(North Street Records, 2006) With the May 2006 release of the debut full-length from New York quartet Dirty On Purpose, the band has thrust itself into the company of such indie rock greats as Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, and My Bloody Valentine. That’s not to say that Hallelujah Sirens is of […]

(Columbia, 2006) There are different reasons why I love different bands. I love Oasis for their unbridled arrogance, and their consistent sound. I love Audioslave because I loved the previous bands, and it seemed like a natural fit. I love the Beatles for their impact. I love Spoon for their tunes. […]

I have exactly one complaint with Black Holes and Revelations, and it’s so minor that I’m going to start the review with it knowing it will turn approximately zero people away from picking up this masterpiece: As with Absolution, they once again failed to cover a jazz standard. Ok, maybe I’m being unrealistic, since […]

I’m going to start this review by admitting that I’m biased. Yes, that’s right, I already like The Decemberists, so when I tell you that this is a good great album, you’re going to be wondering “Yes, but am I, Random Internet Surfer, going to enjoy it?” Well RIS, I’ve a few questions […]

This is one of those love-it-or-hate-it albums. And if you love it, I’m sorry. You’re wrong. Forget my feelings about the subjective nature of taste; if you like this crap, you and I have a problem. Let’s look at a list of the ways this album fails to be redeeming:

Every song […]

Paradoxically, my main criticism with Darker My Love’s self-titled album is also my main compliment. The album is hypnotically beautiful, but the layered, droning songs bleed together into a 40-minute fuzz-fest that struggles to avoid becoming stagnant. Lush vocal harmonies crawl out of the mist and add to the psychedelic vibe, but despite […]