Quick album reviews

[Shimra]

I'll be posting some more reviews soon, I hope to review the following
And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead- Source Tags
Black Lips- Good Bad Not Evil
Beach Boys- Pet Sounds
Radiohead- In Rainbows
Vampire Weekend- Vampire Weekend

[hXd]

Mara'akate- Mara'akate EP

Score: 9/10


Such a shame that these guys broke up. Mara'akate were a progressive screamo band that eventually gave birth to Phoenix Bodies (Guitarist Colin's then-side project), and their music was ahead of their time. This EP, one of the only releases they put out, is a fantastic display of their genius. The only problem I have with this, is the fact that it's an EP. It's way too short in overall length (the songs themselves aren't even that long either, most clocking in at under 2 minutes), but on the other hand it's not too much of a good thing. They come in and attack with their ferocious, abstract screamo, and leave before you even know what hit you.

[BadEnoughDude]

Jason Collett - Here's to Being Here

9/10

This just came out recently, and it fits right in with what I have been listening to lately. Collett is a former member of Broken Social Scene ("on hiatus" is the official status), so you can hear that Calypso-like influence on some of the music. There is also a distinct Jayhawks influence (although not as much as his previous album), mixed with the almost Dylan-esque quality that his voice contains. He's a thoughtful songwriter, but not pretentious or whiny. I don't usually fall this hard for albums this fast, but this one has really taken over winamp for the last few days (along with a couple of his previous albums "Idols of Exile" and "Motor Motel Love Songs"). Certainly worth a listen.

Best songs: Henry's Song, Through the Night These Days, Not Over You, Somehow

[Shimra]

Alright sorry for the lack of updates. I need to listen to albums multiple times before I feel content enough to review them.

And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead- Source Tags and Codes
7.5/10
This is one of the weirdest 'indie' albums I have ever heard; not weird in the sense that Animal Collective is weird, but weird in the sense of wow these vocals are terrible, this is pretty heavy, what the hell is this extremely mellow part doing in this song? That being said it would appear as though the album would not be good. On the contrary. Source Tags and Codes succeeds in being a highly ambitious album and one with a lot of personality. Sure it isn't the most outstanding album of all time, but it is certainly unique and serves as an example of how bands should go about creating a heavy, yet friendly, album. Does it warrant the 10/10 Pitchfork awarded it? No, but it is a good album in its own right. Take note you emo piece of crap bands.


Radiohead- The Bends
9/10
It's Radiohead, and it's The Bends so you already know this is an exceptional album. If you didn't know that already where have you been for the past few years? The Bends contains many of the same themes as Pablo Honey but also shines some light regarding what is to come from this exceptional band. There are many songs that clearly showcase the raw edge that Radiohead is capable of conveying; but there is also the more mellow side to the band which is best exemplified by such sons as High and Dry. If you have not heard The Bends yet, I highly encourage you to go out and pick up a copy.

Animal Collective- Water Curses EP
8/10
A bit of a departure from Strawberry Jam, yet it's still the same old Animal Collective we (I at least) know and love. The title track is one of Animal Collective's most intriguing and well constructed works. It's nearly impossible to describe the song so I'm just going to say listen to it, the song is wonderful. Furthermore the rest of the EP consists of a bit more traditional Animal Collective style songs, however these songs seem to be a bit more well constructed than those of such previous works as Feels, Sung Tongs, etc. The sense of a somewhat sharp contrast in tones is less noticeable, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing in this case.

Wolf Parade- Apologies to Queen Mary
8.5/10
Spencer Krug is a name that should not go unnoticed in the indie music scene. This man is a genius, and Apologies to Queen Mary is one of the first examples of what to expect from Spencer. With such tracks as Shine a Light, Modern World, and Grounds for Divorce it is hard not to crack a bit of a smile at the overly upbeat and inviting style of Wolf Parade.

