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After its most prolonged absence from the recording studio, Sleater-Kinney has reloaded with a smoldering rock and roll record that rivals John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band and Nirvana’s In Utero in terms of unexpectedness. It is a 180-degree proclamation to the album which came before it. Producer David Fridmann (Weezer, Flaming Lips) coaxed the Portland, OR trio to retool its approach to making music. The results are startling and far and away the most collaborative, experimental and risky in the band’s seven-record career. Corin Tucker’s supreme guttural form is on display from the lead-off track "The Fox"--a would-be children’s tale overridden by crunching power chords and drummer Janet Weiss’s battering percussion. The Woods tugs on your ear musically and stabs at your heart lyrically on riff-wielding jaunts "Wilderness," "Modern Girl" and "Rollercoaster." The live-in-one-take, 11-minute blockbuster "Let’s Call It Love" unleashes Carrie Brownstein’s foray into guitar-solo psychedelic. Haven’t heard Sleater-Kinney yet? Try Dig Me Out and work your way forward. Already on board? Find a steady chair, feel your ears bleed and watch your speakers disintegrate. --Scott Holter ... Read more

Reviews (22)

THE WOODS?MORE LIKE ENTRACE TO THE WILDERNESS OF GREATNESS
HEAVIER, LOUDER, UNCUT.ACTUALLY ITS CUT BUT IT IS HEAVIER.I MEAN THE ACTUAL ALBUM ART ITSELF WEIGHS IT DOWN BY A GOOD 6-7 GRAMS, NO JOKE.

FIVE STARS.

A new and improved (in ways!) Sleater-Kinney
My initial reaction to the first few seconds of the album was, "How can this fit in Sleater-Kinney's arsenal?" These seconds are filled with raw, grungy, distorted guitars and pounding, bass-heavy drums. This helps me, a devoted fan even in self-titled days, understand why after four relatively successful albums on Kill Rock Stars they would switch to Sub Pop, the label that put out some of the early Soundgarden and Nirvana albums.

When the vocals entered in the first track, "Fox," I was taken back to Sleater-Kinney's world. Corin's vocals are just as simultaneously wild and controlled as ever. As she sang the words, "land-ho!" I imagined she must have been sitting on a vibrating chair in the recording studio.

The second track, "Wilderness," is typical Sleater-Kinney with Hot Rock guitars and Carrie and Corin doing what seems like vocal impressions of each other. "Jumpers" has the classic-to-Sleater-Kinney desperate feel. "Modern Girl" is cheesy at best. "Rollercoaster" has a fun, almost go-go feel to it. "Let's Call it Love," in its eleven minutes, reminds me of the type of humor in which the joke gets so monotonous and annoying that you hate it, and just then, it gets hilarious again. Track placement should have called for "Let's Call it Love" as an ender instead of "Everything," which would be a better song if they weren't putting the album-ender pressure on it.

Very good. 4.5 stars
My impressions: Sleater Kinney listeners will be taken by the freshness of the sound, the different mix. I was wowed! It sounds like the songs were recorded on one track -- it's very organic, yet mature. Underneath all the excitement surrounding a new album though, I'd say this album's quality is about the same as One Beat. I LOVE One Beat; there's not really a weak song on it. The Woods has moments of sheer brilliance and Mrs. Carrie Brownstein's six string investigates new territory not explored by SK previously. The drums are savage and complex. And I got chills once or twice at Corin's wail (love that passionate voice). "Laaaand ho!" Overall, SK remain head and shoulders above most acts today. Definitely worth the money.

The Woods
Mostly very good, though in many places the guitars are mixed way above the vocals, maybe too much. "Modern Girl" is a production disaster, though--a distorted harmonica track? Ugh. "Entertain" falls into that marching-band-drummer thing that Janet Weiss sometimes seems to get stuck in. The bonus DVD was rockin', though the last track could have been recorded better.

Seven albums strong.....
This album is a must-have for any music lover who chooses to see past the blights of American Idol and Britney Spears. For new fans, the band often takes a couple listens but they are worth it. For old fans, get ready to rock with Carrie's stellar guitar and a Sonic Youth-esque jam on "Let's Call it Love".

I have been a fan for about 6 years now and I can honestly say "The Woods" blows everything else out of the water. The lyrics have changed drastically from "One Beat's" overt (though justified) finger-flipping towards Bush. Instead, they come back with nuanced poetry that is far more venomous and subtle.
"The Woods" proves that Sleater-Kinney has that rare ability (ala Sonic Youth and Beck) to always sound like themselves whilst releasing dynamic new albums. Definitely worthy of the title "Rock Album". ... Read more

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There has always been something about John Darnielle’s lyrics; even when you’re not exactly sure what he’s talking about, it always feels like he’s telling it like it is. Not that metaphor is a major player on The Sunset Tree, the latest album from the Mountain Goats (of which Darnielle is the founder, frontman, and once only member.) Songs like "This Year," "Dance Music," and "Hast Thou Considered the Tetrapod?" are painfully honest about his traumatic childhood and abusive stepfather. You might think that an album about child abuse would be hard to listen to, but as always, hearing Darnielle's lyrics is an honor and a privilege. Trying experiences are captured with deceptively simple statements (is there any better expression of determination than "I will make it through this year if it kills me"?) On this CD, Darnielle also remembers revered (yet cocaine-addled) reggae star Dennis Brown. ("It took all the coke in town to bring down Dennis Brown. On the day my lung collapses, we’ll see just how much it takes.") Though the Mountain Goats have apparently done well enough for Darnielle to quit his day job as a nurse, they don't yet have all the fans they deserve. Don't wait to join the fold. --Leah Weathersby ... Read more

Reviews (10)

John Darnielle, where have you been all my life
I heard John Darnielle interviewed on NPR.Based on what he said and the performance of "Love, Love, Love", I bought the CD. When I arrived home, I listened to The Sunset Tree while I worked in the yard.Later that afternoon, I listened to this CD again, and was able to focus on the incredible lyrics.It's Tuesday, and I've been listening to this CD at least once a day since Friday. I can't get enough!!

simply perfect
I bought The Sunset Tree a week ago, sight unseen and note unheard.I listened to my other purchases first, since I was relatively familiar with them and knew what I was getting.Then I peeled off the celophane and popped in The Sunset Tree.No idea what to expect... I thought, upon the first notes of You or Your Memory, 'my god what an awful nasal voice'... then- 'oh.'Then lying on the floor watching the ceiling fan turn thinking, 'this is the most perfect album.There is no other way for this to be.'I am a self-employed artist and listen to music all day, and into the evening, as I work.This cd makes it hard to go to bed at night.It would almost be better to just sit still by the stereo and listen, over and over again, to this quiet steel masterpiece.I can't say enough, but it would be too much.Just buy this, and save yourself an afternoon or two or three, to really listen to it.

Indeed
I found the Mountain Goats about 3 years ago, becoming a huge fan in a short time.Only I couldn't put into words the reason why, until now.I read an article by Sasha Frere Jones (Yes, it's true, the Mountain Goats are now exposing themselves to the world in places the archetypal MG fan is expected to be - NPR, bookslut, the Times).In Jones' article (and for the following he is my new favorite person) he was explaining my taste in music to me, much to my delight.I'll just give the tagline: "For John Darnielle...the point of making music is to communicate."

She mentions Beck in point of contrast.John Darneille's greatest strength may be his need to be understood.Beck's lyrics, wonderful though they might be, don't allow you entrance into them.They're doors locked.You can't have an interaction with a Beck song, unless your idea of interaction is trying to talk to a robot who's been programmed full of non-sequitors, and spits them out for half an hour, with choruses, leaving the other end frustrated.Or a schizophrenic who has flashes of insight, but quickly follows them up with the most utterly senseless drivel, making you wonder if the flash was a mere fluke.

"You gotta drive all night just to feel like you're okay."
"Yeah, I know what you mean."
"I just found me a bottle of blues."
"What's that?"
"I just found me a bottle of blues,"
"I'm sorry, I thought you said..."
"I am a paper tiger"
"Huh..?"
"Torn apart by idle hands."
"Yeah but...What?"
"We rock the salt, corroded to the bone"
"..."
"Stealing kisses from lepers faces"
You cross the street, thankful that the man in the crosswalk box lit up just then and there, as the hobo starts in on no one.

John Darnielle is Beck's inverse, and with a proper band, his equal pop-musically.

Jones also describes him as having less to do with rock in its present state and more to do with hip-hop m.c.s, "writing lyrics in complete sentences and delivering their songs emphatically"...a point I'm sure all MG fans and John Darnielle felt absolute joy in reading, as happens when hearing something that hits the nail directly on the head when you're searching for your misplaced hammer.

I just realized I haven't talked about The Sunset Tree.All I have to say is, The Mountain Goats are getting better, and it's kind of scary, in that really exciting way.

Darnielle, by the way, also has incredible stage presence, if you get a chance...just incredibly witty, and nice and interactive.He gives just the sort of enthralling performance you'd expect from someone who writes songs like these.

Rejoice!And we are on our way...

A Triumph
This record is a triumph in every sense of the word.IF THERE WERE EVER ANY "stops" in John Darnielle's works they have all been pulled in The Sunset Tree.Exquisite arrangements and musicians with passionateintensity and shared vision carry this story of an abusive relationship to heights unheard of in this day of musical fluff and flash.Darnielle's songwriting has never before been so consistently on-target and downright beautiful.The entire record is a revelation with my favorites being This Year, Up the Wolves, Hast Thou Considered The Tetrapod,Song For Dennis Brown, Love Love Love and the heartwrenching Pale Green Things. Perhaps this will be the record that gets Darnielle the recognition he so richly deserves.

Check out cellist Erik Friedlander + John Vanderslice too!
I'm a long long time Mountain Goats fans, from back in the day when he was putting out cassettes on Shrimper, and I have to say, this is a huge step up for John Darnielle -- very possibly the best record in his entire discography.

Just last night I saw him play at the Knitting Factory in New York, and part of me wants to say that one of the *reasons* he's stepped up his game so much is that he has finally found a team of musicians to truly capture the intensity of his always great lyrics. (The fact that he's finally singing about the child abuse that's surely the source for that holy fire also seems to help, too.)

Anyway, I'd suggest checking out not only the rest of John Darnielle's discography, but that of his contributors -- Erik Friedlander's solo record Maldoror, John Vanderslice's solo stuff (Erik plays on a new record coming in August), Shearwater, et. al.

