 2.5 |
| The Black Keys Rubber Factory | 4.0 |
| The Black Keys Thickfreakness | 3.5 |
| The Black Keys El Camino | 3.5 |
| The Black Keys Brothers | 3.5 |
| The Butterfly Effect Imago | 4.0 |
| The Casting Out Go Crazy! Throw Fireworks! | 3.0 |
| The Damnwells One Last Century | 3.0 |
| The Devin Townsend Band Accelerated Evolution | 4.0 |
| The Ernies Meson Ray | 4.0 |
A lot of people don't know who The Ernies are. You might have a clue, however, if you've heard the soundtrack to Baseketball (but really, who has?), or have ever played the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. The song "Here and Now" is theirs (not Cyco
Vision...that's Suicidal Tendencies). That's where I first heard of them, and that's why I checked them out. Lucky me!
This album is so awesome! They mix so many styles of music: metal, punk, hip-hop, raggae, jazz...and amazingly, and they mix it well (they call it Jive on a song off of their previous album)! I love the ease in which they can meld genres together, and I
love the fact that most of their music just makes you want to get up and move. rThe problem that most people will probably have with this album is the lyrics--they deal mostly with science, and their beliefs and love of the universe as an entity. That may
put a lot of people off, though I can't say that about myself: "Here and Now" still remains one of my favorite songs.
I believe that the band is defunct, however. The most you hear from them nowadays is in commercials: the songs "Organism" and "Here and Now" are often played as background music on a lot of TV spots (especially on the SciFi Channel). Well...I hear them a
bit more than that: I still listen to this album all the time. |
| The Exies Inertia | 3.5 |
| The Exies Head for the Door | 3.0 |
| The Fall of Troy Doppelganger | 3.5 |
| The Feeling Twelve Stops And Home | 2.5 |
| The Gaslight Anthem The '59 Sound | 4.0 |
| The Get Up Kids Something to Write Home About | 4.0 |
| The Greyboy Allstars A Town Called Earth | 3.5 |
| The Juliana Theory Emotion is Dead | 3.0 |
| The Killers Hot Fuss | 3.0 |
| The Mars Volta Frances the Mute | 4.0 |
| The Mars Volta De-Loused in the Comatorium | 4.0 |
| The Notorious B.I.G. Ready to Die | 5.0 |
This is a transcendent album, plain and simple. For all the squalor Biggie was raised around, there's something far beyond hip-hop that is recorded on this album. Perhaps an alternate title could be, "An Autobiography of the Ghetto African American Drug-Dealing No-Life;" perhaps it's Biggie's perseverance and persistence for fame and comfort that shines through more than anything else and gives this album a life it might not otherwise have.
It doesn't hurt that Biggie's a phenomenal rapper, either. |
| The Notorious B.I.G. Life After Death | 3.5 |
| The Offspring Smash | 4.0 |
| The Offspring Americana | 4.0 |
| The Offspring Splinter | 3.0 |
| The Offspring Ixnay on the Hombre | 3.5 |
| The Pillows Happy Bivouac | 4.0 |
| The Pillows Little Busters | 4.5 |
| The Presidents of the United States of America The Presidents of the United States of America | 4.0 |
| The Roots Things Fall Apart | 4.0 |
| The Roots Game Theory | 4.5 |
| The Roots undun | 4.0 |
| The Roots How I Got Over | 4.0 |
| The Roots Phrenology | 3.0 |
| The Roots Illadelph Halflife | 3.5 |
| The Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream | 4.0 |
| The Used The Used | 3.5 |
| The Used Lies for the Liars | 3.0 |
| The Used In Love and Death | 3.0 |
| The World Is a Beautiful Place... Harmlessness | 4.0 |
| The World Is a Beautiful Place... Whenever, If Ever | 4.0 |
| The World Is a Beautiful Place... Always Foreign | 3.5 |
| Thievery Corporation The Mirror Conspiracy | 3.5 |
| Third Eye Blind Third Eye Blind | 4.5 |
| Third Eye Blind Ursa Major | 3.0 |
| Thousand Foot Krutch Phenomenon | 2.5 |
| Thousand Foot Krutch The Flame in All of Us | 2.5 |
| Three Days Grace Three Days Grace | 2.0 |
| Thrice The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV | 3.5 |
| Thrice The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II | 4.0 |
| Thrice Vheissu | 4.0 |
| Thrice The Artist in the Ambulance | 4.5 |
| Thrice Beggars | 3.5 |
| Thrice Major/Minor | 3.5 |
| Thrice To Be Everywhere Is to Be Nowhere | 3.5 |
| Thrice Palms | 3.5 |
| TLC CrazySexyCool | 3.5 |
| Tom Waits Bad As Me | 3.5 |
| Tool Lateralus | 3.5 |
| Ulver Perdition City | 4.0 |
| Ulver The Assassination of Julius Caesar | 4.0 |
| Ulysses (US) 010 | 4.0 |
| Underoath Define the Great Line | 4.5 |
| Underoath They're Only Chasing Safety | 4.0 |
| Underoath The Changing of Times | 3.0 |
| Underoath Lost in the Sound of Separation | 3.5 |
| Underoath Ø (Disambiguation) | 3.5 |
| Unwritten Law Here's to the Mourning | 3.5 |
| Vince Guaraldi Trio A Charlie Brown Christmas | 4.5 |
| Weezer Make Believe | 3.0 |
| Weezer Weezer | 4.5 |
| Weird Al Yankovic Poodle Hat | 3.5 |
| Weird Al Yankovic Running With Scissors | 4.0 |
| Weird Al Yankovic Bad Hair Day | 3.5 |
| Whirr/Nothing Split | 4.0 |
| Wu-Block Wu-Block | 3.5 |
| Wu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) | 4.0 |
| Yellowcard Lights and Sounds | 3.5 |
| Yellowcard Ocean Avenue | 3.5 |
| Yoko Shimomura Xenoblade OST | 4.5 |
| Zero 7 Simple Things | 3.5 |