Band of Horses- Cease to Begin
6.5/10
Band of Horses is a very good band. Cease to Begin however is not the best example of their work. Some of the songs, such as the opener Is There a Ghost, are phenomenal; however the rest of the album feels lacking. I know this could be the subject to much debate but it seems as though the album doesn't flow together and what we are left with is a somewhat underwhelming experience. Is it all bad? No, but it isn't all that great either.

M.I.A.- Kala
8.5/10
I don't particularly like rap, and I'm not a big fan of reggae. I am a fan of this album though. I am somewhat clueless how M.I.A. managed to pull of such a wonderful little album. With this album M.I.A. managed to construct harmonies with some unusual instruments which create one of the most unique, yet undeniably enjoyable sounds you could hope to find. The album has political undertones which reflect M.I.A.'s personal life and thrust issues which may have gone unnoticed to the listener directly into their face. In this sense though M.I.A. is not thrusting her views on the listener, she is simply using it as springboard to convey her artistic expression.



Album Re-Reviews

Neutral Milk Hotel- In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
10/10
I was way to critical of this album before. Even though it is a relatively simplistic album that should not, and it does not, hinder the fact that the album is amazing. Jeff Mangum hit the nail on the head with this album. Mellow yet riveting at times, no album has more soul and personality that this one. In every sense of the word, this album is perfect and should be heard by everyone. Fun little trivia note, I only consider two albums perfect, this one and Sgt. Pepper's.


Alright I know I didn't review some of the albums that I said I was going to but I will most likely review them shortly. I will DEFINITELY review Vampire Weekend and In Rainbows very shortly.

[BadEnoughDude]

Album Re-Reviews

Neutral Milk Hotel- In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
10/10
I was way to critical of this album before. Even though it is a relatively simplistic album that should not, and it does not, hinder the fact that the album is amazing. Jeff Mangum hit the nail on the head with this album. Mellow yet riveting at times, no album has more soul and personality that this one. In every sense of the word, this album is perfect and should be heard by everyone. Fun little trivia note, I only consider two albums perfect, this one and Sgt. Pepper's.

I had a feeling you'd come around

I also think I like that Band of Horses album than 'Everything All the Time.' No Ones Gonna Love You and Marry Song are absolutely fantastic, two of my favorite songs of all-time.

[Shimra]

Heh yeah I came around. And I dunno, I think Cease to Begin could have been more or something. It isn't bad or anything I just had higher expectations.

[Shimra]

Panda Bear- Person Pitch
9.5/10

Really awesome album, can't really describe why I like it so much. It's just something you need to hear for yourself. I'll come back later with a better review. But for now, just listen to Bros.


Vampire Weekend- Vampire Weekend
8.5/10

Pop, reggae, indie, I'm not quite sure how to describe this album. It is unique, but not in the sense that it will be overlooked due to this fact. In all honesty, this album caters to everyone with it's twangy sound, up lifting themes, and just all out rocking energy. The most astonishing thing about the album is the relative simplicity of all the songs. None of the songs have the most profound guitar licks or bass tracks, but what the artists managed to do was combine all the instruments into a unison that most albums lack. Never too fast paced, but never taking it slow, this album is one of the few gems that has come out so far this year.

[lackofselfcontrol]

All Out War - Condemned to Suffer

This is how Metalcore should always sound like. Heavy, crushing mayhem with blasting drums and a hysterical vocalist dooming the world in every single sentence. Their most relentless effort came with Condemned to Suffer, and it's well worth picking up/downloading.  9/10

http://youtube.com/watch?v=A9vp5HMJe5U

[Tondog]

Here's some ska reviews!

Less Than Jake - Losing Streak

Pretty damn good punk-ska album (since LTJ is more punk than ska in my eyes) that still holds up to this day. Not LTJ's best effort (though their fans would have me hung for saying that), but it's up there. Listening to this album brings back so many memories of being in high school.