Maybe people only listen to music for the vocals, but if you've been as impressed as I have by the MUSIC behind The Sunset Tree, you might enjoy all these discs. ... Read more

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Mercury Rev’s sixth album Secret Migration is a high flying psychedelic concept record filled with paeans to Mother Nature. Singer Jonathan Donahue has never been so in touch with his inner hobbit as he is here. Dave Fridmann remains the band’s producer, which is excellent as he’s the most interesting part of the band, and a great deal of the reason that the band’s best album, ‘98’s Deserter’s Songs, is as good as it is. M. Rev has never been a wildly original band--they’ve been aesthetically joined-at-the-hip with the Flaming Lips for much of their career, and "Diamonds" almost sounds like a parody of Wayne Coyne and crew. But there’s something beguiling about the band, a childlike simplicity that runs through their modern-day prog anthems. On "My Love," Donahue sings "Ain’t it amazing when the seasons begin to change/Someone behind the scenes just seems pull some strings," and as daft as that sounds, well, he’s right! As ecological stoner anthems go, these are righteous.--Mike McGonigal ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Perfect Evolution
Six albums into their career and Buffalo, NY's Mercury Rev sound exactly like a perfect symphonic art rock band should.

The Secret Migration starts out perfectly with "Secret For A Song" -Dreamy Vocals, haunting piano, spacey guitar and great bass playing make this the standout cut on the record.It doesn't take long though before another great track appears #2 "Across Yer Ocean" is pushed by another great bass line and a very confident vocal.And while the lyrics can be quite "dreamy & fantasy-like" the vocal delivery makes it real easy to buy into them.

Other stand-out cuts include "Black Forest", "Vermillion", "Arise" & "In A Funny Way" the lead track which is bound to end up on a television commercial in the very near future, if it hasn't already.

Over the past several years Mercury Rev have been lumped into the Dave Fridmann world of alternative dream pop along with The Flaming Lips & Sparklehorse, all great bands.IMO, "The Secret Migration" is now the standard for all those other bands.

Lush, dreamy, epic, grandoise and at times veering towards prog, this isn't your older brother's Mercury Rev.And while I've liked just about all of Mercury Rev's works, this new sound- more fleshed out and slightly more progressive is their best yet.

A Summer Night's Masterpiece
For reasons unclear to me, Mercury Rev have always been far bigger in the UK than here. Their new one is a lush, richly produced slow-burner that reminds me of the Flaming Lips with better singing and less conceptual lyrics. The songs, nearly all of which are exquisite, sound like they originated on a vintage piano with the echo pedal held down. The other analog and digital instruments augment the spacey, dreamy, overall effect. In sum, the Secret Migration is just too good to remain a secret.

Unpredictable approach to latent beauty
I have to start by saying that any comparison between The Secret Migration and Mercury Rev's two previous albums is useless: While the fantastic tone of the lyrics and the beauty of the musical composition remains, this album corresponds to a different stage in a developing process that Jonathan has built over the years. If we see him as the narrator of a fable, we would agree that he portrays the joy for the mere existence of a journey that might lead him to the happy ending. The claustrophobic sense of despair and loss from "Deserter's songs" and "All is dream" has given place to a brighter mood surrounded with allusions of apologetical fantasy (Vermillion) and even optimism (Moving on) and hope (Arise). It does take, however, some time to get used to this little masterpiece presented as it is: a conjunction of sparks of light and dots of shadows, but in the end shinning with a subtle warmth through melancholy pianos and alien guitar riffs. It is more than we can ask for a secret migration.

Different kind of album, but still as excellent as always
I have been seriously listening to Mercury Rev since "Yerself Is Steam", and I enjoy the direction this band has taken.They started to gel with "Deserter's Songs", a highly evocative album of soundscapes, often bleak yet still hopeful."All Is Dream" brought a more lush sound, characterized by the earlier open spaces in the music becoming filled in somewhat, and "The Secret Migration" continues in this direction.I like the quirkiness of their earlier material, but this band is good even when they aren't as quirky.

"The Secret Migration" doesn't sound as psychedelic to my ears as Mercury Rev's earlier albums.While there are certainly some trippy passages in which a listener can find themselves dreaming, these songs should be accessible to a fairly wide range of tastes.Jonathan Donahue's vocals are delicate, sweet and heartfelt, and the production and arrangements are exquisite.Some of the songs, particularly "My Love", and "Moving On" have a timeless quality.

This is music that should be taken on its own merits and not compared with previous Mercury Rev albums.If one can get past the differences between this effort and earlier efforts by Mercury Rev, the high quality of this musical experience will transport the listener to a place of optimism, magic and light.For me, this album evokes more emotions than most other CDs I own.It is a mature, fully realized work.

I highly recommend this one, whether or not you are a Mercury Rev fan.In times like these, I think we all need good doses of magic, nature and sunshine.

Passable and secret
It takes awhile to figure out just what is wrong with "Secret Migration," the latest by lush-prog rock band Mercury Rev. But eventually it becomes obvious what the problem is: It's not grounded enough. Their sleepy, lush latest album is truly lovely, in the vein of their previous "All Is Dream," but their songwriting goes off into fantasyland too often.

The past releases by Mercury Rev have been on par with stuff like the Flaming Lips and Sparklehorse -- brilliant, otherworldly and deeply yearning. Here, the fairy-tale motif takes over, with that edge of orchestral pop and psychedelic rock. I suppose you could call it Ye Olde Renaissance Rock'n'Rolle, with all those mentions of "morning stars," white horses, sinister forests, silver oceans and fairy rides.

Musically, the band is still in solid form -- lots of epic soundscapes and rich instrumentation. Sure, they have wandered all over the musical palette, but they never fail to sound lush and interesting, with plenty of deep synth washed over slow, gritty melodies. The one flaw is that they lost that folksy edge -- especially the bowed saws -- that characterized their sound in "Deserter's Songs."

It starts off with a series of very grand, rich songs, which are sent up in the air by piano and organ, and only rooted by some very solid basslines. But with "Vermillion," the soft piano revs up into a faster tempo that carries over until the final round of songs, which are airy but surprisingly powerful. Synths and soft bass are what carry the songs into that pretty, if less intense, sound. Musically, it's lovely -- some excellent work here.

The songwriting is the weakest point. A few like "In The Wilderness" have the spare, grounded sound, but often the lyrics are dressed up in Ye Olde Rock'n'Rolle descriptions: "See how the rain, captured by the leaves,/Shimmers and falls, and lives on in diamond balls,/Like a necklace hung, over limb and branch,/For me to show to you, like gifts." It's extremely pretty, but it doesn't have that fearful, yearning note that their earlier albums had.

Mercury Rev still sounds excellent in "Secret Migration," but it's just a little too fairy-tale-ish for its own good. Were they to ride dragonflies less often, they would sound close to perfect. ... Read more

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How do you condense 15 years of music down to 76 minutes? In the case of this survey of the second phase of R.E.M.'s career, the answer is: Exceptionally well. The dangling carrot for diehards is two new songs; the rapid fire "Bad Day" hurtles along like the kissing cousin of "It's the End of the World as We Know It," while "Animal" is anchored by a majestic drone reminiscent of the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows." In a surprising, but gratifying move, the rest of the program shortchanges the band's breakthrough, Out of Time (no "Shiny Happy People"), to better accommodate movie soundtrack contributions, and spotlight gems from the less commercial, post-Bill Berry albums Reveal and Up; with its baroque piano and multi-tracked vocal harmonies, the Beach Boys homage "At My Most Beautiful" is particularly gorgeous, while the burbling keyboards and slightly dazed singing of "All the Way to Reno" will appeal to Flaming Lips fans. --Kurt B. Reighley ... Read more

Reviews (122)

Not a true "Greatest Hits" package...
I will still say this collection is indeed a great collection, but I feel it falls short of what a true "greatest" collection consists of...which is usually all their hits. Perhaps they didn't have 18 hits...so they added a few unreleased tracks and few soundtrack songs instead. I know this is a collection taken from a certain period of time...I still would have rather had seen a complete "greatest hits" collection. If I had done it, it would look something like this...
1. Pop Song '89
2. Crush With Eyeliner
3. Radio Free Europe
4. Bang and Blame
5. So. Central Rain
6. Stand
7. Everybody Hurts
8. Man on the Moon
9. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight
10. The One I love
11. Nightswimming
12. Orange Crush
13. Its the End of the World as We Know It.
14. Shiny Happy People
15. Drive
16. Radio Song
17. Whats The Frequency, Kenneth?
18. Losing My Religion
In my opinion my playlist is more accurate as a "greatest" collection...but again..this collection is still damn good.

If R.E.M Can Lighten Up, So Can You...
Unless you're talking about a band that's clearly singles-based rather than album-oriented, almost any best-of album is bound to disappoint someone. When it's for a band like R.E.M., who have released seven albums and numerous non-album songs in 15 year period covered, it's almost inevitable that some fans would be disappointed. For my own part, I'm surprised at some of what's here and what's not. I wonder why "Automatic For the People" is represented by four songs, when "Out of Time" and "Monster" are limited to one each.

That said, a review should turn on what's there more so than what's not, and what's here is really quite good. Kicking off with their twin Andy Kaufman tributes ("Man on the Moon" and "Great Beyond"), "In Time" maintains a high-level of quality all the way through, making a strong case for R.E.M.'s already secured place in the rock pantheon.

Is it a perfect collection? This reviewer would say, no. This is not just because of missing personal favorites ("Half a World Away" and "World Leader Pretend") but also for the aforementioned lack of balance between how albums are represented here. It's hard to argue that "Up" or even "Automatic for the People" are really that much better than "Monster" or "Out of Time."

Then again, any compilation reflects the bias of its makers, just as a listener's reaction to it reflects theirs. By any objective standard, though, "In Time" is a good attempt to give a feel of what post-IRS Records R.E.M. is about. Plus, it sounds really good with the volume up.

REM's unimaginative best
REM is one of the greatest bands ever, OK? I will never deny that. I have all of their albums and have seen them many times in concert. However, there are two kinds of REM fans. There are the ones that have been with them all along and still like listening to "Murmur" and "Lifes Rich Pagent." Then there are those fans that love "Out of Time" and "Automatic For the People." Now, i will give you that Austomatic was a great album, Out of Time was not. However, the differences between the two groups are demonstrated by a love of the early, non-commercial stuff and the mid '90s commercial stuff. The compilation is all about the mindless singles that gave REM mainstream success. Excluding "Electrolite," none of these songs really needed to be included for a "best of" album. It was an attempt by REM to pick up a paycheck because their most recent albums were not selling well. Sad but true.

Yawn
I like R.E.M. I liked them in the late 80's and in the 90's. This is a good collection of hits. No more exciting than that.

