(Interscope, 2005) Everything Is, the full-length US debut of British rockers Nine Black Alps, is a rollicking affair, full of the power chords, powerful choruses, and sharp hooks the band displayed on their self-titled EP in 2005. In fact, Everything Is shares the two best tracks from that EP, the hook-laden “Shot Down,” […]

(WEA, 2006) The Subways’ US debut, Young For Eternity, comes with (as usual) enormous amounts of hype from across the Atlantic. It seems that anything that gets big in the UK gets REALLY BIG. Unfortunately, it can’t all live up to the hype. Young For Eternity is one of those discs that […]

(Columbia, 2005) The American release of The Go! Team’s debut differs only slightly from its import version, which was nominated for a Mercury Prize, and both have received considerable amounts of critical acclaim. The amount and degree of that praise is really quite baffling. Some critics make Thunder, Lightning, Strike out to be […]

(Kemado, 2005) Diamond Nights’ first full length for Kemado Records just about reaches the limit of excellence one can expect from a debut record. It’s got a full stockpile of classic rock a-bombs to drop on any stereo that dares to attempt to capture the vigor and enthusiasm Diamond Nights brings to the table […]

(Geffen, 2005) The Like’s first full length LP, Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking?, is something like what you might expect from a trio of girls wearing camisoles and sundresses in the album art, with a baby deer on the front cover. Lead singer Z Berg has a pretty voice, but it’s otherwise unexceptional, […]