15 total search results
Circle Takes the Square – As the Roots Undo
Review — February 28, 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 Darkness – Permission To Land
Review — February 29, 2004
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 …
The Cocker Spaniels – Withstand the Whatnot
Review — March 2, 2004
The notion of a one-man band has always seemed like a bit of a novelty to me. Whenever I used to hear or read of an artist who supposedly played every single note on his or her recordings, the image I conjured would be something along the lines of this: …
Madvillain – Madvillainy
Review — April 5, 2004
On this highly anticipated release from arguably two of underground hip-hop's most interesting personalities- wunderkind producer/MC Madlib (a.k.a. Otis Jackson, Jr., Quasimoto, Yesterday's New Quintet) and eccentric rapper MF Doom (a.k.a. Daniel Dumile, Viktor Vaughn, King Geedorah, Zevlove X) combine each of their unique talents to create an undeniably challenging …
Parts & Labor/Tyondai Braxton – Rise Rise Rise
Review — August 10, 2004
Brooklyn strikes again with this 2-for-1 bargain from noise rock provocateurs Parts & Labor and loop-based composer Tyondai Braxton. Rise Rise Rise may only be the second major release from each of the two parties involved, but surprisingly enough, it manages to exhibit more progress than a second - not …
Tree Wave – Cabana
Review — August 16, 2004
The sound is akin to being smothered by some heavenly, heavily pixilated pillow- warm washes of analog static, compressed layers of computerized bleeps, waves of soft, arpeggiated trills, and a beautiful voice emerging from the dense, intoxicating cloud. Tree Wave are a Dallas-based duo that write fantastic, mind-bending songs with …
Joan Of Arc – Joan Of Arc, Dick Cheney, Mark Twain
Review — August 26, 2004
It's strange to think that Tim Kinsella has been at it for about decade now, using his inexplicable charms and off-key personality with groups like Cap'n Jazz, Make Believe, Owls, Friend/Enemy, and his long-standing Joan Of Arc project to create an impressive and utterly distinctive catalog. The man's certainly prolific, …
Converge – You Fail Me
Review — September 27, 2004
Dear Converge, After giving You Fail Me a listen, the only thing I can even begin to contemplate is: "What the fuck happened here?" I'm truly sorry to say that aside from calculating the distance from where I'm sitting to the Cosi two blocks away (I have a coupon for …
Wolf Eyes – Burned Mind
Review — October 14, 2004
Listening to Wolf Eyes is not what I'd call a traditionally pleasurable experience. Unless you consider having your face ravaged by a two-by-four while masturbating to an execution an enjoyable experience or, to a lesser extent, tonguing a blister you got from drinking hot soup, I'd advise you to skip …
Q and Not U – Power
Review — October 26, 2004
Mike Watt famously said that the Minutemen "divided the whole world into two categories: there were flyers and the gig. You're either doing the gig, which is like one hour of your life or everything else to get people to the gig. Interviews were flyers, videos were flyers, even records …
Panda Bear – Young Prayer
Review — October 27, 2004
Though Young Prayer is intended to act as a eulogy for Animal Collective member Panda Bear's (a.k.a. Noah Lennox) recently deceased father, it feels more like a bittersweet celebration of his life than a sorrow-filled reflection. Drawing upon modern classical music (Track 3), tribal African chants (Track 5), traditional Jewish …
Frog Eyes – The Folded Palm
Review — November 3, 2004
Make no mistake: Victoria, B.C. based band Frog Eyes aren't the amphibious offshoots of cacophonous rabble-rousers Wolf Eyes. If anything, these 'Eyes' are a whole different breed of animal. On The Folded Palm, the group's first for Absolutely Kosher and third overall, Frog Eyes fuse a unique sound encompassing …
The Blood Brothers – Crimes
Review — November 9, 2004
The Blood Brothers' second album in little over a year and half finds the Seattle quintet treading some unfamiliar ground, to say the very least. Not to fret, long-time fans of the Brothers of Blood - the trademark frenetic rhythms, angular guitars (which often recall Duane Denison on a bad …
Joanna Newsom – The Milk-Eyed Mender
Review — December 14, 2004
The Milk-Eyed Mender came out in March and has been gathering press clips like a two-ton goliath going berzerk at a post-bar mitzvah shindig. It's freaking December and I haven't written anything about this record! So, what's a distraught proto-writer to do when 'best of 04' lists start trickling in? …