This is a really excellent collection!
I've been an off and on fan of R.E.M. for a very long time but was really interested in this CD after it came out and I have to say that it does not dissapoint and really compiles a lot of the best stuff of their's from 1988 through 2003 from their "Green" album to two subpar tracks that were solely for this CD. All of my favorite songs are from this time period with songs like "Everybody Hurts", "Orange Crush", "Losing My Religion" and even "What's the Frequency Kenneth". This CD would've been a little better if it included "It's The End of the World As We Know it And I Feel Fine" but that track came out in 1987 and thus isn't included on here. Oh Well. For what it is though "In Time" is a wonderful collection and is certainly a CD worth buying. ... Read more

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The growing, if belated, popularity of Ivy is a happy event. Over the course of a half-dozen releases, the band has married slightly trippy atmospherics to immaculate popcraft and the melancholy vocals of Paris-born Dominique Durand. In the Clear, their fifth album, finds the guitars occasionally louder (they roil and distort on the kiss-off "Clear My Head") but the mood essentially the same. It’s a romantic, cautiously hopeful one, exemplified by the disc’s closing "Feel So Free."Special and secretive--"Tess Don’t Tell" repeatedly insists "It’s just for you, it’s not for anybody else"--In the Clear thrives on trademark Ivy contradictions and, now and then, an unexpected noise in the corners of the sound.--Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Great Album
With their latest album, Ivy manages to do what so many bands find so very difficult -- make music that sounds fresh and different than previous efforts, while still retaining that which musically makes them who they are.Ivy has done exactly that in the present case.'In The Clear' is great because it will appeal to all, wooing those not familiar to Ivy's music and delighting those who have been waiting 4 years for the new album.Not a single throwaway track -- this is a great CD by a great band.

Some things don't change...And that's a good thing!
This is Ivy at their best. I've been a fan of Ivy's for a while now and up until this point my favorite album was probably "Realistic." But Ivy stretches their sound on this album; up-tempo songs like "Thinking About You" really aren't typical Ivy, but they really make it work. Songs like "Four in the Morning" and "Feel So Free" could easily be off any Ivy album. These clean, melodic, yet slightly somber songs are Ivy's home turf.

So far, my favorite songs on this album are "Thinking About You" (they owe a lot to New Order's sound on "Republic" for this song) and "Ocean City Girl." I haven't heard anything this catchy since Phoenix's "United" (I listened to "If I Ever Feel Better" for a year straight and never tired of it).

"In The Clear" is a great album. I highly recommend it.

Flawless
Ivy have always been one of those cool New York bands that have been around a while. Ivy have joined Luna and Blonde Redhead as the elder statesmen in the New York Pantheon. They combine French cool with lush vocals and memorable songs. I have heard many of their songs in commercials. Much of their music was used in the film Shallow Hal, and TV programs like Roswell and Kingdom Hospital. It's because the music of Ivy has that otherworldly feeling of some of the shoegazer bands that inspired them at first. Now they have been on the own for ten years or more, and have hooked up with producer Steve Osborne. The results are terrific. Whether it's the longing of "Thinking About You" or the quiet mood of "Four In The Morning." Even fellow NYC scenesters James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins) and Scott McLoud (Girls Against Boys) show up on this CD. The song "Feel So Free" gives us the powerful music that this band has been doing for so long. They are great indeed. Fashion comes and goes. Ivy is a band that will be remembered.

Freshly-cut music.
You know the feeling - It's the first day of spring, birds are singing, flowers are blooming, it's about 75 degrees out, and the smell of freshly-cut grass is in the air.It's been so long since the weather was this nice (at least in the Midwest) - that's what I like to compare this album to.It's fresh, it's got personality, and it's really easy to listen to.
I admit, this is my first Ivy purchase, though I've heard all their albums at one time or another.This is my favorite, and the most accessible, for those who are looking to start listening to Ivy.
One of my personal favorites is "Thinking About You", with its blissful, so-happy-you-want-to-slap-someone vocals and driving rhythm.It's almost TOO cutesy, but it'll perk you up.
"Keep Moving" is another favorite, with it's disco-esque beat, funky guitars in the back, and bumping bassline, I think this song would be really complete with one of those fruity disco flutes tooting away in the back somewhere. Dominique skips across the beat flawlessly on this one, and even when the lyrics aren't quite so happy ("All I can do / in a world without you / is keep moving"), she sounds like she's still bouncing around.
"Tess Don't Tell" is similar to "Thinking About You" in format, fast beat, husky vocals, guitars, but for some reason, it's completely different.Fresh - just like this album, when you compare it to the excess fluff in the pop scene these days.Free your mind - this is what good music sounds like.And sure, if you're my age, you might get all sorts of homosexuality-themed remarks thrown your way in traffic when you turn this up in your car, but that's all the more incentive to turn it up more and drown out whatever their bandwagon's playing at the moment.

back at the top of their game
if you were a little disappointed with the excessively mellow electronic noodling on Long Distance, Ivy's latest release will set your mind at ease.this album sounds a lot more like their earlier stuff-- it's all catchy guitar hooks and great melodies to complement the breathy splendor of Dominique Durand's vocals.highlights include "tess don't tell" and "corners of your mind."this album is a real treat and it's great to see Ivy return to what they do best. ... Read more

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As these dimpled moptops from Oklahoma grow pepper-bearded and transform into wizened elder statesmen of sonic adventuring, the heartfelt candy of their loving bubblegum stretches ever longer into echoing soundscapes. If Radiohead are halfway to becoming U2, the Flaming Lips are nine-tenths of the way to pop nirvana. Hardly a song on Yoshimi isn't resonated, echoed, and reverberated--floating the listener higher until they have the ultimate bird's-eye view of what makes a great band tick. As with any album by the band, it's hard not to imagine parades and a sky filled with helium balloons while you listen to any of it--in this case, the party is enhanced brilliantly by digital filters and silver shimmering asides. The most immediate songs, like "One More Robot (3000-21)," are digital (almost trip-hop) dance numbers that lift the band out of the cornfields and into the loopy land of Björk. Little surprise, then, that the band are already following up this majestic splash of gummy bear brilliance by recording a CD with kids' TV show host Steve from Blue's Clues. It's like Woodstock meets Snoopy! --Ian Christe ... Read more

Reviews (285)

Her name is Yoshimi; she's a black belt in karate...
And so it begins.

I had never listened to a Flaming Lips album before, but I kept seeing "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" on some of last years "best albums" lists, so I thought I'd take a chance and check it out. It took about three listens before I was hooked on this cd. I can't help smiling when I listen to it, and I listen to it at work, while I'm driving, and at home. While not usually a fan of the concept-album per-se, this one has really stuck to me. It has a hint of Pink Floyd, with almost dreamy, ethereal, qualities. It is full of some wonderful bass lines, creative percussion, and thoughtful lyrics. My favorite songs are "Flight Test", "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1", "Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell", and "Are you a Hypnotist", but "Do You Realize" is my stand-out favorite, just a beautiful song, and it sickens me to now hear it on a television car commercial.

If you have eclectic tastes in music, and don't limit yourself to pop radio, I think you will enjoy "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots".

Perfect pop songs about robots, Mars, love, and death
The Flaming Lips followed their masterpiece, 'The Soft Bulletin,' with this, a concept album EP linked to a collection of beautiful, strange songs about love and death. The first four tracks refer to the title of the album. Yoshimi battles pink robots to a 'kitchen sink' soundtrack --- the band combines everything from techno-pop to acoustic dirges into a vague story.

Then the album opens up. 'In the Morning of the Magicians' and 'Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell' are the high points of the disc. They transmit you from Yoshimi to the super-bright pop songs that close the CD. The final four are simple, introspective ballads that sound a lot like Beck's 'Sea Change.' The whole thing ends with a fantastic instrumental about ballooning across Mars.

In a perfect world, this album would win every Grammy and be played over and over on the radio. But I guess I can settle for owning it and listening to it all day at home. After this CD and 'The Soft Bulletin,' the Lips are on a roll. I can't wait to hear what they'll do next.

5 STARS BABY!!
This album is off the hook. I love the flaming lips and would definitely buy this album.

I love it...
I absolutely love this cd... It's at least 4 Gold Star material...

->Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell
my fave song/title on it

My friend gave me a copy and as they say better late than never... The music is superb and the lyrics are eccentrically interesting... As well as the vocals smooth nicely over the music...

Pick it up and give it a try... You'll like it even if your name isn't Mikey - a Flaming Fan - Savannah Skye...

its gotta be my favorite cd of all time
wow. ok,i can't say this is my favorite band... but i love listening to this cd... and i lost the damn thing. but till i can scrape up some money to buy it again, i just keep listening to the 30 second samples on amazon. yeah i know pathetic. when i first heard flaming lips, i was really suprised at how unique their music was. some of there songs remind me of an addictive video game beat you can't get out of your head while others are more melodic... the weird thing about this cd is that i can put it on low and go to sleep with it on or put it on high and get all "pumped up". the only other cd i've heard from the flaming lips is soft bulletin which is good too but in no way does it compare to yoshimi battles the pink robots. my favorite song is "yoshimi battles the pink robot part 2" i think it's called (sorry, remember i haven't listened to the cd in a while)i love it when yoshimi screams at the top of her lungs... i get chills all over... get it or regret it ... Read more

Amazon.com

What's the meaning of this double-disc anthology? Literalists will note that it's called Prisoners of Love, and while songs like "Our Way to Fall" and "The Summer" are pretty enough little ditties, neither "Drug Test" nor their cover of Sun Ra's "Nuclear War" are liable to be featured in a Meg Ryan romance anytime soon. Those handy with a calendar will note that the album was released to coincide with the band's twentieth anniversary, and while it's not explicitly stated anywhere on the cover, this is most likely the reason for this lovely little mix tape of the best band to ever spring forth from the Garden State. They may have the snobbiest record collections around, but Yo La Tengo's dreamy drones, garage funk, country pop and wailing jams somehow comprise the most utterly compelling and literate pop music of the past two decades. Don't believe me? Dude, just press play. This version includes a separate bonus disc with unreleased demo and acoustic versions of songs as well as limited-edition 7" and EP tracks, including Kevin Shields' brillian remix of "Autumn Sweater."--Mike McGonigal ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A great overview of a brilliant and dynamic band
Yo La Tengo is my favorite band. I own their first LP, Ride the Tiger, on vinyl (the rest of my collection is on CD). I've also seen them live about six times, and each show is different from the other (one show, in fact, was of them playing improvisational background music for a psychedelic light show). In fact, with Yo La Tengo, while some things - like the overall quality of their music, well demonstrated on Prisoners of Love, stays constant, other things - particularly their pioneering and experimentation-prone spirit - show constant growth and dynamism. Great musicians - be they the Who, Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Miles Davis, the Kinks, and Elvis Costello - all showed this dualistic quality. Just like Yo La Tengo.

What to say about this compilation? Essentially, it represents all the different phases of the band's career, from their start in the mid 80s as a slightly folky, sort of bouncy and quirky post new-wave rock act, to the bliss of their early 80s shoegazer phase (somewhat reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine and others), to various later melodic/sound experiments. What's also cool is that the songs are in no particular stylistic or chronological order. They're just there, and if the listener doesn't necessarily like the order, s/he can rearrange it (for me, though, it works just fine). Anyway, listening to these tracks, one hears various songs (Sugarcube, Big Day Coming, Lewis) in which the band rocks out. Others (Did I Tell You, our Way to Fall, Autumn Sweater, etc.) are softer and quieter, and nicely balance things out.

