4.5 superb |
A Winged Victory for the Sullen A Winged Victory for the Sullen |
Angel Olsen My Woman |
Angel Olsen Half Way Home |
Ani DiFranco Reprieve |
Ani DiFranco Not a Pretty Girl |
Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion |
Animal Collective Strawberry Jam |
Animal Collective Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished |
Asobi Seksu Citrus |
Azure Ray Burn and Shiver |
Azure Ray Azure Ray |
Bat For Lashes Fur and Gold |
Bat For Lashes Two Suns |
Bat For Lashes The Haunted Man |
Beach House Teen Dream |
Beach House Devotion |
Beach House Bloom |
Beth Orton Trailer Park |
Bjork Medulla |
Bjork Post |
Bjork Biophilia |
Bjork Vespertine |
Bjork Vulnicura |
Blonde Redhead Penny Sparkle |
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy Wolfroy Goes To Town |
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy I See a Darkness |
Braids Flourish // Perish |
Bright Eyes I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning |
Burial Untrue |
Camera Obscura Let's Get Out of This Country |
Camera Obscura My Maudlin Career |
Cat Power You Are Free |
Cat Power Moon Pix |
Cat Power Sun |
CocoRosie The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillbo |
I think is this is a remarkable album, from one of the most unique groups out there. These girls are so unafraid of being themselves, and that's ALMOST enough to sell it to me right now. I think Werwolf is the best track, and Black Poppies is the worst.
Also, i THOUGHT that Sierra sang on Sunshine. I think she does, cause Bianca doesn't go that high, and also, Sierra sings it live. It's a beautiful number. |
Crystal Castles Crystal Castles II |
Deerhoof Deerhoof vs. Evil |
Deerhoof Friend Opportunity |
Destroyer Your Blues |
Ellen Allien Sool |
Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton Knives Don't Have Your Back |
Feist The Reminder |
Feist Let It Die |
Fever Ray Fever Ray |
Fiona Apple When the Pawn... |
Fiona Apple Extraordinary Machine |
FKA Twigs LP1 |
Goldfrapp Felt Mountain |
Goldfrapp Seventh Tree |
Grouper Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill |
Grouper Ruins |
Grouper A I A |
Grouper Water People |
Grouper The Man Who Died in His Boat |
High Places High Places |
How to Dress Well Love Remains |
Janelle Monae The Electric Lady |
Jens Lekman I Know What Love Isn't |
Jens Lekman Night Falls Over Kortedala |
Jessica Pratt Jessica Pratt |
Joanna Newsom The Milk-Eyed Mender |
You are completely right. She is an acquired taste. In all forms of the terms. Her voice is atrocious, and remarkably untrained. But you're also right when you say it works.
Take the advice:
If you hated her at first because she made you want to shoot someone, or cut your ears off, I don't blame you. I feel like almost everyone has this reaction. I said "Why the hell does this chick get a record deal? My God!" when I frist heard her. But there was something about her that struck me. Maybe it was her originality, her beautiful harping, her wondrous stories, or all of it. At first, you are blinded (and deafened) by the vocals, and you miss the harp work and lyrics. Go back. Give her 3 or 4 tries and that will prove if you like her.
