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Our latest album reviews, featuring the records we've most enjoyed (or not) over the past few weeks.

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Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)

Give Up the Ghost

We're Down Til' We're Underground
Equal Vision (2003)

First of all, I'm going to apologize for only reviewing records that I like a lot. With that being Said, American Nightmare/GUTG has done it again. I've been a fan of American Nightmare since their first 7" came out, and I've loved all of their subsequent releases. This is is no exception to the trend. We're Down Til We're Underground is comprised of thirteen songs, some of them new, some of them previously released or leaked. The album starts off with an instrumental, and then suddenly leaps into action on a rather punk-rock cue from vocalist Wes Eisold. "1,2,3,4", comes the call, and they're off into "Love American", which sounds like a mix between the bands very own "Farewell" and Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart". Trust me, the comparison is apt. The desperate admission "Love is all that we ever had" makes for a great chorus. In traditional Eisold fashion, the entire song is peppered with reflections on life's love and happiness - or the lack thereof. "You go nowhere in a nowhere town/and no one's listening/to the sound of breaking down/and breaking out is just wishful thinking" He's one of the few writers that can say what's … Read more

Multiple Authors

Give Up the Ghost

We're Down Til' We're Underground
Equal Vision (2003)

You might be asking yourself, "who the Hell is Give Up the Ghost?" If you are, you missed out on … Read more

The Jealous Sound

Kill Them With Kindness
Better Looking (2003)

The Jealous Sound has written one of the most infectiously catchy records I've heard in years. Poppy hooks and lyrical … Read more

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

Tell Balgeary, Balgury is Dead
Lookout! (2003)

Ted Leo and his Pharmacists are sweeping the nation's rock and roll scene. People first began to take real notice … Read more

Denali

The Instinct
Jade Tree (2003)

So many bands have release their first albums to nothing but fanfare only to dissapoint with their sophmore release. I … Read more

Outkast

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
La Face (2003)

Everybody likes Outkast. How can you not? Aside from some kind of genetic predisposition to bad taste, there really isn't … Read more

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One from the archives

Tool

Fear Inoculum
RCA (2019)

hype - Informal.nounexaggerated publicity; hoopla.an ingenious or questionable claim, method, etc., used in advertising, promotion, or publicity to intensify the effect.Let’s be real. 13 years is a long goddamn time between albums. Particularly for a band that didn’t even break up. There’s just no way on earth ANY band could hope to return to whatever glory cradled them in their fans’ collective bosom over a decade ago, is there? Well, is there??Fear Inoculum says no. And proves it by being the best album Tool has ever released. It takes all the expectations, all the hype, and all the hyperbole, and spits them back in the face of everyone.Is this Stinkfist Tool? No. That was 23 years ago. Vicarious Tool? No, that was 10,000 Days ago. Well, almost 4,000 days ago, … Read more

More album reviews

Hawnay Troof

Get Up! Resolution: Love
Retard Disco (2003)

Who is the Hawnay Troof, you may ask? The Hawnay Troof is a hip-hop project in the vein of early Beastie Boys headed up by 18-year-old Vice Cooler (aka Chris Touchton of XBXRX, K.I.T). The project has many, many contributors, including 900 Dixxx (Bratmobile), Baby Donut (Bratmobile), Lil Jenny (Erase Errata), and Soft Pink Truth, as well as countless others … Read more

Multiple Authors

Circle Takes the Square

As the Roots Undo
Robotic Empire (2004)

Nothing is more excellent than when a fairly unknown semi decent band out of nowhere transitions into a butterfly etched in silk and razor wire. What does this all mean? Let's jump back a few years, more in particular, when Circle Takes The Square released their original album, which strangely happened to be a demo. The concept of releasing a … Read more

Multiple Authors

Circle Takes the Square

As the Roots Undo
Robotic Empire (2004)

Picture, if you will, a buffet comprised of the most delectable cuisines imaginable, prepared by a skilled staff of gourmet chefs. Now envision an angry mob running toward the buffet, toppling over all the trays, and gobbling every morsel of food with unreasonable haste. Not stopping to chew or swallow, the members of said mob are simply trying to jam … Read more

