Well, I’m a little late with this one, and probably the last person on the ‘net who plans on reviewing Rather Ripped. All I can think to say is “It’s not bad.” There’s a lot of dissonance, a little bit of noise, but where most critics are calling this Sonic Youth’s most accessible […]

(Echo, 2005) The King of France are a trio of indie-rockers (guitar, piano, drums) that play music with witty lyrics and slight hooks. Singer/guitarist Steve Salad’s vocals are a little thin and neurotic sounding at times, but his songwriting is what makes the band’s self-titled album worthwhile. None of the musicians in the […]

(Filter, 2006) The second album from Even Johansen’s Magnet moniker is one aimed straight at the college demographic, with its polished production, sensitive lyrics, and singer-songwriter aesthetic. Johansen is a Norwegian musician, but his music shows no hint of his background and he could easily be mistaken for an American or Brit. Each […]

(Kemado, 2005) Chamber metal? Art rock? Classical metal? Indie rock? Who knows what to call this… Book of Sand is a difficult album on which to get a grip, both because it’s lyricless, and because the sound is so unique, which leads it to be somewhat difficult to enjoy, initially. […]

It’s been a few years since Michael Penn’s last album (Aside: did you know Michael is the brother of Chris and Sean Penn?). He released MP4: Days Since a Lost Time Accident in 2000, continuing in his tradition of taking too long in between records. He’s always been a pretty solid pop songwriter, […]