You just have to get over the intial shock. |
Joanna Newsom Have One on Me |
Joanna Newsom Divers |
Juana Molina Wed 21 |
Juana Molina Un Dia |
Julia Holter Loud City Song |
Julia Holter Have You In My Wilderness |
Kate Bush 50 Words for Snow |
Kate Bush The Sensual World |
Kate Bush The Dreaming |
Kimya Dawson My Cute Friend Sweet Princess |
Kimya Dawson Remember That I Love You |
Land Of Talk Cloak and Cipher |
Laura Marling I Speak Because I Can |
Laura Marling Once I Was an Eagle |
LCD Soundsystem This Is Happening |
Lianne La Havas Is Your Love Big Enough? |
Loscil Submers |
Loscil Endless Falls |
Lost In The Trees A Church That Fits Our Needs |
Low Drums and Guns |
Low The Curtain Hits the Cast |
Low Things We Lost in the Fire |
Low I Could Live in Hope |
Low C'Mon |
M. Ward Post-War |
M.I.A. Arular |
M.I.A. Kala |
Mariam the Believer Blood Donation |
Marissa Nadler July |
Marissa Nadler Strangers |
Mark Kozelek & Jimmy Lavalle Perils from the Sea |
Marnie Stern Marnie Stern |
Marnie Stern The Chronicles of Marnia |
Matana Roberts COIN COIN Chapter Four: Memphis |
Matana Roberts COIN COIN Chapter Three: river run thee |
Matana Roberts COIN COIN Chapter Two: Mississippi Moonchile |
Mates of State Re-Arrange Us |
Mates of State Bring it Back |
Mates of State Team Boo |
Metric Old World Underground, Where Are You Now |
Mirrorring Foreign Body |
mum Finally We Are No One |
mum Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is OK |
My Brightest Diamond All Things Will Unwind |
Neko Case Middle Cyclone |
Neko Case Fox Confessor Brings The Flood |
Neko Case Hell-On |
Nellie McKay Obligatory Villagers |
No Doubt Rock Steady |
No Doubt Return of Saturn |
Orenda Fink Blue Dream |
Owen Pallett Heartland |
Patrick Wolf Wind in the Wires |
Patti Smith Horses |
Peaches I Feel Cream |
Perfume Genius Learning |
Perfume Genius Put Your Back N 2 It |
Phosphorescent Pride |
"Tell me where you've been, I'll tell you where I've been; It will be okay" Matthew Houck sings on "A Picture of Our Torn Up Praise," the opener to his most recent record under the moniker Phosphorescent. Pride is a delicate, hymnal record with hints of acid-folk (in sound.) The aforementioned "Picture" is a beautiful, warm welcome, with multi-layered harmonies and one of the best triple threat songs (melody, lyrics, music) of 2007. The 6-minute "Wolves" is another highlight, with its extremely beautiful vocals, perfect instrumentation, and great imagery ("They tumble and fight and they're beautiful") The marching band-esque drumming of the brief "At Death, A Proclamation" seems out of place, but nonetheless, this short number is undoubtedly good. The epic "My Dove, My Lamb" perfectly mixes acoustic and soft electronic elements, into an opus of deep passion and the most believably lovelorn vocals of the record. Aside from the unfortunate title-track closer (such a jump away, it consists almost entirely of odd vocal noises for 6 long minutes that seem like 10) Pride is a marvelous, breathtaking record that deserves the downtime of anyone and everyone. |
Phosphorescent Muchacho |
Pink M!ssundaztood |
PJ Harvey Dry |
PJ Harvey To Bring You My Love |
Portishead Dummy |
Portishead Portishead |
Portishead Third |
Rain Machine Rain Machine |
Rasputina Oh Perilous World |
Red House Painters Ocean Beach |
Regina Spektor Begin To Hope EP |
The songs on this bonus EP are the type that should have been more frequent on the regular record. Another Town is delightful. Uh-Merica is fun and quite the crowd-sing-a-long. Baobobs is excellent in it's bouncy, yet impressive vocals. Dusseldorf is a cute story that brings you backpacking through Europe. Music Box is the best here, using an extremely quirky vocal work, with even quirkier lyrics, and fantastic piano work. |
Regina Spektor Soviet Kitsch |
Regina Spektor Songs |
Regina Spektor 11:11 |
