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CD Reviews

High Places | Original Colors

Thrill Jockey (2011)
High Places have changed their sound a great deal since their cool ride together began five years ago with a fresh breeze of homespun sounds, household percussion, and trickling vocals.

By: JONATHAN DONALDSON | October 04, 2011

Ryan Adams | Ashes & Fire

PAX-AM/Capitol (2011)
Historically, Ryan Adams has released, via labels or for download, every idea he's put down on tape.

By: MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER | October 04, 2011

Sleep ∞ Over | Forever

Hippos In Tanks (2011)
Of all the underground scenes causing a stir in the online music community, the sleepy lo-fi that's been coming out of Austin might be the least effervescent.

By: PATRICK MCDERMOTT | October 04, 2011

Balam Acab | Wander/Wonder

Tri Angle (2011)
"Witch house" isn't the best tag for an act to get saddled with straight out of the gate, and when Balam Acab's first EP, See Birds, dropped about a year ago, that term had less of its current flash-in-the-pan feel.

By: ANDREW GRAHAM | September 27, 2011

Bjork | Biophilia

Nonesuch (2011)
What the hell is Biophilia ?

By: RYAN REED | September 27, 2011

Dum Dum Girls | Only In Dreams

Sub Pop (2011)
Kristin Gundred, a/k/a Dee Dee, is no actual dum dum, so she made good where Vivian Girls didn't.

By: DAN WEISS | September 27, 2011

Misfits | The Devil's Rain

Misfits Records (2011)
The reason there hasn't been a new Misfits record of all original material in a dozen years is because without Glenn Danzig, it's just not the Misfits.

By: MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER | September 27, 2011

The Good Natured | Skeleton

Astralwerks (2011)
The seven-song Skeleton EP is a combination of two previous import EPs, sounding already like an immediate best-of, compiling six Good Natured studio tracks and a (throwaway) remix.

By: MICHAEL MAROTTA | September 27, 2011

Wilco | The Whole Love

dBpm (2011)
Wilco's evolution from Uncle Tupelo detritus to post-Americana thinking-man's jam band goes two steps back on their eighth studio album, and that's a good thing.

By: ZETH LUNDY | September 27, 2011

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah | Hysterical

Red General Catalog (2011)
Deploying the magic touch of indie producer-superhero John Congleton, these five musicians have never sounded more like a rock band, and these 12 spacious, dreamy excursions benefit from the added muscle.

By: RYAN REED | September 20, 2011

Das Racist | Relax

Greedhead (2011)
They still have jokes for days, but lyrical dexterity has taken precedence on their debut LP.

By: MICHAEL C. WALSH | September 20, 2011

Evidence | Cats & Dogs

Rhymesayers (2011)
As competent as Evidence has always been with mic skills, he's no lyrical miracle.

By: CHRIS FARAONE | September 20, 2011

Kasabian | Velociraptor!

RCA/Columbia (2011)
Four records in and Kasabian are still dodging that lazy comparison to Oasis, which is based mainly on their healthy egos and partly on how singer Tom Meighan sometimes pulls off the best Liam Gallagher sneer since Be Here Now — look no further than the way he stretches syllables on the cocksure, bass-driven "Re-Wired."

By: MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER | September 20, 2011