18 total search results
Songs: Ohia – Magnolia Electric Co.
Review — February 25, 2004
After falling in love with songwriter Jason Molina's ensemble last year through the somber and deeply confessional Didn't it Rain, my expectations were set extremely high for both of his 2003 releases, Magnolia Electric Co. and Pyramid Electric Co., which will be released later this year. The first …
Xiu Xiu – A Promise
Review — February 25, 2004
Xiu Xiu are a frustrating band in the sense that their originality is quite apparent, but for many people they are difficult to "get into." After coming away from their 2002 release Knife Play without having really "clicked" at all, I decided to give them another chance with A Promise …
Since By Man – We Sing the Body Electric
Review — February 25, 2004
I think I have whiplash. An incredibly addictive hardcore album with infectious riffs and powerful, gut-wrenching vocals are the best random synonyms for "whoah-kick ass" that I can think of at the moment. The vocals play off the guitars beautifully, and everything in between are seemingly endless chances for innovation …
AFI – Sing the Sorrow
Review — February 25, 2004
"Oh my God, my God this can't be happening! AFI has signed to a major!" Is an example of a popular reaction to the announcement last year that that AFI would be releasing their sixth full-length, Sing the Sorrow, on Dreamworks records. Anybody without a huge bias towards the …
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – Hearts of Oak
Review — February 27, 2004
I can always tell how much I will spin an album following its first listen. That feeling I had after listening to Hearts of Oak was immeasurable. "The Ballad of the Sin-Eaters" is a song that will instantly make you shake your ass and shout the words even though you …
Bonnie "Prince" Billy – Master and Everyone
Review — February 27, 2004
Four years ago to the present, record players everywhere have played the last note of "Raining in Darling," the final song on Will Oldham's Bonnie "Prince" Billy record, I See a Darkness. As his record burped and scratched to its end, newly-anointed or long-time fans of Will Oldham have …
Ten Grand – This Is the Way to Rule
Review — February 28, 2004
Who knew that such an exciting and promising musical force was sitting right across the border from me? After hearing so much about this band and being severely disappointed when they postponed their Omaha show (and still haven't made it up), I was glad to finally get my hands (figuratively) …
Pretty Girls Make Graves – The New Romance
Review — February 28, 2004
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 …
Black Eyes – Black Eyes
Review — February 28, 2004
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 …
Grandaddy – Sumday
Review — February 28, 2004
Once again, Grandaddy travel down the familiar road of attaching a human face on technology for the sole purpose of denouncing it. In a shockingly ironic way, Sumday's pleasant, mid-tempo/mid-range vocal melodies and soothing rhythms make it ideal music for programming. With lines like "I'm wondering if I'll ever …
The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow
Review — February 29, 2004
Since I've only heard a couple of songs from last year's solid debut, Oh, Inverted World, this review will be free of any mentions of "sophomore slumps." Chutes Too Narrow deserves better than that. The album completely shatters this notion to the point that it doesn't deserve recognition. That …
Yaphet Kotto/This Machine Kills/Envy – Split
Review — February 29, 2004
Whenever I listen to the type of record that Yaphet Kotto or Envy would make, I always play the TV at full volume to supplement the chaos. Sometimes I'll change it to something like an MTV awards show or a shitty sitcom to add my own sort of psuedo-ironic soundtrack. …
Jason Molina – Pyramid Electric Co.
Review — February 29, 2004
My initial fascination in Jason Molina and the Songs: Ohia crew began with a small, albeit inaccurate description of his music. It explained his songwriting past, including but not limited to blues, country, and metal. Although I still don't understand the last genre comparison to this day, the point it …
All Night Radio – Spirit Stereo Frequency
Review — February 29, 2004
Imagine driving down an endless highway in a thunderstorm while listening to your favorite AOR station. Suddenly lightning strikes the antenna and the gaps between the songs are erased. The songs of the Beatles, the Doors, Pink Floyd, Three Dog Night and even the Gypsy Kings all begin to coincide …
The Mountain Goats – We Shall All Be Healed
Review — March 11, 2004
As any lover of lo-fi already knows, the complexity of The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle and his work is vast. He records every album on a living room boombox, has a large backup band despite a very small amount of accompaniment on any given record, and has a penchant for …
90 Day Men – Panda Park
Review — March 2, 2004
It's hard writing about a band who's been around for a while that you're just hearing for the first time. Describing how they used to sound is crucial in ultimately describing how they sound now. Maybe it's not crucial, but it certainly makes the job a lot easier to have …
Notwist – Different Cars and Trains
Review — March 9, 2004
In many cases, EPs of new material from bands who have released prolific albums in the last couple of years are enfuriating teases and rehashes that offer the faithful listener little new material if any at all. It's also difficult to accept an artist's re-rendering of some of your favorite …