Rilo Kiley The Execution of All Things |
Robyn Body Talk Pt. 1 |
Sarah Kirkland Snider Penelope |
Scott Walker The Drift |
Scott Walker Bish Bosch |
Scout Niblett It's Up To Emma |
Scout Niblett The Calcination of Scout Niblett |
Scout Niblett Sweet Heart Fever |
Sharon Van Etten Tramp |
Shearwater Rook |
Sigur Ros Agætis byrjun |
Sigur Ros ( ) |
Sleater-Kinney The Woods |
Smog Red Apple Falls |
Smog Dongs of Sevotion |
St. Vincent St. Vincent |
Stars The North |
Stars of the Lid The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid |
Sufjan Stevens The Age of Adz |
Sufjan Stevens Illinois |
Sufjan Stevens Seven Swans |
Sun Kil Moon Admiral Fell Promises |
Sun Kil Moon Benji |
Svarte Greiner Knive |
Sylvan Esso What Now |
Taken By Trees East of Eden |
Taken By Trees Other Worlds |
Tegan and Sara The Con |
The Decemberists Picaresque |
The Decemberists The Crane Wife |
The Dresden Dolls The Dresden Dolls |
The Fiery Furnaces Blueberry Boat |
Unpredictable music combined with great storytelling. It's a really intriguing album of sometimes-comically epic proportions. |
The Fiery Furnaces Bitter Tea |
The Fiery Furnaces EP |
The Killers Imploding the Mirage |
The Knife Shaking the Habitual |
The Tallest Man on Earth Shallow Grave |
The Tallest Man on Earth The Wild Hunt |
The Tallest Man on Earth There's No Leaving Now |
The Tallest Man on Earth Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird |
The xx xx |
Tim Hecker Virgins |
Tiny Vipers Life on Earth |
Tiny Vipers Hands Across the Void |
Tom Waits Alice |
Tom Waits Blood Money |
Tom Waits Mule Variations |
Tom Waits Rain Dogs |
Tom Waits Swordfishtrombones |
Tori Amos Little Earthquakes |
Torres Torres |
tUnE-yArDs w h o k i l l |
tUnE-yArDs Nikki Nack |
Valet Naked Acid |
Warpaint The Fool |
Warpaint Warpaint |
Wild Beasts Smother |
Wildbirds and Peacedrums Heartcore |
Unclassifiable mix of jazz, soul, rock, and untamed emotion. Many different styles are presented in this album, and after getting used to it, this album proves to be a true gem. Best tracks: Pony, I Can't Tell In His Eyes, Doubt/Hope, The Battle in Water, The Ones That Should Save Me Get Me Down. |
Windy and Carl We Will Always Be |
Windy and Carl Consciousness |
Xenia Rubinos Black Terry Cat |
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Fever To Tell |
Yeah Yeah Yeahs It's Blitz! |
Zola Jesus The Spoils |
Zola Jesus Stridulum |
Zola Jesus Stridulum II |
4.0 excellent |
Adele 21 |
Alela Diane To Be Still |
Alela Diane Alela Diane and Wild Divine |
Alela Diane About Farewell |
Ane Brun It All Starts With One |
Angel Olsen Burn Your Fire for No Witness |
Angus and Julia Stone Down the Way |
Ani DiFranco Red Letter Year |
Ani DiFranco Knuckle Down |
Ani DiFranco Puddle Dive |
Ani DiFranco Little Plastic Castle |
Animal Collective Sung Tongs |
Animal Collective Ark |
Animal Collective Water Curses |
Anna von Hausswolff Ceremony |
Anna von Hausswolff Singing from the Grave |
Arcade Fire Funeral |
Arcade Fire Neon Bible |
Azure Ray Hold On Love |
Beach House Beach House |
Belle and Sebastian Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance |
Beth Orton Comfort In Strangers |
Beth Orton Sugaring Season |
Bibio Mind Bokeh |
Bjork Volta |
My only real problem with this album... well, my couple problems... are: 1) The fact that each song is either tied to together by an unrelated outro, or ends immediately/abruptly for the next song. That works well once, on the transition between 'Dull Flame' and 'Innocence.' 2) The lyrics aren't as good. Especially on 'Hope,' the worst song she's ever done, in my opinion. The music is great, but I skip it because I just hate everything else. 3[kindof]) The singing isn't as consistently amazing. 'Pneumonia' features a dreary minute-long, nearly-monotone intro, and pretty much throughout it contains extremely boring music/vocals.
