The Cure
4:13 Dream
Geffen (2008)
A new album by The Cure. This always makes me nervous. One of my favorite bands from old times (my favorite band full stop, according to my Last FM charts), The Cure are pretty damn high in my esteem. Having said that, I am more than aware of Robert Smith's ability to disappoint me. The last couple of decades of … Read more
The Cure
Songs of a Lost World
Capitol, Fiction, Lost Music, Polydor/Universal (2024)
It's been sixteen years since The Cure released their last album. I don't know if anyone really knew what to expect, but it's one of the most influential bands in history so expectations were high. The Verdict? Those expectations were met. It'd be silly to say Songs of a Lost World is a "return to form" as the band and … Read more
The Cure
The Cure
Geffen (2004)
Even if you're in a band whose career spans almost 30 years, there is a first time for everything. This is the first time the Cure have released an album on Geffen instead of Elektra Records. After self-producing many of their albums, they handed over the reigns of producer to Ross Robinson, who has produced for the likes of Limp … Read more
The Curtis Mayflower
Everything Beautiful Is Under Attack
Independent (2014)
The first studio release from The Curtis Mayflower titled Everything Beautiful Is Under Attack is a combination of talent, great songwriting, and beautiful haunting melodies. This is what happens when you take five of the best musicians from the Central Massachusetts area and send them up to an old farmhouse in Maine to record an album in 24 hours. Done … Read more
The Custodian
Necessary Wasted Time
Laser's Edge (2013)
Richard Thomson may be the vocalist for Xerath, but if you're expecting that same innovative blend of progressive metal, film music, and tech death in his new side project, you'll be sorely disappointed with The Custodian. Actually, if you were expecting any innovation at all, your expectations will be set too high for their debut, Necessary Wasted Time.The Custodian play … Read more
The Dalloways
Dirty Money and Filthy Love
Bird in a Box (2008)
Sold; I'll take two, please. From start to finish, this five-track EP from California's The Dalloways is a gem. Dirty Money and Filthy Love, with its dry easy wit and lush pop sensibilities, is delightful in all the right ways. From the outset, it's instantly reminiscent of Belle and Sebastian, and vocalist/lyricist Gerhard Enns delivers breathy pop vocals that seem … Read more
The Dandy Warhols
Distortland
Dine Alone (2016)
The Dandy Warhols new release Distortland is a trippy foray into pop that should not only garner new fans but also satisfy their long term fans as well. The band has been putting out great records for 22 years now and this is their ninth release. The band continues to hone their sound and have put out some of their … Read more
The Darkness
One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back
Atlantic (2005)
There's not much worse than a bad joke, unless it's a bad joke that just won't go away. Let's face it, there are only so many times you can hear that joke about Michael Jackson and the Pope in a plane and with the punch line being about fucking kids, before you want to pull someone's eyelids out and pour … Read more
The Darkness
Permission To Land
Atlantic (2003)
The Darkness couldn't have arrived at a more bizarre time in mainstream rock music. With scores of pedantic nü-metallers, insipid garage rock revivalists, and happy-go-lucky mall punks currently occupying the charts and airwaves, a ragtag bunch of English boys with a fondness for the grandiose, lighthearted classic rock of yesteryear would seem unlikely candidates for success. But, lo and behold, … Read more
The Dauntless Elite
Graft
Plan-it-X / Bombed Out (2007)
The Dauntless Elite hail from Leeds and hold the honor of being the first international Plan-it-X band. With Graft, their first full-length, they deliver pop punk akin to many contemporary bands from the Midwestern United States. They've also released an EP and a couple 7"s. Upon putting in the CD, it runs through a few clicks and whistles before kicking … Read more
The Dead Cvlt
The Cataclyst
PRSPCT Records (2019)
Rotterdam, Netherlands-based supergroup The Dead Cult has release their debut EP The Cataclyst on PRSPCT records. This looks to be one of very few if not the only album on this label which has such strong punk and metal influences. While they are a supergroup, they do not represent just one scene. They are a hybrid of punk, metal, drum … Read more
The Dead Milkmen
Pretty Music for Pretty People
Quid Ergo (2014)
The Dead Milkmen were always an idea band. A band who sparkled or fizzled depending on that idea, with some songs brilliant and others that made you dream they’d invent a music format where you could skip to the next song with the simple push of a button. Some things change, others don’t.Pretty Music for Pretty People is the Dead … Read more
The Dead Milkmen
The King In Yellow
Independent (2011)
Who would have thought that after 16 years The Dead Milkmen would release a new album? The band went their separate ways in 1995 and lost a member of The Dead Milkmen family in 2004 when ex-bassist, Dave Schulthise, took his own life. The remaining members went on to play tribute and benefit shows soon after. In 2008, the group … Read more
The Death of a Party
The Rise and Fall of Scarlet City
Double Negative (2007)
Bands need to stop trying to sound like Gang of Four. It's a fact that they will never be Gang of Four, and no one ever will be. Of course there will be cover bands, but those songs are Gang of Four songs. Leave the repetition for Clear Channel Radio, such memorable music isn't meant to be over played. The … Read more
The Deathray Davies
Midnight At the Black Nail Polish Factory
Glurp (2003)
This Dallas based band made their own bed and now they have to lie in it. Their press releases and website state that their latest effort Midnight at the Black Nail Polish Factory sounds like: "The Pixies at their tightest and The Beach Boys at their loosest." We interrupt this broadcast for a healthy and much deserved scoff. There might, … Read more
The Deathtones
The American Invasion
We Are Horror Records (2023)
After a quick detox over the festive season The Deathtones have reanimated and dug themselves back up from the grave after a very busy 2022 where they recorded and released no fewer than 8 singles and 4 EPs. The Deathtones formed in late 2021 releasing their first song "All Hallows Eve" that Oct, the rest as they say is history, … Read more
The Decemberists
Her Majesty, The Decemberists
Kill Rock Stars (2003)
My dear Isabella, It has been an unduly extended period since my previous communication, and I apologize for my unproportioned replies to your correspondence. I cannot but carry doubt that your yearnings to set your eyes upon the ink of my quill have been uncountable. Oh my dear, I have recently alighted with a peculiar piece of American art! A … Read more
The Decemberists
Picaresque
Kill Rock Stars (2005)
Besides getting started, the hardest thing about writing reviews is coming up with original ways of putting things. Not stealing ideas from other magazines is tough, and it becomes especially hard when the album you're reviewing is unquestionably great. This is exactly my dilemma with the new Decemberists album. It's super, but I have no idea what to say about … Read more
