klap's Ratings | Sputnikmusic

klap
Rudy K.

Emeritus

Reviews 255
Approval 93%

Soundoffs 107
News Articles 15
Band Edits + Tags 26
Album Edits 124

Album Ratings 2182
Objectivity 82%

Last Active 11-02-22 4:56 am
Joined 12-31-08

Review Comments 12,409

Average Rating: 3.32
Rating Variance: 0.54
Objectivity Score: 82%
(Well Balanced)

Chart.

Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name

2024
Vampire Weekend Only God Was Above Us	4.5

2022
Weyes Blood And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow	4.0
The Beths Expert in a Dying Field	4.0
Art Moore Art Moore	4.0
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead XI: Bleed Here Now	4.2
Day Wave Pastlife	4.0
Angel Olsen Big Time	4.5
Vansire The Modern Western World	3.5
Arcade Fire WE	3.0
Sharon Van Etten Weâ€™ve Been Going About This All Wrong	4.0
Hatchie Giving the World Away	2.5
Widowspeak The Jacket	4.0
Beach House Once Twice Melody	4.3
Spoon Lucifer on the Sofa	3.0
Big Thief Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You	4.5

2021
Strange Ranger No Light in Heaven	1.5
Magdalena Bay Mercurial World	4.0
Lorde Solar Power	2.0
Laura Stevenson Laura Stevenson	4.2
clairo Sling	2.5
Lucy Dacus Home Video	3.5
Lightning Bug A Color of the Sky	4.0
Ryan Adams Big Colors	2.5
Slayyyter Troubled Paradise	3.5
Wolf Alice Blue Weekend	3.5
Japanese Breakfast Jubilee	4.5
Blood Cultures LUNO	2.5
Bachelor Doomin' Sun	3.8
Lord Huron Long Lost	3.9
St. Vincent Daddy's Home	3.0
Saccades Flowing Fades	3.5
The Antlers Green to Gold	4.3
Cloud Nothings The Shadow I Remember	3.0
Julien Baker Little Oblivions	3.5
Wild Pink A Billion Little Lights	3.0
The Weather Station Ignorance	4.0
Sun June Somewhere	4.0
Goat Girl On All Fours	4.0

2020
The Avalanches We Will Always Love You	4.3
Soft Kill Dead Kids R.I.P. City	3.9
Wolf and Moon Follow the Signs	4.1
Ela Minus acts of rebellion	3.9
Roisin Murphy Roisin Machine	3.5
Fleet Foxes Shore	4.0
Cults Host	4.0
The Flaming Lips American Head	3.0
Dua Lipa Club Future Nostalgia: The Remix Album	3.5
Widowspeak Plum	3.5
Cut Copy Freeze, Melt	2.5
The Killers Imploding the Mirage	2.7
Battleborn with a better PR agent
Bright Eyes Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was	4.0
No Joy Motherhood	4.0
Orville Peck Show Pony	3.5
Bronson (USA) BRONSON	4.0
Jessy Lanza All the Time	3.0
Taylor Swift Folklore	3.3
Illuminati Hotties FREE I.H: This Is Not the One...	2.5
The Beths Jump Rope Gazers	3.0
HAIM Women In Music, Pt. III	3.7
Phoebe Bridgers Punisher	3.0
Jessie Ware What's Your Pleasure?	4.3
Hinds The Prettiest Curse	4.0
Run the Jewels RTJ4	3.0
Woods Strange To Explain	3.5
Carly Rae Jepsen Dedicated Side B	3.0
Jess Williamson Sorceress	3.5
Jason Isbell Reunions	3.9
Perfume Genius Set My Heart On Fire Immediately	4.0
Car Seat Headrest Making a Door Less Open	4.0
this is good, ackshually
The Strokes The New Abnormal	2.5
Hamilton Leithauser The Loves of Your Life	3.0
STRFKR Future Past Life	4.0
Anna Burch If You're Dreaming	2.5
Ellis Born Again	2.5
Purity Ring Womb	3.0
Tops I Feel Alive	3.0
Nation of Language Introduction, Presence	4.0
Peach Pit You and Your Friends	4.2
Dua Lipa Future Nostalgia	3.5
Waxahatchee Saint Cloud	4.2
Sorry 925	4.5
The Weeknd After Hours	3.5
Empty Country Empty Country	4.2
Magdalena Bay A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling	4.0
U.S. Girls Heavy Light	3.0
Real Estate The Main Thing	3.0
Caribou Suddenly	4.0
bumps
Grimes Miss Anthropocene	4.2
Tame Impala The Slow Rush	3.0
Tennis Swimmer	3.9
A.A.L. (Against All Logic) 2017-2019	4.0
Destroyer Have We Met	3.5
Wolf Parade Thin Mind	3.3
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead X: The Godless Void and Other Stories	3.8
The Big Moon Walking Like We Do	4.0

2019
Kaytranada Bubba	3.9
Pluralone To Be One With You	4.0
SebastiAn Thirst	2.5
Sorcha Richardson First Prize Bravery	4.5
Mikal Cronin Seeker	3.0
Great Grandpa Four of Arrows	3.5
Caroline Polachek Pang	3.9
Big Thief Two Hands	3.0
Blue Hawaii Open Reduction Internal Fixation	4.0
Wilco Ode to Joy	3.3
Angel Olsen All Mirrors	3.5
DIIV Deceiver	4.0
L'Orange and Jeremiah Jae Complicate Your Life with Violence	4.0
Chromatics Closer to Grey	4.2
The New Pornographers In the Morse Code of Brake Lights	3.9
Slayyyter Slayyyter	4.0
Alex G House Of Sugar	3.0
Metronomy Metronomy Forever	3.0
Blood Cultures Oh Uncertainty! A Universe Despairs	3.9
Lightning Bug October Song	3.5
Lana Del Rey Norman Fucking Rockwell!	4.2
Whitney Forever Turned Around	3.0
Boy Scouts Free Company	3.5
Taylor Swift Lover	3.5
absolute hardcore bops: cruel summer, paper rings, cornelia street, soon you'll get better, afterglow, daylight decent bops: the archer, it's nice to have a friend, miss americana & the heartbreak prince, i think he knows, you need to calm down stupid lounge bop: false god delete this: ME!, i forgot that you existed bops i already forgot about: everything else god damn this album is long
Jay Som Anak Ko	4.0
Shura forevher	4.0
Marika Hackman Any Human Friend	4.0
clairo Immunity	3.5
Lisel Angels on the Slope	2.5
Strange Ranger Remembering the Rockets	4.1
Purple Mountains Purple Mountains	4.3
Mark Ronson Late Night Feelings	3.5
The Raconteurs Help Us Stranger	3.7
Hatchie Keepsake	4.0
Holy Ghost! Work	4.0
Wasuremono Are You OK?	4.0
Hot Chip A Bath Full of Ecstasy	4.2
Telethon Hard Pop	3.5
100 Gecs 1000 gecs	1.0
Denzel Curry Zuu	3.5
Kishi Bashi Omoiyari	4.0
Carly Rae Jepsen Dedicated	3.5
The National I Am Easy to Find	4.1
Vampire Weekend Father Of The Bride	3.0
Big Thief U.F.O.F.	3.0
Kevin Morby Oh My God	2.5
Local Natives Violet Street	4.0
The Tallest Man on Earth I Love You. It's a Fever Dream.	4.0
The Drums Brutalism	2.5
Weyes Blood Titanic Rising	4.6
Billie Eilish When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?	2.5
Laura Stevenson The Big Freeze	3.9
Finn Andrews One Piece at a Time	3.0
Ex Hex It's Real	3.0
Wallows Nothing Happens	3.5
Andrew Bird My Finest Work Yet	3.8
Jenny Lewis On The Line	4.0
Orville Peck Pony	4.0
Karen O and Danger Mouse Lux Prima	3.7
Foals Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost - Part 1	2.5
Gesaffelstein Hyperion	2.5
Westkust Westkust	4.0
Julia Jacklin Crushing	3.5
HEALTH VOL. 4 :: SLAVES OF FEAR	3.5
Default Genders main pop girl 2019	4.2
Cherry Glazerr Stuffed and Ready	3.8
William Tyler Goes West	3.8
Better Oblivion Community Center Better Oblivion Community Center	4.0
Toro Y Moi Outer Peace	2.5
Guster Look Alive	3.4
Deerhunter Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?	3.6
Sharon Van Etten Remind Me Tomorrow	4.0

2018
The 1975 A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships	2.0
Earl Sweatshirt Some Rap Songs	4.0
Anderson .Paak Oxnard	3.5
Boygenius boygenius	3.0
Julia Holter Aviary	2.5
Robyn Honey	3.9
Cloud Nothings Last Building Burning	2.0
Empress Of Us	3.5
Kurt Vile Bottle It In	2.5
St. Vincent MassEducation	3.5
RUFUS DU SOL Solace	3.8
Broncho Bad Behavior	3.9
Tokyo Police Club TPC	2.0
Cat Power Wanderer	3.0
Phosphorescent C'est La Vie	3.5
Pinegrove Skylight	3.5
Mutual Benefit Thunder Follows the Light	3.8
White Denim Performance	2.5
Blood Orange Negro Swan	3.0
Animal Collective Tangerine Reef	2.0
Death Cab for Cutie Thank You For Today	3.2
Mitski Be the Cowboy	4.5
Foxing Nearer My God	3.4
The Beths Future Me Hates Me	4.2
Shy Boys Bell House	3.5
Gia Margaret There's Always Glimmer	4.0
Denzel Curry TA13OO	4.0
Golden Features SECT	4.0
Wild Pink Yolk in the Fur	3.3
The Ophelias (USA-OH) Almost	3.5
Florence and the Machine High as Hope	3.5
Sobs Telltale Signs	3.5
Melody's Echo Chamber Bon Voyage	2.5
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Hope Downs	4.0
Lykke Li So Sad So Sexy	2.5
Kids See Ghosts Kids See Ghosts	3.0
Father John Misty God's Favorite Customer	3.5
Ben Howard Noonday Dream	3.8
Neko Case Hell-On	3.9
Tancred Nightstand	4.0
Dear Nora Skulls Example	3.0
Wand Perfume	3.5
Pusha T DAYTONA	4.1
Now, Now Saved	3.5
Charles Watson Now That I'm a River	3.5
Arctic Monkeys Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino	2.0
Beach House 7	3.8
Illuminati Hotties Kiss Yr Frenemies	4.0
Eleanor Friedberger Rebound	2.5
Jon Hopkins Singularity	3.0
DJ Koze knock knock	3.0
Cut Worms Hollow Ground	3.0
Shakey Graves Can't Wake Up	4.0
Half Waif Lavender	2.5
Okkervil River In The Rainbow Rain	3.5
Forth Wanderers Forth Wanderers	4.0
Launder Pink Cloud	4.0
Vansire Angel Youth	4.5
Lord Huron Vide Noir	3.5
Exitmusic The Recognitions	4.0
Dean Forever Dean Forever	4.1
A Place to Bury Strangers Pinned	2.5
King Tuff The Other	3.0
Night Flowers Wild Notion	3.5
Tom Misch Geography	2.0
Hinds I Don't Run	3.0
Goat Girl Goat Girl	3.0
Wallows Spring	4.0
The Shacks Haze	3.0
Her Her	4.0
Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour	4.3
ITEM Sad Light	3.9
Jack White Boarding House Reach	2.5
Yo La Tengo Thereâ€™s A Riot Going On	3.5
Fickle Friends You Are Someone Else	3.5
Albert Hammond Jr Francis Trouble	4.0
Soccer Mommy Clean	3.5
U.S. Girls In A Poem Unlimited	4.0
Franz Ferdinand Always Ascending	2.5
MGMT Little Dark Age	3.0
Field Music Open Here	2.5
Rhye Blood	3.0
Anna Burch Quit The Curse	4.0
Lucy Dacus Historian	4.0
Django Django Marble Skies	2.5
Ty Segall Freedom's Goblin	3.5
The Spook School Could It Be Different?	3.5
The Go! Team Semicircle	3.0
First Aid Kit Ruins	3.2
Porches The House	2.5

2017
Tove Lo Blue Lips	3.0
Charlotte Gainsbourg Rest	3.8
Taylor Swift Reputation	3.0
Bibio Phantom Brickworks	3.0
The Marias Superclean Vol. I	4.0
Big K.R.I.T. 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time	3.5
Jessie Ware Glasshouse	2.5
Destroyer Ken	4.0
St. Vincent Masseduction	3.9
Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile Lotta Sea Lice	2.5
Mister Heavenly Boxing the Moonlight	3.0
Cults Offering	3.0
Wolf Parade Cry Cry Cry	3.7
Weaves Wide Open	4.0
Blue Hawaii Tenderness	4.1
o yaaa this is the groove
Wolf Alice Visions of a Life	2.5
Torres Three Futures	2.5
Iglooghost Neo Wax Bloom	4.0
some solid ADHD-core
Cut Copy Haiku From Zero	3.3
The Clientele Music for the Age of Miracles	3.5
Wand Plum	3.9
The Horrors V	4.1
Ducktails Jersey Devil	2.5
Peach Pit Being So Normal	4.0
Hundred Waters Communicating	4.0
Phoebe Bridgers Stranger in the Alps	3.0
Death From Above 1979 Outrage! Is Now	2.0
Zola Jesus Okovi	3.0
The National Sleep Well Beast	3.3
Alvvays Antisocialites	3.8
LCD Soundsystem American Dream	2.5
Turnover Good Nature	2.5
Susanne Sundfor Music For People In Trouble	3.0
together PANGEA Bulls and Roosters	3.5
Widowspeak Expect the Best	3.5
The War On Drugs A Deeper Understanding	4.0
Gang of Youths Go Farther in Lightness	3.0
Everything Everything A Fever Dream	3.5
Grizzly Bear Painted Ruins	4.0
Brand New Science Fiction	3.0
Lana Del Rey Lust For Life	2.5
Arcade Fire Everything Now	2.0
Manchester Orchestra A Black Mile to the Surface	3.3
Bedouine Bedouine	3.8
Declan McKenna What Do You Think About The Car?	3.7
Japanese Breakfast Soft Sounds From Another Planet	3.0
Waxahatchee Out in the Storm	3.5
HAIM Something To Tell You	3.0
Broken Social Scene Hug of Thunder	4.0
Ratboys GN	3.5
Portugal. The Man Woodstock	2.5
Fleet Foxes Crack-Up	3.0
Lorde Melodrama	3.4
Jason Isbell The Nashville Sound	4.0
Kevin Morby City Music	4.0
Katy Perry Witness	2.0
Phoenix (FRA) Ti Amo	2.9
Big Thief Capacity	3.0
Cigarettes After Sex Cigarettes After Sex	4.0
London Grammar Truth is a Beautiful Thing	2.5
alt-J Relaxer	2.0
Tops Sugar at the Gate	3.2
Smidley Smidley	3.5
Beach Fossils Somersault	4.0
Marika Hackman I'm Not Your Man	4.5
Thunder Dreamer Capture	4.0
Blood Cultures Happy Birthday	4.5
Jane Weaver Modern Kosmology	3.5
Alex G Rocket	4.0
Do Make Say Think Stubborn Persistent Illusions	4.0
Paramore After Laughter	2.0
Mac DeMarco This Old Dog	3.0
Slowdive Slowdive (LP)	3.0
Hoops Routines	3.8
Fazerdaze Morningside	4.0
Sylvan Esso What Now	4.0
Violents and Monica Martin Awake and Pretty Much Sober	4.1
Amy Shark Night Thinker	3.0
Charly Bliss Guppy	4.0
Kendrick Lamar DAMN.	3.0
Diet Cig I Swear I'm Good At This	2.5
The New Pornographers Whiteout Conditions	3.0
Father John Misty Pure Comedy	3.1
Future Islands The Far Field	4.0
Goldfrapp Silver Eye	3.3
Passion Pit Tremendous Sea of Love	2.5
Real Estate In Mind	3.5
Spoon Hot Thoughts	4.1
The Shins Heartworms	2.5
Tennis Yours Conditionally	3.4
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever The French Press	3.5
Jay Som Everybody Works	3.9
Elliott Smith Either/Or: Expanded Edition	4.5
Grandaddy Last Place	3.4
Methyl Ethel Everything is Forgotten	3.5
Temples Volcano	3.6
Milky Chance Blossom	3.0
Dirty Projectors Dirty Projectors	2.0
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah The Tourist	3.0
Roc Marciano Rosebudd's Revenge	3.5
Ryan Adams Prisoner	2.5
Electric Guest Plural	3.0
Japandroids Near To The Wild Heart Of Life	2.3
Julie Byrne Not Even Happiness	2.5
Cloud Nothings Life Without Sound	3.0
Ty Segall Ty Segall (2017)	3.0
Austra Future Politics	2.5
The Flaming Lips Oczy Mlody	2.5
SOHN Rennen	2.5
Cherry Glazerr Apocalipstick	3.5
The xx I See You	3.6