But I do really like this album all in all. It's not as bad as many critics say. So what if she isn't doing as complicated stuff as she's done. There'll never be another Homogenic, or Vespertine. Get over it.
my track pix: wanderlust, dull flame of desire, vertebrae by vertebrae, declare independence. |
Bjork Debut |
Bjork Biophilia Live |
Blonde Redhead 23 |
Blonde Redhead Misery is a Butterfly |
Blonde Redhead Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons |
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy The Wonder Show of the World |
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy Lie Down in the Light |
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy Master And Everyone |
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy Ease Down The Road |
Braids Native Speaker |
Braids Deep In The Iris |
Broken Social Scene Broken Social Scene |
Burial Burial |
Burial Kindred |
Camera Obscura Desire Lines |
Camera Obscura Underachievers Please Try Harder |
Cat Power The Greatest |
Cat Power What Would the Community Think |
Cat Power Myra Lee |
Chairlift Something |
Chelsea Wolfe Pain Is Beauty |
CocoRosie La Maison De Mon Reve |
CocoRosie Grey Oceans |
CocoRosie Tales of a Grass Widow |
Crystal Castles Crystal Castles |
Crystal Castles Crystal Castles III |
Damien Rice O |
Death Cab for Cutie Transatlanticism |
Death Cab for Cutie Codes and Keys |
Deerhoof Offend Maggie |
Deerhoof The Runners Four |
Deerhoof Apple O' |
Destroyer Kaputt |
Eleanor Friedberger Last Summer |
Eleanor Friedberger Personal Record |
Emiliana Torrini Me and Armini |
Essie Jain We Made This Ourselves |
Feist Monarch (Lay Your Jewelled Head Down) |
Fiona Apple Tidal |
Goldfrapp Black Cherry |
Goldfrapp Tales Of Us |
Grimes Visions |
Grizzly Bear Yellow House |
I don't usually enjoy albums like this. Extremely brief, could-be-more writing, and tons and tons and tons of instrumental. I like that maybe on a track or two, or an entirely instrumental album with no words, or a regular album of words and instrumental.
But there's something about this tapestry that captures me. I can't even be sure of what it is, but whatever it is, it's truly compelling. |
Grouper Wide |
Grouper Way Their Crept |
Grouper Cover the Windows and the Walls |
Grouper Violet Replacement |
Imogen Heap Speak For Yourself |
Imogen Heap I Megaphone |
Jenny Hval and Susanna Meshes Of Voice |
Jenny Lewis The Voyager |
Joan as Police Woman Real Life |
Joan as Police Woman To Survive |
Joanna Newsom Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band |
Juana Molina Son |
Julia Holter Ekstasis |
Julianna Barwick Nepenthe |
Kate Bush Aerial |
Kate Bush Never for Ever |
Kate Bush The Kick Inside |
Kate Bush Director's Cut |
Kimya Dawson Hidden Vagenda |
La Roux Trouble In Paradise |
Land Of Talk Some Are Lakes |
Land Of Talk Fun And Laughter |
Laura Marling A Creature I Don't Know |
Lavender Diamond Imagine Our Love |
Local Natives Gorilla Manor |
Loscil Sketches From New Brighton |
Low Songs for a Dead Pilot |
Low Plays Nice Places |
M. Ward Transistor Radio |
M.I.A. Matangi |
Maria Taylor 11:11 |
Marissa Nadler Marissa Nadler |
Marnie Stern This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It... |
Matana Roberts COIN COIN Chapter One: Gens de couleur libres |
Mates of State My Solo Project |
Mates of State Mountaintops |
Mates of State Our Constant Concern |
Mazzy Star So Tonight That I Might See |
Metric Live It Out |
Metric Grow Up and Blow Away |
I think this is a good review... of your favorite tracks. You should have talked about a couple more tracks than the ones that are your favorites. Like, talked about one song you don't think is quite up to par. Or how two of the better tracks were cut for this release - Parkdale, and Torture Me.
