Rainer Maria - Look Now Look Again (1999)

I'm just going to keep posting all I have from this band. This is a bit more polished than their debut, making it much, much better. The differences between the quiet and loud are a bit less here and the transitions more graceful. Some quieter passages are quite beautiful (like the middle of "Breakfast of Champions"), especially when the female singer's going. For an emo album, it never really gets too sappy, either. I really like this band, and I think this is my favorite album of theirs. mediafire

Modest Mouse - No One's First and You're Next (2009)

These 8 songs were unreleased tracks or b-sides from their past two albums. While it's nice to hear new-ish music from Modest Mouse, these songs were b-sides for a reason. They don't have as much energy, nor are they as creative as their best work. Still, some of these songs are pretty good. "Satellite Skin" is pretty catchy, and "Autumn Beds" is a folk-pop piece, complete with a banjo solo. The rest of this isn't quite as good. mediafire

Rainer Maria - Past Worn Searching (1997)

Rainer Maria's first album is very grounded in post-emo indie rock. It shifts frequently from quiet passages to cathartic walls of guitar and wailed vocals. It's mostly pretty predictable, and much of the guitars and vocals are monotone. The male vocals are annoying, so it's good they didn't use them as much after this album. It's not the pretty melodic rock of their last album, but for fans of the band, it's worth a listen. mediafire

Conor Oberts - Gentlemen's Pact (2008)

This four-song EP was sold on The Mystic Valley band’s 2008 U.S. tour in limited quantities. I was able to find it in mp3 form shortly after the tour ended. Being a fan of his, I may be biased but I’d say it’s a welcome addition to his catalog. Two of these tracks, the dreary “Synesthete Song” and “Corina, Corina,” a cover of a traditional folk song, are not especially offensive but I could take or leave them. The other two tracks stand out. “Gentlemen’s Pact” is a catchy upbeat rocker with his typical social/political undertones and observational nature. “Breezy” is a pleasant piano ballad with some fine lyrics. mediafire

Pinback - Blue Screen Life (2001)

This is their second album and everything I said about their first is more or less true for this one too. It feels a bit smoother around the edges, and isn't as attention-grabbing as that one. Still, it's worth the time unless you absolutely hate their sound. mediafire

Pinback - Pinback (1999)

This is my favorite of the three albums of theirs I have. It's really an engaging rock record, with tuneful, interesting melodies and intricate guitar playing. Kind of like early Modest Mouse but without the character. For such interesting music, the band actually seems to lack personality. I've heard nothing good about their live set or their personalities, but this is quite good. Some of the better songs: "Tripoli," "Chaos Engine," "Shag," "Crutch." mediafire

This Will Destroy You - This Will Destroy You (2008)

A beautiful, if underwhelming post-rock album. mediafire

Battles - Mirrored (2007)

Massively overrated, but this is a fairly unique album. Most electronic-rock bands are either mostly rock with a little bit of of electronics, or the other way around, but this is a more homogenous blend. While it does have its moments, there is a lot of overindulgent instrumental noodling which results in some fairly boring songs. The better songs here suggest that this band is capable of releasing some brilliant music sometime in the future. mediafire

65daysofstatic - The Fall of Math (2004)

Awesome glitchy post-rock with a frantic sort of pace to it. Definitely unpredictable, shifting between beautiful ambiance, and electronic chaos. Favorites: “Install a Beak in The Heart That Clucks Time in Arabic,” “The Fall Of Math,” and “This Cat is a Landmine.” mediafire

We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls (2009)

Debut album from a Scottish band whose primary influences include "The Twilight Sad", and if anyone is familiar with that band they probably won't be able to hear much of a difference. The thick Scottish accent of the vocalists are the same; they have a similar musical preference for wailing choruses that go for a dramatic sort of catharsis. The mood is kind of a downer though, with themes of depression and death throughout, so this is strictly for those days when leaving the house seems to require too much exertion. mediafire

The Felice Brothers - Tonight at the Arizona (2007)

I love these guys. They're a folk-rock group (three of them are brothers) from some small town in upstate New York, and they really sound like it. They have this sort of rural music down; it's sort of a combination between Neil Young, Dylan, and The Band, more early Dylan than The Band on this particular release. Unlike their other albums, this is mostly ballads except the last track which is a live cover of "Take This Hammer" and "T for Texas" which is a really fun hillbilly-esque adaptation of some old folk songs. Favorites: "Ballad of Lou the Welterweight," "Hey Hey Revolver," "Rockefeller Druglaw Blues" and "Christmas Song." Their live show is wonderfull. mediafire

Converge - No Heroes (2006)

They’re very versatile for such a heavy band. The sheer chaos is the draw here and its more tuneful and fully realized here than on any of their other albums I think. “Jane Doe” is a close second, but didn’t keep my attention as well as this one. Much of this is just unrelentless hardcore, but there are a few slow dirges like the intense “Plagues” and “Grim Heart/Black Rose.” This music is a spectacle in and of itself and I think there’s an appeal beyond metalheads and angry teenagers. This is for people who are interested in something different, something with an impact, and something that isn’t accessible. The vocals really give the impression that the singer put a massive amount of himself into his performance. For that, they deserve all the credit in the world. This is quite exhausting to listen to, but gratifying. I'm excited for their new album later this year. mediafire

Willy Mason - If The Ocean Gets Rough (2007)