2016
Run the Jewels Run the Jewels 3	2.5
The Weeknd Starboy	3.0
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Talk Tight	3.0
Wildhart Shine	3.2
A Tribe Called Quest We got it from Hereâ€¦ Thank You 4 Your service	4.0
The Chainsmokers Collage	1.5
Excision Virus	2.5
Jimmy Eat World Integrity Blues	3.0
Weyes Blood Front Row Seat to Earth	3.9
The Radio Dept. Running Out of Love	4.0
The Lemon Twigs Do Hollywood	3.0
Conor Oberst Ruminations	3.5
Peach Pit Sweet FA	4.2
Bon Iver 22, A Million	2.0
Cunning song titles tactic by Vernon here to make it impossible for me to ever review
Drive-By Truckers American Band	3.0
Regina Spektor Remember Us To Life	3.4
Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam I Had a Dream That You Were Mine	3.9
Warpaint Heads Up	4.0
Kishi Bashi Sonderlust	3.0
Phantogram Three	4.0
Cymbals Eat Guitars Pretty Years	4.4
Wilco Schmilco	3.0
Klangstof Close Eyes To Exit	3.0
Local Natives Sunlit Youth	3.2
Okkervil River Away	4.0
Angel Olsen My Woman	4.5
American Wrestlers Goodbye Terrible Youth	3.9
Banks and Steelz Anything But Words	2.0
Glass Animals How To Be A Human Being	3.0
Cass McCombs Mangy Love	3.0
Carly Rae Jepsen Emotion: Side B	3.5
The Veils Total Depravity	4.2
Frank Ocean Blonde	3.0
Butch Walker Stay Gold	2.5
Jay Som Turn Into	3.5
NOISIA Outer Edges	4.0
Noname Telefone	3.5
MSTRKRFT Operator	4.0
Snail Mail Habit	2.5
The Avalanches Wildflower	3.5
Metronomy Summer 08	2.0
Bat For Lashes The Bride	3.0
Ginger Root Mahjong Room	4.0
Blood Orange Freetown Sound	3.0
Nice As Fuck Nice As Fuck	2.5
Margaret Glaspy Emotions And Math	3.5
YG Still Brazy	4.0
Case/Lang/Veirs Case/Lang/Veirs	4.2
Band of Horses Why Are You OK	3.0
Peter Bjorn and John Breakin' Point	3.2
Wye Oak Tween	4.0
The Strokes Future Present Past	1.5
The Kills Ash & Ice	2.5
Tegan and Sara Love You to Death	2.5
Ladyhawke Wild Things	2.5
Whitney Light Upon the Lake	3.5
Big Thief Masterpiece	4.0
Gold Panda Good Luck And Do Your Best	4.0
Car Seat Headrest Teens of Denial	2.5
Mutual Benefit Skip a Sinking Stone	4.5
Wolf Parade EP 4	3.9
Islands Should I Remain Here, At Sea?	2.5
Islands Taste	3.5
Jessy Lanza Oh No	4.0
Radiohead A Moon Shaped Pool	3.0
James Blake The Colour in Anything	3.3
Skepta Konnichiwa	3.5
Kaytranada 99.9%	4.1
Elysian Fields Ghosts of No	3.0
Holy Ghost! Crime Cutz	4.0
Beyonce Lemonade	2.5
Kevin Morby Singing Saw	4.2
M83 Junk	2.8
Woods City Sun Eater In The River Of Light	3.8
Yeasayer Amen & Goodbye	2.5
Explosions in the Sky The Wilderness	2.5
Andrew Bird Are You Serious	3.0
Tacocat Lost Time	3.4
Weezer The White Album	3.7
Little Scream Cult Following	3.7
Bibio A Mineral Love	3.9
White Denim Stiff	2.5
Radical Face The Family Tree: The Leaves	3.0
Baauer Aa	2.5
Lucius Good Grief	2.7
Bent Shapes Wolves of Want	3.7
Lapsley Long Way Home	2.5
Nada Surf You Know Who You Are	3.0
Miike Snow iii	3.0
Polica United Crushers	3.5
Quilt Plaza	4.0
Charli XCX Vroom Vroom	1.0
Wild Nothing Life of Pause	2.0
Deep Sea Diver Secrets	3.0
Antigone and Francois X We Move As One	3.5
Kanye West The Life of Pablo	1.5
Pinegrove Cardinal	4.0
Radiation City Synesthetica	4.0
Memoryhouse Soft Hate	4.0
Porches Pool	2.5
DIIV Is the Is Are	4.0
Black Tiger Sex Machine Welcome To Our Church	2.5
The Magician Together	3.0
Savages Adore Life	3.0
Santigold 99Â¢	3.2
Eleanor Friedberger New View	3.6
Chairlift Moth	3.8
RUFUS DU SOL Bloom	4.0
Anderson .Paak Malibu	3.5
Daughter Not to Disappear	3.9
Hinds Leave Me Alone	3.5
Elliott Smith Heaven Adores You	3.5
French for Rabbits Spirits	4.0

2015
Pusha T King Push â€“ Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude	4.0
Yellow Claw Blood for Mercy	2.0
Grimes Art Angels	4.5
higher than an aeroplane
Laura Stevenson Cocksure	3.5
Julien Baker Sprained Ankle	3.4
BORNS Dopamine	4.0
Neon Indian Vega Intl. Night School	2.5
Beach House Thank Your Lucky Stars	2.5
Deerhunter Fading Frontier	4.2
The Spook School Try To Be Hopeful	3.5
DrÃ¥pe Relax/Relapse	4.0
CHVRCHES Every Open Eye	3.0
Kurt Vile b'lieve i'm goin' down...	3.0
Julia Holter Have You In My Wilderness	4.0
Ryan Adams 1989	3.9
Empress Of Me	4.0
Metric Pagans In Vegas	2.0
let it go Emily
Motion City Soundtrack Panic Stations	2.5
Lana Del Rey Honeymoon	2.5
Meg Myers Sorry	3.0
Beirut No No No	3.1
Youth Lagoon Savage Hills Ballroom	3.0
Widowspeak All Yours	3.5
Foals What Went Down	3.0
Destroyer Poison Season	4.0
Beach House Depression Cherry	4.1
Carly Rae Jepsen Emotion	3.5
The Mynabirds Lovers Know	2.0
Mac DeMarco Another One	3.5
HEALTH Death Magic	4.2
Albert Hammond Jr Momentary Masters	3.4
Titus Andronicus The Most Lamentable Tragedy	2.0
L'Orange and Kool Keith Time? Astonishing!	3.0
Ducktails St. Catherine	4.0
Tame Impala Currents	3.0
Jason Isbell Something More Than Free	3.0
The Chemical Brothers Born in the Echoes	3.3
C Duncan Architect	3.9
Wilco Star Wars	4.0
Little Boots Working Girl	3.5
Wolf Alice My Love Is Cool	3.5
Kacey Musgraves Pageant Material	4.0
Nate Ruess Grand Romantic	2.0
Ryn Weaver The Fool	3.5
Summer Fiction Himalaya	3.5
Heartless Bastards Restless Ones	3.9
No Joy More Faithful	4.0
Zella Day Kicker	2.5
Girlpool Before the World Was Big	3.0
Florence and the Machine How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful	3.5
HOLYCHILD The Shape of Brat Pop to Come	4.0
Jamie xx In Colour	4.1
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin The High Country	3.0
Unknown Mortal Orchestra Multi-Love	3.0
The Helio Sequence The Helio Sequence	2.5
Hot Chip Why Make Sense?	3.0
The Tallest Man on Earth Dark Bird Is Home	3.7
Best Coast California Nights	2.5
Mikal Cronin MCIII	4.0
Turnover Peripheral Vision	3.0
My Morning Jacket The Waterfall	3.4
Blur The Magic Whip	4.0
Built to Spill Untethered Moon	3.0
Joywave How Do You Feel Now?	4.0
L'Orange and Jeremiah Jae The Night Took Us In Like Family	4.0
Calexico Edge of the Sun	3.5
Waxahatchee Ivy Tripp	3.0
Toro Y Moi What For?	3.0
The Mountain Goats Beat the Champ	3.7
Lord Huron Strange Trails	3.8
East India Youth Culture of Volume	3.0
Godspeed You! Black Emperor 'Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress'	2.7
From the depths of unsullied innocence, the band find the sweet token of creativity that most seem to miss or forget, floating sullenly in a void of wasted invention, imagination and a deep pool of potential just waiting to be plucked by those who are willing to look. You've heard it all before and don?t care to hear it again, the mindless ranting and raving of how old and stale a movement can become, what once shook bone and bent earth soon becomes a dreary and mindless meandering. At a time when it all seems lost, where the good, the great and the mighty are now far and few in between, the inertia is broken as Godspeed You! Black Emperor grants the engrossing and full spectrum of colour. Not for a long while has such an album immediately taken hold of me, such alluring orchestrations hypnotising me from start to finish. Quite honestly an album that leaves one in awe at its majesty, Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress is impressive to say the least, and speaks wonders of where the band is to head next. Let yourself go and delve into the psychedelic wonders of this record, sink into its atmospheres and be ensnared by its odd divination.
Death Cab for Cutie Kintsugi	3.0
Sufjan Stevens Carrie and Lowell	4.5
The Go! Team The Scene Between	3.1
Laura Marling Short Movie	3.0
Twin Shadow Eclipse	2.5
Modest Mouse Strangers to Ourselves	3.5
are you a man or a mouse
Tobias Jesso Jr. Goon	3.5
Kendrick Lamar To Pimp a Butterfly	4.0
of Montreal Aureate Gloom	2.6
Purity Ring Another Eternity	3.7
Humans (CAN) Noontide	2.5
Amason Sky City	3.5
Colleen Green I Want to Grow Up	3.5
Jose Gonzalez Vestiges and Claws	3.0
Marika Hackman We Slept at Last	4.0
Susanne Sundfor Ten Love Songs	4.2
Father John Misty I Love You, Honeybear	4.3
Two Gallants We Are Undone	3.2
Butch Walker Afraid of Ghosts	4.0
The Dodos Individ	3.4
Natalie Prass Natalie Prass	3.0
Belle and Sebastian Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance	2.8
The Decemberists What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World	3.3
Preoccupations Viet Cong	3.5
Sleater-Kinney No Cities to Love	4.0
Guster Evermotion	3.1
Mark Ronson Uptown Special	3.9
Hanni El Khatib Moonlight	3.0

2014
Charli XCX Sucker	3.8
She and Him Classics	2.5
Andy Stott Faith in Strangers	2.5
TV on the Radio Seeds	3.0
RL Grime VOID	3.3
Damien Rice My Favourite Faded Fantasy	3.0
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead IX	3.0
iamamiwhoami Blue	3.5
Springtime Carnivore Springtime Carnivore	4.5
Mystery Skulls Forever	2.5
Taylor Swift 1989	3.8
Her early work was a little too 'country' for my taste, but when Fearless came out in '08, I think she really came into her own - both commercially and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost. She's been compared to Miranda Lambert, but I think Taylor has a far more bitter, cynical sense of humour. In '14, Taylor released this, 1989, her most accomplished album. I think her undisputed masterpiece is 'Style', a song so catchy most people probably don't listen to the lyrics - but they should! Because it's not just about the pleasures of conformity, and the importance of trends, it's also a personal statement about Taylor herself!
Jukebox the Ghost Jukebox The Ghost LP	2.5
Zella Day Zella Day	3.5
Jessie Ware Tough Love	4.1
Ben Howard I Forget Where We Were	4.1
Dads Iâ€™ll Be The Tornado	2.5
Weezer Everything Will Be Alright in the End	3.4
Ex Hex Rips	3.5
Caribou Our Love	4.2
Gorgon City Sirens	3.9
Beach Slang Cheap Thrills On A Dead End Street	3.0
The Voidz Tyranny	1.5
The Drums Encyclopedia	2.0
Perfume Genius Too Bright	3.5
alt-J This Is All Yours	2.5
Catfish and the Bottlemen The Balcony	2.5
Delta Spirit Into the Wide	2.5
U2 Songs of Innocence	2.9
Death From Above 1979 The Physical World	3.0
Ryan Adams Ryan Adams	3.5
Banks Goddess	3.5
Tennis Ritual In Repeat	4.0
Interpol El Pintor	4.0
Blonde Redhead Barragan	2.7
The New Pornographers Brill Bruisers	3.9
Cymbals Eat Guitars LOSE	5.0
Ariana Grande My Everything	2.0
Ty Segall Manipulator	3.9
Broods Evergreen	3.5
Imogen Heap Sparks	2.0
Kimbra The Golden Echo	3.0
Literature Chorus	4.0
Ryn Weaver Promises	3.5
The Rosebuds Sand + Silence	4.1
Spoon They Want My Soul	4.3
Jenny Lewis The Voyager	3.9
The Raveonettes Pe'ahi	3.3
The guitar solo on "Sisters" is enough to love this record more than anything they've done since 2010.
Alvvays Alvvays	4.1
Manic Street Preachers Futurology	3.0
Bleachers Strange Desire	3.0
The Bilinda Butchers Heaven	4.0
Borgore #NewGoreOrder	1.5
Low Roar 0	3.0
A Sunny Day in Glasgow Sea When Absent	3.0
How to Dress Well What Is This Heart?	3.4
Strand of Oaks Heal	4.0
Alex G DSU	3.0
The Antlers Familiars	3.0
Lana Del Rey Ultraviolence	3.5
Jack White Lazaretto	3.0
Hey Dan Auerbach how you like deez nutz bro
First Aid Kit Stay Gold	3.8
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Only Run	2.5
Andrew Bird Things Are Really Great Here, Sort Of...	3.0
Hamilton Leithauser Black Hours	3.8
Hundred Waters The Moon Rang Like a Bell	3.0
Sharon Van Etten Are We There	4.4
Tanlines Highlights	3.0
Conor Oberst Upside Down Mountain	4.0
Afrojack Forget the World	2.0
The Black Keys Turn Blue	2.5
Mimicking Birds EONS	3.5
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart Days of Abandon	3.7
Sylvan Esso Sylvan Esso	4.0
Kishi Bashi Lighght	4.2
4.2? oh word eli
Chromeo White Women	3.0
Lily Allen Sheezus	2.4
tUnE-yArDs Nikki Nack	2.8
BADBADNOTGOOD III	3.8
Papercuts Life Among The Savages	4.0
The Horrors Luminous	3.3
Lykke Li I Never Learn	3.7
Wye Oak Shriek	2.5
Damon Albarn Everyday Robots	3.0
Ought More Than Any Other Day	3.0
Future Honest	2.5
Eels The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett	3.9
Iggy Azalea The New Classic	2.0
Kelis Food	3.5
Woods With Light And With Love	4.1
Todd Terje It's Album Time	3.0
EMA The Future's Void	3.4
L'Orange The Orchid Days	3.5
Foxy Shazam Gonzo	2.0
Manchester Orchestra Cope	2.5
Pure X Angel	3.0
Mac DeMarco Salad Days	3.5
Cloud Nothings Here and Nowhere Else	3.5
Saintseneca Dark Arc	3.8
Kaiser Chiefs Education, Education, Education & War	2.0
Future Islands Singles	3.0
The Hold Steady Teeth Dreams	3.0
Tokyo Police Club Forcefield	3.6
Mr Little Jeans Pocketknife	3.7
YG My Krazy Life	2.5
The War On Drugs Lost in the Dream	4.7
I want to feel like this forever
MO No Mythologies to Follow	4.0
Posse Soft Opening	4.0
The Men Tomorrow's Hits	3.0
Only a drastic change if you haven't listened to the Men since 2011, Tomorrow's Hits nevertheless feels like the first time the band's album-a-year approach is catching up with them. It's almost lazy in its perfunctory drunken bar-rock, and while that sloppiness is almost surely intentional, it makes for an insubstantial album. It sounds like the Men boozily covering the Men. That's certainly an enjoyable experience, but any forward progress has stalled.
Real Estate Atlas	3.5
Exit_International Our Science Is Golden	2.5
We Are Scientists TV en FranÃ§ais	2.5
The Notwist Close to the Glass	3.0
Beck Morning Phase	3.0
St. Vincent St. Vincent	3.4
SKATERS Manhattan	3.5
Lost In The Trees Past Life	2.5
Angel Olsen Burn Your Fire for No Witness	3.0
Phantogram Voices	3.5
The Jezabels The Brink	2.5
Sun Kil Moon Benji	4.1
Temples Sun Structures	3.5
Bombay Bicycle Club So Long, See You Tomorrow	3.5
Bibio Green	3.0
MaryLeigh Roohan Skin and Bone	3.4
Dum Dum Girls Too True	3.5
Quilt Held In Splendor	3.5
Hospitality Trouble	4.0
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything	3.0
Alcest Shelter	3.0
Pretty bird, yeah, can you say pretty bird???
Ricky Eat Acid Three Love Songs	3.0
together PANGEA Badillac	3.0
Warpaint Warpaint	3.5
East India Youth Total Strife Forever	4.0
Weyes Blood The Innocents	3.0