That aside, I agree with you mostly. My favorite tracks is On The Sly, always has been, and I love White Gold and Hardwire. This is a fantastic album, and I THINK I read somewhere that their new album has this album's feel to it. |
Metric Synthetica |
Mirel Wagner Mirel Wagner |
Miserable Uncontrollable |
Just a wonderful shoegaze record - wanted to give it a review so people might discover it. |
Modest Mouse Good News for People Who Love Bad News |
Modest Mouse's Good News For People Who Love Bad News is a strange mess of an album. This is a very good review that's good at expressing that. You mention the drunkenness (I say irritation) of Dance Hall, and the filler of the shouting Bury Me With It. But, The World at Large, the best track here, completely does not fit in with the handful after it. It's, like I said, a crazy mess. But the few brilliant songs (World At Large, Float On, Ocean Breathes Salty, Burkowski, and Good Times Are Killing Me) are enough for me. |
mum Summer Make Good |
mum Smilewound |
My Brightest Diamond Bring Me the Workhorse |
My Brightest Diamond A Thousand Shark's Teeth |
My Brightest Diamond This Is My Hand |
My Brightest Diamond None More Than You |
Neko Case Blacklisted |
Neko Case Furnace Room Lullaby |
Neko Case The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight... |
Nellie McKay Pretty Little Head |
Neneh Cherry Blank Project |
Noisettes What's the Time Mr. Wolf? |
Orenda Fink Invisible Ones |
Panda Bear Young Prayer |
Patrick Wolf Lycanthropy |
Peaches Impeach My Bush |
Peaches The Teaches of Peaches |
Phosphorescent A Hundred Times Or More |
PJ Harvey White Chalk |
PJ Harvey Is This Desire? |
PJ Harvey Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea |
Portishead Roseland NYC Live |
Radiohead In Rainbows |
Raum The Event of Your Leaving |
Red House Painters Red House Painters |
Regina Spektor Remember Us To Life |
Rilo Kiley More Adventurous |
Rilo Kiley Take-Offs and Landings |
Santigold Santogold |
School of Seven Bells Ghostory |
Scout Niblett This Fool Can Die Now |
Sharon Van Etten Are We There |
Sia 1000 Forms Of Fear |
Sigur Ros Von |
Sigur Ros Med Sud i Eyrum vid Spilum Endalaust |
Sigur Ros Takk... |
Sigur Ros Valtari |
Sigur Ros Kveikur |
Sleater-Kinney One Beat |
Sleater-Kinney Dig Me Out |
Smog Knock Knock |
Smog Wild Love |
Smog The Doctor Came at Dawn |
St. Vincent Actor |
Stars Heart |
Stars of the Lid Avec Laudenum |
Stars of the Lid The Ballasted Orchestra |
Stars of the Lid Music For Nitrous Oxide |
Sufjan Stevens Michigan |
Sun Kil Moon April |
Sun Kil Moon Among the Leaves |
Sylvan Esso Sylvan Esso |
Taken By Trees Open Field |
Tegan and Sara Under Feet Like Ours |
Tegan and Sara Heartthrob |
The Antlers Burst Apart |
The Antlers Familiars |
The Besnard Lakes The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse |
The Dodos Carrier |
The Dresden Dolls Yes, Virginia... |
Awww, I love Mandy Goes To Med School. It's humorous, she's obviously not serious, and it's offensive. Yayy!!
Good review otherwise. |
The Dresden Dolls A Is For Accident |
The Fiery Furnaces Rehearsing My Choir |
The Fiery Furnaces I'm Going Away |
The Fiery Furnaces Gallowsbird's Bark |
The Luyas Animator |
The New Pornographers Together |
The New Pornographers Twin Cinema |
The New Pornographers Challengers |
The New Pornographers Electric Version |
The Raveonettes Lust Lust Lust |
The Raveonettes Raven in the Grave |
The Tallest Man on Earth The Tallest Man on Earth |
Tom Waits Real Gone |
Tom Waits Blue Valentine |
tUnE-yArDs BiRd-BrAiNs |
Valet Blood Is Clean |
Vashti Bunyan Heartleap |
White Hinterland Baby |
Wild Beasts Two Dancers |
Wild Beasts Present Tense |
Wildbirds and Peacedrums The Snake |
Wildbirds and Peacedrums Rhythm |
Windy and Carl Songs For The Broken Hearted |
Windy and Carl The Dream House |
Windy and Carl Antarctica (The Bliss Out, Vol. 2) |
Wye Oak Shriek |
Wye Oak Civilian |
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Show Your Bones |
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Yeah Yeah Yeahs |
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Is Is |
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Mosquito |
Zola Jesus New Amsterdam |
Zola Jesus Valusia |
Zola Jesus Conatus |
3.5 great |
Akira Kosemura Polaroid Piano |
Ani DiFranco Which Side Are You On? |
Ani DiFranco Evolve |
Animal Collective Fall Be Kind |
Animal Collective Centipede Hz |
Arcade Fire The Suburbs |
Asobi Seksu Rewolf |
Asobi Seksu Hush |
Bjork Bastards |
Blonde Redhead Fake Can Be Just As Good |
Bon Iver Bon Iver, Bon Iver |
very good listen, not quite as good as Emma, but still good. i think the music and the vocals shine the brightest, but his lyrics really (and im surprised so many are even able to argue) are just beautiful poetic mumbo jumbo. pretty images piled ontop of each other with no discerinble meaning, most of the time. still, a solid release. |
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy Beware! |
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy Greatest Palace Music |
Broken Social Scene You Forgot It in People |
Camera Obscura Biggest Bluest Hi Fi |
Cat Power Dear Sir |
Deerhoof Milk Man |
Deerhoof Reveille |
Destroyer Trouble In Dreams |
Eisley Room Noises |
Good review.