As far as the Title - Prisoners of Love - I've thought about what it means, and I think that it is quite apt. It shows the kind of quirky, ironic humor the band is known for (their very name - associated with the haplessness and miscommunication of the 1962 NY Mets - is another example of this). However, there is also something more serious. Yo La Tengo is very much about love - for one another, for music, and for life. They must then see themselves as "prisoners" to this love, i.e., simply accepting it, warts and all, and going with it, allowing themselves to see where it takes them.

One last comment; The outtakes and rarities disk is really worth having. Much of it is of alternate takes on various songs they've recorded and released elsewhere, and in listening to these, one gets an even further sense of the pioneering and experimental spirit of a truly dynamic band. It also shows their willingness to cover everything from well known rock icons (like Stevie Nicks) to bands much more obscure than themselves (the Dead C anyone?) and to give their coverage that unique Yo La Tengo touch.

May they keep leading a path for indie rock for 20 more years!

Great Intro to Band / Better Liner Notes Would Help
For a newbie to YLT (myself included), this Collection is a great sampler (at a Great Price!) of the Band's Indie-Rock genius. However, given Ira's well documented Music Critic/Record Geek credentials, how come there's no notes in the accompanying booklet as to which tracks belong to which Lp's? Surely the folks at MATADOR could've kidnapped some slovenly Intern from Sub-Pop or Drag City to help out with some more Fleshed-Out Background Info for us, the uninitiated.

Worth it for the bonus disk alone!
Worth it for the bonus disk alone!The third disk of rarities plays as good as any of Yo La Tengo's best albums (do we still call them albums anymore?).It flows from one song to the next, each song a standout on their own, the sum of it's parts (tunes, instrumentation, slow songs, fast songs, and a large dose of guitar blasts) works so well.My only complaint is the cardboard slipcase enclosing the three disks is so tight I could barely get the CD cases out, even more difficult to get the CD's back in the darned thing!The two CD best of plays just as well - this could be as much a contender for Desert Island Disk as Hear The Sound of Two Hearts Beating.

great compilation from NJ's greatest band
I bought this collection mainly for the disc of outtakes and rarities, being a long time fan of the band.That disc alone made it worth the price for me. For me it's great to hear alternate version of songs that I already know and love ("Big Day Coming", "Decora"), as well as outtakes and covers I hadn't heard.

What is great about the 2 disc retrospective is that songs from the begining of their career ("Lewis", "Barnaby Hardly Working", "Drug Test") sit along side songs that were released in the past few years with out sounding dated or out of place.That to me is the mark of a great band.

This is a great introduction to the band, and while there are a few songs I would have liked to have seen included, this is a great place to start if you're interested in yo la tengo.

Yo La Tengo are the best band in the world
Listening to this collection it's amazing to hear tracks from 1985 sitting comfortably beside tracks from 2002.Every song projects the warmth and orginality that is so prevelant in everything they've done.They just might be the quintessential indie rock band.Pick it up and see why they've been able to hold such a devoted fan base for 20 years.This is music that will be loved for years to come, if you've been missing out on Yo La Tengo it's time to do yourself a favor and check them out. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Dirty South is the sixth album by Muscle Shoals, Alabama-based Drive-By Truckers. While previous Southern rock bands have celebrated certain regional mythologies, this quintet revels in the towering glory of small, gritty realities. They can kick up a righteous storm, as on the country lick-filled opener "Where the Devil Don't Stay," or the swamp and fuzzy "Lookout Mountain." However, within the latter is a daunting verse: "If I throw myself off Lookout Mountain, No more for my soul to keep, I wonder who will drive my car, I wonder if my Mom will weep." It's clear these guys deliver emotional wallops at every turn. "Carl Perkins' Cadillac" honors the honesty of Sam Phillips, while writhing in the melancholy of changing times and circumstances. --David Greenberger ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Sludgefest Sounding Greatness
This is where Dinosaur Jr. shined!It is back in print, thanksJ, and Merge.Yes.It was trouble to find this before this reissue and this is an essential to Dinosaur fans or 80s Psychedelic Post-Punk fans of SST bands(what label do we file these wonderful bands under?)Check out the other reissues also.

Little Fury Things opens the album beautifully with the wah pedal and screams...yet it turns out to a great pop tune with nice sounding vocals backing up J.The album sound is loud and guitar-driven obviously by Mascis!He plays the guitar with passion and lots of energy and great solos.He's probably one of the most original, passionate guitarist to come along.He mumbles the vocals though. Murph is a good drummer and he's back with tour with Dinosaur Jr. Lou is an interesting bassist and there's something different about his bass playing, but it rings good on all of the early Dinosaur Jr. albums.He also takes lead on two Dinosaur songs on here.One of them is "Poledo", which is completely lo-fi and kind of interesting.It runs a little long though and tends to be just weird noise in some parts, but it's all done on his own and there may be ukulele in the song.

The best songs are the intense "The Lung"(played on the Late Late Show" recently), the ultra heavy "Sludgefest",the single "Little Fury Things", the poppier "In a Jar", the downcast "Tarpit", the bonus track Cure cover "Just Like Heaven", and "Poledo" stands out.

Show Me The Way
J Mascis has said that he didn't include Show Me The Way because he doesn't like it. It was him, not Merge. BUY THIS RECORD AT ALL COSTS!

Still Sounds Great
YLAOM still stands out as one of the best underground/alternative/progressive/college-music/whatever albums from the mid-late 1980's. My taste in music has changed considerably since that time, but, unlike many other--well, loud--recordings from the period, I always gravitate back towards YLAOM and the follow-up BUG, both of which are awash in crazed screeching feedback but somehow sustain a sense of melody at times.As for the remastering, it's excellent.The levels were so low on the old SST CD version that you had to bump the volume all the way up when listening.Merge has cleaned up and amplified everything, although it still keeps that low-fi sound that's part of the production.

It melted my face
I'll never be the same after rediscovering Dino.After listening to this reissue, I took all my other cds out of my truck, and re-filed them in my basement.They all appeared totally irrelevant and meaningless compared to Living All Over Me.Then I went and ordered all the other Dinosaur re-releases.

Legendary Album Back In Print!
In 1987, Dinosaur Jr. realeased their seminal masterpeice, 'You're Living All Over Me'. This is an album that sounded like nothing being recorded at the time, except The Jesus & Mary Chain and Sonic Youth, the latter of which Dinosaur Jr. have quite alot in common with. This album is part of a trilogy of albums they made with their original lineup in the mid 80's which included 'Dinosaur' and 'Bug', respectively. For sheer intensity and noise, not much can touch this album. 'Little Furry Things' may be the best song in Dinosaur Jr. catalog, while 'The Lung' and 'Raisins' are some of the most melodic. Then comes 'Tarpit', a song that doesn't seem like it can get any louder, and then....IT DOES, moving eerily into My Bloody Valentine territory. This song epitomizes what Dinosaur Jr.'s sound is all about, loud guitars and etheral vocals that float aimlessly atop the feedback blasts.

But now for the bad news...or in other words, the re-issue. Unfortuanetly Merge removed the cover of Peter Frampton's 'Show Me the Way' and replaced it with the equally brilliant but unnessary (at least on this album) Cure cover 'Just Like Heaven'. On the other side of the coin though, there are two music videos, one for 'Little Furry Things' and 'Just Like Heaven'. So if you don't have this album, then buy it ASAP because the original CD's have been OOP for quite some time and are difficult to find for a resonable price. But do whatever you have to do to get this landmark album; one of the 10 best of the 1980's and one that defined a genre. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Brendan Benson is the kind of guy who still sits by the AM radio late at night, spinning the tuning dial from one end to the other in a hopeless search for the perfect pop song. Little does he know he's considerably helped his own plight by making an album full of them. Unlucky in both love and money, the Detroit singer-songwriter has plenty to chew on with his third disc. Using wistful bubblegum melodies and crisp '60s harmonies, in tunes like "Feel Like Myself" and "Cold Hands (Warm Heart)" he lashes out at former lovers and A&R men with equal venom. "I always wind up screwed without a kiss," he hisses on the Phil Spector inspired "The Pledge." But, in the end the man who counts Jack White and Beck as devoted fans, knows impending success is the best payback. "Maybe I've been caught red-handed, making off like a lucky bandit/ This wasn't how I planned it," he gloats on the title track. It's really hard to argue. --Aidin Vaziri ... Read more

Reviews (15)

I HEART BRENDAN BENSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I found out about Brendan because he was opening for Keane. I went into it having no idea who he was and the minute he started to play I was hooked! This guy knows how to rock! And what I really love is how he combines so many era-sounds to make awesome Music!!! Buy this cd, you will not be dissapointed!!

Am I Missing Something?
I saw Brendan Benson open for Keane last night. I mostly looked up the reviews on him because I was, quite frankly, appalled. My friends and I spent most of his set laughing at the stupidity of his lyrics. We assumed that he was someone Keane had brought in because the actual opener had cancelled at the last minute. When I checked online this morning and discovered that Benson has actually experienced some acclaim, I was very surprised. And Jack White likes him too? Why?

I very much feel like I am missing something here. Where's the appeal? Sure, Benson's cute, and his music is not innept, but we all agreed that he should pay someone else to write his lyrics for him. Perhaps Benson's music would be more listenable (at least for me) if his diction wasn't so good. Sadly, however, I could understand everything he sang, and he sounded like a complete idiot.

"Whenever you feel me slipping away, that's when you should hold me tight," makes me doubt Benson (or at least whoever he's impersonating in his songs) has never progressed beyond junior high school relationships. The rhyming is perhaps the worst part, and one person I was with suggested that perhaps its atrociousness stemmed from Benson's overreliance on a rhyming dictionary.

I don't doubt that Benson's previous albums have been better, and do not find him wholly untalented. However, as for last night, I have never been less impressed by a musical act in my entire life.

Benson finally reaches power pop nirvana
I feel compelled to write this review after reading Mr Otwell's savage mauling of this album.I don't like to criticise the opinion of others but I really must protest at someone who reckons that Benson has lost his ability to write good music.

The simple truth is that 'Alternative To Love' is a masterpiece.

I already own 'Lapalco' and 'One Mississippi' but I always felt that they were patchy affairs.One or two songs on either album hinted at Benson's talent but over all there were too many half tunes to contend with.

On 'Alternative To Love', Benson really gets it right.
The songs are more straight forward power pop than before.

Musical highlights are many.I especially love the title song 'Alternative To Love'.It's great to hear layer upon layer of harmonies and great guitar work.The harmonica solo is a big bonus as well.I also love 'Biggest Fan'.It's the work of a genius.The keyboard (I think it's a Moog or a Melletron ?) dominates the track.Other highlights for me would be 'Flesh And Bone'.It's a nice melancholic track. Benson achieves the right mix of sadness and joy.
Any non-believers out there should listen to 'I Feel Like Myself Again' to dispel any nagging doubts about this man's genius.This song is an anthem to the power pop generation.It's a song similar to 'Surprise' by Semisonic - an uplifting song about finding your confidence again.A wonderful wonderful optimistic track - everything a power pop song should be.

