Tardy Brothers - Bloodline

Tardy Brothers Bloodline:

So the singer and drummer from Obituary make an album. Obituary was boring, thus this also boring. It's got some cool riffs, but those are run into the ground by the 5 minute mark. Also the vocals are grating after half a track.

Rating: 6/15 dudes with long greasy hair and sweat pants

Bruce Springsteen-Working on a Dream

Bruce Springsteen Working on a Dream:

Mediocre over all with a few strong acoustic tracks. Springsteen is aging gracefully, but his grizzled voice finds its place in songs about desperation, not in the arena rockers which populated his early success.

Rating: 11/15 Ill thought out Wal-Mart deals

It Prevails - Capture and Embrace

It Prevails Capture and Embrace:

Decent melodic hardcore. Doesn't do anything new and you've heard the same sound plenty of other times. Still it's not offense, just the tacks all kinda blend into one large screaming part with singing.

Rating: 9/15 chicks with snake bites and gauges.

Buried Inside - The Spoils of Failure

Buried Inside The Spoils of Failure:

The long awaited follow up to “Chronoclast: Selected Essays on Times Reckoning and Auto-Cannibalism.” This title seems a little less grand in comparison. Anyway if you like “Chronoclast” You like this album. They sound similar to each other and that's for the best. Buried Inside have created a good working of Prog Metalcore. The music is complex and sections of it are repeated through out the album. Also realize the lyrics are most just sections of essays about different socio-political issues faced in the world. It's a challenging listen, but worth it.

Rating: 13/15 citing parts of Essays instead writing lyrics

Bell X1-Blue Lights on The Runway

Bell X1 Blue Lights on The Runway:

Acoustic indie pop with a bit of country twang. The music and vocal harmonies are pleasant enough, but the lyrics run the gamut from average to a little goofy.

Rating: 9/15 Questions for this Mr. Wolf character

Southeast Engine- From The Forest to The Sea

Southeast Engine From The Forest to The Sea:

A musically solid and lyrically exceptional alt-country record. Some of the slower songs can drag a little, but all the up-tempo numbers are intense and rocking.

Rating: 13/15 Appalachian trains

Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3-Goodnight Oslo

Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 Goodnight Oslo:

Sweet and melodic rock provided by the Venus 3 complements the sensitive, but neurotic lyrics and singing style of Robyn Hitchcock. The music stays fairly simple allowing for the great vocal harmonies and lyrics to take precedence. Driving but moody goes well with a steering wheel in your hands.

Rating: 13/15 I wanna destroy yous

Ra Ra Riot-The Rhumb Line

Ra Ra Riot The Rhumb Line:

Indie pop, heavy on strings. Not bad but the singer reminds me of a cross between the singer from Keane and the singer from The Killers.

Rating: 11/15 Bands made worse by mediocre singers

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit-Selftitled

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Selftitled:

Radio friendly country rock. This sounds like a lot of bands getting airplay are going for. Clean production, three chords, and heartfelt lyrics. The difference being, Isbell is genuine and talented.

Rating: 12/15 Bands whose albums weren't recorded in a basement on a Tascam

Benjy Ferree-Come Back to the Five and Dime, Bobby Dee Bobby Dee

Benjy Ferree Come Back to the Five and Dime, Bobby Dee Bobby Dee:

Cool doo-wop vocal harmonies and instrumental arrangements on some tracks. The album jumps around a lot stylistically, but largely sticks to extensions of popular 50's styles of music and garage rock. Most styles are pulled off well. Just ignore the abysmal lyrics and the TLDR concept of the album.

Rating: 11/15 Why couldn't you be singing about something else? points.

Thurston Moore- Trees Outside The Academy

Thurston Moore Trees Outside The Academy:

More interesting and adventurous than recent Sonic Youth releases. Lots of strings and a few bad ass guitar solos provided by J Mascis. A solid Indie Rock album.

Rating: 13/15 Sonic dads

Ugly Casanova-Sharpen Your Teeth

Ugly Casanova Sharpen Your Teeth:

Indie pop, heavy on acoustic finger-picking and strings. Tasteful layered vocals and touching lyrics make this one an interesting listen.

Rating: 11/15 Modest Mice

Red Sea Station-Red Sea Station

Red Sea Station Red Sea Station:

Heavily electronic Indie pop, not bad. The vocals and lyrics are passable as is the musical arrangement, but the keyboards ruin it for me. The lines they're playing work, but the Nintendo Sine wave sound bugs me. This album would improve drastically if the keyboard player switched to better presets.

Rating: 9/15 Unpleasant beeps

Raskolnikov's Dream - Uriel

Raskolnikov's Dream Uriel:

Jarring beats mix with the soundtrack to the original Zelda.

Rating: 5/15 Garage Band bands

Japanther-Skuffed Up My Huffy

Japanther Skuffed Up My Huffy:

If you strip away the indier than thou recording quality and the multi layered slacker vocals, you basically have Relient K.

Rating: 3/15 thinly veiled pop punk bands

Weird Owls-Ever the Silver Cord Be Loosed

Weird Owls Ever the Silver Cord Be Loosed:

Brings some post-rock weirdness combined with Neil Young-esque country rock. Cool riffs, cool lyrics, cool production. These guys have peaked my interest more so than any other new releases in the last few months.

Rating: 14/15 peaked interests

Fight Bite-Emerald Eyes

Fight Bite Emerald Eyes:

Boring minimalist Indie pop, only Sunn 0))) drones more.

Rating: 4/15 Yawn-core vocals

Asobi Seksu-Hush

Asobi Seksu Hush:

Indie pop with a dash of shoe-gaze. Remove anything potentially interesting from these two genres and you pretty much have this album.

Rating: 8/15 You're horribly outdated points

Jesus Lizard-Goat

Jesus Lizard Goat:

A solid rock album which borrows from post-punk. David Yow and crew manage to write innovative riffs while not giving up any attitude. One of the most tasteful trios in rock music, the backing band never overplays usually sticking to fairly simple riffs, allowing Yow space to do his trademark meth-addict style of vocals. Despite the delivery Yow's lyrics tend toward the intelligent and funny. A solid fucking band.

Rating: 15/15 Nineties bands which are better than Pearl Jam

Fourteen Year Old Girls - Strategy Guides

Fourteen Year Old Girls Strategy Guides:

Fuck you, this is not funny.

Rating: 2/15 for dorks who think geekyteez.com is funny stuff