While Eisley are undeniably charming, they are almost too sugar-sweet. Even when the lyrics are sad (Telescope Eyes) they make it sound happier than it is. Bright Wound and Golly Sandra are the two best tracks. I actually don't like Telescope Eyes. I vaguely remember a very old 5-minute-ish piano-driven Telescope Eyes, but I think I'm the only one. Must've been a dream.
Overall, a very good album, and nice to listen to when you're down.
Their new album hits stores in august.
It's called COMBINATIONS. |
Ellen Allien Dust |
Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton What Is Free To A Good Home? |
Goldfrapp Head First |
Gregory and the Hawk In Your Dreams |
iamamiwhoami Kin |
Imogen Heap Ellipse |
Julianna Barwick The Magic Place |
Kimya Dawson I'm Sorry That Sometimes I'm Mean |
Land Of Talk Indistinct Conversations |
Laura Marling Alas, I Cannot Swim |
Laura Veirs Year Of Meteors |
This a wonderful album by a wonderful artist. My 2nd favorite by Laura Veirs (the first being Troubled by the Fire.)
I don't really like Black Gold Blues. it rubs me the wrong way.
good review of what you reviewed though.
i recommend:
galaxies
magnetized (beautifully simplistic)
where gravity is dead (my favorite. when i first heard this i played it over 30 times in a row.) |
Local Natives Hummingbird |
Lorde Pure Heroine |
Low Long Division |
Low Live At Eindhoven |
Low The Invisible Way |
M. Ward Transfiguration of Vincent |
M.I.A. Maya |
mum Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy |
Neko Case The Tigers Have Spoken |
Patrick Wolf The Magic Position |
Phosphorescent Aw Come Aw Wry |
Pink I'm Not Dead |
PJ Harvey Uh Huh Her |
Polly Scattergood Polly Scattergood |
Rachael Yamagata Elephants... Teeth Sinking Into Heart |
Rachael Yamagata Happenstance |
Radiohead The King of Limbs |
S. Carey All We Grow |
Scout Niblett I Am |
Shearwater The Golden Archipelago |
Smog A River Ain't Too Much To Love |
Smog Supper |
St. Vincent Marry Me |
Original, and impressive instrumentally, but it does tend to bore after a couple songs. "Now, Now" is overlong. "Paris is Burning" is much better live, which is good and bad. And she sometimes has such plain lyrics. But she has a pretty voice and plays every single instrument ever.
Although, I HIGHLY disagree with you when you say she could make Leslie Feist jealous. No way. Feist has such a better voice. |
Stars of the Lid Per Aspera Ad Astra |
Sufjan Stevens Enjoy Your Rabbit |
Sun Kil Moon Ghosts of the Great Highway |
Sylvan Esso Free Love |
Tegan and Sara So Jealous |
The Decemberists Castaways and Cutouts |
The Fiery Furnaces Widow City |
The New Pornographers Mass Romantic |
The xx Coexist |
Tom Waits Bad As Me |