2013
Burial Rival Dealer	4.1
Beyonce Beyonce	3.3
Britney Spears Britney Jean	2.0
Andrew Bird I Want to See Pulaski at Night	2.5
Blood Orange Cupid Deluxe	3.0
Midlake Antiphon	3.0
Tennis Small Sound	3.8
Cut Copy Free Your Mind	4.4
Hellogoodbye Everything Is Debatable	2.5
Widowspeak The Swamps	3.5
White Denim Corsicana Lemonade	3.9
Arcade Fire Reflektor	2.7
Would have made for a swell EP.
Feed Me Jack Anatolia	3.5
Radical Face The Family Tree: The Branches	4.5
Polica Shulamith	3.9
GRiZ Rebel Era	2.5
Cults Static	3.0
Courtney Barnett The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas	3.5
Friendzone DX	4.0
Black Milk No Poison No Paradise	4.0
Miley Cyrus Bangerz	2.0
Panic! at the Disco Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!	2.3
Sleigh Bells Bitter Rivals	2.8
Poppier than their debut but without the dreamy haze that permeated Reign of Terror, Bitter Rivals attempts to split the difference and ends up gaining nothing. Chose a half measure, when they should've gone all the way.
Danny Brown Old	2.8
of Montreal Lousy With Sylvianbriar	3.8
Pusha T My Name Is My Name	3.9
Take out most of the features here (save for Kendrick, Rick Ross (?!)), and you'd have one of the best rap records of the year. As is, it's about as stellar as one could have hoped for after all the delays that have plagued Pusha seemingly all his life.
Mutual Benefit Love's Crushing Diamond	4.1
Justin Timberlake The 20/20 Experience - 2 of 2	2.5
Yuck Glow and Behold	3.0
HAIM Days Are Gone	3.4
Lorde Pure Heroine	4.1
Au Revoir Simone Move in Spectrums	2.8
CHVRCHES The Bones of What You Believe	3.7
MGMT MGMT	3.0
Islands Ski Mask	3.0
Bill Callahan Dream River	3.7
The Weeknd Kiss Land	2.0
Janelle Monae The Electric Lady	3.5
Man Man On Oni Pond	3.5
Jessy Lanza Pull My Hair Back	3.5
Holy Ghost! Dynamics	4.0
Factory Floor Factory Floor	2.5
Goldfrapp Tales Of Us	3.0
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Fly By Wire	3.0
Arctic Monkeys AM	3.0
Ariana Grande Yours Truly	2.5
Neko Case The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight...	4.1
Okkervil River The Silver Gymnasium	4.4
The Dodos Carrier	4.5
Franz Ferdinand Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action	3.5
Crocodiles Crimes of Passion	3.0
Pure Bathing Culture Moon Tides	3.3
Washed Out Paracosm	3.5
Haerts Hemiplegia	3.5
Julia Holter Loud City Song	3.0
Shpongle Museum of Consciousness	3.9
AlunaGeorge Body Music	4.0
Pretty Lights A Color Map of The Sun	3.2
Run the Jewels Run the Jewels	3.5
Freddie Gibbs ESGN	2.5
Kanye West Yeezus	2.0
"It's only led me to complete awesomeness at all times. It's only led me to awesome truth and awesomeness. Beauty, truth, awesomeness. That's all it is." -Kanye West
Sigur Ros Kveikur	3.0
Empire Of The Sun Ice On the Dune	3.4
Smith Westerns Soft Will	3.8
Jimmy Eat World Damage	2.5
Gold Panda Half of Where You Live	3.0
Surfer Blood Pythons	3.7
Sorrow (UK) Dreamstone	3.9
Jason Isbell Southeastern	4.5
Boards of Canada Tomorrow's Harvest	3.3
Portugal. The Man Evil Friends	3.0
These are songs to blast at the beach, to sing along with the windows down, to enjoy as four-minute bits of rock escapism. Hopefully it will garner Portugal. The Man the attention they deserve and draw more people to a live show that is one of the best in the scene. Perhaps then the band will finally feel comfortable exploring a sound that hasn't already been rehashed to perfection and back again with a numbing sort of precision.
Rogue Wave Nightingale Floors	3.2
Sean Nelson Make Good Choices	3.7
Eleanor Friedberger Personal Record	4.1
Camera Obscura Desire Lines	2.9
Jon Hopkins Immunity	3.5
Disclosure Settle	3.9
Saint Pepsi Hit Vibes	2.5
Laura Marling Once I Was an Eagle	3.3
Great can't wait for a John Hanson staff review practically sweating with anticipation thanks for letting us know John!
Radiation City Animals In The Median	4.0
The National Trouble Will Find Me	3.7
Daft Punk Random Access Memories	3.0
Anamanaguchi Endless Fantasy	3.8
Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City	4.5
Everyone's dying, but girl - you're not old yet.
Bibio Silver Wilkinson	4.3
She and Him Volume Three	2.4
Deerhunter Monomania	3.0
Mikal Cronin MCII	3.8
Savages Silence Yourself	3.5
Little Boots Nocturnes	3.5
The Veils Time Stays, We Go	3.8
Laura Stevenson Wheel	4.0
Phoenix (FRA) Bankrupt!	4.0
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Mosquito	2.5
Tera Melos X'ed Out	3.0
The Thermals Desperate Ground	3.2
John-Allison Weiss Say What You Mean	3.5
The Flaming Lips The Terror	3.9
A brief glimpse of eternity's waltz
Ghostface Killah Twelve Reasons to Die	4.2
Major Lazer Free The Universe	3.5
Big K.R.I.T. King Remembered In Time	3.0
Kurt Vile Wakin on a Pretty Daze	4.3
I slept on Smoke Ring For My Halo. I'm wide awake for this.
James Blake Overgrown	3.4
Telekinesis (USA-WA, Indie Rock) Dormarion	2.5
Cold War Kids Dear Miss Lonelyhearts	3.4
The Besnard Lakes Until in Excess, Imperceptible UFO	3.7
Sea Power Machineries of Joy	3.0
The Strokes Comedown Machine	2.8
Low The Invisible Way	3.0
Kacey Musgraves Same Trailer Different Park	4.1
Phosphorescent Muchacho	4.0
Justin Timberlake The 20/20 Experience	3.5
Almost worth the mounds of hyperbolic acclaim it receives
Rosie June Listening Post	3.9
Youth Lagoon Wondrous Bughouse	2.5
Blue Hawaii Untogether	3.0
Waxahatchee Cerulean Salt	3.0
The Men New Moon	4.1
Stereophonics Graffiti On The Train	2.0
Rhye Woman	4.0
Shout Out Louds Optica	3.3
Golden Grrrls Golden Grrrls	3.6
Palma Violets 180	3.0
STRFKR Miracle Mile	3.0
Beach Fossils Clash the Truth	3.5
Foals Holy Fire	4.0
Guards In Guards We Trust	3.7
My Bloody Valentine m b v	3.8
Ducktails The Flower Lane	2.5
Tegan and Sara Heartthrob	3.9
Local Natives Hummingbird	4.1
Ra Ra Riot Beta Love	2.3
Shugo Tokumaru In Focus?	3.7
Widowspeak Almanac	4.0
Free Energy Love Sign	2.5
ASAP Rocky LONG.LIVE.A$AP	4.0
Yo La Tengo Fade	4.2
Goldroom Embrace	3.5

2012
Burial Truant/Rough Sleeper	3.0
iNTRiKeT The Woods	3.5
Big Boi Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors	3.5
L'Orange The Mad Writer	4.1
Clinic Free Reign	3.5
Lana Del Rey Paradise	2.0
Alex G Trick	3.0
Andrew Bird Hands of Glory	4.0
Andy Stott Luxury Problems	4.0
Titus Andronicus Local Business	2.0
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Lost Songs	4.0
Taylor Swift Red	3.0
Pinback Information Retrieved	3.0
No one will ever accuse a Pinback record of sounding terrible; Rob Crow and Armistead Burwell Smith are masters of lighting a slow burning fuse of groovy electric guitars and hypnotic rhythms that set in ever so slightly. And it's predictably gorgeous. Where Information Retrieved fails is that it's content to be pretty and nothing more. For a band that has always been adept at shading in the blank spaces during their career, Information Retrieved is a shockingly humdrum drive, with many wonderful parts but nothing that really grabs you. Pinback are still beautiful, but they're getting to the point where that's all they are.
Benjamin Gibbard Former Lives	3.5
Godspeed You! Black Emperor 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!	3.5
The capacity of human intelligence seems to limit the capabilities to expand upon any possible creative aptitudes. Indeed, if one cannot even notice the facets that the ingenuities around him are comprised of, how can he be expected to fashion a beast of his own? This inveterate sense of constraint is a great blow to the veracity of mankind's abilities. It restrains us and holds our minds to the ground below, averting any possibility of rising above ourselves to something greater; something not fathomed by the conventional mind. This concept of seeking to go beyond one's self, known as "transcendence," is essentially a gateway to unlocking pieces of ourselves that can lead to some of the most elaborate and significant creations of our world. For many, this quest to transcend and form creations that were once considered unthinkable and overwhelming consumes life. Certainly it is rare to find such people, but when they are found, creative barriers are destroyed.
Earlimart System Preferences	3.5
A Fine Frenzy Pines	4.0
Bat For Lashes The Haunted Man	3.0
Balthazar (BE) Rats	3.0
Daphni Jiaolong	2.5
A.C. Newman Shut Down the Streets	3.5
Lord Huron Lonesome Dreams	4.0
Tame Impala Lonerism	4.0
Tilly and the Wall Heavy Mood	2.5
Flying Lotus Until the Quiet Comes	3.0
Taken By Trees Other Worlds	3.5
The Mountain Goats Transcendental Youth	4.0
Yawn.....what's this....another excellent Mountain Goats album you say? It'd be a surprise, at this point, for the Darnielle MG-5000 to take a detour into crunkcore and not come out with a superb record.
Dragonette Bodyparts	2.5
Melody's Echo Chamber Melody's Echo Chamber	3.5
Dum Dum Girls End of Daze	4.0
Submotion Orchestra Fragments	3.5
Deadmau5 >album title goes here<	3.0
Breakbot By Your Side	3.0
The Killers Battle Born	2.0
It's hard to choose a favorite among so many great tracks, but "From Here On Out" is one of the best, most powerful songs ever written about self-preservation, dignity. Its universal message crosses all boundaries and instills one with the hope that it's not too late to better ourselves. Since, Elizabeth, it's impossible in this world we live in to empathize with others, we can always empathize with ourselves. It's an important message, crucial really. And it's beautifully stated on the album.
Band of Horses Mirage Rock	2.5
Grizzly Bear Shields	3.0
Carly Rae Jepsen Kiss	3.4
How to Dress Well Total Loss	4.0
Woods Bend Beyond	4.0
Menomena Moms	4.5
GOOD Music Cruel Summer	3.0
The xx Coexist	2.5
The Helio Sequence Negotiations	3.0
The Raveonettes Observator	3.0
The Presets Pacifica	3.0
Deerhoof Breakup Song	2.0
Animal Collective Centipede Hz	3.0
I'm not saying you need to be on drugs to give this a 4 or above but you totally need to be on drugs to give this a 4 or above.
Stars The North	3.0
Exceedingly pretty but it seems each Stars album has less songs that latch onto you than the one before. Here, there's "Progress," "Do You Want To Die Together," and a whole mess of frosty ballads between Amy Millan and Torquil Campbell that sound pristine yet strangely airy and insubstantial.
Jens Lekman I Know What Love Isn't	3.5
Two Door Cinema Club Beacon	3.5
Cat Power Sun	4.0
Divine Fits A Thing Called Divine Fits	4.0
Wild Nothing Nocturne	4.0
Yeasayer Fragrant World	2.0
Jessie Ware Devotion	3.0
Jack Beats Careless	3.5
Heavenly Beat Talent	3.5
Blur Blur 21	4.5
Purity Ring Shrines	2.5
The Gaslight Anthem Handwritten	3.5
Passion Pit Gossamer	4.0
The Antlers Undersea	4.0
Cigarettes After Sex I.	3.5
Frank Ocean channel ORANGE	3.0
Dirty Projectors Swing Lo Magellan	3.0
Twin Shadow Confess	3.5
DIIV Oshin	3.0
Fiona Apple The Idler Wheel...	4.5
Metric Synthetica	3.0
Motion City Soundtrack Go	3.5
The Tallest Man on Earth There's No Leaving Now	4.0
Hot Chip In Our Heads	3.5
The Welcome Wagon Precious Remedies Against Satanâ€™s Devices	3.5
The Walkmen Heaven	4.5
Big K.R.I.T. Live From The Underground	3.0
The Mynabirds Generals	3.5
Crocodiles Endless Flowers	3.5
Japandroids Celebration Rock	3.0
I could have sworn this came out in 2009 and was called Post-Nothing then.
Liars WIXIW	3.5
The Hives Lex Hives	2.5
Sun Kil Moon Among the Leaves	2.5
Regina Spektor What We Saw from the Cheap Seats	3.0
Simian Mobile Disco Unpatterns	3.5
alt-J An Awesome Wave	3.0
Sigur Ros Valtari	3.5
Ladyhawke Anxiety	3.9
Knife Party Rage Valley	3.0
El-P Cancer 4 Cure	3.0
Beach House Bloom	3.0
Killer Mike R.A.P. Music	3.0
Tenacious D Rize of the Fenix	4.0
Interested to see how this material will translate live without spontaneously combusting the entire audience into flames. Way better than Arcade Fire.
Hop Along Get Disowned	2.5
Ghost Mice All We Got Is Each Other	3.0
Father John Misty Fear Fun	3.5
Death Grips The Money Store	2.0
Jack White Blunderbuss	4.0
Holy Esque Holy Esque	3.5
Maps and Atlases Beware and Be Grateful	3.5
Florence and the Machine MTV Unplugged	2.5
Pop Winds Earth To Friend	3.0
M. Ward A Wasteland Companion	3.5
Eight and a Half Eight and a Half	3.5
Kishi Bashi 151a	4.0
Alabama Shakes Boys & Girls	3.0
BADBADNOTGOOD BBNG2	3.5
The Lumineers The Lumineers	3.5
Chromatics Kill for Love	4.0
OFWGKTA The OF Tape Vol. 2	2.5
The Shins Port of Morrow	3.0
Vacationer Gone	3.5
Lost In The Trees A Church That Fits Our Needs	4.0
Spiritualized Sweet Heart Sweet Light	3.6
Delta Spirit Delta Spirit	2.5
Miike Snow Happy to You	3.5
Julia Holter Ekstasis	3.5
Gold Motel Gold Motel	3.0
Kaiser Chiefs Start the Revolution Without Me	2.5
The Men Open Your Heart	3.0
White Rabbits Milk Famous	3.0
Yellow Ostrich Strange Land	3.8
Andrew Bird Break It Yourself	4.5
Geographer Myth	3.5
School of Seven Bells Ghostory	4.0
Deep Sea Diver History Speaks	4.0
fun. Some Nights	2.0
Something's wrong when the best song is a bonus track.
Perfume Genius Put Your Back N 2 It	3.5
Cursive I Am Gemini	3.5
Sleigh Bells Reign of Terror	4.0
The Ting Tings Sounds from Nowheresville	2.0
Carly Rae Jepsen Curiosity	2.5
Heartless Bastards Arrow	3.3
Tennis Young And Old	3.5
Shearwater Animal Joy	3.5
Burial Kindred	4.0
John Talabot Fin	4.0
Islands A Sleep and a Forgetting	4.0
Polica Give You The Ghost	4.5
Field Music Plumb	3.0
Dr. Dog Be The Void	2.5
Ben Kweller Go Fly A Kite	3.0
Sharon Van Etten Tramp	3.5
of Montreal Paralytic Stalks	3.5
Hospitality Hospitality	3.5
Grimes Visions	4.0
Lana Del Rey Born to Die	2.5
Foxy Shazam The Church of Rock and Roll	2.5
Cloud Nothings Attack on Memory	3.5
John K. Samson Provincial	4.0
Nada Surf The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy	3.5
Chairlift Something	3.5
First Aid Kit The Lion's Roar	4.0
Cate Le Bon CYRK	3.0
Lana Del Rey Lana Del Rey	3.5

