October 11, 2005

Mindless Self Indulgence You’ll Rebel To Anything [4] On their first studio record in five years, the wiseasses in Mindless Self Indulgence manage to salvage ’80s synth-pop, industrial-rock sequencer abuse, faded techno anthems and cartoon sound effects, and attach the whole fugly kaboodle to their patented Tourettes-style twitching. This 10-song, 26-minute shingle will surprise many,...

The Letters Organize Dead Rhythm Machine [5] It’s difficult for us here at AP to write a completely unbiased review of the Letters Organize’s Nitro Records debut. We picked the band to play on the Warped Tour, watched them blow us away at our SXSW party last year, and were even there to lend a...

Over It Silverstrand [4] When you’re from California, it’s hard to not write songs as instantly memorable as the ones on Over It’s third full-length, Silverstrand. Every song here glimmers with the warmth of the sun’s rays, from the speedy “Ignore The Noise” to the fist-pumping anthems “Waiting” and “Shine.” Then there’s the ridiculously catchy...

Norma Jean O’ God, The Aftermath [4] As ambitiously progressive and noisy as Norma Jean’s last album, 2002’s Bless The Martyr And Kiss The Child, was, it sounds like amateur hour next to O’ God, The Aftermath; and though the differences between the two albums have something to do with the darker, more gravelly style...

Die Monitr Batss Girls Of War [5] The underground is filled with would-be contenders trying-by either shrewd calculation or total ineptitude-to advance the brittle genre of no wave along into this century. Die Monitr Batss have created a sublime document that gives them bragging rights to stand alongside their influences while putting out cigarettes on...

A Change Of Pace An Offer You Can’t Refuse [1]Dear A Change Of Pace: You’re all young-the oldest, just barely out of high school. You all have long lives ahead of you. So, please, listen to me: break up. Stop being a band. Now. Your music is as derivative and cookie-cutter as bands...

Cursed Two [4] There are at least 1.2 million bands attempting to combine hardcore with noise via black/death metal, and while a lot of those bands are good at what they do, only a few of them sound as legitimately angry as their image makes them appear; and one of those, His Hero Is Gone,...

LCD Soundsystem LCD Soundsystem [5] James Murphy played drums in ’90s alt-rockers Pony, did sound for Six Finger Satellite, and eventually became so loathsome of the indie scene’s smug elitism, he immersed himself in dance music, producing bands with foil Tim Goldsworthy as the DFA. Under the banner of LCD Soundsystem, Murphy and über-mixer Andy...

The Sound Of Animals Fighting Tiger And The Duke [4] The Sound Of Animals Fighting are a whopping (and highly litigious) 14-person collective whose lineup most notably contains guitarist Matt Embree and drummer Chris Tsagakis of Rx Bandits, guitarist Randy Strohmeyer and bassist Derek Doherty of Finch, and Circa Survive/ex-Saosin vocalist Anthony Green. While the...