The Spotlight Syndicate

Forget the Static Past
Substandard (2003)

So I get this girl up in my room and we start licking each other's tongues, and before you know it, our clothes start to come off. But then all of a sudden, bam! I realize I need to put on some good love making music, or I ain't gonna get no gerjiner tonight. I start flipping through possible albums … Read more

Multiple Authors

Pretty Girls Make Graves

The New Romance
Matador (2003)

While there definitely are problems with musical priority in this album, after listening to Good Health, the most negative thing I can say about this album is it pales in comparison to PGMG's debut. While "slow and soft" is not necessarily a bad thing, it is in the case of The New Romance. When your biggest feature is the guitars … Read more

Multiple Authors

Pretty Girls Make Graves

The New Romance
Matador (2003)

'What is this band? Quasi-popular tripe not worth my time. What's the problem? The band is way too dependent upon the guitars to entertain the audiences. Although the guitarists do excellent work at times in the album, it's not enough to make this bad band good. Is the band any good? Not with what they emphasize. It's pretty easy to … Read more

The Bronx

The Bronx
Ferret (2003)

Now, I can't claim to know much about this band. I don't know what they are ex-members of or where they're from, but I do know this... this record bored me to no end. It kicks off kind of promising, actually. The opening track, "Heart Attack American", starts off with hushed guitar and drums, and then just explodes into a … Read more

Strike Anywhere

Exit English
Jade Tree (2003)

Beginning with a short riff-based intro, this record then kicks itself straight into life, inspiring this reviewer to do the same. Exit English, the band's second full-length, shows Strike Anywhere at their fastest, heaviest, and most melodic. The band's political edge on this record is as apparant as ever. Vocalist Thomas: "the songwriting on Exit English has more to do, … Read more

The Sick Lipstick

Sting, Sting, Sting
Tiger Style (2003)

Everyone enjoys a little no-wave now and again, right? Anyone who is into The Red Light Sting, Arab on Radar, or Black Cat #13 will enjoy this. In fact, half of The Sick Lipstick is composed of members from Black Cat #13, and they have done a split with XBXRX. It seems like music this cool can only come from … Read more

An Albatross

We are the Lazer Viking
Ace Fu (2003)

Popcorn! Popcorn! The repeated statement of popcorn was one thing that was sorely missed from this album. This was due to the fact that they keyboards for An Albatross sound like the organ that is used at baseball games in the olden days. Then all of a sudden, BAM! The pitcher pegs the hitter in the side. The man with … Read more

Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start

And Nothing Is #1
Ohev (2003)

The minute someone seriously suggested this name for the band, I'd have to show him the door. The name is not clever, loses it's novelty factor quickly to where it just gets annoying, and doesn't fit this band AT ALL. I was fully expecting a keyboard fronted band with some snotty vocalist. Instead what I was exposed to was a … Read more

Black Eyes

Black Eyes
Dischord (2003)

I'm glad I got into this album before seeing Black Eyes' live show, because I would have been very unimpressed with the album after witnessing the insanity of their first show in Omaha. They nearly tore the ceiling off that tiny basement, and it was a nigh-religious experience. It's hard to believe that their first full-length, the s/t on Dischord, … Read more

The New Trust

We Are Fast Moving Motherfuckers. We Are Women and Men of Action.
Slowdance (2004)

Talk about coming out of left field. Members of some of indie-darlings The Velvet Teen and Benton Falls have gotten together to tell the scene "fuck you" and boy is it exciting. Josh Staples (The Velvet Teen) takes the spotlight as the singer and bassist while Michael Richardson plays lead guitar. Joining them is Sara Sanger, wife of Josh, on … Read more

Multiple Authors

Daughters

Canada Songs
Robotic Empire (2003)

My first real exposure to Daughters would be an argument amongst SPB staff members in a thread on our dainty message board, in which their hype and their similarities to the Locust were put on the table. Not being a big fan of the Locust myself, this didn't give me too high of hopes for the Locust, in terms of … Read more

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Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)