2011
Skrillex Bangarang	2.0
Macintosh Plus Floral Shoppe	2.0
The Black Keys El Camino	3.5
The Roots undun	3.5
Nujabes Spiritual State	3.5
The Antlers (together)	2.0
Rihanna Talk That Talk	2.5
Drake Take Care	2.5
Childish Gambino Camp	2.5
Los Campesinos! Hello Sadness	3.5
Atlas Sound Parallax	3.5
The Decemberists Long Live the King	3.0
ASAP Rocky Live.Love.A$AP.	2.9
Florence and the Machine Ceremonials	4.5
God dammit and I was so ready to blast Ms. Welch for selling out.
Justice Audio, Video, Disco	2.0
She and Him A Very She & Him Christmas	2.0
Coldplay Mylo Xyloto	3.0
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Tape Club	3.0
M83 Hurry Up, We're Dreaming	4.5
Real Estate Days	4.0
Ryan Adams Ashes And Fire	3.0
Future Islands On the Water	3.0
Incan Abraham Ancient Vacation	3.9
Foxygen Take The Kids Off Broadway	3.0
Feist Metals	4.0
Oftentimes when artists feel commercial success is threatening their artistic credibility, they may record a follow-up that often has the simultaneous goal of "getting back to my roots" and "alienating all the posers who liked me because of that iPod commercial." I'm not entirely convinced that this wasn't Leslie Feist's whole goal with Metals, an album that has a bleak, unwelcoming landscape as its cover and no candidates to conveniently slide in next to "1234" at the Starbucks rack. Yet by refusing to kowtow to the single-oriented modern market and soaking all of Metals in a morose sheen of understated production, Feist has turned the spotlight back on what always made her a great artist to begin with: her songwriting.
Radical Face The Family Tree: The Roots	4.5
Daughter The Wild Youth	4.0
Youth Lagoon The Year of Hibernation	3.5
Great music to fall asleep to. And I mean that in the best way possible.
Dan Mangan Oh Fortune	3.5
Wilco The Whole Love	4.5
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Hysterical	2.5
Wolfgang Gartner Weekend In America	3.0
AJJ Knife Man	3.5
Nurses Dracula	3.5
The Jezabels Prisoner	4.0
Mates of State Mountaintops	3.0
Blind Pilot We Are The Tide	3.0
Cymbals Eat Guitars Lenses Alien	3.5
St. Vincent Strange Mercy	3.5
Laura Marling A Creature I Don't Know	3.0
Excision X Rated	3.0
The Drums Portamento	3.5
Girls Father, Son, Holy Ghost	4.0
It’s been said before, but it bears repeating: Christopher Owens, a genuinely fucked up individual by all accounts, writes some truly stellar pop music. People who dismiss Father, Son, Holy Ghost as a mere pastiche are doing themselves a disservice – Owens is the best young pop classicist in the business right now. What really sets him apart from his peers, though, is his totally guileless enthusiasm. He’s the type of front man who can give out a little yelp as the guitar buzzes back in on “Honey Bunny” and make it sound totally authentic, totally right. Which, incidentally, is how the rest of the record sounds. Combine that sincerity with the kind of ambitious song structures Owens has flawlessly constructed here, and maybe those Brian Wilson comparisons aren’t so far off now.
The Rapture In the Grace of Your Love	3.5
Thrice Major/Minor	3.5
Sleeper Agent Celabrasion	3.5
Lil Wayne Tha Carter IV	2.5
Male Bonding Endless Now	3.5
David Guetta Nothing but the Beat	1.5
Radical Face The Bastards: Volume One	3.8
The Weeknd Thursday	3.0
Mister Heavenly Out of Love	4.0
The War On Drugs Slave Ambient	4.5
Beirut The Rip Tide	4.0
Jay-Z and Kanye West Watch the Throne	3.0
Fountains of Wayne Sky Full of Holes	2.5
Fruit Bats Tripper	3.0
Widowspeak Widowspeak	3.0
Danny Brown XXX	2.5
Portugal. The Man In The Mountain In The Cloud	3.5
Wugazi 13 Chambers	3.5
Eleanor Friedberger Last Summer	3.5
The Horrors Skying	4.0
Ditching the monochromatic cover of Primary Colours for the hazy water landscape on the front of Skying was the best thing the Horrors ever did. I was never a huge fan of their Bauhaus image and My-Bloody-Valentine- meets-Ian-Curtis shtick, but Skying takes all that and adds in a healthy dose of watercolors. The guitar tone on this album is something Kevin Shields would be proud of, but it's their focus on thick, drug-friendly grooves and a heavy dose of trippy atmospherics that make this a new shoegaze classic.
Beyonce 4	2.5
Shabazz Palaces Black Up	2.5
Selena Gomez When the Sun Goes Down	2.5
Handsome Furs Sound Kapital	4.0
Bon Iver Bon Iver, Bon Iver	3.0
Gomez Whatever's On Your Mind	3.0
The Dear Hunter Green	4.0
The Dear Hunter Yellow	4.0
The Dear Hunter Orange	3.5
The Dear Hunter Red	3.0
Owl City All Things Bright And Beautiful	1.0
Like having an orgasm and saving the rainforest, all at the same time.
The Dear Hunter Black	2.5
The Dear Hunter The Color Spectrum	4.0
The Dear Hunter The Color Spectrum (Complete Collection)	4.0
Araabmuzik Electronic Dream	4.0
WU LYF Go Tell Fire to the Mountain	3.0
Submotion Orchestra Finest Hour	3.5
Skrillex More Monsters and Sprites	2.0
The Rosebuds Loud Planes Fly Low	3.4
Cults Cults	4.0
Delicately cute twee pop with your boy-girl harmonies, sticky-sweet hooks, summer love lyrics etc. etc. You'll either be reaching for a bag of bitters and a diabetes diagnosis or begging for more. Me, I like my sugar in excess, and Cults fills the prescription quite nicely.
Givers In Light	4.0
Arctic Monkeys Suck It and See	3.0
Kaiser Chiefs The Future is Medieval	2.5
Datsik Hydraulic/Overdose	3.5
My Morning Jacket Circuital	2.5
Death Cab for Cutie Codes and Keys	3.0
SebastiAn Total	3.5
Foster the People Torches	3.0
White Denim D	4.0
Lady Gaga Born This Way	2.0
The Elected Bury Me In My Rings	3.0
Chad VanGaalen Diaper Island	3.5
Tyler, the Creator Goblin	2.5
Wild Beasts Smother	3.0
Sleepy Vikings They Will Find You Here	3.4
Okkervil River I Am Very Far	3.5
EMA Past Life Martyred Saints	3.5
The Antlers Burst Apart	4.0
At this point, everyone knows the story behind Antlers, who finally made it (indie) big in 2009 on the strength of a crushingly intimate record about an emotionally destructive relationship. It's a narrative that has colored everything they've done since then, and nothing has been overshadowed by it more than Burst Apart. Peter Silberman stated in an interview, "you can put [Burst Apart] on and not feel like it had to be a severe emotional experience." For many, this directly defeated everything that appealed to them about the Antlers. Those people missed out on one of the great records of 2011, a record that finally showcases the talents of the band the Antlers and not just the lyrical prowess (still quite strong, I might add) of Peter Silberman fronting some other guys playing instruments. Where it was Silberman's wispy falsetto that carried all the emotional weight on Hospice, here it's the group, exploring a variety of textures and celebrating singledom with major-key chords on opener "I Don?t Want Love." Maybe Silberman needed to get all of that poison out of him on Hospice to make the best record of his career, because make no mistake - Burst Apart is that record, and a strong harbinger of what's to come if the Antlers can keep evolving like this.
Manchester Orchestra Simple Math	4.0
GusGus Arabian Horse	4.0
Fleet Foxes Helplessness Blues	3.5
Beastie Boys Hot Sauce Committee Part Two	3.5
Laura Stevenson Sit Resist	3.5
I wish every great female-fronted indie pop album was hailed as the best of the year, the world would be a much happier place.
Daughter His Young Heart	3.5
tUnE-yArDs w h o k i l l	2.5
Explosions in the Sky Take Care, Take Care, Take Care	2.5
"Unexciting instrumental music" - Adam Downer
TV on the Radio Nine Types of Light	3.0
Foo Fighters Wasting Light	3.5
The Raveonettes Raven in the Grave	2.0
The Kills Blood Pressures	4.0
Zammuto Zammuto	3.0
Jack Beats All Night	2.0
Dirty Beaches Badlands	2.0
The Sounds Something to Die For	2.5
Peter Bjorn and John Gimme Some	3.5
The Mountain Goats All Eternals Deck	3.5
Bibio Mind Bokeh	4.0
Burial Street Halo	3.0
Swarms Old Raves End	4.0
Britney Spears Femme Fatale	3.5
The Strokes Angles	2.3
Acid House Kings Music Sounds Better With You	4.0
The Weeknd House of Balloons	3.0
The Dodos No Color	4.5
Like The Visiter but with an editor - in short, everything we wanted the Dodos to be.
Lupe Fiasco Lasers	2.0
Raekwon Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang	3.0
Wye Oak Civilian	3.5
Elbow Build A Rocket Boys!	2.5
Garvey has a lovely voice, but Build A Rocket Boys! is all shiny textures and pleasant listening and altogether very, very boring.
Kurt Vile Smoke Ring For My Halo	3.5
Vessels Helioscope	3.0
Eisley The Valley	4.0
Lykke Li Wounded Rhymes	3.5
Radiohead The King of Limbs	2.0
Frank Ocean Nostalgia, Ultra.	3.5
I find it interesting, and a little bit telling regarding Odd Future as a whole, that the best songs on Nostalgia, Ultra are largely based off other people's songs ("Strawberry Swing," "American Wedding," "Nature Feels"). For all their hype, there is really very little in the Odd Future crew that hasn't been done before. It's even more fascinating, then, that the most "unoriginal" (given the overabundance of midtempo R&B crooners in the Drake age) member of their crew has made the best album of all of them. Nostalgia, Ultra mixes modern and retro seamlessly, from its occasionally misogynistic lyrics to its cassette-break interludes named after '90s video games. But there's feeling here, and talent; for all the Auto-Tune, it's obvious Ocean can sing. It's the only kind of record in the Odd Future collective that can bounce from Radiohead to The-Dream as easily as it does and still sound so fresh, so real. With Odd Future, one can often get the sense that a lot of what they do is a bit fraudulent, a self-built image (who isn't guilty of this in hip-hop?). With Ocean, it never sounds contrived. And, hey, "Strawberry Swing" nearly shits all over anything Coldplay has done.
The Dears Degeneration Street	2.0
Yuck Yuck	3.5
Telekinesis (USA-WA, Indie Rock) 12 Desperate Straight Lines	3.5
Tim Hecker Ravedeath, 1972	3.0
PJ Harvey Let England Shake	3.0
Bright Eyes The People's Key	4.0
Akron/Family S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT	2.5
Cut Copy Zonoscope	3.0
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Tao of the Dead	3.5
James Blake James Blake	3.0
Delicate Steve Wondervisions	3.5
The Go! Team Rolling Blackouts	4.0
Cloud Nothings Cloud Nothings	3.0
Destroyer Kaputt	4.0
How many dicks does Bejar have to suck to get more songs on a New Pornos album good christ
The Veils Troubles of the Brain	2.0
Cold War Kids Mine is Yours	3.5
The Joy Formidable The Big Roar	3.5
Spokes Everyone I Ever Met	2.5
The Decemberists The King Is Dead	3.0
Braids Native Speaker	3.0
Tennis Cape Dory	3.0
Smith Westerns Dye It Blonde	3.4
Foster the People Foster The People	4.0
Reso Valken	3.5
Love Axe Phenomenomenons	3.5
Iceage New Brigade	2.5
Sea Power Valhalla Dancehall	3.5
G-Side The One...Cohesive	3.5

