THE ARTS | THE TIMES | THE CITY | THE SCANNER | THE REVIEWS
- December 2008
- 04 | The Killers, "Day & Age" | David Sessions
It's high time we all faced the elephantine reality about the Killers: they're not going to get any better. - 03 | Anathallo, "Canopy Glow" | Timothy Zila
Anathallo’s melodies and jubilant harmonies are finally anchored to concise, palatable song structures. - 02 | Shiny Toy Guns, "Sea of Poison" | Nicholas James McDowell
This album doesn’t make an aggressive statement so much as it passively suggests that perhaps Shiny Toy Guns are more than the Best Electronic/Dance nominees. - November 2008
- 26 | Coldplay, "Prospekt's March" | David Sessions
Coldplay's addendum to Viva la Vida is mindlessly but endlessly pleasant. - 25 | Kanye West, "808s and Heartbreak" | John Wofford
Kanye West's fourth record could stand to more concise and less fixated with its own gimmicks. - 24 | Beyoncé, "I Am ... Sasha Fierce" | David Sessions
Save one song from each part, there is nothing on I Am … Sasha Fierce that sounds like it should be performed by a singer of Beyoncé's class. - 21 | I'm From Barcelona, "Who Killed Harry Houdini?" | Timothy Zila
Who Killed Harry Houdini? is more imitative than it’s predecessor, but it’s not markedly worse off for it. - 19 | David Arnold, "Quantum of Solace Original Soundtrack" | Colin Thomson
So no one liked the new Bond movie. But there are lots of reasons to love the soundtrack. - 17 | Belle & Sebastian, "The BBC Sessions" | Nicholas James McDowell
Stripping the Belle & Sebastian repertoire of its post-production elegance makes for an interesting keepsake. - 14 | Taylor Swift, "Fearless" | Jacob Parrish
Not a lot of groundbreaking music, but plenty of the of the catchy, guitar-jamming, country-pop mix that quickly made Taylor Swift princess of the highways. - 10 | Copeland, "You Are My Sunshine" | Jordan Kurtz
The sunshine hasn't really set since we last listened, slept, and repeated: it’s warm in all the same ways, bright in all the same places, and trickles into the shadows with all the same meandering subtlety. - 05 | Aqualung, "Words & Music" | David Sessions
Words & Music is a reverse journey into Matt Hales’ artistic chronology, finished out with appropriately historic musical references. - October 2008
- 29 | Ray LaMontagne, "Gossip in the Grain" | Nicholas James McDowell
With a voice that can be as rough as a cat’s tongue and as soft as its fur, Ray LaMontagne has staged a triumphant third album that examines the politics of the heart. - 27 | Snow Patrol, "A Hundred Million Suns" | David Sessions
If the passive-aggressive, rock-as-pop Snow Patrol formula does it for you, be prepared to have a new favorite record for a few months. - 22 | Keane, "Perfect Symmetry" | David Sessions
The genius of Keane's new direction is that, like Coldplay on Viva la Vida, it allows them to meet fans and critics halfway without exposing their reluctance to really try something new. - 10 | Oasis, "Dig Out Your Soul" | Nathanael Kurcab
Oasis has now reached middle-age, and with it comes LP Number 7. These eleven cuts reveal the same old band, still grubbing for the soul they captured as much younger men. - 03 | Chairlift, "Does You Inspire You" | David Sessions
Does You Inspire You is a window-dressed shop of styles and ideas, the false starts and experiments of a band still deciding what exactly to wear. - 01 | Family Force 5, "Dance or Die" | Timothy Zila
Dance or Die is more a foretaste of Family Force 5's bright future than an entirely coherent album. But it is intermittently brilliant, which may be as good as saying it’s the best Christian album of the year. - September 2008
- 29 | Anberlin, "New Surrender" | David Sessions
Unlike Tooth & Nail graduates of the past, Anberlin's major-label debut is as mature as it should be, and will provide their new acquaintances a respectable summary. - 25 | Deas Vail, "White Lights EP" | Jordan Kurtz
