"As an EP, not as thorough and mesmeri..." more

"As an EP, not as thorough and mesmerizing as Armchair Aporcrypha, but stunningly brilliant and beautiful in its own right. Don't miss this!" less

"Still singing through what- for all i..." more

"Still singing through what- for all intents and purposes- is probably a bong, the Evangelicals CD is another trippy release that echoes their So Gone effort. However, The Evening Descends is slightly prettier, more self-conscious, and because of such, has fewer memorable moments.

" less

"I'm secure enough to admit this insec..." more

"I'm secure enough to admit this insecurity: when others react positively to an album I don't enjoy, I worry that I just "don't get it" and that I'm somehow out of the loop. Fuck Button's pastiche of drone, uninteresting electronica, and warbled squelchs- so far as I can tell- only marginally registers as music. Perhaps an art project of some kind. Either way, it is a godawful listen, neither challenging nor soothing and- thus far- the most overrated album of 08. But, it is only April." less

"This is an AMAZING album. The lead si..." more

"This is an AMAZING album. The lead singer's squealching Scottish voice jumps all over solid indie song construction that gets a little folksy- almost country from time to time- for a memorable and enjoyable album." less

"This is the best album of the year. I..." more

"This is the best album of the year. If you don't agree, you haven't been alive in any of the past three decades." less

"A ninety-five percent follow through ..." more

"A ninety-five percent follow through on the clever EPs that preceded it, Hold On Now, Youngster has only a few slips. It's an album that may be too good for its own good..." less

"A very solid indie pop rock album. No..." more

"A very solid indie pop rock album. Not particularly unique, but very enjoyable: it is an album I continually come back to for stand out tracks like Mr. Understanding and Come On Feet." less

"Despite their freak-folk cover, Plant..." more

"Despite their freak-folk cover, Plants and Animals opens up with less Devendra and more Queen. The album jumps all over the notion of genre, with amusing results like the bombastic "Bye, Bye, Bye" (not an N'Sync cover), "Sea Shanty," and "Good Friend." Skip "Guru," unless you like meandering jam sessions." less

"Fun folk pop? It is, seriously. Trans..." more

"Fun folk pop? It is, seriously. Transcendental and natural, the album has legs that will carry you to a cabin in the mountains by a lake where you and your stoned but musically talented friends will jam for hours. Check out Fisherman's Son ("I'm doing fine in Alaska!")" less

"Not as raw and quirky as The Loon, bu..." more

"Not as raw and quirky as The Loon, but Walk It Off has brilliant moments. Hang Them All and Conquest rank amongst the top, but the album does have a few slow-paced draggers that do not fit TnT's eclectic, frenetic style." less

"In the mid-90s, acts like NOFX and Pe..." more

"In the mid-90s, acts like NOFX and Pennywise cornered a feaux-punk market of suburban skateboarders. Team Robespierre captures their chanting, rhythmic vocal tendancies, but plays them over driving (punk?) synths for a very brief, enjoyable piece of dance-punk.

" less

"It may take you a few seconds to regi..." more

"It may take you a few seconds to register- or at least until your told so by the lyrics- but the first track's rhythm line is comprised of Mikey saying "Base" and "Clap" and so forth. And it is bangin'. Possibly the best hip-hop album to cross eMu." less

"At some invisible point, quirky turns..." more

"At some invisible point, quirky turns to kitsch and kitsch to gauche. The Fiery Furnaces skip along this line, haphazardly altering song tempos and structures on a whim, stepping over and hopping back with a look that says, "Did you see that?" At some points, the playful disdain for pop structure is endearing; at others they manage to eschew the most basic tenements of musicianship. Not for the casual listener by any means.

" less

"Bland, blithe indie pop. Not bad for ..." more

"Bland, blithe indie pop. Not bad for a free album...!" less

"With every new album, TMG continues t..." more

"With every new album, TMG continues to impress. On Heretic Pride, Darnielle goes with a full-band sound to accompany his trademark concrete-image melancholy and- surprise, surprise- it works desperately and beautifully." less

"An album with amazing energy and the ..." more

"An album with amazing energy and the occasional guitar heroics indie rock has quixotically veered away from in recent years. Still smart, the PCs manage to also rock." less

"A crazy French dude who sings in a fe..." more

"A crazy French dude who sings in a feaux-Grease "Summer Lovin'" homage, "I fucked my American cunt." But other than "Love No," which is great and sad in technoy kind of way, there's not much to get excited about.
" less

"Finally- an album that combines my ad..." more

"Finally- an album that combines my adolescent fawning over and love of License to Ill as a 17-year-old with my smarmy 23-year-old love of the pre-Garden State Shins. Simultaneously pretentious and sophomoric, this CD makes me want to shake up bottles of really good beer and pour them over people. Granted, the "Radio Edits" aspect is damnable, but beggers." less

"Unsurprisingly one of the best albums..." more

"Unsurprisingly one of the best albums of the year, if not several years. The only let down is that the tracks released on the original EP (Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, A Punk, Oxford Comma) are still the best tracks on the album." less