2010
Ryan Adams III/IV	3.0
Daft Punk Tron: Legacy	2.5
Deadmau5 4x4=12	3.0
Simian Mobile Disco Delicacies	4.0
Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy	4.0
I like to use Kanye West’s own Twitter to describe My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: “”This is rock and roll life my people . . . you can’t stop the truth you can’t stop the music and I have to be strong or ‘they’ win!!!;” “I can’t be everybody’s hero and villain savior and sinner Christian and anti Christ!;” “I have decided to become the best rapper of all time! I put it on my things to do in this lifetime list!” Besides an abundance of exclamation points, Kanye’s often hilarious Twitter is everything that made his newest album such a masterpiece, from his Christ complex to his feuding with the media to his undeniable artistic brilliance. Guy might be a little crazy, but weren’t all the best a bit off?
Robyn Body Talk	4.5
Girl Talk All Day	4.0
The Concretes WYWH	3.0
Cee Lo Green The Lady Killer	3.5
Hellogoodbye Would It Kill You?	4.0
N.E.R.D. Nothing	1.5
Matt and Kim Sidewalks	3.0
Elliott Smith An Introduction To... Elliott Smith	4.0
Young the Giant Young the Giant	3.0
Warpaint The Fool	3.0
Taylor Swift Speak Now	4.0
Skrillex Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites	3.5
From First to Last to simply first, Sonny Moore’s debut as an electro fiend with a penchant for wicked bass drops and unintelligible Auto-Tune somehow worked, in its own messy way. Skrillex will never win any critical awards, but as the rawest form of party starter, few could match up to the relentless stream of house, electro and dubstep that Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites spits out. Pills not included.
Yellow Ostrich The Mistress	2.5
Sufjan Stevens The Age of Adz	2.0
Please, Sufjan, don't go where I can't follow
Badly Drawn Boy It's What I'm Thinking - Photographing Snowflakes	2.0
Belle and Sebastian Write About Love	2.5
Working For a Nuclear Free City Jojo Burger Tempest	3.0
Guster Easy Wonderful	3.5
The War On Drugs Future Weather	2.5
Women Public Strain	2.5
The only strain here is in making it through the whole record.
Jimmy Eat World Invented	3.0
Deerhunter Halcyon Digest	5.0
Perhaps the most surprising thing about Halcyon Digest was just how warm everything sounded. Whereas Bradford Cox and company's earlier work tended to be unwieldy messes of noise thrown loosely under the shoegaze label, Halcyon Digest continued what 2008's Microcastle begun: transforming Deerhunter into a full-fledged rock band, feet firmly planted in pop territory and beckoning us to just relax and enjoy. When I first heard "Revival" I was astonished at just how straightforward everything was, how easy it was to connect to a band I previously had regarded as somewhat cold. But things aren't just direct; there's a depth to these songs that, coming from Cox, is not much of a surprise, but makes Halcyon Digest something more than just a really good rock album. Halcyon Digest is a record that seems destined to stand the test of time, constructed as it is out of the timeless building blocks of music: guitar, bass, vocals and drums, all done so effortlessly that it?s hard to believe Deerhunter have been doing this for years. In a way, of course, they have, but never so refined, so at ease. For Cox, someone whose constantly fidgeting around with demos and side projects, hearing him buckle down and produce a whole album's worth of immediately arresting music is a relief. Halcyon Digest is Deerhunter's most deft accomplishment yet, and they've done it not with bells or whistles or 20-minute-plus compositions but by writing perfect rock 'n roll, pure and simple.
Mark Ronson Record Collection	4.0
No Age Everything In Between	2.5
How to Dress Well Love Remains	3.0
Weezer Hurley	2.0
of Montreal False Priest	3.5
Superchunk Majesty Shredding	3.5
The Walkmen Lisbon	4.5
Blonde Redhead Penny Sparkle	3.0
Crocodiles Sleep Forever	3.0
Interpol Interpol	2.0
The Tallest Man on Earth Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird	3.5
Excision Shambhala 2010	4.0
Jenny and Johnny I'm Having Fun Now	3.0
The Clientele Minotaur	3.0
Telekinesis (USA-WA, Indie Rock) Parallel Seismic Conspiracies	3.5
Katy Perry Teenage Dream	2.0
!!! Strange Weather, Isn't It?	2.5
Eels Tomorrow Morning	3.5
Ra Ra Riot The Orchard	4.0
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Let It Sway	2.5
Porter Robinson Say My Name	4.0
Lost In The Trees All Alone In An Empty House	3.5
Wavves King of the Beach	2.5
Arcade Fire The Suburbs	3.5
Menomena Mines	3.0
The Books The Way Out	4.0
School of Seven Bells Disconnect From Desire	2.0
Sun Kil Moon Admiral Fell Promises	3.0
Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse Dark Night of the Soul	3.5
Jack Beats Revolution/Out Of Body	3.5
Big Boi Sir Lucious Left Foot	4.0
Maps and Atlases Perch Patchwork	3.5
Wolf Parade Expo 86	4.0
Not as spastically enjoyable as Apologies, nor the experimental fapping of Zoomer, but it's own, unique beast, one that gets by on the markedly improved strength of Krug and Boeckner's songwriting rather than any tricks. Easily their most consistent album so far.
Steel Train Steel Train	4.0
With their third record, Steel Train showed me that sometimes, good rock ‘n roll can be just that; no gimmicks, no existentialist musings, no 20-minute-plus compositions swollen with strings and harps and timpani. Steel Train put their money down on ace melodies and that simple trifecta of rock: guitar, bass, drums. They only come out with some of the best songs of the year, sugary offerings that are no less potent because they revel in their hooks and sing-a-long capabilities. Not to mention a song of the year in the heartrending “Fall Asleep.”
Borgore Borgore Ruined Dubstep (Part 1)	3.5
Stars The Five Ghosts	3.0
The Roots How I Got Over	3.5
Decidedly funky, well-written, produced, etc. etc. - decidedly Rootsian, in other words. It's just what I've come to expect from the Roots, and in that respect How I Got Over is almost a bit of a disappointment, the Roots playing it safe and meeting every single one of my expectations but never overwhelming them. Then again, there's nothing wrong with being one of hip-hop's most consistent bands.
Kele The Boxer	2.0
Eminem Recovery	3.0
The Gaslight Anthem American Slang	2.0
Drake Thank Me Later	2.0
Foals Total Life Forever	3.0
We Are Scientists Barbara	3.0
Deadmau5 At Play 3	3.0
Uffie Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans	2.0
Ratatat LP4	3.0
Delta Spirit History From Below	4.0
Tokyo Police Club Champ	4.0
The Drums The Drums	3.0
Skrillex My Name Is Skrillex	3.0
Gold Motel Summer House	4.0
Marina The Family Jewels	3.0
Beach Fossils Beach Fossils	3.5
Pendulum Immersion	3.5
Ryan Adams Orion	1.5
LCD Soundsystem This Is Happening	2.5
Band of Horses Infinite Arms	3.5
Janelle Monae The ArchAndroid	3.5
The Black Keys Brothers	4.0
Sleigh Bells Treats	3.0
Japandroids No Singles	3.5
Phosphorescent Here's To Taking It Easy	4.0
In an off year for alt-country Matt Houck stepped up to the plate and delivered a straightforward home run, all muscular slide guitar and folky twang. But the best part is Houck's melodies, which are fleshed out and given new life with the colorful compositions offered by his expanded sound.
The National High Violet	4.4
The Hold Steady Heaven Is Whenever	2.5
Broken Social Scene Forgiveness Rock Record	3.5
What exactly are Broken Social Scene apologizing for with their new record? As the patriarchs of a mammoth scene, Broken Social Scene don’t really have anything more to prove. It’s fitting then, that Forgiveness Rock Record turns inward, focusing on beefing up the production and creating intricate compositions to get lost in. While it might be a tad grandiose (not to mention way too long), it’s exactly what one should expect from a band so wonderfully outsized as this one.
The New Pornographers Together	3.5
Future Islands In Evening Air	4.3
Flying Lotus Cosmogramma	3.5
B.o.B The Adventures of Bobby Ray	3.5
Avi Buffalo Avi Buffalo	3.5
The Futureheads The Chaos	3.0
Parades Foreign Tapes	3.5
Shugo Tokumaru Port Entropy	3.5
The Radio Dept. Clinging to a Scheme	4.5
The Apples in Stereo Travellers in Space and Time	2.5
Everest On Approach	3.0
Caribou Swim	4.0
Dark Time Sunshine Vessel	4.0
Where Kanye West and Big Boi stole all the hip-hop critical acclaim and publicity this year, Vessel was the little rap record that could, flying under the radar and stealthily staking its claim as one of the best albums in the genre. Vessel is an apt name; Dark Time Sunshine takes you on a trip through the furthest fringes of the hip-hop universe, a sector populated by likeminded pioneers like Aesop Rock and P.O.S but still its own unique, innovative beast. This isn’t nerd-rap or hip-hop unpalatable to the average fan; MC Onry Ozzborne is easy to understand and even easier to listen to, weaving engaging tales as he does on “E.R” and “Little Or No Concern,” while producer Zavala runs the gamut from the propulsive, tribal “Defender” to the psychedelic layers of “All Aboard” without a dud to be found. This is a trailblazer for the new decade, a road map of where hip-hop can go and what it can do, and the kind of release that makes you believe that, yes, there always is something new under the sun.
Nada Surf If I Had A Hi-Fi	3.0
MGMT Congratulations	2.5
The Menzingers Chamberlain Waits	3.0
The Tallest Man on Earth The Wild Hunt	4.5
How can you not like a record with a cover like that? It's like Darnielle and Corgan had a baby in Sweden and it made beautiful, beautiful folk music that is at once whispery thin and insubstantial and at the other time incredibly fiery and affirming ("King of Spain," anyone?). Awesome
Dr. Dog Shame, Shame	3.0
Laura Marling I Speak Because I Can	3.5
Jonsi Go	4.5
Predictably, this album gives me a huge, throbbing boner that leaves me in some pain by the time Hengilas finishes up.
NOISIA Split The Atom	4.5
Noisia’s first proper LP is a shining example of everything good that can happen when a groundbreaking trio mashes all their influences together and produces something truly original. Split the Atom has it all: breaks, electro, drum n bass, funk, house, et cetera. It’s a mishmash of styles that never seems like it’s about to collapse – the Dutch group have collected everything they admire about electronica and make it their own. Noisia are not afraid to take some risks, and Split the Atom promises to be the first in a long line of relentless, heart-stopping party starters.
Usher Raymond v. Raymond	2.5
Wait What the notorious xx	3.5
Justin Bieber My World 2.0	2.5
Love Is All Two Thousand and Ten Injuries	3.0
She and Him Volume Two	3.5
Serena Maneesh S-M 2: Abyss in B Minor	4.0
Criminally overlooked shoegaze out of Norway, Serena Maneesh crafted some of the strangest, most endearing music of the year. This isn’t your older brother’s shoegaze; this plain rocks, with angular riffs and thudding bass lines seemingly more suited for prog than pop. But for all its oddness, it’s an album that refuses to be ignored, and I’d gladly take this over the Ambien most shoegaze bands proffer up nowadays.
Bonobo Black Sands	4.3
Goldfrapp Head First	3.0
Balthazar (BE) Applause	3.5
Locksley Be In Love	2.5
Broken Bells Broken Bells	3.0
The Morning Benders Big Echo	3.0
Gorillaz Plastic Beach	3.0
Predictably crazy and jagged around the edges, with just the kind of brilliant instrumentation and guest stars you'd expect Albarn to cook up. But for all its craftsmanship it's still a muddled, jumbled mess of an album, one more in love with the idea itself than in the songs, which too often meander about with no real meaning, aim, or (most importantly) hooks. Bring Blur back please.
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists The Brutalist Bricks	3.0
The Besnard Lakes The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night	3.0
Liars Sisterworld	3.5
Titus Andronicus The Monitor	3.5
Geographer Animal Shapes	3.5
Free Energy Stuck On Nothing	4.0
Philadelphia five-piece Free Energy would seem to have everything they need to take the hipster blogosphere by storm – a place on DFA records and an album produced by the founder himself, James Murphy; a ringing endorsement from Pitchfork; a sound that cherry picks from a helluva lot of influences but somehow stands proudly on its own as something new. But being the next “cool” thing has never been what Free Energy was about. Their music is a refreshing throwback to ‘70s arena rock without being ironic – bombastic riffs that stick in your head like bubblegum, gang vocals that lend themselves admirably to road trip sing-a-longs, melodies that hearken back to ‘60s power-pop. Paul Sprangers sings about girls and summer love and absolutely nothing of higher import because, frankly, that’s all he wants to sing about. It’s unfortunate that Stuck on Nothing was released in the spring, because it’s a summer record through and through. Beach cruising, salty air and salty hair, bikinis, breezy car trips, pool parties, Slurpees that always seem to damn drippy, the smell of tanning lotion, sand that will stay in my car for way too many months, days and days of doing whatever the hell you want – Free Energy have made a soundtrack for all of these things, and made it seem effortless in the bargain.
Rogue Wave Permalight	4.0
Groove Armada Black Light	2.0
Two Door Cinema Club Tourist History	3.5
Shearwater The Golden Archipelago	3.0
Shout Out Louds Work	3.0
Electric President The Violent Blue	3.5
Fang Island Fang Island	3.5
Joanna Newsom Have One on Me	3.5
Sambassadeur European	3.5
Field Music Field Music (Measure)	3.5
Yeasayer Odd Blood	2.5
The Watson Twins Talking To You, Talking To Me	2.5
Pantha Du Prince Black Noise	3.0
The Knife Tomorrow, In a Year	2.0
The Brunettes Paper Dolls	3.0
BT These Hopeful Machines	3.5
Lil Wayne Rebirth	1.0
Midlake The Courage Of Others	3.5
Daniel Bjarnason Processions	3.5
Los Campesinos! Romance Is Boring	3.5
Basia Bulat Heart of My Own	3.5
Oh No Ono Eggs	4.0
Beach House Teen Dream	3.0
Four Tet There is Love in You	4.0
Eels End Times	3.0
Surfer Blood Astro Coast	3.5
Spoon Transference	3.8
OK Go Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky	3.5
Vampire Weekend Contra	3.0
Woods At Echo Lake	3.0
Tomba Disturbed	4.0

2009
Eminem Relapse: Refill	1.5
Clipse Til the Casket Drops	3.0
The Bravery Stir The Blood	2.0
Animal Collective Fall Be Kind	3.0
Lady Gaga The Fame Monster	3.0
Justin Bieber My World	1.5
Real Estate Real Estate	3.0
Annie Don't Stop	4.0
50 Cent Before I Self Destruct	1.5
Stereophonics Keep Calm and Carry On	3.0
Britney Spears The Singles Collection	3.5
Wale Attention Deficit	3.5
Carrie Underwood Play On	2.5
Shpongle Ineffable Mysteries from Shpongleland	3.5
Weezer Raditude	2.5
Tegan and Sara Sainthood	3.5
Flight of the Conchords I Told You I Was Freaky	2.5
Atlas Sound Logos	3.0
Do Make Say Think Other Truths	3.5
The Flaming Lips Embryonic	2.5
Thrice Beggars	3.5
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson Summer Of Fear	3.5
Tiesto Kaleidoscope	2.5
Headlights Wildlife	3.0
Orphans of Cush White Noize	3.0
The Clientele Bonfires on the Heath	3.3
The Raveonettes In and Out of Control	3.5
Sufjan Stevens Run Rabbit Run	3.5
The Mountain Goats The Life of the World to Come	4.0
Mumford and Sons Sigh No More	2.5
Boys Noize Power	3.0
Mariah Carey Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel	2.0
Paramore Brand New Eyes	2.5
Ghostface Killah Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City	2.5
Selena Gomez Kiss & Tell	2.5
Lights The Listening	2.5
Brand New Daisy	2.5
The Big Pink A Brief History of Love	3.5
Islands Vapours	3.5
Basement Jaxx Scars	3.5
Girls Album	3.5
Deadmau5 For Lack of a Better Name	3.5
Monsters of Folk Monsters of Folk	4.5
Mika The Boy Who Knew Too Much	3.0
A Sunny Day in Glasgow Ashes Grammar	3.0
Kid Cudi Man on the Moon: The End of Day	3.5
Jay-Z The Blueprint 3	2.5
Amy Millan Masters of the Burial	3.0
Sondre Lerche Heartbeat Radio	3.0
A Fine Frenzy Bomb In A Birdcage	3.5
Yo La Tengo Popular Songs	3.5
Infected Mushroom Legend Of The Black Shawarma	3.5
Taken By Trees East of Eden	4.0
Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt II	4.5
Wolfgang Gartner Wolfgang's 5th Symphony	4.0
The Dodos Time to Die	3.0
The best way I can describe my feelings towards this album is that, while I thoroughly enjoyed it after a couple of listens and thought it was quite an acceptable folk-rock record with the kind of oddball touches the Dodos specialize in, it pales in comparison to Visiter. It's amazing how much more my ears perk up when "A Time to Die" fades out and my iTunes proceeds to the opening song of Visiter, "Walking." Time To Die is a good album, and would have made fairly great debut, but coming after what was surely one of the debuts of the year in the Visiter, it's a bit of a letdown.
Datarock Red	3.0
The Black Crowes Before the Frost...Until the Freeze	3.5
Noah and the Whale The First Days of Spring	4.0
Miley Cyrus The Time of Our Lives	1.5
David Guetta One Love	3.0
The Postmarks Memoirs At The End Of The World	3.0
fun. Aim and Ignite	3.5
The Bloody Beetroots Romborama	3.0
Arctic Monkeys Humbug	2.5
As Tall As Lions You Can't Take It With You	4.0
Brendan Benson My Old, Familiar Friend	4.0
The xx xx	3.9
Simian Mobile Disco Temporary Pleasure	2.5
Paul Dempsey Everything Is True	3.5
Jessie James Jessie James	2.0
Dan Mangan Nice, Nice, Very Nice	4.0
Fruit Bats The Ruminant Band	3.5
Ashley Tisdale Guilty Pleasure	2.0
Trevor Giuliani Subcontrario	3.0
Demi Lovato Here We Go Again	3.5
Portugal. The Man The Satanic Satanist	4.0
The Fiery Furnaces I'm Going Away	4.0
Owl City Ocean Eyes	1.5
Discovery LP	1.5
stellastarr* Civilized	3.0
Kiss Kiss The Meek Shall Inherit What's Left	4.0
Florence and the Machine Lungs	4.5
Spoon Got Nuffin	2.5
Wilco Wilco (The Album)	3.5
La Roux La Roux	2.5
Sunset Rubdown Dragonslayer	3.0
Bibio Ambivalence Avenue	3.5
Regina Spektor Far	4.0
The Lemonheads Varshons	4.0
Jonas Brothers Lines, Vines and Trying Times	1.5
Major Lazer Guns Dont Kill People... Lazers Do	3.0
Idlewild Post Electric Blues	3.5
Dirty Projectors Bitte Orca	2.5
So Many Dynamos The Loud Wars	3.0
DJ Quik & Kurupt BlaQKout	3.0
Mos Def The Ecstatic	4.0
Miike Snow Miike Snow	4.5
Placebo Battle for the Sun	2.5
Little Boots Hands	4.0
Kasabian West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum	2.5
The Sounds Crossing the Rubicon	2.0
Eels Hombre Lobo	3.5
Grizzly Bear Veckatimest	2.5
Jenny Owen Youngs Transmitter Failure	3.5
Phoenix (FRA) Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix	5.0
Au Revoir Simone Still Night, Still Light	3.0
Passion Pit Manners	3.5
Manic Street Preachers Journal For Plague Lovers	4.0
Eminem Relapse	2.0
Coldplay LeftRightLeftRightLeft	3.0
Conor Oberst Outer South	2.5
St. Vincent Actor	3.0
The Horrors Primary Colours	3.0
Crocodiles Summer Of Hate	3.0
Japandroids Post-Nothing	4.5
Woods Songs of Shame	2.5
Tinted Windows Tinted Windows	2.5
Manchester Orchestra Mean Everything to Nothing	4.0
Camera Obscura My Maudlin Career	4.0
Silversun Pickups Swoon	2.5
Teenage Cool Kids Foreign Lands	3.0
Doves (UK) Kingdom of Rust	2.5
Telekinesis (USA-WA, Indie Rock) Telekinesis!	3.0
Metric Fantasies	3.5
Bat For Lashes Two Suns	4.0
Flo Rida R.O.O.T.S.	2.0
Gomez A New Tide	2.5
Slim Thug Boss of all Bosses	2.0
Mono Hymn to the Immortal Wind	3.0
The Decemberists The Hazards of Love	3.5
Royksopp Junior	3.0
MSTRKRFT Fist of God	2.5
Cursive Mama, I'm Swollen	2.5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs It's Blitz!	4.0
DM Stith Heavy Ghost	4.3
U2 No Line on the Horizon	2.5
Anamanaguchi Dawn Metropolis	3.0
The Antlers Hospice	3.0
Neko Case Middle Cyclone	4.0
M. Ward Hold Time	4.0
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead The Century of Self	4.0
Morrissey Years of Refusal	3.0
Ben Lee The Rebirth of Venus	2.5
Lily Allen It's Not Me, It's You	4.0
The Fray The Fray	2.0
Ben Kweller Changing Horses	3.5
Heartless Bastards The Mountain	3.5
N.A.S.A. The Spirit of Apollo	3.5
Franz Ferdinand Tonight: Franz Ferdinand	3.0
Andrew Bird Noble Beast	3.5
Cymbals Eat Guitars Why There Are Mountains	3.5
Coconut Records Davy	3.5
A.C. Newman Get Guilty	4.0
Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion	4.0
Super Mash Bros All About The Scallions	2.5
Jack Beats U.F.O.	3.5
Wolfgang Gartner Firepower / Latin Fever	4.0