Do not mess with Deas Vail. They are not here to spoon feed you candy-pop ditties. They're here to kill you with their dark emotional feelings. Kill you to death. - 24 | TV on the Radio, "Dear Science" | Nathan Martin
There may be a “Golden Age coming around,” but for right now it’s a pretty dark place, and Dear Science is a lament for what could be. - 18 | Earlimart, "Hymn and Her" | David Sessions
Girl-and-boy duo Earlimart release their sixth album, and it doesn't do much to stir their hazy, melodic continuum. - 16 | Kyle Andrews, "Real Blasty" | Timothy Zila
Every element of Andrews’ songwriting has matured, and the result is an entertaining, self-assured second record. - 11 | Underoath, "Lost in the Sound of Separation" | Jordan Kurtz
This time, out of reach of most any peers, Underoath have made their best attempt at a truly cohesive album. - 03 | Francesca Battistelli, "My Paper Heart" | Jordan Kurtz
Whether due to the inner workings of a sexist industry, or the temptation to strip down and sell out, it makes a "total package" girl like Battistelli a breath of fresh radio-ready air. - 01 | Jonas Brothers, "A Little Bit Longer" | David Sessions
Proof that rock is dead-er than it's ever been. But also of its imminent respawning. - July 2008
- 14 | Seabird, "Til We See The Shore" Review | Jordan Kurtz
Somehow yet again, a mind-boggling facsimile of the Christian man's Coldplay. - June 2008
- 29 | Girl Talk, "Feed the Animals" Review | Nathan Martin
Maybe Gillis' cut-and-paste party is a faddish novelty act, but it's too much fun to walk away from. - 29 | My Brightest Diamond, "A Thousand Shark's Teeth" | Timothy Zila
This is what happens when you work too hard to polish a formula that already worked pretty well. - 29 | Children 18:3, "Children 18:3" | John Wofford
A surprising, delightfully rough debut from a band of Tooth & Nail newcomers. - 23 | The Hold Steady, "Stay Positive" | Nathan Martin
To best understand The Hold Steady, you should get one thing: it's rap music for the white man. - 15 | Coldplay, "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends" | David Sessions
Neither easily dismissible or instantly brilliant, Viva la Vida is precisely the record most Coldplay experts probably forecasted. - 15 | Family Force 5, "Dance or Die EP" | David Sessions
Sweaty, underground, back-room dance club music, convincingly executed by a Christian band. - 15 | Warren Barfield, "Worth Fighting For" | David Sessions
Barfield treads his themes lightly and avoids the most well-worn of commercial Christian ideas. - May 2008
- 29 | Run Kid Run, "Love At The Core" | Jordan Kurtz
As with any notable pop-punk recording, we find the same elements as always, altered slightly and arranged to taste. - 25 | Colour Revolt, "Punder, Beg, and Curse" Review | David Sessions
Every track practically bursts with effort, and sometimes that's the problem. - 25 | Islands, "Arm's Way" | Micah Towery
Fetishized weirdness takes a backseat to soaring vocals and instrumental interludes. - 15 | The Lassie Foundation, "Face Your Fun" | Jordan Kurtz
Making the past sound like the present, The Lassie Foundation reinvent that oh-so-mythical California shoegaze sound. - 13 | Augustana, "Can't Love, Can't Hurt" | David Sessions
If anyone managed to escape "Boston" this record will likely rope them into Augustana's indulgent but irresistible orbit. - 10 | Death Cab for Cutie, "Narrow Stairs" | Nathan Martin
Keeps away from easily-dissectible melodies and song structures, but lacks focus and emotional intimacy. - April 2008
- 30 | The Weepies, "Hideaway" | David Sessions
Maybe it's the pointed, plaintive lyrics, or the once-in-a-lifetime vocal match. Who can resist? - 29 | Matthew Ryan, "Matthew Ryan vs. The Silver State" | Timothy Zila
Most of the songs here don't carry the shine or enthusiasm of his past work. - 28 | Delirious, "Kingdom of Comfort" | John Wofford
Delirious? occasionally use their talents to push the limits of their trademark sound. - 28 | Search the City, "A Fire So Big The Heavens Can See It" | Derek Turner
