October 29, 2007

Talib Kweli Ear Drum [3.5/5] Of all the MCs who have walked the perilous path between hip-hop’s over- and underground the past few years, no one has been more ambitious-or more vilified-than Talib Kweli. His complex rhymes won the praise of Jay-Z and 50 Cent and the admiration of rap progressives, but those...

Sum 41 Underclass Hero [2.5/5] It’s telling that Deryck Whibley is the only member of Sum 41 featured on the cover of the band’s fourth full-length, Underclass Hero. An aural autobiography of sorts, the album chronicles the frontman’s trials and tribulations via a series of songs that tread subject matter both predictable (the outcast...

John Vanderslice Emerald City [4/5] For albums exploring the concept of Big Brother, Nine Inch Nails’ Year Zero takes the cake in terms of ambition and scope. But consider John Vanderslice’s new album the indie-rock equivalent of Trent Reznor’s doomsday universe. References to 9/11, paranoia and violence-all couched in Vanderslice’s non-linear, sometimes-surrealistic poetry-dot...

The Honorary Title Scream And Light Up The Sky [4/5] When the Honorary Title released Anything Else But The Truth in 2004, singer/guitarist Jarrod Gorbel and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Kamstra were an acoustic duo. After several years of playing live, their sound naturally grew to require a full band, with Jonathan Wiley contributing electric...

Devildriver The Last Kind Words [4/5] It was almost like DevilDriver liked the abuse-or at the very least were incapable of saying no to any and every tour they were offered. However, as Dez Fafara’s crew logged miles with curious tourmates like progressive metallers Opeth, Dark Arts practitioners Dimmu Borgir or Gothenburg melodicore...

Atreyu Lead Sails Paper Anchor [

Unkle War Stories [3.5/5] Maybe we don’t really need another Radiohead. Or maybe James Lavelle-the man who would be UNKLE-set his bar one DJ Shadow collaboration too high with 1998’s atmospheric epic Psyence Fiction. Either way, it’s time to stop expecting UNKLE to unveil electronica’s OK Computer. With UNKLE’s third proper release, the...

Portugal. The Man Church Mouth [4.5] Church Mouth abandons the blueprint Portugal. The Man perfected on their 2006 debut Waiter: “You Vultures!” for a deeper art-rock bombast more in keeping with Led Zeppelin’s middle period, a seismic shift that suits John Gourley’s vocals to a T. His voice hits like the missing link...

Municipal Waste The Art Of Partying [4.5/5] Bust out your beer bong and denim vest, because Municipal Waste are back and ready to puke in your hallway! It’s all in good fun, of course, which is what this Richmond, Virginia, band are all about on their sophomore full-length, The Art Of Partying. Thrashing...