2008
The All-American Rejects When the World Comes Down	2.5
Fall Out Boy Folie a Deux	3.0
Justice A Cross the Universe	3.5
Britney Spears Circus	3.0
Kanye West 808s and Heartbreak	2.5
Coldplay Prospekt's March	2.5
The Killers Day & Age	3.5
Ludacris Theater of the Mind	3.5
The Fireman Electric Arguments	4.0
Guns N' Roses Chinese Democracy	3.0
Beyonce I Am... Sasha Fierce	2.5
David Cook David Cook	2.5
T-Pain Thr33 Ringz	2.0
The Postmarks By The Numbers	2.5
Love Is All A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At Night	3.5
Taylor Swift Fearless	4.0
Razorlight Slipway Fires	2.0
Cut Off Your Hands You and I	3.5
Lady Gaga The Fame	2.5
Deerhunter Weird Era Cont.	3.0
School of Seven Bells Alpinisms	3.5
Ryan Adams Cardinology	4.0
Los Campesinos! We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed	2.5
of Montreal Skeletal Lamping	1.5
Kevin Barnes has been cruel to me. After the one-two punch Satanic Panic in the Attic and Sunlandic Twins turned Of Montreal into one of my favorite bands, the experimental squall of Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? was interesting, to be sure, but turned me off more than a little after the perfect electronica-meets-power-pop of the aforementioned records. Skeletal Lamping is perhaps even more disjointed and uneven than Hissing Fauna, a record that bounces from random idea to opaque lyric to out-of-the-blue musical flourish with the attention span of a ADHD-afflicted schizophrenic six-year-old with a sugar rush. Barnes is no doubt a kind of musical visionary; just not the kind I expected or really even wanted.
The Dears Missiles	2.5
Brett Dennen Hope for the Hopeless	2.5
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Festival Thyme	3.5
Kaiser Chiefs Off With Their Heads	3.0
Secret Machines Secret Machines	2.0
DJ Sprinkles Midtown 120 Blues	2.0
Oasis Dig Out Your Soul	3.0
Rise Against Appeal to Reason	4.0
Empire Of The Sun Walking On A Dream	2.5
Ben Folds Way To Normal	2.5
T.I. Paper Trail	4.0
Everyone knew house arrest couldn?t stop T.I. Going back to old-fashioned pen and paper to write down lyrics and finishing with around 50 songs for the album, Paper Trail?s 16 final cuts are some of mainstream rap?s best of the year. Hard-hitting beats combine with T.I.?s inimitable vocal dexterity and lyrics that fairly drip with venom to make an album of surefire commercial hits as well as a few that stand up to any cerebral rapper?s catalogue. And, of course, that Numa Numa sampling on ?Live Your Life? was true producing genius.
Pussycat Dolls Doll Domination	1.0
Cold War Kids Loyalty to Loyalty	3.0
Kings of Leon Only By The Night	2.0
Jenny Lewis Acid Tongue	3.0
Noah and the Whale Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down	3.0
Passion Pit Chunk of Change	3.0
Ladyhawke Ladyhawke	3.5
Jessica Simpson Do You Know	1.5
Gym Class Heroes The Quilt	4.0
When the Heroes falter, it’s usually because McCoy’s ideas tend to run dry around the end of the 14-song-long track list, and while his flow is generally acceptable, lyrically the Heroes will never be compared to Atmosphere or Mos Def. Luckily, the uniformly innovative, genre-bending production by Stump and Cool & Dre manage to keep The Quilt afloat through its hour run and produce a pop/rap album that manages to be catchy and progressive at the same time.
Okkervil River The Stand Ins	4.5
The Stand Ins is lyrically bleak and depressing, despite the often-upbeat instrumentation, and singer and writer Will Sheff is in fine form. Just check out opener ?Lost Coastlines,? where Sheff laments ?every night finds us rocking and rolling on waves wild and wide, well we have lost our way, nobody?s gonna say it outright,? along ?Lust for Life?-esque bass and drum line before exploding into an energetic outro of ?la la la?s.? With song titles like ?Singer Songwriter,? ?Pop Lie,? and ?On Tour With Zykos,? it?s not hard to figure out the theme of the record, but never once does Okkervil River bore or weigh down.
Jeezy The Recession	3.0
Listeners don’t come to a Snowman album looking for lyrical nuance or subtle metaphors, but they definitely do come for the Dirty South production, the gangsta vibe, and Jeezy’s imitable wheezy drawl, and The Recession has all of this in spades. What saves The Recession from being just another lame Dirty South record is the production by a series of semi-famous producers like J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and Drumma Boy, who create an appropriately dark, urban atmosphere replete with snare hits and rumbling bass to accompany Jeezy’s rants. While The Recession is never going to win any awards, it is a fitting late summer jam for those who like their hip-hop with more brawn than brains.
Deadmau5 Random Album Title	3.5
The Verve Forth	2.5
The Verve are old pros at creating songs that practically live in their own atmosphere, and the layers of sound that decorate Forth lead to tunes that reveal new, subtle differences with each listen. Such care produces songs that regularly pass the five-minute mark and beyond; six songs go well over the six-minute mark, and while at times it can be the album?s biggest plus, it also tends to lead to tracks that drag rather than evolve. It's the Verve being the Verve, which is good at putting one to sleep but not too much else.
Delta Spirit Ode To Sunshine	3.5
The Game LAX	2.5
Ra Ra Riot The Rhumb Line	2.5
The Stills Oceans Will Rise	3.0
Human Highway Moody Motorcycle	3.0
Deerhunter Microcastle	3.5
The Walkmen You & Me	4.5
The Gaslight Anthem The '59 Sound	4.0
Geographer Innocent Ghosts	3.5
The Faint Fasciinatiion	2.5
Conor Oberst Conor Oberst	4.5
Black Kids Partie Traumatic	2.0
Miley Cyrus Breakout	2.0
Chairlift Does You Inspire You	2.5
Dr. Dog Fate	4.0
Nas Untitled	3.5
Blind Pilot 3 Rounds and a Sound	4.3
The Hold Steady Stay Positive	3.5
Hold Steady vocalist Craig Finn says the band’s fourth is about “aging gracefully,” but the righteous racket and vibrant storytelling these bar band rockers serve up seem as suggest that growing up is overrated. Slicker and better produced than their previous albums, it nevertheless retains the Springsteenian classic rock feel of their earlier work and Finn’s lyrics are as sharp and relatable as ever.
Ratatat LP3	3.5
Beck Modern Guilt	3.5
Albert Hammond Jr Â¿CÃ³mo Te Llama?	3.0
Super Mash Bros Fuck Bitches. Get Euros.	3.0
Earlimart Hymn and Her	3.5
Sigur Ros Med Sud i Eyrum vid Spilum Endalaust	3.5
Girl Talk Feed the Animals	3.5
Wolf Parade At Mount Zoomer	2.0
Tilly and the Wall O	3.5
Coldplay Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends	4.0
Chris Martin and company were in danger of treading into soft-rock and piano drudgery on 2005’s X&Y, but Viva La Vida proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Coldplay weren’t content to sit on their laurels for their fourth record. Incorporating world music styles, multi-movement epics, and some of Martin’s best lyrics yet, Viva might be Coldplay’s best album yet, and is certainly their most original and experimental.
Weezer The Red Album (Deluxe Edition)	2.0
Lil Wayne Tha Carter III	2.0
An overblown, bloated, scattered collection of egoism that had just as many misfires as it had genuine hits. 2008 was without doubt the year of Weezy, but there is such a thing as too much Weezy; the over-saturation of Lil Wayne on the airwaves led to Tha Carter III as not having much more than that which you haven’t already heard. It was ambitious and defiantly creative, but not the modern rap masterpiece many critics made it out to be.
My Morning Jacket Evil Urges	2.5
N.E.R.D. Seeing Sounds	3.0
Weezer The Red Album	2.0
At this point, it’s hard to say that Weezer’s latest was a real disappointment, as I’ve expected nothing but that from this once-proud band since 2005 (yes, I hung on even after Maladroit). The Red Album was trumpeted as the band’s comeback, and while it showed a few fading signs of the old Weezer, the band’s delusions of grandeur and Cuomo’s declining lyrical abilities made it instead a last gasp, “Pork and Beans” reminding me only of what could have been.
Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes	4.0
Seattle fivesome take rock back to its roots; and by roots I mean down in the country, woods, and backroads of Americana folk. After My Morning Jacket’s Evil meltdown, it’s reassuring to see a fresh band take up the mantle of good ole-fashioned country rock. Taking more of a pastoral angle than MMJ’s blazing guitar solos, Fleet Foxes is an album that calls to mind more the Appalachian Trail than the Pacific Northwest, complete with church-gathering harmonizing, various wind instruments, and frontman Robin Pecknold’s unearthly howl. Yet another of 2008’s great rookie records.
Usher Here I Stand	2.0
The Futureheads This Is Not the World	2.5
Scarlett Johansson Anywhere I Lay My Head	2.0
The Ting Tings We Started Nothing	2.5
Mates of State Re-Arrange Us	3.5
Islands Arm's Way	4.0
Death Cab for Cutie Narrow Stairs	4.0
Everest Ghost Notes	4.5
Augustana Can't Love, Can't Hurt	3.0
The Roots Rising Down	4.0
The Roots retain the throne of alternative hip-hop with their eighth studio album, a record that continues this collective?s remarkable run of intelligent and socially conscious rap. ?uestlove?s beats and production as polished and stimulating as ever, but Rising Down modifies their traditional jazzy sound with murkier synths and more digital techniques that embrace a fairly dark mood. It?s appropriate for the often-political and critical lyrics of MC Black Thought, and the album as a whole comes off as a logical evolution in the sound of a band that is constantly growing.
Madonna Hard Candy	2.5
Ashlee Simpson Bittersweet World	2.0
With Bittersweet World, the younger, more tone-deaf Simpson sibling has wholeheartedly embraced the ‘80s, beat-tastic sound that has been gaining speed in the pop world over the years. The result is a mixed bag. Lead single “Outta My Head” is built on a nagging guitar beat and a simple drum machine, but sadly the lyrics are ridiculously inane (“what you lookin’ at me for huh? / show me respect or I will show you the door”), and Ashlee fails miserably at sounding sassy. The album isn’t totally worthless, however. For every cringe-inducing break-up song (“Little Miss Obsessive”) and pointless bad-girl posturing (“Rule Breaker”), there are a couple bright spots: the dark pulse of “Murder” and the whirling guitar pop of “Ragdoll,” and no one can ever accuse Ashlee of lacking energy. All in all, Bittersweet World is more of a party than her earlier efforts, but still a plastic, manufactured one at that.
Goldfinger Hello Destiny	3.0
Tokyo Police Club Elephant Shell	3.0
Flight of the Conchords Flight of the Conchords	4.0
While there’s something to be said for Flight of the Conchords’ live records and actual concerts, which is one of the funniest things I have been privileged to attend, their debut album does manage to translate a good portion of their irreverent humor into the studio. The songs, as usual, don’t disappoint, running the gamut from anti-war sex anthem “Ladies of the World” to the funky bedtime jam that Marvin Gaye has tried so hard to perfect, “Business Time.” Who can resist seductive statements like “two minutes in heaven is better than one minute in heaven?” Most of the songs benefit from the added instrumentation and production, with “The Prince of Parties” sounding like the Beatles if they stayed in India longer and were a comedy duo, and “Boom” is much more understandable and palatable with Bret’s clarified vocals and the faux-reggaeton production. The only disappointment is the utter lack of new songs. While a compilation might be a necessity for casual fans or newcomers, Conchord lovers will already know pretty much every song on the disc, and one would’ve thought with the exposure the two have been getting, they would’ve jumped on the opportunity to release new material. But you can’t begrudge what they’ve already created, which is pure comic gold.
Atmosphere When Life Gives You Lemons...	4.0
The focus is on Ant and Slug’s gritty, industrial-colored lyrics and simple, rhythmic flow, telling black-and-white stories of crime, drugs, the projects, and any number of other things that influenced the two as they grew up in Minneapolis. “Dreamer” brings out the woodwinds and horns in a catchy fable about teen pregnancy while “The Waitress” wallows in funky bass and a bird-like flute while it unweaves a story about its subject. While occasionally the duo’s unremarkable voices tend to blur together and the lyrical matter is unrelenting, the ingenious production keeps things from going stale. Neither is as technically talented as rappers like Nas or Twista, neither boasts the advanced studio wizardry of producers like Kanye West or Timbaland, and neither indulges in gangster posing like Young Jeezy or 50 Cent, but Atmosphere’s unique combination of realism and straight-to-the-point beats makes their latest another gem in a long line of excellent underground releases.
The Kooks Konk	2.5
The Kooks have perfected the formula for the perfect pop song with "Always Where I Need To Be": doo-doo-doos in the chorus, Pritchard’s amusing but contrived Jagger-esque howls, and a stuck-in-your-head beat. “Mr. Maker” is recycled Britpop, “Shine On” is dripping with the corniest sentiments this side of the Goo Goo Dolls, and Pritchard’s lyrics generally could use more than a little work. But it is guitarist Hugh Harris that saves the album. From the multi-tracked wizardry of “Do You Wanna” to the tasteful strumming on “Sway” to the ridiculously bouncy riffs and solos on virtually any song, Harris’ work makes the album a relatively pleasing memory of Britpop’s heyday.
Thrice The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV	4.5
M83 Saturdays=Youth	4.0
Anthony Gonzalez, the brainchild behind electronica group M83, has always had a fetish for taking discarded, old sounds and turning them into something new. The group’s shoegaze approach to electronica, soothing sounds built atop waves and waves of sound and layers of production, are twisted into M83’s most accessible outing on Saturdays=Youth, a record that hearkens back to that cultural touchstone everyone wants to forget: the ‘80s! Lyrically focused on teen love and emo angst, the music is a blend of synthtastic new-wave pop and frothy, bubbling techno all buoying Gonzalez’s wispy voice. It would’ve made a hell of a soundtrack to the Breakfast Club.
P.O.D. When Angels and Serpents Dance	1.0
Tapes 'n Tapes Walk It Off	2.0
The songs on this latest record are more easily categorized under indie rock than the grab bag of styles that marked 2006’s The Loon, and while this increased focus benefits the overall flow of the album, some of the songs tend to sound too similar. The funky guitar line and fixed bass on “Hang Them All” imparts a sense of urgency that characterizes Walk It Off, as if the band is desperately trying to tell someone that they matter. Singer Josh Grier’s warbly vocals will either be a turn off or a pleasure depending on the listener, although on songs such as “Headshock” they make the song. Aside from the tango-ish tune “Conquest” and the relaxed vibe of “Say Back Something,” most of Walk It Off suffers from the Strokes Syndrome, or sounding remarkably the same throughout much of the record, that has afflicted too many guitar-rock bands in recent memory.
Mariah Carey E=MCÂ²	2.5
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Pershing	3.0
Cut Copy In Ghost Colours	5.0
The Long Blondes Couples	3.5
The Long Blondes have an ace up their sleeve: firebrand lead singer Kate Jackson’s vibrant personality, powerful voice, and satirical lyrics, all of which dominate Couples. Lead single “Century” is about as New Wave as you can get in 2008, with Jackson sounding like Debbie Harry reborn and the music all Depeche Mode synths and bubbly bass lines. “Guilt” and “The Couples” continues the album’s theme of tragic relationships, but unlike the weepy Cure-mimicking love songs common in the New Wave-revival scene, Jackson is merciless and acidic towards her ex’s, defiantly proclaiming “guilt has nothing to do with it” to a dumped boyfriend. Couples unfortunately slows down around the midway point, however, with songs like “Round the Hairpin” and “Too Clever By Half” meandering off into showy drum work and the kind of slow balladry that only stunts the album’s momentum. Half of an album of excellent songs and Jackson’s distinctive vocals, however, are more than most bands can offer today.
The Veils Sun Gangs	3.5
Los Campesinos! Hold On Now, Youngster...	3.0
The Black Keys Attack & Release	3.0
Frank Turner Love, Ire & Song	3.0
Sun Kil Moon April	3.5
French Kicks Swimming	2.0
Peter Bjorn and John Living Thing	2.0
Moby Last Night	3.0
Strict vegetarian and eternally bald hipster Moby returns to his platinum-selling roots on Last Night, turning toward a more electronica/dance style that characterized his hit club record Play way back in 1999. Beginning with the catchy “Oh Yeah” and continuing nearly unabated to the album’s closer, the epic “Last Night,” the record chronicles an all-night romp through New York’s clubs, anchored by Moby’s diverse, eclectic range of beats. Strong points include the 80s-tastic “Disco Lies” and the Nintendo-mimicking sounds of “257.zero,” but the record bogs down a little with the slow jam “Degenerates,” and the second half of the record overall takes the energy level down a notch. Last Night’s potential for dusk to dawn bootyshaking, however, remains much higher than most of Moby’s contemporaries.
Panic! at the Disco Pretty. Odd.	4.0
The Raconteurs Consolers of the Lonely	4.0
Guillemots Red	2.0
Gnarls Barkley The Odd Couple	2.5
St. Elsewhere was a debut worthy of the heaps of praise it accumulated from the press, a eclectic, diverse arrangement of alternative hip-hop mixed with Danger Mouse’s extraordinarily experimental production and Cee-Lo’s oddball lyrics and fluid phrasing. The Odd Couple is pretty much St. Elsewhere redux, and considering the potential within these two guys, it’s unerring sameness is frustrating.
Crystal Castles Crystal Castles	3.0
She and Him Volume One	4.2
Most actresses who turn toward the music realm in order to diversify their image and develop yet another revenue stream usually are predestined for failure (see: Johansson, Scarlett), but indie heartthrob Zooey Deschanel’s first album has gone a long way toward dispelling that notion. She’s not the best singer, and the lyrics occasionally veer towards the simple and sentimental, but her heartfelt vocal approach and M. Ward’s (the Him) excellent backing arrangements and occasional vocal work create a timeless album of ‘60s Brill Building pop and twangy folk that bodes well for future releases.
The Dodos Visiter	4.5
The Dodos do it all on their second album, an hour-long kaleidoscope of psychedelic folk, world music beats, and an constantly-shifting array of melodic ideas and lyrical thoughts that fairly blow one away on first listen. Drummer Meric Long’s training in the West African style of Ewe drumming pays off incredible dividends here, as his hard-driving beats and ridiculous sense of syncopation turns nearly every song into a clinic of talent. Add to that guitarist/vocalist Logan Kroeber’s mellower Ben Gibbard-ish pipes and talented strumming and you have a largely acoustic world-folk record that makes for one of the strangest and most exciting releases of the year.
Elbow The Seldom Seen Kid	2.5
Manchester Britpop band Elbow is one of the most critically acclaimed bands on their side of Atlantic, but commercial success has continued to elude them, and the group is practically unknown in America. The Seldom Seen Kid, their fourth album, aims to reach wider audiences with its epic brand of indie rock, with vocalist/guitarist Guy Garvey’s distinctive British tenor leading the way. The record starts off with slow burner “Starlings,” mostly a bubbling synthesizer and Garvey’s tender voice punctuated by occasional blasts of horn. Ultimately boring, the band luckily picks up the pace with the quintessentially British-sounding “The Bones of You,” which sounds like a mix of the Verve’s intelligent witticisms and Blur’s innovative instrumentation. The highlight of the record is obviously Garvey, whose velvet pipes expertly complement his dreamy storytelling, as is most evident on lead single “Grounds for Divorce,” where he describes feelings of nostalgia as “there’s a hole in my neighborhood / down which of late I cannot help but fall.” Sadly, Garvey’s talents as a songwriter can only go so far, and unfortunately The Seldom Seen Kid suffers from the same affliction as its starting record: it is too ponderous to hold the listener’s attention for long. Songs drag along on waves of noise and guitar, with only Garvey’s voice to lead a path through the musical bog.
We Are Scientists Brain Thrust Mastery	3.5
Rick Ross Trilla	3.0
Snoop Dogg Ego Trippin'	3.5
The Kills Midnight Boom	3.0
Flogging Molly Float	2.5
With Float, the band is living by the adage ?if it ain?t broke, don?t fix it.? The band has remained stuck in their own culture, maintaining virtually the same gimmick since their debut album of Pogues-inspired rock and leading to albums that generally sound the same from one song to another. That isn?t to say the gimmick doesn?t work. ?The Story So Far? and the title track slow the tempo down and focus on singer Dave King?s soulful vocals and, on the latter, a wistful fiddle. Generally, however, much of Float sounds like a manic leprechaun singing jigs about drinking too much and poverty-stricken city workers with the metronome turned up way too far.
Kelly Clarkson All I Ever Wanted	3.0
Beach House Devotion	2.5
Beach House’s music perfectly coincides with their name; as one might take a trip over to a beach house for a weekend of relaxation in the sun, so does the band’s music resemble a peaceful reverie of calm days where there is absolutely nothing to do. While doing nothing does have its benefits, it does get old. This is Beach House’s mistake; rather than party it up occasionally, they maintain the same pace throughout their second record, Devotion, trying as hard as possible to keep the noise down and not disturb the neighbors. Lead single “Gila” epitomizes this problem. Rather than develop on the musical ideas they present at the beginning of the song, the duo is content to ride along gently on vocalist Victoria Legrand’s dreamy lyrics while a fuzzy guitar and piano follow along. Lyrically the album is strong, focusing on themes that would behoove its title: loyalty, love, friendship, and their opposites. Legrand has a haunting, ethereal voice that perfectly fits the record’s mood, and it’s surprisingly soulful in a quiet sort of way. While the chill-out tempos and Legrand’s comforting voice make for a potent musical sleeping aid, Devotion’s failure to deviate from the band’s dream-pop formula makes a full listen through the album ultimately boring. Hey, it’s better than Jack Johnson.
Janet Jackson Discipline	3.0
While Janet’s last two albums had many thinking she had lost her pop touch, Discipline throws her back into the club with a number of righteous jams and a few duds. First single “Feedback” opens with its namesake before dropping back to a steel-drum rhythm and Janet’s seductive, Michael-esque voice telling the listener that “tonight my body’s an exhibition baby / don’t be scared to touch it / so come and get it babe.” Hey, no one ever said Jackson was a lyrical genius, but the production on the song by D’Mile and Darkchild is irresistibly danceable. Not all of the songs on the album are as club-ready, such as the boring “Rock With U” and the embarrassing ballad “Can’t B Good.” Jackson’s inexplicable decision to include a number of interludes where she talks to a robot or says unintentionally comedic nuggets like “four words: love, faith, hope, destiny” stunt the album’s momentum.
Goldfrapp Seventh Tree	3.5
It takes about six and a half minutes before a casual listener might realize their listening to an electronica outfit, as a drum machine explodes onto the scene halfway through ?Little Bird.? Whereas previous albums focused on Gregory?s innovative beats and textures, Seventh Tree?s focus is on Goldfrapp?s lovely, breathy voice. While the down tempo ballads that start off the album might initially turn off fans, later songs such as ?Happiness? feature beautiful, multi-tracked vocals and a bouncy pop beat and build a pleasant vibe that continues, with just a few bumps in the road (see snoozer ?Eat Yourself?), for the rest of the record.
Headlights Some Racing, Some Stopping	3.5
The Mountain Goats Heretic Pride	4.0
Singer-songwriter John Darnielle’s folk-rock project Mountain Goats has been a mainstay of the lo-fi scene since 1991, but it wasn’t until their last release, Get Lonely, that he started receiving mainstream attention. Unlike that record’s nihilistic, depressing attitude, however, Heretic Pride is a welcome breath of exquisitely produced, introspective indie rock. First, however, one must overcome Darnielle’s unique voice: an odd cross between Neutral Milk Hotel and Chris Carrabba, a rather terrifying combination. On songs like “Autoclave” it is tuneful and melodic, complementing the acoustic instrumentation well, but on ones like the title track, it can take an off-putting turn towards high-pitched and whiny. The production, however, is what truly elevates the album. From the graceful strings of “San Bernardino” to the vibrant percussion on “In The Craters On The Moon,” each track sounds fleshed-out and musically rich. The New Yorker once called Darnielle “America’s best non-hip-hop lyricists.” Now coupled with an amazing production team and far less morbid subjects, Mountain Goats seem ready for even greater success.
Drake So Far Gone	2.5
Sea Power Do You Like Rock Music?	4.0
Hot Chip Made in the Dark	2.0
The Duke Spirit Neptune	3.5
Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend	4.0
I always try really hard to ignore blogosphere hype that seems way too blown out of proportion, and after hearing the somewhat underwhelming opener “Mansard Roof” I thought I could safely file Vampire Weekend under “over-hyped Internet sensations.” But this is a record that grows on you, and while initially I found it amateur-ish, I can safely say that this is one of the great debuts of the year. Ivy League pedigree be damned; Vampire Weekend is a record that can be enjoyed by anyone with an appreciation for simple, catchy chamber-pop tunes.
The Helio Sequence Keep Your Eyes Ahead	4.0
Cat Power Jukebox	2.5
Nada Surf Lucky	4.0