I was doing a bit of research on this album and I found out that Benson recorded the album and then handed the tapes over to the producer with the instruction to 'fill out' the sound.This was a masterstroke.The producer added keyboards, vocal dubs and other technical flourishes to give the album a fuller sound.

I wish more artists would take a leaf out of his book and do the same !

I believe that at the moment Benson is collaborating with his friend Jack White of The White Stripes on new material.I'm not expecting too much from this.I can't see how White's back to basic blues approach will blend in with Benson's intricate power pop.Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised....

Its really good
Brendan bensons new cd is really good, if you like brendans stuff you will dig it. Its not going to be another Lapalco, because if it was it would be very dissapointing to see that brendan isnt maturing as a musician. I mean, if he wrote another "Good to me" would we really be impressed?

"Between us" is defenatly my favorite song on the album, its so good it gave me chills when i heard it live. The albums awesome, and you should buy it, end of story.

Good framework...frustrating listen
Brendan Benson's 'Alternative To Love' is sort of a frustrating listen, in that you can see the framework of great songwriting that never really materializes.Songs like 'Alternative to Love' and 'Feel Like Myself' start off sounding like they're going to be great songs, then they sort of wander off into monotony.

There's solid enough pop craftsmanship to suggest Benson is ripe with talent, but result of this songwriting effort is unrewarding and banal.Really more accurate than a 3 is a 3.5 or so, but I just couldn't bring myself to round up to a four because so many of the songs sound like they could be made into great songs with just a slightly different approach to them.And the sometimes cringe-worthy lyrics clinched it as a 3. ... Read more

Amazon.com

You don't need a bottle of Jack or even a trace of Southern lineage to appreciate the genius of Drive-By Truckers' Southern Rock Opera. Without a hint of irony, the Athens, Georgia, quintet creates a fast-driving, hard-living tribute to the indelible music and legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Like any good concept album, there's a modicum of plot and a theme to these 20 songs (loosely based around the rise and fall of fictitious Southern rock band Betamax Guillotine), but the best tracks make you forget the story line altogether: "Birmingham," "Zip City," and "Let There Be Rock." The "opera" aspects bog things down a bit--you probably only need to hear the spoken-word track "The Three Great Alabama Icons" once--but the overall concept still comes off without a hitch. The lyrics are great, the trio of electric guitars is blessed with raw production, and the tunes--though lacking the pop sensibility of, say, "Gimme Three Steps"--will have you cranking up the album for your friends. And, after a few spins of Southern Rock Opera, you might even find yourself digging out those old Skynyrd LPs to hear the real thing again. --Jason Verlinde ... Read more

Reviews (34)

The Drive By Truckers aren't trying to BE L.S.
Reviews so far are either glowing or very bad. The later seem to involve people who bought this recording based on reputation and the fact that it's supposed to be "Southern Rock." I can see how a purchase with those expectations might lead to disappointment, particularly for those who don't really like '90's and '00's roots rock and were expecting a faithful remake of Lynard Skynard. The band lists L.S. as an influence, but they obviously have a lot of other influences. I hear a good bit of Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Steve Earl, Seattle grunge and more in their music.

Pros: If you're a Southern person of the 30 something age range whose had any issues coming to terms with what being Southern means, both good and bad, then the theme of this album is likely to hit you between the eyes. These guys speak with a certain honesty not often heard. The album works on both first and repeated listenings and is one of the most REWARDING new releases to listen to in several years. These guys are fast becoming my favorite band.

Cons: A half star or so deducted due to rather primative guitar soloing (which also has its good side) and here and there a little bit of crudeness in the lyrics (I'm not talking about profanity . . . I mean the lyrics are a little unpolished in spots). Note, both of these criticisms are mere nit-picks when the work is considered as a whole.

Overall, an amazing album!

The best Southern rock album of the last twenty years
I'll stand behind the title above. DBT are proud of their Southern heritage but at the same time very realistic about the shortcomings of Southern life. Hence their songs have in the past been about everything from incest to glue sniffing. Intelligent lyrics and keen insight are crucial aspects of DBTs songs.

In Southern Rock Opera they push the envelope in an odd way. They record a two cd song-cycle that is basically about life in the seventies and the end of Lynyrd Skynyrd. It could have been a disaster or a pigeon-holed curiousity. Instead it may be one of the best rock albums of the last twenty years.

There are great songs here such as "Ronnie and Neil" and "Dead Drunk and Naked". Truth be told there really aren't any throwaways in the bunch. But the real stand outs in my mind are the near spoken word "Days of Graduation" and "The Three Great Alabama Icons". I don't think anyone who went to high school in any small town or lived in the seventies and knew who Wallace was can listen to this and not feel the impact.

Highly recommended.

It's a southern thang.
I must say that I never cared about "Lynyrd Skynyrd" much, but I saw this compared to other things I did like, and gave it a shot. Overall I'd say it's pretty good. They definitely walk that line between classic southern rock, and some of the recent alt-country bands, and I can see how "Southern Rock Opera" could please either crowd. There's a few slower/speaking parts that drag this down some, but tracks like "72 (this highway's mean)" and "Guitar Man Upstairs" rock along well. "Ronnie And Neil" is really good, and actually sounds like "Crazy Horse" to my ears, which may be the point. Not every song amazes, and I wonder if this wouldn't have been a better 15 track single disc, but oh well. So even though this is a decent album, I think when the mood strikes, I'll reach for "My Morning Jacket" instead.

Southern Gothic
The theme of this album is obsession. Obsession with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Neil Young, George Wallace, Southern/Classic Rock and what the whole "southern thing" means in general to this band. No one in this group can play, write or sing on the level of the legendary groups that inspired them. The music is not melodic at all, the singer sort of shouts raspily along to the ragged but rockin' sound of the band. But I will say their music and the themes of their lyrics are very refreshing in the face of what else is out there in the world of music today and they definately pour their hearts into it and that counts for a lot. The vocals have such a thick southern accent at times,(particularly during the spoken word segments) that it sounds like the cornpone accent Mick Jagger used to use as a goof on songs like "Sweet Virginia" or "Far Away Eyes". Highlights for me were,"Let There Be Rock" and "Ronnie And Neil". These guys have some serious raw talent and ambition to spare and they are definately inspired by the right guys. I hope they grow and transcend their great influences, but for now, this is one of the most interesting rock CD's I've heard in awhile.

Missed the point
I discovered these guys roaming around amazon and was intrigued by their comparisons to Lynyrd Skynyrd. As a big Skynyrd fan I bought the CD hoping that a band may have finally successfully found the tone and attitude Skynyrd celebrated. These guys haven't done it. The music is good, but they seemed to miss the point as far as who Skynyrd was musically. It is no surprise that they self admitedly just started listening to Skynyrd after years of growing up in Alabama ignoring the music.The album lacks the fun and honky-tonk rock Skynyrd virtually invented. While not a bad album, you don't shake your ass or tap your toes like a Skynyrd album would induce. It lacks the riffs, and electricity. These guys have taken something pure and turned it into melodramatic college rock. Talented musicians, but not worthy of the Skynyrd, Zeppelin, AC/DC comparisons they are recieving on this site. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 1999

The crazed genius of the Lips comes to full flower on the sonically massive and majestic The Soft Bulletin. Head Lip Wayne Coyne compounds the band's penchant for psychedelic freak-outs with a symphonic extravaganza. The result is nothing short of magnificent, not only the best rock album of the year, but among the best recordings of the decade. In 30 years, your grandkids are going to think you're pretty damned cool for having The Soft Bulletin in your collection. --Tod Nelson ... Read more

Reviews (316)

A Dream Menu (within a bulletin)
Just like it's successor, the brilliantly titled "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots", "The Soft Bulletin" has a sound fans of The Flaming Lips will immediately enjoy, but one that is not so accessible with those not so familiar with the group. The Flaming Lips makes albums that reward the listener over time, because of complex, interesting lyrics, and layered, though not convoluted, symphonic soundscapes. What makes this album exceptional, and worth buying is simple really... quality. "The Soft Bulletin" song for song, is one of the most exceptionally crafted albums I've ever listened to.

I've only heard two Flaming Lips albums, this one, and "Yoshimi", and they both strike me like haunting dreams. If you've ever had one of those strange dreams, and woke up finding yourself wanting to go back there, then you know what I'm talking about. The group's song writing is among the most unique in music. Songs like "Race For the Prize" have a sweeping ambition to them, as they deal with the complexities of human longing, and potential. There is one quality that is prevalent throughout all of The Flaming Lips recent work....courage, and the words come straight out at you, as the warm dream tinted melodies surround them.

This is one album that I wont give an abridged song by song synopsis to, because it's one of those albums that functions better when listed to, and experienced in it's entirety. The Flaming Lips represents a very small minority of groups that have been making music ten years or more, they actually get better with time. I would recommend this album, and other albums by this group, to anyone looking to build an interesting, dynamic music collection. The cover alone is worth the consideration.

Lovely Music, Shame About The Vocals
Progressive Rock, then. Huge orchestral sounds, experimental song structures, waves of emotion and long, drawn-out instrumental passages. The indie kids who spent so long laughing at this stuff have for some reason taken it over since the mid-90's, with every year yielding a *classic album* (see Radiohead, Spiritualized, Grandaddy, Mercury Rev...and of course The Flaming Lips).

"The Soft Bulletin" is pure Yes. People who say it sounds like nothing else ought to just bop on down to "The Yes Album", which contains similar vocal harmonies, adventurous use of piano, and an identical guitar style. But this is no bad thing AT ALL. On a musical level, "The Soft Bulletin" is faultless. It contains the most moving string arrangements, the most interesting chord changes, and the most adventurous everything-including-the-kitchen-sink production values I've heard in a long, long while.

My only problem (which is the same gripe I have with Mercury Rev a lot of the time) is the awful, lazy, weak, grating vocal lines. Take the song "Suddenly Everything Has Changed". Surely I can't be the only person frustrated by the complete disparity between voice and music? The instrumental sections are beautiful, heart-rending and nothing short of breathtaking. Then the singer's annoying Neil Young-isms tear through the beauty in the most infuriatingly fey, indie way...singing about vegetables from the grocery store, no less.

If you're into these sorts of vocals, "The Soft Bulletin" will change your life. If you have yet to be converted to the American-indie obsession with tuneless Neil Young impersonations, it won't. But I have given this album four stars for the music alone, which is absolutely legendary.

I really think it's a matter of taste. Personally, I think if these songs were played on acoustic guitar nobody would like them. And to rely on production just to make your songs good... I don't know, smacks a bit of dishonesty to me.