Despite the high-quality production values, Search the City has one big problem. - 23 | Say Hi, "The Wish and the Glitch" | David Sessions
Sometimes-melodic pop music for those who generally find cheeky DIY pretension endearing. - 21 | Sanctus Real, "We Need Each Other" | David Sessions
Benign, toothless pop solutions to a real crisis of community. - 20 | Gnarls Barkley, "The Odd Couple" | Derek Turner
A more accessible, more hopeful sophomore effort from the "Crazy" duo. - 14 | Monarch, "Lowly" | David Sessions
Piano, strings, power vocals—proof that pained pop music has a future. - 11 | Edison Glass, "Time is Fiction" | Jordan Kurtz
The art-rock band's sophomore record is a battle between grace and pride. - 04 | Weinland, "La Lamentor" | Timothy Zila
Avoids its potential to be disposable by remaining enchantingly cohesive. - March 2008
- 19 | After Edmund, "Hello" | David Sessions
Talented musicians do not always add up to a great rock band. Here's a case in point. - 19 | Jack Johnson, "Sleep Through the Static" | David Sessions
Don't buy this record. Somewhere or everywhere, it will find you soon enough. - 19 | The New Frontiers, "Mending" | Timothy Zila
This is certainly an attempt at "indie rock"—complacent, ethereal, and relatively hookless. - 06 | Leeland, "Opposite Way" | Jordan Kurtz
Almost convinces us that while risks come and go, good melodies and harmonies last forever. - February 2008
- 19 | Sleep Station, "The Pride of Chester James" | Nathan Martin
Another mood-setting album that is by turns mundane and divine. - 18 | The Bell, "Make Some Quiet" | David Sessions
A beginning academic exercise that's both pretty and colored with splashes of history. - 11 | Kevin Max, "The Blood" | David Sessions
Not Christian music so much as a study of Christian music, this record nostalgically holds up gospel music in its purer form. - 07 | Vampire Weekend, "Vampire Weekend" | Steven Rybicki
Vampire Weekend will not help you understand Thomas Pynchon or get Obama elected, but their debut is a breezy good time. - 05 | Natasha Bedingfield, "Pocketful of Sunshine" | Andrew Greenhalgh
Despite a few missteps, a record brimming with sugary pleasures and bright encouragement. - 01 | Jon Foreman, "Winter" EP | Daniel Sessions
A few steps out on the limb, but still mostly middling slow-burners. - January 2008
- 21 | The Helio Sequence, "Keep Your Eyes Ahead" | David Sessions
Frenetic drumming, walls of distortion, layers of detail—the glorious sounds of post-rock. Well, half of the time. - 20 | Copeland, "Dressed Up and In Line" | Jordan Kurtz
On this B-sides collection, Copeland lets the indie dye fade to reveal their true roots. - 17 | Chris Walla, "Field Manual" | Adam P. Newton
Death Cab for Cutie's guitarist releases the kind of solo album that fans are always afraid of. - 14 | Kate Nash, "Made of Bricks" | Timothy Zila
Until next time, Kate Nash is a charming girl who needs time and editing. - 02 | Great Lake Swimmers, "Live from the Church of the Redeemer" | Timothy Zila
A free download full of beautifully monochromatic folk music that evokes frozen lakes and chilly nights of silence. - December 2007
- 24 | I'm Not There Original Soundtrack | Shant Boyajian
This double-disc tribute succeeds by holding its unblinking focus on Bob Dylan. - 08 | OneRepublic, "Dreaming Out Loud" | David Sessions
Timbaland's favorite rockers can't seem to find their way off the playground on their debut release. - 05 | Jon Foreman, "Fall" EP | Timothy Zila
Part one of the Switchfoot frontman's four-seasons EP project. - 02 | Chris Schlarb, "Twilight & Ghost Stories" | Timothy Zila
A wildly experimental "experience" album that's difficult to describe, but not too hard to enjoy. - 02 | Tofer Brown, "EP" | David Sessions
A polished and enchanting warm-up release from a budding pop songwriter. - November 2007
- 30 | My Bloody Valentine, "Loveless" | David Sessions
It's never too late to fall for My Bloody Valentine's masterpiece. - 21 | Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, "Raising Sand" | David Sessions