7/10

Less Than Jake - Hello Rockview

THIS is LTJ's best album. It's far superior to Losing Streak in almost every way. Production, musical skill, lyrics, etc. However, there are a few problems with it (the closing track in particular). It points to their downturn into generic craptacular pop-punk and signing stuff like Fall Out Boy to their label. However, their brand of pop-punk in 1998 is so much better than pop-punk of today.

8/10

Streetlight Manifesto - Somewhere in the Between

Holy crap wow! I just got my ass blown away by Tomas Kalnoky and the rest of Streetlight Manifesto! They are probably the best band in ska today. I highly recommend checking them out if you're a fan of punk, hardcore, or ska. Thanks to my brother for getting me into this band.

9/10

[BadEnoughDude]

Ahhh, Less Than Jake. I used to love you so much Hello Rockview was one of my most listened-to albums in the late 90's. You might have inspired me to pop in in today!

[Shimra]

Radiohead- Ok Computer
10/10

Here it is. The ultimate album, my absolute favorite album is right here, and I've owned it for a good 2 or 3 years. Why did it take me so long to realize the brilliance of this amazing work of art? Well, until recently I never really listened to an album as a concept, instead I would listen for the 'singles'. Radiohead is an interesting band in this regard. Pablo Honey is composed of what I consider singles. However the rest of their albums are one huge concept that can not be broken into smaller parts and have the whole experience retained.
So what am I saying here? Essentially, to get the full experience of Ok Computer (as well as Kid A, HttT, etc) you need to listen to the album as a whole and not to each song individually. Though there are a few songs that can hold up exceptionally on their own (such as Karma Police, Paranoid Android, and Electioneering), to fully appreciate these songs they must be listened to in context.
That being said, Ok Computer is a monumental. It epitomizes how modern rock and roll should be. There are the melodic tracks and the adrenaline driven scores which keep listeners in awe and wishing for more. Ok Computer has a unique sound to it. Unlike a lot of contemporary rock albums that try to maintain one style, Radiohead managed to experiment with various forms of rock to great success. It is no wonder so many bands (such as Coldplay, Muse, etc) have been considered a rip-off of Radiohead circa The Bends/Ok Computer; with a sound that transverses so many different styles it's hard not to draw comparisons.



Yay I wrote a lot for that review. I've been listening to Ok Computer like crazy.

[BadEnoughDude]

Gotta agree with you on OK Computer. Probably one of, if not the most, influential album of our generation. I remember the day my friend gave this to me in 1998. It was so weird and different that I didn't like it at first. It took me probably a solid year before I gave it another fair chance. It has been a staple album for me ever since.

[hXd]

J. Bannon- The Blood Of Thine Enemies EP

Score- 9/10


For those that might not know who J.(acob) Bannon is, he is the vocalist for long-running hardcore band Converge, the co-owner of Deathwish Inc. record company, and an artist/graphic designer.  On this one song solo effort to tides fans over until his long-awaited "Wear Your Wounds" album drops later on this year, Jake goes the minimalist route and crafts an 6 minute opus that is serene and terrifying at the same time.

I will warn that this is a very drone-y piece, and not for the easily bored. Since I'm personally a sucker for shit like that and I eat up all things Bannon-related I don't have a problem. TBOTE just misses a perfect score with me because it's only one song. Let's hope that Wear Your Wounds will get one when it arrives.

[Shimra]

I went to look up J. Bannon on wikipedia but couldn't find the album you are talking about. I did however take a look at Converge, which I believe you have mentioned on more than one occasion and to my surprise Pitchfork actually really really really likes Converge which is crazy considering if it isn't indie there is a 97% chance Pitchfork won't like it. I should probably check Converge out sometime soon.

Oh and I've been listening to Funeral by The Arcade Fire. Awesome stuff.

[hXd]

Your best chance of finding Jake's solo stuff is on the Deathwish website, http://www.deathwishinc.com

Jake also posted a solo song he did a while back on the Converge website, http://www.convergecult.com  I'm not sure if it's still up there though, but if it is it's under the alias "Dear Lover".