The Flaming Lips Best.. well maybe...
The Flaming Lips have made an interesting career of changing it up on each album. If you listened to "Clouds Taste Metallic" (their album before this one) than listen to "Yoshimi" (their album after this one) you wouldn't know it was the same band. "The Soft Bulletin" isn't their most ambitious work (that would be Zaireeka) and it's not the most drastic change from their original works (that would be Yoshimi), but it was simply the next step that connects the growth of the band from "Clouds" to "Yoshimi."

So why is it their best? It's not the most ambitious, the most different, the most rocking or anything like that. Instead each track is a treasure in it's own way. The songs aren't very tied together but instead present a different sound with every new endeavor. From the happy go lucky love on "Buggin'" to the almost, dare I say, dance feel you get from the drums on "What is the Light." "Suddenly Everything Has Changed" presents a transformation of fast to slow over and over again. Even the two "remixes" present quite different sounds from the "unremixed" versions of the same songs. Rather than being "remixed" it seems to me the Lips just couldn't decide which version was better and decided to present them both. Each track is incredible in its own way. And while you could argue "Yoshimi" is a better album based on how the fact that each Lips album seems to be better than the next, "The Soft Bulletin" presents the Lips in a way that is familiar to all of their other works but still very different, and comes out, at least to me, as their best work to date.

Wayne Coyne is Annoying...
or that's what one would gather from listening to this album. Really, Coyne can be a truly outstanding and remarkable frontman or he can be absolutely awful as shown in the Soft Bulletin. Now the Lips have some great works, such as Yoshimi and Transmissions From The Satellite Heart but this isn't one of them. All of the indie kids seem to love this album though, but from what I gather they just jumped on the Flaming Lips bandwagon a little too late and ended up loving the next album they made which happened to be this. Coyne essentially tears away all of the grinding, loud guitars from the earlier albums and all that is left is adult alternative, contemporary music that people in their fifties will love, merely for the fact that the music sounds pleasant enough. Coyne's never really had all that great of a voice to begin with but he's at his worst here. He's damn near unbearable in A Spoonful Weigh's A Ton. The whole album just sounds hollow, and the production values aren't anything to revel at, which is remarkable considering the Lips were aiming for a bombastic sound. There is some good stuff on here though including Buggin', Suddenly Everything Has Changed, and The Spiderbite Song. I'm really quite frustrated from the acclaim that this album gets when in reality their earlier albums are much more worty of it...

One of the best albums of the 90s
The Soft Bulletin is certainly one of the Flaming Lips best works. The soundscape on this album is incredibly vibrant, and detailed. It's clear that they know their way around a recording studio, but they never force recording tricks. They show a lot of restraint, every orchestra swell, or drum flourish flows and feels like it should be there.
Conceptually the album is tight. They take on some real issues here. Stuff that anyone can relate to, the songs are about human nature, death, love, and eternal struggle. The album kicks off with "Race for the Prize", an upbeat number about two scientists making the ultimate sacrifice to come up with The Cure. It's slightly silly, and playful on the surface, but its ultimately about 2 guys willing to die to save some lives. There's many songs that dwell on this subject. The second song "A Spoonful Weighs a Ton" alternates between an extremely sweet orchestra section, and a deep funky bass section. "The Gash"(my personal favorite) is a real freak out, with incredibly layered vocals of all different pitches singing again about the eternal struggle that scientists have, and how you have to march on no matter what, all over an offbeat piano riff, with an orchestra and electronic whirring. This song represents the band the best, it is silly and incredibly eccentric but still charming and meaningful.
Other songs go into more about mortality such as "Suddenly Everything has Changed" about how during everyday events your mind drifts to morbid thoughts or on "Waitin' for a Superman" where singer and chief songwriter Wayne Coyne deals with the burden of his father's death.
People complaining that this album means nothing and its about drummers who lost their arms, superman, headwounds, mosquito bites quite frankly missed the point. The songwriting here is meaningful, and poignant. Every song has a deeper meaning, but not so deep that you can't find it.
The Soft Bulletin is a great album that delivers on all levels. People looking for sheer joyful noise will find it, people looking for something with deep lyrics will find it, people looking distinct, catchy and great melodies will find them on every song. The album stands as a great pop album, and an extremely deep, artistic thinkpiece. It is definitely one of the best albums of the 90s and one of my favorites of all time. I think anyone that gives it a little time will find that every song is a gem. The Soft Bulletin is top-notch ... Read more

Reviews (77)

I can feel it in my bones...
his album is a hit-or-miss case. I have friends who can't stand it, and I have friends who love it and claim it in their Top 10 of all time. It's worth listening to just to see where you stand. There isn't much debate about whether or not Liz can sing...she can't. She had to take singing lessons for her latest album. So ignore her voice...its whining, its monotone, it cracks, and it sounds like she was singing in her garage. That's also one of the strong points to those people who loved this album so much. When Liz's voice cracks, its usually because of the emotion in it. That's generous, given she doesn't really show much emotion...but she does deliver angst, longing, despair, guilt, and a little raw hatred. Her lyrics are witty, yet sometimes simple, but what her voice fails to deilver, her words do. Take the warnings of parental advisory seriously...she doesn't edit her feelings at all. It took me a long time to love this album. The songs don't work the first, oh, let's say 10 or so times you hear them. But if you think you hear something in her style, then listen some more. Memorize the songs...because they will grow on you, and infect you, and take you over. This is an ideal album for someone who just got out of a relationship. It runs the full range of emotions about breaking up...longing, hope, anger, guilt, despair, anguish. But ultimately the real charm of this album lies in its simplicity...most of the songs feature Liz as the sole musician. The songs seem as if they were recorded by Liz, her guitar, and a tape recorder (and actually, most of the songs came right from the demo tape that got this album recorded). The production quality may disapoint those looking for a studio-hyped album with richly woven melodies. I personally thought that the power and the charm of the album came from the fact that it was nothing more than Liz, stripped down to nothing but herself and her guitar. You'll either love it or hate it. But those who love it never take it out of their CD players.

This CD changed my life.
I first saw Liz Phair perform in 1993 at Treno's in Urbana, Illinois. She was an opening act (along with the Coctails) for the now-defunct Urbana-based band Corndolly. At that time, Liz was singing and playing guitar in the middle of a room full of people; I couldn't hear her at all. Therefore, when I saw "Exile in Guyville" on the shelf at the record store, I figured I'd buy it just to see what I'd missed. From the first listen, I was hooked. It rarely left my CD player, and the tape I made for my car nearly wore out. That next academic year, I was working on my master's thesis. I was three months late submitting it for approval, and I blame the delay entirely on this album. Late at night, when I should have been working, I would play "Exile in Guyville" and absolutely disappear into the lyrics. Each of the songs stands well on its own, but together, they make up an album worth more than the sum of its parts. This CD truly is a work of genius.

A Truly "Mesmerizing" Album
What an absolutely wonderful album! I was afraid that I wouldn't like it at first, but from the opening notes of 6'1", I was hooked! Every song on here is a gem and hooks you, especially the opener, "Soap Star Joe," "Never Said," and "Stratford-on-Guy." MUCH better than her latest and completely the opposite of it. Word of warning: If you don't enjoy indie-type music, minimalist arrangements, garage-type production, or lyrics that actually make sense beyond the usual Britney Spears type stuff, then this one isn't for you.

All They Say It Is
What is wrong with America? Besides Bush and taxes, it's our country's taste in music. In 1993, an amazing album came out. It was Exile In Guyville. Despite the press and MTV both intervening to help this album, it only sold 296,000 copies. However, that's an amazing figure for an indie release. I think it should have sold 20 times as much. Liz Phair is the reason for Alanis (whom I LOVE) Jewel, and most recently, Avril Lavigne. My favorites are: 6'1, Dance Of The Seven Veils, Never Said, Flower, Gunshy and Stratford-On-Guy. I plan to buy Whip Smart in the next few days, but Exile In Guyville is amazing no matter what. No wonder it's considered one of the best albums ever made. I love her new songs, but I also love the folksy stuff that marks this album. Can't we love both? I think so. Critical acceptance is important, but Liz Phair has given me and a lot of other people reason to believe that she deserves more commercially. The amazing quality of this album says that. I think that had it been released in 1996 or 1997 at the height of the girl-in-rock movement, it would have sold more copies. But then she would have been accused of riding the wave. I prefer her as the brave fearless leader that started it all and got no credit, because it makes this album more special than it already is.

Almost a five...
I first gained interest in Liz after hearing the catchy(but overplayed)"Why Can't I?" on the radio. Then, I heard she used to be an indie rock queen, and after reading all of the five-star reviews on here, I decided to buy it. My first reaction was: What a monotone voice! I'm so dissapointed! But I started listening to the lyrics closer. I decided my money hadn't been wasted after all. The best songs are: Help Me Mary, Glory, Canary, Mesmerizing, #### and Run, Girls Girls Girls, Divorce Song, Flower, Johnny Sunshine, and Stratford-on Guy. "Never Said" seems to be a favorite of many people, but I find it mediocre. Take the Parental Advisory warning seriously, because she never edits her feelings. Sample Lyric: Every Time I See Your Face, I Get All Wet Between My Legs. But that can't mask the album's greatness. Buy It! ... Read more

Album Description

Japanese reissue of the Orange County punker's 1990 Epicdebut with two rare bonus tracks: 'Shame On Me' and theircover of 'It's All Over Now'. 12 tracks total, alsofeaturing 'So Far Away', 'Let It Be Me', 'Story Of My Life'and 'Ball And Chain'. 1997 Sony release. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

What is the guy from Hobart, WA thinking?
First of all, I must state that this album is one of the essenetials in your collection, if you wish to truly understand punk rock, and rock n' roll in general. Songs like "Story of My Life" and "Ball and Chain" are the ones that make you think, the ones that procure an emotional reaction. The glimpse you get into Mike Ness's head is true-to-life, not the usual bull$#1+ that a lot of bands exude. Second, this guy from Hobart, WA that wrote a review of this album is clearly ignorant and mis-(or un- , either prefix applies here)informed. While he's surely entitled to his opinion, he should get his facts straight. Social Distortion released their first lp in 1981. They're not some "new" band that just became popular. Also notice that his review was posted in 1998, 8 years after this particular album was released. They've had 2 more studio releases since, not to mention their "Live at The Roxy" album which encompasses songs from 1981 through 1996. Get the facts straight before you start attacking someone's work.

classic social d....empty bottles and broken hearts!!
This has to be their best studio album so far. The songs have a noticeable country/hard rock type of influence to them and were recorded when the band seemed to be going more for the 1950s "greaser" , tight white shirt and leather jacket image and less for their earlier eye-liner and spiked hair look . Aside from that the album is great ...every song on here is a classic and will never get old . Like others have commented Social D is true punk rock and is not on mtv or vh1 or the charts (most radio stations never play them either). This really is a good thing too because it keeps them from getting mixed up with everyone who calls themself punk (good charlette , blink 182 , avril lavinge). Come on do you want to listen to some real punk sung by a guy thats 42 or some guy that looks like he hasnt even started shavin' ....As far as the album goes you will like it its one of their best!!