2007
Lupe Fiasco The Cool	3.0
Daft Punk Alive 2007	4.0
Sigur Ros Heima (DVD)	5.0
The Killers Sawdust	2.0
The Hives Black and White Album	3.5
Jay-Z American Gangster	3.5
Burial Untrue	3.5
Elliott Smith Live at Largo	4.0
Britney Spears Blackout	4.0
The Thrills Teenager	3.0
Ryan Adams Follow The Lights	3.0
Jimmy Eat World Chase This Light	2.0
Thrice The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II	3.5
Stereophonics Pull The Pin	2.0
Radiohead In Rainbows	3.0
Band of Horses Cease to Begin	3.0
The Fiery Furnaces Widow City	3.5
MGMT Oracular Spectacular	3.5
Foo Fighters Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace	2.0
Stars In Our Bedroom After The War	3.0
Boys Noize Oi Oi Oi	4.0
Rogue Wave Asleep at Heaven's Gate	3.0
50 Cent Curtis	2.0
Animal Collective Strawberry Jam	3.0
Kanye West Graduation	4.0
Shout Out Louds Our Ill Wills	5.0
Deer Tick War Elephant	3.0
Liars Liars	3.0
Earlimart Mentor Tormentor	2.5
Meet the new Earlimart: same as the old Earlimart. That is to say, Aaron Espinoza continues his Elliott Smith impression and the music is a pleasant, if not particularly revolutionary, brand of hazy shoegaze pop/rock.
Rilo Kiley Under the Blacklight	3.0
Minus the Bear Planet of Ice	4.0
Paul Van Dyk In Between	2.5
The Brunettes Structure and Cosmetics	3.0
The New Pornographers Challengers	3.7
Tegan and Sara The Con	4.1
Interpol Our Love to Admire	2.0
Justice â€	4.0
Spoon Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga	5.0
Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago	4.0
If there was such a thing, singer-songwriter Justin Vernon alias Bon Iver’s debut record would surely win Most Depressing Record of the Year. Almost entirely recorded in an isolated cabin in rural Wisconsin, For Emma, Forever Ago is a cathartic expression of break-up and recovery in the bleakest terms. The minimalist instrumentation, lo-fi recording, and Vernon’s haunting vocals all paint a picture of forlorn grief and regret in the frozen north. Forget rainy-day music; this is music to listen to while snowed in by the biggest blizzard of the year.
T.I. T.I. vs. T.I.P.	2.5
Ryan Adams Easy Tiger	3.0
The White Stripes Icky Thump	2.5
David Guetta Pop Life	2.5
Simian Mobile Disco Attack Decay Sustain Release	3.5
Mark Ronson Version	3.5
Voxtrot Voxtrot	2.5
The National Boxer	4.0
Wilco Sky Blue Sky	3.0
Linkin Park Minutes to Midnight	2.0
Elliott Smith New Moon	4.3
Feist The Reminder	4.0
Groove Armada Soundboy Rock	2.0
My Kappa Roots The House of St Colme Burnt Down	4.0
Blonde Redhead 23	4.5
Bright Eyes Cassadaga	5.0
Fountains of Wayne Traffic And Weather	2.0
Mika Life in Cartoon Motion	2.5
Kaiser Chiefs Yours Truly, Angry Mob	2.5
Coconut Records Nighttiming	3.0
LCD Soundsystem Sound of Silver	4.5
Albert Hammond Jr Yours To Keep	3.5
Arcade Fire Neon Bible	3.5
Infected Mushroom Vicious Delicious	3.0
Radical Face Ghost	3.5
Explosions in the Sky All of a Sudden, I Miss Everyone	4.0
Do Make Say Think You, You're a History in Rust	4.5
The Apples in Stereo New Magnetic Wonder	3.5
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Some Loud Thunder	1.5
Lily Allen Alright, Still	3.0
of Montreal Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?	2.0
The Bird And The Bee The Bird and the Bee	3.0
The Postmarks The Postmarks	3.5
The Shins Wincing the Night Away	4.0
The Good, The Bad and The Queen The Good, The Bad & The Queen	4.0
Tiesto In Search of Sunrise 3: Panama	2.5
stellastarr* stellastarr*	3.5
The Raveonettes Lust Lust Lust	4.0
Coming off the heels of their sole major-label record, Pretty In Black, many thought that the Danish couple of Sharin Foo and Sune Rose Wagner would continue the commercial, 50s-pop-fixation of that record. However, with their switch back to an indie label, Lust Lust Lust arrives as a ringing endorsement of their older, fuzz-guitar noise rock. Opener “Aly, Walk With Me” starts off with a slick drumbeat and a guitar that threatens to overcome the track with reverb. Foo’s and Wagner’s androgynous vocals are a highlight of the whole record, floating along smoothly in sharp contrast to the bursts of raw noise that the Raveonettes specialize in. Those same effects, however, are often a detriment to the band’s sound, as is apparent in the annoying static effect in “Sad Transmission” and “Expelled from Love,” sometimes sounding like you’re listening to the band play on a distant AM station located somewhere underground. Overall, Lust Lust Lust is a strong continuation of the band’s pop/noise blend that can at once be sweetly enchanting and nostalgic while still sounding unmistakably fresh.

2006
Clipse Hell Hath No Fury	5.0
Jay-Z Kingdom Come	2.0
Brand New The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me	4.0
The Beatles Love	4.0
Wilco Kicking Television: Live in Chicago	4.5
Tenacious D The Pick of Destiny	2.0
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead So Divided	3.5
Kevin Federline Playing with Fire	1.0
Taylor Swift Taylor Swift	3.0
Annuals Be He Me	3.5
Cold War Kids Robbers and Cowards	3.5
Beck The Information	2.0
The Decemberists The Crane Wife	4.0
Manchester Orchestra I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child	3.5
The Killers Sam's Town	1.5
The Lemonheads The Lemonheads	4.0
Kasabian Empire	3.0
Lupe Fiasco Food & Liquor	3.0
The Veils Nux Vomica	5.0
The Black Keys Magic Potion	2.5
The Rapture Pieces Of The People We Love	3.5
Justin Timberlake FutureSex/LoveSounds	4.0
The Roots Game Theory	3.5
The Dears Gang of Losers	3.5
M. Ward Post-War	3.0
Ratatat Classics	4.0
Paris Hilton Paris	1.0
Heartless Bastards All This Time	3.5
Midlake The Trials of Van Occupanther	4.5
Razorlight Razorlight	1.5
Muse Black Holes & Revelations	3.0
The Format Dog Problems	3.5
The Sleepy Jackson Personality - One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird	4.0
Guster Ganging Up on the Sun	3.5
Regina Spektor Begin To Hope	3.0
Smoosh Free To Stay	3.0
Camera Obscura Let's Get Out of This Country	3.5
Paul Oakenfold A Lively Mind	3.0
Boards of Canada Trans Canada Highway	2.5
The Futureheads News and Tributes	2.0
The Walkmen A Hundred Miles Off	3.0
Phoenix (FRA) It's Never Been Like That	4.3
Burial Burial	2.5
The Raconteurs Broken Boy Soldiers	2.0
Beirut Gulag Orkestar	4.0
The Stills Without Feathers	4.5
Girl Talk Night Ripper	5.0
Gnarls Barkley St. Elsewhere	3.5
Gomez How We Operate	4.0
Tilly and the Wall Bottoms of Barrels	2.5
Tokyo Police Club A Lesson in Crime	4.0
Tiesto In Search of Sunrise 5: Los Angeles	3.5
The Fiery Furnaces Bitter Tea	3.0
The Zutons Tired of Hangin' Around	3.0
Stereophonics Live From Dakota	3.0
The Flaming Lips At War with the Mystics	3.5
Islands Return To The Sea	3.5
Irving Death in the Garden, Blood on the Flowers	4.0
Daft Punk Human After All: Remixes	3.0
T.I. King	3.5
Band of Horses Everything All the Time	3.0
Ambulance LTD. New English EP	3.0
Neko Case Fox Confessor Brings The Flood	4.5
Two Gallants What the Toll Tells	3.5
Destroyer Destroyer's Rubies	3.5
Belle and Sebastian The Life Pursuit	3.5
The Minus 5 The Minus 5	3.5
Peter Bjorn and John Writer's Block	2.5
Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins Rabbit Fur Coat	4.5
The Kooks Inside In/Inside Out	2.5
Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not	3.0
Locksley Don't Make Me Wait	3.0
We Are Scientists With Love and Squalor	3.0
The Strokes First Impressions of Earth	3.5
The Elected Sun, Sun, Sun	3.0