Folk-rock from a young songwriter. Has something very human about it. While the songwriting isn't especially impressive, it's the humble nature of his observations and singing style that make this worthwhile. It feels very real. mediafire

The Gaslight Anthem - The 59 Sound (2008)

People are probably going to eventually start finding something to dislike about this band. I don't think I will though. They play a type of pop-punk infused with folk-style lyrics and guitar riffs. Overall this has a very down-to-earth feel to it, but is full of energy and every song has an infectious melody. One of my favorite new bands. mediafire

Mazes - Mazes (2009)

This is a pleasant enough indie pop album. It sort of reminds me of Vampire Weekend with the way the guitars sound, they have a high pitched sound complimented by occasional synths and what sounds like a drum machine on some songs and a human drummer on others. The vocals are in the high pitched, semi-melodic variety of many of their contemporaries but I hear a soulful edge to them at times. The two voices harmonize nicely. It's either half-baked or charmingly lo-fi; a little of both for me, but most listeners will likely fall in one category or the other. Favorite songs: "Manual Systems," "Love to Lay," "Face Down or Forest Roads." Am I the only one getting a bit sick of indie bands with plural noun names? mediafire

Dinosaur Jr. - Farm (2009)

I don't entirely get it. Maybe I don't have enough experience with the band. It sounds like a more abstract version of Nirvana to me. It's a guitar record, definitely, and if you don't want to hear loads of sludgy, noisy guitars wailing and screeching about, stay away from this. I'd recommend their 2007 album "Beyond" over this. I must say, though, that on tracks like "Plans," "See You," and "I Don't Wanna Go There" the band's sound is actually inviting, more cheerful rather than messy. I suppose the guitarwork is part of this band's appeal, but I'm not that big a fan. mediafire

Mark Kozelek - Lost Verses Live (2009)

I've only listened to this once so far, but it's pretty clear how I feel about it. This is a live album from one of the most talented folk musicians to ever pick up a guitar. Mark Kozelek's work as Sun Kil Moon has yielded three outstanding albums, two of original music, one of Modest Mouse covers. His guitar playing and singing voice seem to define what rural folk music should be, in my opinion. It sounds like the music is coming from somewhere very far away, from a singer surrounded by nature, nothing impure, or artificial. It sounds like his thoughts and feelings came perfectly crafted as the most poetic lyrics possible, delivered in a voice full of emotion. I highly recommend anything he's worked on, whether it's the Sun Kil Moon albums, the Red House Painters albums, but this is special because we get to hear the live product mirror so closely the gorgeous qualities of his studio work. mediafire

The Rentals - Seven More Minutes (1999)

The Rentals's debut "Return of the Rentals" and their recent EP "The Last Little Life" (2007) were nearly perfect as far as synth pop goes. They had personality and a great flair for this sort of happy-go-lucky pop, making it tuneful and well crafted. Unfortunately, this album is quite different. I have never really been able to get too into this one. For one thing, it sounds a bit too much like Weezer, with brooding, sometimes awkward (but not charmingly so) songs, such as "The Man With Two Brains," "Big Daddy C." and "The Cruise." Sometimes Matt Sharp sounds too monotone and, even depressed. Even when singing about being unhappy, on their debut, he sounded optimistic, as if he understood that his feelings were just a part of life. Here, he wallows. Two fantastic songs at the beginning of the record make this worth keeping. "Getting By" has an incredibly catchy synth melody, and "Hello, Hello" isn't half bad. And "Insomnia" is worth a listen if you like the band but haven't heard that particular experiment. mediafire

Nation of Ulysses - Plays Pretty for Baby (1992)

This is the second album from a short-lived punk band from DC. They were on Dischord records, the label that gave us some of the most cherished punk bands that founded what’s known as emo. The label gave us a number of very interesting records. That said, this is very good. It’s very cathartic, and angry, and sarcastic, and enjoyable because of that. I like the mood of this, and the chaos. The band considered their political message more important than the music. If you consider this, the record is easier to understand, and maybe even enjoy, but without an appreciation for the true purpose of punk music, this is probably not going to have much appeal. mediafire

Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst (2008)

Conor Oberst is a damn good musician despite his overindulgent personality and apparent vanity. His lyrics are genius, a talent obscured by his tendency to include his more trite, cliché passages as well. He writes catchy, interesting folk-rock songs, that suffer from no great flaw or drawback, aside from the fact that maybe people are growing a bit bored of his after ten years of releasing everything he was even somewhat interested in. I love this, more so than I liked any Bright Eyes albums. Nearly every song here is on par with the stronger material on those albums, and he’s grown a bit more mature and has released a relatively consistant album. The first two tracks, especially, are among his best. This is wonderful, just steer clear of his Christmas album and the solo record he released before he hit puberty. mediafire

Metric - Fantasies (2009)

It's really hard not to like this, even though I really used to dislike them. This is a far more cohesive album than their past ones though. Furthermore, all the songs are really good. It isn't like there's that one or two I could do without. They have this radio-friendly synth pop down to a science, but they fail to write a song without a brilliant pop hook. Which ones I listen to is usually a matter of the ones I'm in the mood for at a given moment, rather than some that are better than the rest, but this is such a short album I can easily sit through it. Notice the random combinations of nouns for song titles (Satellite Mind, Stadium Love, Twilight Galaxy, Gold Guns Girls). At least it's better than "Succsexy."

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