The album that really put Social Distortion on the map
For bands like Soundgarden and Jane's Addiction, albums like Superunknown and Ritual de lo Habitual, respectively, are the albums that put them on the map. Equally important to the alternative rock soundscape was SoCal punk/rockabilly outfit Social Distortion. For Social Distortion, their turning point album was/is their 1990 self-titled album. From the opening, Social D, as they are affectionally called by punk purists everywhere, come out swinging with "So Far Away", it with its soaring riffs and Mike Ness's trademark gruff, gritty vocals. "Let it Be Me" carries the same hard-rocking torch, setting the tone for the quieter, more rockabilly "Story of My Life", and the excellent Johnny Cash cover "Ring of Fire". Throw in hit song, "Ball and Chain" and what we have here is the making of a punk rock/rockabilly masterpiece. In its future albums, Social Distortion would tinker with more overtly rockabilly sounds (Somewhere between Heaven and Hell) and straight ahead hard rock (White Light, White Heat, White Trash), with interesting but sometimes mixed results. On their 1990 self-titled, Social D got the balance the most correct, and for this reason, this, their self-titled imprint, is the definitive Social Distortion album to own.

Sick boy
Ok, as much as I love Social D, Sick boy made me exactly that. Sick. I've always been a Social D fan, so dont think I'm doing this cuz I dont appreciate them. if you want to hear the original (and in my opinion, the much much better) version of this song, get the MxPx album "Let it Happen." Social D just somehow made that song boring. Otherwise, I love them. Go out and buy it.

It's only Rock-n-Roll
I am east coast as they come and came upon punk rock rather late after trying everything else--rap, country, you name it. I saw the Ramones in a club and got a promo copy of Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell around the same time in my early twenties and have been listening to those two bands almost exclusively since then. I have owned all of Social D's discs for years now. This one is the best if for no other reason because of tracks 3 through 6, all of which are punk classics in my book. I love this music and I love the roots of this music. If you love classic rock and country but need a little overdrive then this is it. That is not to say that it is anything but true to the anti-establishment west coast punk genre that these guys practically define. ... Read more

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They earned wide acclaim with the double-disc Southern Rock Opera, a sprawling concept album about Lynyrd Skynyrd. Their three-guitar lineup and greasy look signify big, dumb rock in the minds of many, but their songwriting is relentlessly whip-smart. And what may be their greatest song, "The Living Bubba," is an ode to a righteous, hard-rocking redneck felled by AIDS. No, the Drive-By Truckers never do anything by the book, so it's no surprise that with Decoration Day, the band's first release for indie New West Records, Patterson Hood and his mates take another rewarding left turn. The album boasts a handful of crowd-pleasing, party-starting cuts, like the brash, cranky rocker "Hell No, I Ain't Happy" and the Stones ringer "Marry Me." Yet more common are moments of startling beauty (the steel solos on "The Deeper In" and "Loaded Gun in the Closet" and the jangling guitars, rolling melodies, and soulful fiddle breaks of "Heathens" and "My Sweet Annette") and heavy doses of recrimination and regret, as in the back-to-back suicide tunes "When the Pin Hits the Shell" and "Do It Yourself." --Anders Smith Lindall ... Read more

Reviews (28)

A Great Follow-Up to an All-Time Classic
You can call Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley a lot of things, but insecure isn't one of them. Not since Lynyrd Skynyrd brought in a young Okie by the name of Stevie Gaines has a great rock band suppressed their egos and added a talented guitarist and songwriter of the caliber of Jason Isbell. Isbell, the new addition to the Drive-By Truckers' three-guitar attack, is absolutely spectacular, a fact to which anyone who has seen him shine on lead guitar duties during their current tour can attest. Based on the evidence from Decoration Day, the kid can write songs and sing 'em too.

Coming on the heels of the all-time classic, Southern Rock Opera, Decoration Day had a lot to live up to. The DBT did the smart thing and seemingly wrote Decoration Day to please only themselves. It initially comes across as less accessible than its predecessor, but repeated listens reveal it to be a richly rewarding album. More than any DBT record before it, Decoration Day feels utterly anachronistic, like it was recorded before the CD era and should ideally be listened to on LP with all the attendant hisses and pops.

The stark opening cut, "The Deeper In" recalls Springsteen's Nebraska album both in mood and lyrical content. "Sink Hole" is a rave-up focusing on an issue near and dear to the heart of Patterson Hood, the collapse of family farms. "Hell No, I Ain't Happy" is typical ornery DBT. Patterson finally relinquishes vocal duties to the Stroker Ace, Mike Cooley, for a classic Skynryd- and Stones-inflected romp on "Marry Me". Songs like "Marry Me" just leave you shaking your head as to how the DBT fail to get airplay on your local rock radio station. "My Sweet Annette" is a pretty little song, even with Patterson and his delightful gravel-throated vocals up front. Isbell makes his first appearance on vocals on the arresting "Outfit" - a few listens to that song and you'll realize that this kid is amazing.

"Sounds Better in the Song" is another of the many highlights on Decoration Day. Cooley referred to it as a "love song" at a recent concert in Pittsburgh, even though it is about a woman who once shared his goals in life but eventually outgrew him and moved on. It's a wonderfully depressing song and hope for Cooley's sake that it is not based on something that happened to him. "Your Daddy Hates Me" recalls those classic Skynyrd blues ballads like "Cheatin Woman" and "I Need You". "When the Pin Hits the Shell" is where Decoration Day peaks. Cooley's on vocals again and, surprise, he's singing about something depressing - this time it's suicide. There's an extraordinary earnestness to his voice and the simple guitar solo after the first verse is one of the most beautiful musical passages I've heard in a long time. "Do It Yourself" is another suicide-themed song, though more upbeat with Patterson on vocals. "Decoration Day" features Isbell's second turn on vocals and again hints at the staggering potential this guy has as a singer and songwriter. To close the album, Cooley obliterates any chance that you aren't depressed yet by turning in yet another suicide-related song, "Loaded Gun in the Closet". It is a very fine closing track and even leaves some hope that the suicide won't occur, which you'll definitely appreciate by this point.

Whereas Southern Rock Opera is the sort of album you can blast at parties, Decoration Day is far more introspective. The best I've ever heard Decoration Day sound was on a recent sweltering Sunday evening while I was relaxing on the couch with the ceiling fan circling overhead. I worry a bit that with the addition of Jason Isbell, there is now too much songwriting talent in the band for everyone to get their chance in the spotlight. Hopefully, the DBT are good enough friends to overcome any inherent tensions related to the number of songs each guitarist gets to write for future albums. I'm sure every DBT fan has his or her own opinion on the topic, but I think that Cooley is the premier songwriter in the band (by just a shade). However, if you sit down and listen to Patterson's "The Deeper In", Isbell's "Outfit", and Cooley's "When the Pit Hits the Shell", you'll immediately grasp why there are three reasonable opinions on this matter. I'm just thankful that there is a band out there as great as the DBT and urge you to support them and their uncompromising brand of rock music.

another gem
this band had me from the first note i ever heard them play. they're all about the rock show. decoration day creates a unique atmosphere alot like they're southern rock opera album did. the album is solid throughout, no real weak points, it just sounds damn good. if you know this band, you're gonna love this album. if you're not familiar with they're sound yet here's what i can say about it; if all of your stones, skynyrd, allman bros, aerosmith, alice cooper and ac/dc albums are more of a religion to you than just music then these guys are for you. i'm not saying they necessarily emulate any of these bands, it's more like the apple not falling too far from the tree. let it rock everyone. let it rock.

The Best ROCK Record in Ages
There have not been many great records of late that one could say are "roll down the windows and sing along at the top of your lungs". This one cetainly qualifies.

Many people cite Lynyrd Skynyrd or the Allman Bros., but what I hear is Steve Earle joining up with the Replacements. These guys don't shoot for the majesty of FREE BIRD, instead they create a grungy Southern-Fried Riff rock that draws as much from punk as classic rock. Great songs, supurb lyrics and a blue collar spirit that does not dumb itself down to the lowest common denominator. HELL NO I AIN'T HAPPY could be an anthem of epic proportions if ever anyone heard it on the radio. All in all, a modern (Southern) classic.

A Great Album From Start To Finish
This album was my first experience with the DBT and floored me from the start. Yes, this is definetly southern rock no less. Songs about incest, cheating, death, defeat, etc. There is variety yet a cohesiveness with three band members taking there turns with the songwriting and leads in songs. Overall, a great set of songs played with passion by a well seasoned band. And screw the moron who dissed this album, it rocks.

Patterson Hood in DENTON TEXAS 6-12-04
What can be said.. Patterson makes the world a better place, with the help of Brad Morgan, aka Easy B, he rocked north Dallas from 11pm until 1:30am at Dan's silver leaf. From the start he dropped songs on us like Heathens,Uncle Disney,Sink Hole,etc.. you go to a show wanting at least 1-2 of the songs you love. I got around 15 of my favorites. I hope anyone who can will go and see him or DBT. Buy there stuff. I can't figure out why they haven't blown up BIGTIME. They will hit it big or there is no justice on this planet.Congrats on your recent marriage. ... Read more

Album Description

This, the follow-up to "Tallahassee", is The Mountain Goats' most accessible and commercial record of their notable career. Produced by John Vanderslice. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A Cinematic Puzzle Album
John Darnielle (a.k.a. The Mountain Goats) isn't as concerned about making great music as he is about using music as a medium to tell a great story. 'We Shall All Be Healed' finds Darnielle's nasal vocals and manic strumming supplemented with a few subtle touches on behalf of his producer, John Vanderslice, but these are just minor details. The appeal of Darnielle is the passion of his delivery and the vivid pictures created by his lyrics. This gives 'We Shall All Be Healed' an unexpected longevity, as each subsequent listen unravels the puzzle a little further, slowly revealing a tragic tale of foolish optimism, plagued by a consistent string of tragedies. As much as one might be tempted to initially dismiss Darnielle as some geeky street poet that needs to relax with that guitar, stopping to actually listen to his manic storytelling is a surprisingly rewarding experience. Soon, in the context of his entire tale, you'll find yourself listening to the album again and again to revisit heart-wrenching tracks like 'Mole' and the album's goosebump-inducing climax, 'Quito'.

I ate 3 milky ways for breakfast, isn¿t that interesting?
John Darnielle is like that stoner from college, you know the one; he had a guitar and lived on the third floor in your freshman dorm? He played pretty good, but he'd make up all these songs that he thought were Dylan-esqe. Back in reality however, you found yourself giggling during parts that he probably found deep and poetic. While his storytelling is at times entertaining, but at other times it comes across as absurd and pretentious, at other times you can't tell if he's just aping. I'm sorry, but I find his nasal delivery goofy.