2005
Ryan Adams 29	1.5
Carrie Underwood Some Hearts	3.0
Madonna Confessions on a Dancefloor	3.5
The Darkness One Way Ticket To Hell And Back	2.5
Sun Kil Moon Tiny Cities	2.0
blink-182 Greatest Hits	4.0
The Fiery Furnaces Rehearsing My Choir	2.0
Rogue Wave Descended Like Vultures	3.5
Death From Above 1979 Romance Bloody Romance	1.5
Animal Collective Feels	3.5
Boards of Canada The Campfire Headphase	4.5
The Cardigans Super Extra Gravity	3.5
Broken Social Scene Broken Social Scene	2.5
Metric Live It Out	2.5
My Morning Jacket Z	3.5
Fiona Apple Extraordinary Machine	4.0
Franz Ferdinand You Could Have It So Much Better	4.0
Panic! at the Disco A Fever You Can't Sweat Out	2.0
Ryan Adams Jacksonville City Nights	3.0
Wolf Parade Apologies to the Queen Mary	5.0
Paul Van Dyk The Politics of Dancing, Vol. 2	3.0
The Fray How to Save a Life	2.0
Nada Surf The Weight Is a Gift	2.5
stellastarr* Harmonies for the Haunted	2.5
Harvey Danger Little By Little...	4.0
Sigur Ros Takk...	4.5
Voxtrot Raised By Wolves	4.5
Kanye West Late Registration	3.0
Death Cab for Cutie Plans	4.0
OK Go Oh No	4.0
The New Pornographers Twin Cinema	5.0
James Blunt Back To Bedlam	2.5
The Boy Least Likely To Best Party Ever	3.5
Foo Fighters In Your Honor	2.5
Coldplay X&Y	2.0
The White Stripes Get Behind Me Satan	3.0
Annie Anniemal	3.5
Motion City Soundtrack Commit This to Memory	4.0
Oasis Don't Believe the Truth	3.5
The Raveonettes Pretty In Black	2.5
Gorillaz Demon Days	2.5
Shout Out Louds Howl Howl Gaff Gaff	3.5
Weezer Make Believe	1.0
Spoon Gimme Fiction	4.5
The Hold Steady Separation Sunday	4.0
Eels Blinking Lights & Other Revelations	4.0
Mariah Carey The Emancipation of Mimi	3.0
of Montreal The Sunlandic Twins	4.0
The National Alligator	5.0
Hot Hot Heat Elevator	3.0
Okkervil River Black Sheep Boy	4.0
Sea Power Open Season	3.5
The Bravery The Bravery	2.0
Beck Guero	3.5
The Decemberists Picaresque	4.5
Brendan Benson The Alternative To Love	5.0
Daft Punk Human After All	3.5
Kaiser Chiefs Employment	4.0
Stereophonics Language.Sex.Violence.Other?	2.5
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Broom	3.5
Stars Set Yourself On Fire	4.0
The Mountain Goats The Sunset Tree	4.5
50 Cent The Massacre	2.0
Ryan Adams Cold Roses	5.0
Doves (UK) Some Cities	3.5
M. Ward Transistor Radio	4.0
Heartless Bastards Stairs and Elevators	3.0
Ben Lee Awake Is The New Sleep	2.5
Brazilian Girls Brazilian Girls	3.5
Bright Eyes Digital Ash in a Digital Urn	2.5
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Worlds Apart	3.0
Bright Eyes I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning	4.5
LCD Soundsystem LCD Soundsystem	3.5
The Fiery Furnaces EP	4.0
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Clap Your Hands Say Yeah	4.0

2004
Eminem Encore	2.0
Kasabian Kasabian	2.0
Britney Spears Greatest Hits: My Prerogative	3.0
Bright Eyes Lua	4.0
Death From Above 1979 You're a Woman, I'm a Machine	5.0
Jimmy Eat World Futures	3.5
Elliott Smith From a Basement on the Hill	4.3
The Zutons Who Killed The Zutons	4.5
The Dears No Cities Left	2.5
Pinback Summer in Abaddon	4.0
Earlimart Treble & Tremble	3.0
Aaron Espinoza does a good job of imitating Elliott Smith, not such a good job of being Aaron Espinoza. A haunting tribute to the late singer-songwriter, but not one that stands up to any of its late hero's work.
Interpol Antics	3.5
22-20s 22-20s	3.5
The Faint Wet From Birth	3.5
Tegan and Sara So Jealous	3.5
Arcade Fire Funeral	4.5
The Thrills Let's Bottle Bohemia	2.5
The Libertines The Libertines	3.5
Jeff Buckley Grace (Legacy Edition)	5.0
Razorlight Up All Night	3.5
Regina Spektor Soviet Kitsch	3.5
Rilo Kiley More Adventurous	4.0
Badly Drawn Boy One Plus One is One	2.5
The Brunettes Mars Loves Venus	4.0
Old Canes Early Morning Hymns	4.0
By Divine Right Sweet Confusion	4.0
The Fiery Furnaces Blueberry Boat	2.0
Rogue Wave Out Of The Shadow	4.3
The Futureheads The Futureheads	4.5
Tilly and the Wall Wild Like Children	4.0
Beastie Boys To the 5 Boroughs	2.0
The Killers Hot Fuss	4.0
311 Greatest Hits	3.5
A.C. Newman The Slow Wonder	4.0
Cut Copy Bright Like Neon Love	3.0
Feist Let It Die	3.5
of Montreal Satanic Panic in the Attic	5.0
The Get Up Kids The Guilt Show	2.5
Modest Mouse Good News for People Who Love Bad News	2.0
Ben Kweller On My Way	3.0
Wilco A Ghost Is Born	3.9
Ambulance LTD. LP	5.0
Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand	4.0
The Decemberists The Tain	3.5
Weezer The Blue Album (Deluxe Edition)	4.0
The Veils The Runaway Found	4.5
The Walkmen Bows + Arrows	3.0
The Elected Me First	5.0
Daft Punk Daft Club	2.0
Ghostface Killah The Pretty Toney Album	2.5
Secret Machines Now Here is Nowhere	3.5
Kanye West The College Dropout	2.5
Animal Collective Sung Tongs	3.0
Tiesto Just Be	3.5
Ryan Adams Love is Hell	4.0
The Go! Team Thunder, Lightning, Strike	4.5

2003
Britney Spears In the Zone	2.5
blink-182 Blink-182	4.0
Jay-Z The Black Album	3.5
Ryan Adams Rock 'n' Roll	3.5
Explosions in the Sky The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place	4.0
Sun Kil Moon Ghosts of the Great Highway	4.0
The Strokes Room on Fire	3.3
The Rapture Echoes	3.0
The Format Interventions and Lullabies	3.0
Brendan Benson One Mississippi/The Wellfed Boy EP	3.0
The Shins Chutes Too Narrow	3.5
Basement Jaxx Kish Kash	4.5
Belle and Sebastian Dear Catastrophe Waitress	3.5
Death Cab for Cutie Transatlanticism	4.5
Muse Absolution	3.5
The Fiery Furnaces Gallowsbird's Bark	4.5
My Morning Jacket It Still Moves	4.0
The Decemberists Her Majesty the Decemberists	4.2
The Wrens The Meadowlands	4.5
The Raveonettes Chain Gang of Love	3.5
The National Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers	3.0
The Stills Logic Will Break Your Heart	4.0
The Sleepy Jackson Lovers	3.0
The Darkness Permission to Land	3.5
Guster Keep It Together	4.5
Animal Collective Ark	2.0
Brand New Deja Entendu	3.0
Radiohead Hail to the Thief	2.5
Fountains of Wayne Welcome Interstate Managers	4.5
Eels Shootenanny!	3.0
Stereophonics You Gotta Go There To Come Back	4.5
The Thrills So Much For The City	3.5
Electric Six Fire	2.0
Blur Think Tank	2.5
The New Pornographers Electric Version	4.2
Madonna American Life	2.0
The White Stripes Elephant	3.0
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead The Secret of Elena's Tomb	3.5
Linkin Park Meteora	2.5
The Exploding Hearts Guitar Romantic	4.0
Everclear Slow Motion Daydream	3.5
The Notwist Neon Golden	4.6
The Postal Service Give Up	4.5
The Bad Plus These Are the Vistas	3.0
50 Cent Get Rich or Die Tryin'	3.0
Groove Armada Love Box	2.5
Sea Power The Decline of British Sea Power	4.0

2002
System of a Down Steal This Album!	2.0
Jay-Z The BlueprintÂ²: The Gift & the Curse	2.0
Justin Timberlake Justified	2.0
Badly Drawn Boy Have You Fed The Fish?	2.5
The Mountain Goats Tallahassee	4.5
Godspeed You! Black Emperor Yanqui U.X.O.	3.5
Sigur Ros ( )	4.0
The Books Thought For Food	4.0
Foo Fighters One by One	3.0
Broken Social Scene You Forgot It in People	5.0
The Black Heart Procession Amore Del Tropico	4.0
The Apples in Stereo Velocity Of Sound	1.5
Rilo Kiley The Execution of All Things	3.5
Trespassers William Different Stars	4.0
The Libertines Up The Bracket	2.5
Ryan Adams Demolition	3.5
Beck Sea Change	4.5
Nada Surf Let Go	3.8
of Montreal Aldhils Arboretum	3.0
Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head	3.5
Interpol Turn on the Bright Lights	3.0
Neko Case Blacklisted	4.0
Spoon Kill the Moonlight	4.5
Bright Eyes Lifted or The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground	4.0
Linkin Park Reanimation	3.0
The Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots	5.0
Paul Oakenfold Bunkka	3.0
Weezer Maladroit	3.5
The Decemberists Castaways and Cutouts	3.5
Eminem The Eminem Show	3.0
Badly Drawn Boy About A Boy	3.5
The Walkmen Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone	3.5
Ben Kweller Sha Sha	2.5
Brendan Benson Lapalco	3.5
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Source Tags and Codes	5.0
Boards of Canada Geogaddi	3.5
Desaparecidos Read Music/Speak Spanish	3.5
Damien Rice O	3.0
Girl Talk Secret Diary	1.0
Oasis Heathen Chemistry	2.0
Animal Collective Hollinndagain	2.0
Irving Good Morning Beautiful	3.0

2001
Britney Spears Britney	2.5
Pinback Blue Screen Life	4.0
Death Cab for Cutie The Photo Album	3.5
Tenacious D Tenacious D	4.0
Ryan Adams Gold	4.0
The Strokes Is This It	4.6
Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot	4.5
Jay-Z The Blueprint	4.0
The Microphones The Glow Pt. 2	3.0
System of a Down Toxicity	2.5
Explosions in the Sky Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die...	3.0
Radiohead Amnesiac	2.0
Paul Oakenfold Ibiza	3.5
Jimmy Eat World Bleed American	4.5
The White Stripes White Blood Cells	4.5
Basement Jaxx Rooty	4.1
The Shins Oh, Inverted World	3.5
blink-182 Take Off Your Pants And Jacket	3.0
Whiskeytown Pneumonia	3.5
Weezer The Green Album	3.0
Gorillaz Gorillaz	3.5
of Montreal Coquelicot Asleep In The Poppies	3.5
Unwound Leaves Turn Inside You	3.0
Stereophonics Just Enough Education to Perform	3.0
Daft Punk Discovery	4.0
Spoon Girls Can Tell	5.0
The Faint Danse Macabre	3.0
Fugazi The Argument	5.0
Royksopp Melody A.M.	3.5

2000
The White Stripes De Stijl	3.0
Boards of Canada In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country	3.0
The Avalanches Since I Left You	4.6
Blur The Best Of	3.0
Wu-Tang Clan The W	3.0
The New Pornographers Mass Romantic	4.0
The Beatles 1	4.5
Godspeed You! Black Emperor Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven	5.0
Linkin Park Hybrid Theory	3.0
Radiohead Kid A	2.5
Ryan Adams Heartbreaker	4.5
Coldplay Parachutes	3.0
Badly Drawn Boy The Hour Of Bewilderbeast	5.0
Paul Van Dyk Out There and Back	3.5
Modest Mouse The Moon & Antarctica	5.0
Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP	4.5
Britney Spears Oops!...I Did It Again	2.0
Elliott Smith Figure 8	5.0
Elliott Smith Division Day/No Name #6	3.5
Oasis Standing on the Shoulder of Giants	2.0
Ghostface Killah Supreme Clientele	4.0
The Delgados The Great Eastern	3.5
Bright Eyes Fevers & Mirrors	3.5
Explosions in the Sky How Strange, Innocence	4.0
PJ Harvey Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea	4.4

1999
Raekwon Immobilarity	2.0
Beck Midnite Vultures	4.2
Foo Fighters There Is Nothing Left to Lose	3.0
The Dismemberment Plan Emergency & I	4.5
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Madonna	3.0
Guster Lost And Gone Forever	5.0
American Football American Football	4.0
Sigur Ros AgÃ¦tis byrjun	3.5
The Apples in Stereo Her Wallpaper Reverie	3.5
blink-182 Enema Of The State	3.0
The Flaming Lips The Soft Bulletin	3.5
Ben Folds Five The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner	3.5
Godspeed You! Black Emperor Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada	4.0
The Olivia Tremor Control Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume 1	3.0
Blur 13	4.0
Jimmy Eat World Clarity	3.0
Eminem The Slim Shady LP	4.0
of Montreal The Gay Parade	2.5
Built to Spill Keep It Like a Secret	4.5
Britney Spears ...Baby One More Time	2.0
Fountains of Wayne Utopia Parkway	3.0
Wilco Summerteeth	5.0

1998
Oasis The Masterplan	2.0
Beck Mutations	4.0
Silver Jews American Water	5.0
Boards of Canada Music Has the Right to Children	3.3
Nada Surf The Proximity Effect	3.0
Elliott Smith XO	5.0
The Glands Double Thriller	3.5
of Montreal The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy	3.5
Spoon Series of Sneaks	3.0
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dea	2.0
Beastie Boys Hello Nasty	2.5
Pulp This is Hardcore	3.5

1997
Gorky's Zygotic Mynci Barafundle	3.5
Oasis Be Here Now	2.5
Godspeed You! Black Emperor Fâ™¯ Aâ™¯ âˆž	4.5
of Montreal Cherry Peel	3.0
blink-182 Dude Ranch	2.5
Radiohead OK Computer	4.5
Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Forever	3.0
Foo Fighters The Colour and the Shape	3.5
Yo La Tengo I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One	4.8
Blur Blur	4.0
Elliott Smith Either/Or	5.0
Built to Spill Perfect from Now On	4.5
that dog. Retreat From the Sun	4.0

1996
The Beatles Anthology 3	3.0
Wilco Being There	4.0
Weezer Pinkerton	4.0
The Olivia Tremor Control Music From The Unrealized Film Script	5.0
Nada Surf High/Low	2.5
Beck Odelay	3.5
The Brian Jonestown Massacre Take It From The Man!	4.0
Spoon Telephono	2.0
Neutral Milk Hotel On Avery Island	2.0
The Beatles Anthology 2	3.5
The Auteurs After Murder Park	4.0
The Wrens Secaucus	3.5
Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt	4.0
Boards of Canada Boc Maxima	3.0

1995
The Beatles Anthology 1	3.5
Elliott Smith Elliott Smith	5.0
that dog. Totally Crushed Out!	3.5
Foo Fighters Foo Fighters	3.5
Oasis (What's the Story) Morning Glory?	3.0
The Apples in Stereo Fun Trick Noisemaker	4.0
Radiohead The Bends	3.5
Elastica Elastica	3.0
blink-182 Cheshire Cat	2.0
Blur The Great Escape	3.0
Goo Goo Dolls A Boy Named Goo	4.0
Pulp Different Class	4.5

1994
Oasis Definitely Maybe	4.0
Jeff Buckley Grace	5.0
Beck One Foot In The Grave	2.5
Elliott Smith Roman Candle	4.6
The Auteurs Now I'm A Cowboy	3.5
Weezer Weezer	4.0
Blur Parklife	5.0
Beck Mellow Gold	3.0
Beck Stereopathetic Soulmanure	1.5
Beastie Boys Ill Communication	3.5
Pulp His 'n' Hers	3.5

1993
Wu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)	5.0
Blur Modern Life Is Rubbish	3.5
Radiohead Pablo Honey	2.0
The Auteurs New Wave	3.5
Beck Golden Feelings	2.0
Jellyfish Spilt Milk	4.5

1992
Beastie Boys Check Your Head	4.5

1991
Talk Talk Laughing Stock	5.0
My Bloody Valentine Loveless	3.5
Pearl Jam Ten	4.5
Blur Leisure	2.5

1989
The Stone Roses The Stone Roses	4.5
Madonna Like a Prayer	4.0
Beastie Boys Paul's Boutique	4.5

1986
Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill	3.0

1977
Fleetwood Mac Rumours	5.0

1970
The Beatles Let It Be	3.5

1969
The Beatles Abbey Road	4.0
The Beatles Yellow Submarine	2.5

1968
The Beatles The Beatles	3.5

1967
The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour	4.0
The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	4.5

1966
The Beatles Revolver	5.0

1965
The Beatles Rubber Soul	5.0
The Beatles Help!	4.0

1964
The Beatles Beatles for Sale	3.5
The Beatles A Hard Day's Night	3.5

1963
The Beatles With the Beatles	3.0
The Beatles Please Please Me	3.0

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