Two titans form an unexpected union and give birth to a near-perfect record. - 15 | A Dream Too Late, "Intermission to the Moon" | David Sessions
Tooth & Nail's latest attempt to "take the world by storm" is an ill-advised mission. - 05 | Angels & Airwaves, "I-Empire" | David Sessions
Toned down from indulgent bluster into a clearer, more memorable experience. - 04 | Kyle Andrews, "Find Love, Let Go" | Timothy Zila
"Living room rock" is not a bad term for Kyle Andrews' brand of experimental college pop. - 04 | Britney Spears, "Blackout" | David Sessions
With this generally rewarding record, Britney might displace Fergie as America's most ubiquitous female artist. - October 2007
- 24 | Steven Curtis Chapman, "This Moment" | Timothy Zila
Album number 14 is no musical achievement, but neither is it an unpleasant listen. - 17 | Stars, "In Our Bedroom After the War" | Nathan Martin
Whatever your dark adventure, the Canadian orchestral pop-rockers provide a capable soundtrack. - 14 | Radiohead, "In Rainbows" | Steven Rybicki
The antidote to post-rock bluster: no shaggy edges, just clean skill. - 09 | Dashboard Confessional, "The Shade of Poison Trees" | David Sessions
Dashboard's "return to roots" is actually more about general restraint, and that's a good thing. - 03 | Phil Wickham, "Cannons" | David Sessions
Phil Wickham delivers a mixed result but becomes the reigning king of Christian Britpop. - September 2007
- 25 | David Crowder Band, "Remedy" | David Sessions
The highly-anticipated follow-up to _A Collision_ disappoints. - 17 | Josh Ritter, "The Historical Conquests" | Timothy Zila
Ritter's cerebral, eclectic record is the album to beat for 2007. - 16 | Surrogate, "Love is for the Rich" | David Sessions
Expressionless vocal delivery mars an otherwise intriguing debut. - August 2007
- 31 | Casting Crowns, "Altar & Door" | David Sessions
On the Crowns' intolerable strike three, they come across more puerile and preachy than they've ever been. - 29 | Caedmon's Call, "Overdressed" | Timothy Zila
Despite the return of Derek Webb and Bride, Caedmon's Call still isn't as good as we know they can be. - 24 | Scott Orr, "Miles from Today" | David Sessions
Canadian songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Scott Orr delivers an impressively detailed, textured debut. - July 2007
- 27 | Wavorly, "Conquering the Fear of Flight" | Stewart Lundy
On their Flicker debut, Wavorly apes Muse and C.S. Lewis and, half of the time, gets things right. - 24 | BarlowGirl, "How Can We Be Silent" | David Sessions
The trio of rocking sisters release their third, a derivative, preachy, but quite pretty affair. - 13 | Derek Webb, "The Ringing Bell" | Stewart Lundy
This bell tolls for rock and roll and for compelling, lacerating songwriting. - 13 | Army of Me, "Citizen" | David Sessions
An emotive sleeper that's too fresh-faced and pretty to miss. - 03 | Lifehouse, "Who We Are" | Stewart Lundy
With a tired load of unintentionally sexual lyrics and ad-nauseum repetition, Lifehouse gives up quality for Jesus. - May 2007
- 19 | Building 429, "Iris to Iris" | David Sessions
A plodding, uninspired third record from a band still looking for a reason to exist. - April 2007
- 19 | David Crowder Band, "A Collision" | David Sessions
The part where we finally, _finally_ talk about that David Crowder Band. - March 2007
- 09 | Anberlin, "Cities" | David Sessions
Anberlin's near-perfect third record is an example for every garden variety pop-punk band struggling to be heard.
On The Scene
Off Into the Sunshine
| Dec 02, 2008
Calexico concludes their tour in support of Carried to Dust at the Sunshine Theater in Albuquerque.
On Film
The 'Twilight' Is Still Dim
| Dec 02, 2008
In case you’re still thinking of seeing the now two-week-old Twilight, here’s one last warning.
Fix The Lists 2008
Patrol Presents Fix-The-Lists 2008
| Dec 01, 2008
Tired of bad best albums of the year lists? This year, you’re the editor.