The Mountain Goats are at best when they are lost in the instrumental expanses of their work, the times when all the instruments are playing off each other not just John and the guitar, and some of the music is absolutely awesome and why I gave this album the rating I did. That's the good news; the bad news that these moments are interrupted far too often by the said nasal, self indulgent interludes. Take for example "The Young Thousands"; a piece that has a nice piano romp at about 10 seconds long each of the first few minutes. But for the other 50 seconds of every minute, we are forced to suffer through John strumming intently while relaying messages "You drive east from the ocean with both hands tied on the wheel / and you'll go past Garden Grove / as the pleasure index rises / the things that you've got coming will do things that you're afraid to / there is someone waiting out there with a mouthful of surprises". The Goats do manage deliver a nicely varied set during this outing. Songs like "Letter From Belgium" lands on the sunny side of roots rockin' pop and reminds me of some Dan Bejar heavy tracks on the New Pornographer's "Electric Version". "Slow West Vultures" hints at orchestration, with some strings coming in during one tentative moment. "Linda Blair"'s closing delves further into strings and the player straddles the fence between cloudy violin strings and getting his hoe down fiddle style. "Your Belgian Things" is an emotional gorgeous song, where the voice is a bit toned down and the pianos, electric solos, and 12 string riffs are turned loose. But then they follow that with "Mole", a lyrical wreck. "Home Again Garden Grove" is probably the most avant-garde success, with its angry and aggressive acoustical assault, where John lets the vocals rip. On this and "Quito", his exuberance reminds me a bit of some Decembrists riffs. Hey, if you're going to do it, let those windpipes loose I say.

best album of 2004
In addition to having the most idiosyncratic song titles ever to grace the back of a CD jacket, We Shall all be Healed is John Darnielle's best song writing yet. Look for 15-20 lines on this CD to kill you again and again. The music is a little less eclectic than on Tallahassee, their last studio album, but it's also more cohesive, sticking mostly with John's acoustic guitar, Peter Hughes on bass, and Franklin Bruno on piano. That is until Mole, a song so sparse it can't help breaking your heart. It opens with a few verses about the narrator visiting someone in the hospital (all the character's in these stories seem to be speed addicts with vague hopes and dreams that set them apart from each other while their situations bind them firmly together). The song then breaks into a piano and guitar bit that moves along slowly but surely, like clouds marching determined across the sky. I can only describe John's strumming here as fatalistic -- I can only assure you that this will make sense once you hear it.

Another Underappreciated Gem
The Mountain Goats (John Darnielle) have once again produced an artful rendition of life with all the emotion and desperation we have become accustomed to. John's music is not for the intellectually challenged. It is deep and requires someone willing to listen to the lyrics and to put oneself into the life of his characters. Truely a brilliant effort.

the best Mnt Goats record so far and that's saying something
John Darnielle has been quoted as saying that this record is by far his best work ever and I am inclined to agree. And that means something coming from a guy who owns every record this one-man virtuoso has put out. Like his last album Tallahassee, We Shall All Be Healed is a concept album. Each song is written for and about a group of tweakers from Claremont CA. As unromantic a subject as that is, John turns their plight into an epic. He turns their struggles into poetry. He gives words to desires that most people will (hopefully) never know. The first single, "Palmcorder Yajna" is an instant favorite. It is a straightforward Mnt. Goats song with everything you have come to love: Simple strumming, intense nasal singing and beautiful imagery of the profane. The thing that sets it apart is the amazing tone that Darnielle captures. I can only describe it as the hope of the hopeless. "Your Belgian things" is a slower and heartbreakingly beautiful lament while "Linda Blair Was Born Innocent" is a dark and powerful ode to the burning desire to get spun. John Darnielle teamed with other one-man wonder band John Vanderslice in the production of this album and it works. It maintains the connections to John's Low Fi beginnings while giving him an atmosphere in which he is able to make music that is not only lyrically charged but aesthetically beautiful as well. I can't recommend this album strongly enough. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

finally, dischord extends...
When they first started making music, Rites of Spring and Fugazi were innovative and unique. After 15(ish) years, however, the imitators have multiplied. Fugazi turned quieter on their last record, 2001's The Argument, continuing to tread new ground.

Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina's new project, The Evens, strip down the Dischord brand of punk to its barest elements, and extend beyond the sound to boot. MacKaye shows that he can sing tunefully and then some. Farina's drumming shows how important and interesting drums can be in a rock setting. The only downside of this record is the occasional quiet, introspective tune, that doesn't quite hit the mark (see Sara Lee...). But, overall, this is well worth the ten dollar investment. Check out Around the Corner for a standout track...

a new step for dischord
i've read a few bad reviews of this album, and i cannot understand why.everyone who heard about this automatically expected a fugazi/warmers soundalike.if they had done that, i actually would have been dissapointed in it.i enjoy that they simply made the record they wanted to make.
the minimalist approach in the music is unique for dischord and the lyrics on this album are unbelievable.i really hope i get a chance to see this band live.

A triumph of minimalism
A lot of bands coming out now are big and bloated and doing the same thing.That is why its refreshing to hear something new: a powerful sound from a duo.The vocals are riveting, the guitar intricate in some parts, cutting in others and I never knew you could get so many different sounds from a drum.A great effort!

post- post-punk
I read a review for this album where it was described as post- post-punk, a label which very accurately describes this album.Don't buy this album expecting the frenzied attack of MacKaye's earlier projects, listen instead for the quiet tension.Fugazi's amazing strength came not through its intensity, but rather through its subtle, compelling melodies.This album is a logical extension of this approach beyond the limits of post-hardcore.Just listen to what can be done with the three notes of "On the Face of It."There is still intensity here, but it is more along the lines of Fugazi's Instrument Soundtrack.Mackaye's baratone gutair and Farina's druming clash in a near-perfect interplay as they share the burden of the album's melody.The vocal duties are split up fairly evenly, making certain that this is definately not an Ian Makaye solo project.Ian's voice is suprisingly melodic and effective, and Farina's has a suprising edge that is regrettably absent in many female vocalists. This album might effectively signal a new stage in the continuous development of punk that MacKaye has been at the forefront of for his entire career.And it is definately time for some change.

Unforgetable
I've been into Fugazi for years because of there dedication to punks DIY ethic as well as there remarkably singular sound, but the Evens are something that I never unexpected.MacKaye takes a break from Fugazi and makes an album that is just as heavy as any Fugazi album but this time its heavy without the volume.The album sounds like elliott smith meets the white stripes, but without the country edge and somewhat like some of the spacier tunes on The Aurgument.The fact of the matter is is that this record is mind blowing and intense, VERY intense.My favorite song is Mt. Pleasant Isn't but all the songs are great.I hadnt heard of the Warmers, but I like the girls voice and she lays down some stead beats.I think the album is great and MacKayes voice very different from his days in Minor Threat.Almost, dare I say it, fragile?! ... Read more

Amazon.com

After years of postmodern pop posturing from dozens of would-bePortisheads andBjorks, it'ssomething more than a relief to see Ivy's third album, LongDistance, get a U.S. release. The New York-based trio's languid butrichly emotional meld of trip-hop, classic French-pop touches (singerDominique Durand is a Paris native), and indie adventurousness shinehere, even while displaying the outfit's deepest melancholic vibe. Fewsinger-songwriters could put across a sentiment like that of"Disappointed"--Durand explains that she's bound to leave aguy--without coming off defensive or taunting. "While We're in Love" offersa similarly bleak, if enticing, future. Long Distance neverburrows so far into its own melancholy as to render the effect merelyselfish or cold; even if your situation is hunky-dory, you'll be hardpressed not to revel in the subtle empathy of these numbers. The solenonoriginal, the Blow Monkeys' 1986single "Digging Your Scene," demonstrates Ivy's ability to render alate-summer dayscape replete with slowly pushed merry-go-round andintimation of oncoming loss, all with a wink. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Ivy - professors of Pop 101
I saw Ivy open for Kitchens of Distinction six years ago. I didn't know who the hell they were. But I consider them one of the best opening bands I've seen. I immediaitely went out and bought their debut "Realistic"(1995), one of *the* best albums of the '90s. First off, in my opinion, Ivy slips a tad from that release and "Apartment Life"(1997). Having said that, this is still one of the best CDs of 2001. Half of the album grabs you on the first listen. "Edge of the Ocean", "Disappointed", "Lucy Doesn't Love You"(great horns by Eric Matthews) keep the wonderful tradition of breezy Ivy pop going. Then other songs quickly become more prominent - "One More Last Kiss", "Undertow", and "Let's Stay Inside" to name a few. Ivy is branching out and going to more sampled and synth effects on "Long Distance" but, don't worry, the melodies are still there. Dominique's vocals also sound warmer. The thing is that there's no *spectacular* track with the effect that "Best Thing" (from "Apartment Life") or "15 Seconds", "No Guarantee", or "Don't Believe A Word" (from "Realistic") had. Those are classic pop songs - tunes that stay in your head for months. That's why I give this album 4 stars instead of 5. Buy it but make sure to buy the other two soon after!!

Digging Ivy's scene
Long Distance is a gorgeous CD, combining the lightest electronica touches with nice musical arrangements and lyrics about relationships, crumbling and otherwise ("Disappointed," "Lucy Doesn't Love You," "While We're In Love"). Other highlights include "Undertow" and "Edge of the Ocean," two songs that will sweep you away. Lead singer Dominique Durand has a sweet, sleek voice, and the songs are all incredibly catchy yet textured. I highly suggest checking out Ivy; I fell in love with every song on the album--it's soothing, and much more than background music.

Oh, and for those of you who saw "Shallow Hal," if you heard a few songs throughout the film that left you wondering "Who *was* that?": It was more than likely Ivy. The songs aren't on the "Shallow Hal" soundtrack, though, but they can be found on Long Distance.

Worry About You
I just watched The 4400 on USA network... that is where I heard Worry About You. An absolutely haunting piece of music with a magnificent musical arrangement. I only had the words to this song as the credits were so small as to not be seen while they hyped the show itself. The series seems to be good .. but this music is way way excellent. A search engine and an unrelenting will to know who sang this song and get my hands on it took on a life of it's own. I see from the picture that young miss Dominique Durand is a handsome looking woman.. if the other songs are as 'clear' as Worry About You.. this album is worth having... July 12, 2004 0345

Little known, excellent rock-dream pop
I found these tracks on Rhapsody. It was quite a revelation. This is a fun, well-put together collection. Well worth checking out if you like alt-rock-dream pop.

One Great, Mellow Album
The relaxing, mellow sounds of Ivy have gained broad commercial appeal, literally. The soporific, lo-fi dreamy "Edge of the Ocean" has been used to great, hypnotic effect in numerous commercials, and the farcical Jack Black/Gwynith Paltrow hit Shallow Hal. It's difficult to draw comparison to any contemporary artist, and even more difficult to determine how Dominique Durand has flown under the radar for so long, and not gained a prodigious following.
With that being said, this is one album for which to melt all of your troubles away. ... Read more