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Featured Review 2013-06-12 10:37:49 New in the KUCI Music Library by: Daniel Alavi Portugal. The Man - Evil Friends - (Atlantic Records) Danger Mouse produced the thing. Songs are accessible and sonically intriguing. I'm hearing piano, but is it something more? Some of the sounds evoke the feeling that one has heard these son... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2013-06-06 13:04:04 New in the KUCI Music Library by: Angela Taslakian, Music Director Summer Twins - Forget Me - (Burger Records) Summery dream pop with happy melodies reminiscent of the 50/60s poodle skirts and diners era. Very cute and smiley. Irontom - The Nitro EP Midtempo stoner rock combining elements o... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2013-05-30 09:48:51 New in the KUCI Music Library May 30, 2013 by: Josh Cabrera Shannon and the Clams - Dreams In The Rat House (Hardly Art) A modern rock throwback to 50+60s doo-wap with a punky power-chord twist, Shannon and the Clams get you swaying and singing, jumping and screaming, dancing and raging in one fell sw... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2013-05-15 08:48:26 New in the KUCI Music Library May 14, 2013 by: Angela Taslakian, Music Director Mikal Cronin - MCII – (Merge) This is the second album Mikal Cronin has made, and it’s all about new beginnings. It’s lo-fi garage fuzz with sweet vocals, sure to make any watermelon popsicle even sweeter, especially since summer is appro... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2013-05-07 13:32:15 New in the KUCI Music Library May 7, 2013 by: Josh Yeager The Littlest Viking- S/T- (Mountain Man Records) United through a Craigslist ad, this Whittier duo- comprised of Chris "Metal" Gregory and Ruben "Emo" Cortez- bring their dream-pop infused proggy paroxysms to the studio with their second full l... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2013-05-01 06:53:05 New in the KUCI Music Library by: Adrian Garcia Pretty & Nice – Golden Rules For Golden People – (Equal Vision/Rory) Pretty & Nice offers up fast-paced pop-rock songs with an evident mid-2000s indie rock influence. There’s never a dull moment and the vocals are in a constant battle wit... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2013-04-24 11:07:27 New in the KUCI Music Library April 23, 2013 by: Angela Taslakian, Music Director The Thermals - Desperate Ground - Saddle Creek The first thing I did when I saw this new album in the station was listen to it from start to finish. I definitely have a special place in my heart for this band. They are poetic and truly genius in their... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2013-04-09 08:20:30 New in the KUCI Music Library April 9, 2013 by: Angela Taslakian, Music Director Thee Oh Sees - Floating Coffin – (Castle Face) John Dwyer is at it again with another Thee Oh See’s album. We’re lucky they’re so talented with a genre that is hard not to love; droned out psychedelic garage rock. John’s particular si... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2013-04-01 17:12:56 New in the KUCI Music Library April 1, 2013 by: Angela Taslakian Born Ruffians - Birthmarks - (Yep Roc) I don’t even know where to start with this band. They’re like vocal poetry. A good idea of their state of mind would be where they held band practices, on a farm instead of a rehearsal space, claiming ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2013-03-19 15:24:53 New in the KUCI Music Library March 19, 2013 by: Angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma The Black Angels - Indigo Meadow – (Blue Horizon) It’s neo-psychedelia garagey goodness with some fuzz and synthey undertones. But unlike most garage rock albums, the songs you find in this one actually have some enticing or rather c... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2013-03-04 16:04:23 New in the KUCI Music Library March 4, 2013 by: Angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma, Co-Music Directors The Traditional Fools – “The Traditional Fools” –( In The Red Records) This is a garage punk album by Ty Segall, Andrew Luttrell, and David Fox. This album brings the hard driving sound of Ty Segall with a sprinkle of surf, all under a ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2013-02-11 13:17:27 New in the KUCI Music Library February 11, 2013 by: Angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma, Co-Music Directors Local Natives - Hummingbird – (Frenchkiss) I know we are all very excited to have this gem in our station. It’s ambient indie positive dream vibrations music that will make you want to join a co-op and live the sustainable life. Such a good... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2013-01-27 09:57:01 New in the KUCI Music Library January 28, 2013 by: Angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma, Co-Music Directors FIDLAR - FIDLAR – (Mom + Pop) FIDLAR stands for “Fuck It Dawg, Life’s A Risk” and that is exactly what this LA surfy garage punk band is all about. Finally, their first full length album filled with lo-fie songs about drinking cheap bee... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-12-08 08:24:01 New in the KUCI Music Library December 7, 2012 by: Angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma, Co-Music Directors The Barbaras - 2006-2008 – (Goner) The Barbaras rocked out the Memphis underground (alongside Jay Reatard) in the late 2000s but never recorded an album. This album contains all their songs in one place, which is very convenient indeed. It’... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-11-25 18:13:42 New in the KUCI Music Library November 25, 2012 by: Angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma, Co-Music Directors Majeure - Solar Maximum – (Temporary Residence) Majeure is the solo work of Zombi’s A.E. Paterra. It’s spacey and electric with loads of retro-sounding synths. If you’re on your way to the moon, this is the perfect mix for it, because i... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-11-10 09:50:41 New in the KUCI Music Library November 10, 2012 by: Angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma, Co-Music Directors Slam Dunk - Welcome To Miami – (FU:M) House party side project turns chaotic with this energetic live band from Canada. Melodic garage with nods to punk. It’s similar to they’re 2011 album “The Shivers” but less in your face. At the s... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-10-23 18:08:36 New in the KUCI Music Library October 23, 2012 by: Angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma Skipping Girl Vinegar - Keep Calm, Carry The Monkey – (Secret Fox) They say not to judge a book by it’s cover, but this album case is exactly the way you should judge the contents of the cd. The album case is such a lovely experience, with ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-10-17 07:48:57 New in the KUCI Music Library October 17, 2012 by: Angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma, Co-Music Directors Ty Segall - Twins – (Drag City) Ty Segall...or as I like to call him, the lo-fi garage-punk god himself...it’s the 3rd album he’s put out this year...pulling a Jay Reatard not only in his musical talents but also in his consistent and abu... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-10-11 11:25:09 New in the KUCI Funk, Soul and World Library October 11, 2012 by: Thien-Anh World Psychedelic Classics 4 : The Existential Soul of Tim Maia : Nobody Can Live Forever – (Luaka Bop) Luaka Bop celebrates what would have been the 70th birthday of Tim Maia by reissuing and remastering his music from the 70's. Tracks in Po... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-10-08 09:47:09 New in the KUCI Music Library October 8, 2012 by: Angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma, Co-Music Directors harlan - night loop – (still beat recordings) with a feeling of groundlessness, night loop combines analog synths and drum machine as well as natural instrumentation. the album "embraces a sense of mystery and stares deeply into the unanswera... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-10-02 16:52:18 New in the KUCI Music Library October 2, 2012 by: Angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma Unnatural Helpers - Land Grab - (Hardly Art) It’s fun rock n roll with lyrics that question lots of confusing occurrences in the world...the cover art does a great job at explaining what they’re all about...pretty yellow flowers, but when y... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-09-25 18:24:58 New in the KUCI Music Library September 25, 2012 by: Angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma TEEN - In Limbo – (Carpark) It’s lo-fi psyche synth pop with morphing keyboards and vocal harmonies that will have your blood vibrating the color of roses and wine before a two week romantic getaway to a mysterious place on earth. Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-09-20 08:28:26 New in the KUCI Music Library September 20, 2012 by: Angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma, Co-Music Directors grizzly bear - shields – (warp) 3 years since their last release grizzly bear is back with rossen and droste collaborating on writing songs together. bringing that experimental rock sound with new vitality. animal collecti... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-09-13 08:15:20 New in the KUCI Music Library September 12, 2012 by: angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma, Co-Music Directors Thee Oh Sees - Putrifiers II - (In The Red Records) it’s lo fi goodness that is a bit more shoegazy than their previous albums... fronted by the talented John Dwyer, Mikal Cronin on the Sax, and Dylan Edrich (from The Mallard) playing the Vi... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-08-29 08:11:19 New in the KUCI Music Library August 27, 2012 by: angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma, Co-Music Directors dinosaur jr. - i bet on sky – (jagjaguwar) DINOSAUR JR.! duh. recognizable immediately. this band has been around for 27 years and they are just as amazing as always. the band just has this way of manipulating sound and vocal melodies that st... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-08-18 12:51:12 New in the KUCI Music Library August 13, 2012 by: Angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma, Co-Music Directors Royal Headache - Royal Headache – (The Syndicate) Australian rebels, 60’s mod, 70s punk, powerpop, shake your hips to all the electric guitars you hear in your headphones as you exit the car to grab your surfboard, wear crystals on your nec... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-08-05 19:10:37 New in the KUCI Music Library August 6, 2012 by: angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma, Co-Music Directors matthew e. white - big inner – (spacebomb) wise songs about loving something in spite of the odds. slowww easy listening in a world of rushing from here to there. gentle ballads about love and hope with lots of muted brass sounds in the backg... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-08-01 07:06:53 New in the KUCI Music Library August 1, 2012 by: Angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma, Co-Music Directors Ty Segall Band - Slaughterhouse – (In The Red Records) Ty Segall is on fire with this new super fuzzed out lo-fi garage rock album. As I like to say, the lo-fi god himself. Listening to this album sounds like when you just wake up from a very... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-07-09 14:55:25 New in the KUCI Music Library July 9, 2012 by: Angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma, Co-Music Directors the drowning men - all of the unknown - borstal beat records full, thoughtful and progressive indie-rock with hints of country folk, full of drive and grit of the working man. pushing sounds with the use of a teremin (!!), mandolin, even saw. ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-06-29 15:42:08 New in the KUCI Music Library June 29, 2012 by: Angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma fawn - coastlines - quite scientific personal fav of the week, loving the harmonies from the male and female vocals. super easy listening for pool time lounging, uplifting melodies and sounds. sweet indie pop energy. so easy to sing along to, loveee t... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-06-20 08:21:44 New in the KUCI Music Library June 19, 2012 by: Angela Taslakian and Michelle Ma, Co-Music Directors The Intelligence - Everybody’s Got It Easy But Me – (Planetary) Main dude, Lars Finberg, currently of Thee Oh Sees and Wounded Lion, is working his magic in this new band. It’s not quite garage rock, it’s mid-fi music that can be enjoy... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-06-05 08:15:03 New in the KUCI Music Library June 4, 2012 by: Paul McEldowney Broken Water - Tempest – (Hardly Art) Just as Brian Wilson's Smile has the mythical status of being one of the greatest 'lost' albums, Broken Water's newest Tempest sounds like it could have been the greatest umbrella required perpetual June... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-06-02 13:17:22 New in the KUCI Music Library June 1, 2012 by: Paul McEldowney Ulaan Markhor - Ulaan Markhor – (Soft Abuse) Por y para memorial day I engaged in ecological seance via a day trip to the Salton Sea, a once hot-spot that celebs and musicians in the 20s through the 50s visited for vacations of water-skiing a... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-05-22 09:09:23 New in the KUCI Music Library May 21, 2012 by: Paul McEldowney Fuxa - Electric Sound Of Summer – (Rocket Girl) Neu age proto-solar-eclipsical with dashes of super-moon sugar-sweet polished sine-square-decay core Krautrock featuring a pretty great cover of 'Our Lips Are Sealed'. To put things into a cosm... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-05-15 17:22:43 New in the KUCI Music Library May 15, 2012 by: Paul McEldowney Chromatics - Kill For Love – (Italians Do It Better) Ultra-violent, sadistic, and decadent Caligulatic everyday=youth blissed out and perfected synth-pop that is 'banned in over seven countries worldwide', documenting what attracts an audienc... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-05-08 08:35:02 New in the KUCI Music Library May 7, 2011 by: Paul McEldowney Beach House - Bloom – (Sub Pop) Possibly the most controversial band at KUCI. Inspiring equal parts disdain and praise, boredom to enlightenment, Beach House leaves you anywhere except on the fence. Recently I watched Miranda July's 2011 movi... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-05-01 08:44:08 New in the KUCI Music Library May 1, 2012 by: Paul McEldowney Grouper - AIA - (Kranky) Previously unavailable on CD, this week we have a reissue of Grouper's Dream Loss/Alien Observer double album from last year . Her most beautiful and immersive album to date, this is what every day without the sun sound... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-04-17 08:48:47 New in the KUCI Music Library April 16, 2012 by: Paul McEldowney Spiritualized - Sweet Heart, Sweet Light – (Fat Possum) Contrary to what you might think, the album is not called 'Huh?'. Maybe I was at fault for assuming so, but the album cover continues the utilitarian and now maybe literally iconic ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-04-10 08:43:16 New in the KUCI Music Library April 9, 2012 by: Paul McEldowney Part Time - What Would You Say – (Mexican Summer) Covered in glitter love-in-a-hopeless-place pickup-line-repelling world-is-yours synth pop. It's empowering in every positive, emotional, and social way. Sounds like when you've had too much t... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-04-04 06:22:13 New in the KUCI Music Library April 2, 2012 by: Paul McEldowney Pumice - Puny – (Soft Abuse) New Zealand's own Pumice has new album of disjointed unpredictable muggy monolithic unmixed de-tempod untuned half pop hits. It's deeply and subtly cutting, while not being at all contrived. It almost approaches z... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-03-27 08:33:58 New in the KUCI Music Library March 26, 2012 by: Paul McEldowney Black Dice - Mr. Impossible – (Ribbon Music) Beat-heavy post-alternate-universe self-collapsing gargle-based proto-tropicalia hyphen-dominated dementia-punk that is squirty madness meets da club. Yann Tiersen - Skyline – (Anti)<... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-03-13 09:33:16 New in the KUCI Music Library March 12, 2012 by: Paul McEldowney The Men - Open Your Heart - (Sacred Bones) There's probably no band that plays with expectations like The Men. While their prior two albums (both of which are pretty near perfect) leaned towards the dread of Dead C and psychedelia of Spacemen 3... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-03-08 08:53:06 New in the KUCI Music Library March 7, 2012 by: Paul McEldowney and Hobart Taylor The Magnetic Fields - Love At The Bottom Of The Sea – (Merge) New romantic theatrical and too-clever-for-their-own-good sad-pop by the Magnetic Fields that marks a return to their earlier 90s synth based bubbly demented personal headphones-on... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-02-28 08:30:45 New in the KUCI Music Library February 27, 2012 by: Paul McEldowney, Alejandra, and Hobart Taylor Summer Twins - Summer Twins – (Burger) In the late 80s, two twins would enter the gauntlet to see which duo deserved to star in a movie about twins. In one corner, we have the terrible Arnold Schwartzenegger and Danny DeVito. On the other, we... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-02-13 17:00:55 New in the KUCI Music Library February 13, 2012 by: Paul McEldowney Chairlift - Something – (Kanine) Every guilty pleasure rolled into one antironic cosmic blue-crimped 80's yoga-pallades-tape leotard-all-the-time pop outfit. It's a beautiful mechanical, polyrhythmic space work-out with diva vocals that make... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-02-07 10:14:59 New in the KUCI Music Library February 6, 2012 by: Paul McEldowney Jesse Ruins - Dream Analysis – (Captured Tracks ) Today I read an article about how scientist working in Antarctica have just drilled through four kilometers of ice-crust to a sub-glacial lake known as Lake Vostok. What is interesting about L... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-02-01 06:57:22 New in the KUCI Music Library February 1, 2012 by: Paul McEldowney Of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks Always shape-shifting evolving and everyone's favorite 'I liked their Cherry Peel sound better' band, Of Montreal gets a little more soulful, spiritual, proggy, and cinematic, if that is possible at all. Expanding... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-01-23 13:43:06 New in the KUCI Music Library January 23, 2012 by: Paul McEldowney Cloud Nothings - Attack On Memory – (Carpark) It's mind boggling how macroscopically bland mainstream alternative rock radio is in comparison to top 40 hip hop/pop/dance. Rihana's 'We Found Love' marks her 20th number one hit and an interesti... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2012-01-16 16:18:45 New in the KUCI Music Library January 16, 2012 by: Paul McEldowney Maher Shalal Hash Baz - Faux Départ – (Yik Yak) One of those nights at KUCI led me to run into a mysterious release by Maher Shalal Hash Baz with a sticker tag that said 'Recorded at Dub Narcotic with members of Deerhoof'. Apparently his fi... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-12-08 15:32:23 New in the KUCI Loud Rock Library by: DJ Azrael Various Artists "We Wish You A Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year!" (Armoury Records) This is an amazing compilation of Christmas songs put together by Armoury Records and featuring a variety of contributions from heavy metal veterans. Eac... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-11-22 10:58:24 New in the KUCI Music Library November 21, 2011 by: Paul McEldowney Steve Hauschildt - Tragedy & Geometry – (Kranky) The advent of non-eudlidean geometries in the 19th century marked an important historical revolution in mathematics--Euclid's geometry, the one we learn in high school, was not the only logical... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-11-14 15:22:42 New in the KUCI Music Library by: Paul McEldowney Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica – (Software) While I am recovering from the deep nostalgia of listening to the Sigur Ros live album that came in this week, I am reminded of how nostalgia functions as romantic subconscious selective memory and... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-11-08 09:36:32 New in the KUCI Music Library November 7, 2011 by: Paul McEldowney Atlas Sound - Parallax – (4AD) Deeply personal emotionally driven cosmic field trip bedroom pop outshining the Deerhunter brand in diversity and creativity. A friend of mine who is in Israel recently wrote about how he went to a restaurant wh... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-11-04 14:56:45 New in the KUCI Music Library November 4, 2011 by: Paul McEldowney Cass McCombs - Humor Risk – (Domino) His second album in 2011! His first of the year was Wit's End a slow moody chamber folk, and his newest is more upbeat, focused, and consciously and appropriately arrogant. Like all of McCombs' work, Humor... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-10-24 19:46:35 New in the KUCI Music Library October 24, 2011 by: Paul McEldowney Real Estate - Days – (Mute) It's hard to believe that ten years ago P.O.D.'s album Satellite featuring the hit Alive was released. It is that song which begins 'Everyday is a new day; I'm thankful for every breath I take'. Everyone realized t... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-10-18 09:34:34 New in the KUCI Music Library October 17, 2011 by: Paul McEldowney Fennesz - Seven Stars – (Touch Tone) Listening to this is like experiencing all the best parts of going to a planetarium without the neck pain. Fennesz's new EP is truly goosebumping inducing stuff and a post-true-to-reality counterpart to ev... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-10-11 08:51:52 New in the KUCI Music Library October 11, 2011 by: Paul McEldowney The Field - Looping State Of Mind – (Kompakt) On his last record, The Field recorded a cover of Beck's Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime which leaves out what I take to be the best part of the song, that is, the part of the song which mention... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-10-04 09:22:03 New in the KUCI Music Library October 3, 2011 by: Paul McEldowney Future Islands - On The Water – (Thrill Jockey) Cold mechanical super polished spaced out organic poly-rhythmic electronic chrome-pop. It's way more minimal and patient than their previous album, but it's still super cerebral like their previ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-09-29 08:46:28 New in the KUCI Music Library September 28, 2011 by: Paul McEldowney Twin Sister - In Heaven – (Domino) If this album is anything, it is not cheap or lazy. Improving on the occasionally frustratingly homogenous retro-futuristic dance-pop of their contemporaries, In Heaven doesn't make the mistake of recycling ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-09-22 10:22:01 New in the KUCI Music Library September 22, 2011 by: Paul McEldowney Dum Dum Girls - Only In Dreams - Sub Pop Standing out from the herd of all-girl garage fuzz pop acts, Dum Dum Girls' strongest suit is their confidence and transparency. Singer/song-writer Dee Dee does not hide her voice behind the stylistic an... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-09-13 10:25:03 New in the KUCI Music Library September 12, 2011 by: Paul McEldowney Jens Lekman - An Argument With Myself – (Secretly Canadian) It is never too soon for more Jens Lekman aka the 15th sexiest man of all the Swedes. The pop superstar and clever man extraordinaire returns with an exploration of psychological spl... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-08-29 19:51:36 New in the KUCI Music Library August 29, 2011 by: Paul McEldowney Beirut - The Riptide – (Pompeii) Moving from their highly thematic, orchestral, and careful Flying Club Cup, and the synth-pop oddities of his Realpeople EP of 2009, the new album by border benders Beirut is more straightforward, refreshing, ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-08-23 19:08:14 New in the KUCI Music Library August 23, 2011 by: Paul McEldowney Wooden Shjips - West - Thrill Jockey While my reviews tend to carry a sarcastic undertone with good intentions, I mean it when I say UFO is a pretty garbage band. At the risk of being overly cheesy (a sort of given when writing about music ever... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-08-16 09:32:38 New in the KUCI Music Library August 15, 2011 by: Paul McEldowney Stephen Merritt - Obscurities - Merge Magnetic Fields' hoplessly and nihilistically romantic front man's rare pre-69 love songs solo recordings. The recordings go from a more damaged and self-awaringly goofy synth-pop sounds of earlier albums D... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-08-01 15:36:20 New in the KUCI Music Library by: Paul McEldowney Marissa Nadler - Marissa Nadler (Box of Ceder) Nadler returns with another whimsical goose-bump inducing country-folk au natural. The album is transient, dreamy, lofty, beautiful and totally lovelorn, reflecting those sad, arresting, tough yet... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-07-26 16:52:51 New in the KUCI Loud Rock Library July 26, 2011 by: Chris Rigney Stratovarius "Elysium" (Steamhammer/SPV) Stratovarius continue to release epic power metal in a manner that other bands can really only hope to achieve. It's true that they tend to be a little cheesier than other bands of the same ilk, but th... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-07-20 12:13:38 New in the KUCI Music Library July 19, 2011 by: Paul McEldowney Liturgy - Aesthethica – (Thrill Jockey) Energizing Black Metal from Brooklyn which brings a genre traditionally clouded with and defined by mystery, possible nihilism and dreariness to the level of universally accessible and operatic spectacl... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-07-12 16:29:37 New in the KUCI Music Library July 12, 2011 by: Paul McEldowney Washed Out - Within And Without – (Sub Pop) There is a sense in which Chris Isaak lives in the periphery. His 1989 hit Wicked Game is still one of my favorite songs in how its self-aware of its own tackiness and future demise, as the song is ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-07-05 08:50:33 New in the KUCI Music Library July 5, 2011 by: Paul McEldowney YACHT - Shangri-La (DFA) Really celebrating the cult potential of their music, YACHT's Shangri-La is a series of dancehall power-psalms. As always, Yacht is super explicit and preachy, and the new album sounds like a natural musical extension ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-06-28 08:06:36 New in the KUCI Music Library June 27, 2011 by: Paul McEldowney Bon Iver - Bon Iver, Bon Iver (Jagjaguar) Ya'll probably know who this is. Justin Vernon builds off his already established brand of melancholic falsetto-soul-folk with a more expansive and hopeful sound (maybe he's starting to get over his e... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-06-01 10:50:40 New in the KUCI Reggae Library by: Jarret Lovell Dr. Israel: Live at Dub Mission,. San Francisco Brooklyn’s own Dr. Israel is one of the unsung heroes of so many underground movements. In the early 1990s, he was one of the pioneers of the jungle music movement. But whereas much jungle m... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-05-23 09:26:53 New in the KUCI Experimental Library by: Paul McEldowney Efrim Manuel Menuck - High Gospel (Costellation) On his first solo release, Efrim Menuck of seminal Godspeed You! Black Emperor continues to showcase his talent of making some of the most beautifully dissonant guitar-driven sound collages mixe... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-04-14 18:02:45 New in the KUCI Music Library April 11, 2011 Quintron — “Sucre du Sauvage” If the novelty of shaking your tail to a goofy organ-driven boogie is what you seek, you’ve found your album of the year. If not, there is nothing here for you. Many other instruments are listed in the... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-04-06 08:39:46 New in the KUCI Music Library April 5, 2011 by: lily C The Death Set - Michel Poiccard (Counter) This album mixes many genres including punk, rock, and electronic. Beginning with the album with the line "I wanna take this tape and blow up ya fuckin' stereo!" that is exactly what they do. Most song... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-03-28 10:03:08 New in the KUCI Music Library For the Week of March 21, 2011 by: Lily C Boats - Cannonballs, Cannonballs - (Kill Rock Stars) Indie pop, cute nasal vocals - sometimes reminiscent of Weakerthans (two of whom mixed the album) catchy melodies, some country male/ female harmony, lo-fi electronic textures accompany jang... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-03-01 11:07:57 New in the KUCI Music Library by: Tan Doan Anna Calvi - ST (Domino) I read that Nick Cave personally requested for her to support Grinderman on tour, and after a quick listen I can hear why. Anna Calvi has a really confident voice, and a penchant for being epic, if that means anything.... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-02-15 11:46:42 New in the KUCI Music Library February 15, 2011 Ringo Deathstarr - Colour Trip (Sonic Unyon) I�ve been waiting for this CD to be released for 3 years now, and it�s finally here. The first track of Colour Trip brings back Loveless by My Bloody Valentine, and a bit of Lush (due to the female... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-02-08 15:23:07 New in the KUCI Music Library February 8, 2011 by: Lily C Fenech-Soler - Fenech Soler - B-Unique Records This album is high intensity electro pop with fittingly dizzying, fully entrancing synths, pop hooks and melodies. The album as a whole is sultry, upbeat and glisten-inly glittery in a nature. Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2011-01-09 19:10:14 KUCI DJ Picks 2010 Hand-picked with love from your favorite KUCI DJs � it�s the Best of 2010 list! As always, thanks for supporting community radio. Unless otherwise noted, these lists reflect the DJ�s Top Albums of the year. Kyle � Things that... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-11-30 11:41:03 New in the KUCI Rock Library November 29, 2010 by: Tan Doan Eagle and Talon - In Manila (BI/AKKA) Eagle and Talon are a female, LA based art/rock duo. They heavily use synths and guitars (along with some samples) for texture and sing over the result. The first track is instrumental. Sleep... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-11-23 11:59:29 New in the KUCI Rock Library The Naked and the Famous - Passive me, Aggressive You (Somewhat Damaged) Most of the album in a nutshell: catchy, electronic beats and vocals. Not dancey in the typical �unce unce� kind of way, but definitely danceable. Track 3 is darker and ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-11-18 08:35:49 New in the KUCI Rock Library November 18, 2010 by: Lily C and Tan D Eux Autres - Broken Bow - Bon Mots Records This group is comprised of a brother (singer/ guitar) sister (singer) and a drummer. Their songs have a minimalist, beachy, dream pop sound. Most of their songs are about "skewed observations and fierc... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-11-05 14:28:08 New in the KUCI Rock Library November 5, 2010 by: Lily C and Tan D William Ryan Fritch - Music For Honey - Asthmatic Kitty This record is epic in a unifying sense, bringing together elements of ecstatic drums, chimes, pianos, clapping, and wandering violins. Half way through it redeems itself also as an RPM re... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-10-12 08:34:00 New in the KUCI Music Library October 12, 2010 by: Tan Doan Allo Darlin� - Self titled (Fortuna Pop!) This release is instantly infectious. Its more indie pop than twee, and super fun. There are call and response vocals, there is harmonizing, there is a ukelele. Vocalist Elizabeth Morris is also in ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-10-05 20:02:47 New in the KUCI Music Library October 5, 2010 Revolver - Music for a While The thing that really, really stand out on this record is the copious use of backing vocals, both as a harmonic counterpoint to the melody and as a layering effect to increase the depth and volume of the music. And... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-09-28 09:27:40 New in the KUCI Music Library September 26, 2010 No Age - Everything In Between (Subpop) �'Glitter' is the first single off No Age's forthcoming album, Everything In Between, coming out on Sub Pop later this month. The title track begins with anthemic drums and immediately pulls you in, as... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-09-14 08:36:41 New in the KUCI Music Library September 13, 2010 Lazerbeak - Legend Recognize Legend (Doomtree) Hip(ster) hop producers releasing solo albums seems to be all the rage these days. Not that it�s a bad thing, and I love the term hipster hop. The latest release comes from the Doomtree collectiv... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-08-31 09:33:36 New in the KUCI Music Library August 30, 2010 by: Tan Doan Film School � Fission (Hi-Speed Soul) This album is a little all over the place, but is definitely worth playing. Most of the time, the music stays within the droney, wall of sound, dream pop mold, but don�t let that deter you. The opener i... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-08-25 08:49:08 New in the KUCI Music Library August 24, 2010 by: Lily !!! (Chk Chk Chk) - Strange Weather, Isn't It? � (Warp Records) This album is energeticly calming, at times oozing pop disco flair, apparently heavily influenced by Iggy Pop, David Bowie and Depeche Mode. "...it remains seductive and sophistic... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-08-17 10:28:11 New in the KUCI Music Library August 16, 2010 by: Lily C and Tan D Gifts From Enola � ST (Mylene Sheath) I was floored last summer when I went to see my friends open for Gifts From Enola. Being a big fan of shoegaze, I was curious when I watched the band setup and every member (except for the drummer) had a... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-08-05 09:30:17 New in the KUCI Music Library August 2, 2010 by: Lily Sebastian Blanck - Alibi Coast � (Rare Book Room Records) This album is the first release from Sebastian Blanck. It has an uplifting, melodic, and folk like feeling to it. Reminding me of the "Thumbsucker" (2005) soundtrack and Tim Delaughter's... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-07-26 20:49:06 New in the KUCI Music Library July 26, 2010 by: Tan Doan Bella Novela � Battlelines (Self Released) Bella Novela are your new favorite band. Well, at least they�re my new favorite band. If anything, they deserve a shot, so give this record a spin. Based out of Long Beach, the trio kind of sounds ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-07-20 14:11:30 New in the KUCI Library Tan Doan by: Tan Doan The Books - The Way Out (Temporary Residence) The Books continue to piece together minimalist sound collages for your listening pleasure. Sometimes its reversed vocal samples, sometimes its horns and chimes, organs, hi- hats, and sometimes so... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-07-13 10:34:09 New in the KUCI Music Library July 12, 2010 by: Tan Doan School of Seven Bells - Disconnect From Desire (Vagrant/Ghostly International) There is no sophomore slump for School of Seven Bells. Their followup to Alpinisms is just as good. The trio puts (sometimes harmonized) female vocals over a bac... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-07-07 11:34:22 New in the KUCI Music Library July 6, 2010 by: Tan Doan Faded Paper Figures - New Medium (Shorthand Records) New Medium is a catchy indie-pop record that heavily incorporates electronics. Comparing them to The Postal Service is inevitable, though the beats are simpler. Most of the tracks are upbe... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-06-29 20:50:23 New in the KUCI Music Library by: Tan Doan Dragon's Power Up � Brace For The Bloom (Guilt Ridden Pop) This band sounds like Karate a whole lot, which is great for somebody like me. The guitars and melodies get a little mathy or proggy, and they add in other instrumentation to keep thin... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-06-17 19:54:49 New in the KUCI Music Library June 14, 2010 by: Matt Buga Phosphorescent- Here's To Taking It Easy [Dead Oceans] Similar to Wilco in its singer-songwriter style in a more classic sort of style and structure, but with a little more Americana twang but not exactly "country." Excellently produced with t... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-05-25 17:22:04 New in the KUCI Music Library May 24, 2010 by: Matt Buga Jeremy Jay-Splash [K] Clever songwriting within the structure of stripped-down indie pop with 50s pop color tones on a canvas of the mellower side of 70s punk n roll. Plus points for the excellent chorus on "Just Dial My Number." T... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-05-20 13:13:45 New in the KUCI Music Library by: Sam Farzin Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record [Arts & Crafts] Indie-rock titans come back with their first official "band" record in 5 years. Indian Jewelry - Totaled [We Are Free] Houstin/LA-based power-noise-post-pop fo... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-05-11 12:08:39 New in the KUCI Music Library by: Tan Doan Seahold Electric � Before I Disappoint You Again EP (Calgary Records) Those who know me know I have a soft spot for shoegaze and another soft spot for dark, brooding music, so bands like Austin's I Love You but I've Chosen Darkness score doubl... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-05-06 15:19:42 New in the KUCI Library May 5, 2010 by: Sam Farzin Male Bonding - Nothing Hurts [Sub Pop] Fast pop-punk with an emphasis on the early 90s. A sort-of Sup Pop "Roots Rock." The Joy Formidable - A Balloon Called Moaning [Black Bell] Big big songs with a cinematic flair. Th... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-04-27 11:13:24 New in the KUCI Music Library April 26, 2010 by: matt Carnivores-All Night Dead USA [Double Phantom] This lil' musical plant has a garage rock pot with fertilizer pellets of the jangly variety that has also sprouted a tropical stem, a psychedelic leaf, a some slightly frightening thorns, all lead... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-04-19 19:53:39 New in the KUCI Music Library April 19, 2010 by: matt Horse Feathers - Thistled Spring [Kill Rock Stars] A pretty sweet folk americana style group out of Portland. First thing that stands out to me is the vocals, high pitched and fragile but still powerful and soulful (i.e. not hushed). Actually,... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-04-08 10:47:11 New in the KUCI Music LIbrary April 5, 2010 by: Sam Farzin Bonnie 'Prince' Billiy & The Cairo Gang - The Wonder Show Of The World [Drag City] Voice and guitar and bass making music lightly and freshly. 2 dudes, mostly. Some beautiful packaging on this. Manual - Drowned In Light [Darla] <... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-03-30 13:58:42 New in the KUCI Music Library March 29, 2010 by: Sam Farzin Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame [Anti-] This little indie-roots-rock band that could has slowly and steadily travelled the roads of indie-rock-dom to this ostensible climax. Caetano Veloso - Zii e Zie [Nonesuch] Undisputed king of B... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-03-17 15:30:20 New in the KUCI Music Library March 15, 2010 by: matt Eddy Current Supression Ring- Rush To Relax [Goner Records] Goner Records successfully extends their arms to across-the-sea neighbors in Australia for a more mellow branch of garage-punk-pop BLISS. "Rush To Relax" has one of my favorite balance... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-03-02 12:01:31 New in the KUCI Music Library March 1, 2010 by: matt Fang Island-Fang Island [Sargent House] Awww yeah, a pleasant addition to the ranks of heavy-metal-indie-pop acts like Marnie Stern and the F*cking Champs. Sweet heavy and positive guitar riffs ala Thin Lizzy, chorus-y vocals, and just good en... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-02-17 23:19:00 New in the KUCI Music Library February 15, 2010 by: matt Xiu Xiu- Dear God, I Hate Myself (Kill Rock Stars) Good stuff from this indie classic dude. Production seems a little bigger on this one, but it still has that good balance of sensitivity and creepiness. Carta-An Index of Birds (S... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-02-10 10:30:24 New in the KUCI Music Library February 8, 2010 by: Sam Farzin Angelo Spencer Et Les Hauts Sommets - Angelo Spencer Et Les Hauts Sommets [K] This rules! Kimya Dawson's husband and his band of outsiders write music for a non-existant spaghetti western of THE MIND. bring your six-shooters to this ennio morri... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-02-01 17:24:08 New in the KUCI Music Library February 1, 2010 by: matt W-H-I-T-E - Sunna [Aagoo] Ethereal solo dreamy electronica. Promo sheet name drops Dan Deacon and Panda Bear, but I think it sounds like F*ck Buttons if they had a singer and had a more DIY style sound. This is really fantastic and nice, man. ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-01-26 12:18:39 New in the KUCI Music Library January 25, 2010 by: Sam Laura Gibson & Ethan Rose - Bridge Carols [Holocene] Super mellow ambient coos and caws accompanied by beautiful, light vocals from Laura Gibson. All the makings of a folktronic love letter. Remarkably listenable. Library Science - ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-01-20 12:57:05 New in the KUCI Music Library by: matt The Soft Pack-Soft Pack [Kemado] Garage-pop rock! Pretty catchy and way solid. Not particularly retro rooted like King Khan and BBQ show, its a lot more modern indie-punk sounding. Not a not-catchy song on here. Dadfag-Scenic Abuse... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2010-01-11 17:48:10 New in the KUCI Music Library January 11, 2010 by: matt Oh No No-Eggs [Friendly Fire Recordings] Pretty friendly indie-pop which reflects 60s pop in a similar way as Apples In Stereo but also has more large orchestral pop complex ones too, so I can't really paint this one with a fat brush or anythi... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-12-16 10:02:56 New in the KUCI Music Library December 14, 2009 WORLD Various Artist- Panama!3 [Soundway] This is the third volume of some sweet tropical gems from the 60s/70s. As far as the music goes, i'll quote the press sheet, "a soulful blend of Latin American, Caribbean, European and indigenous f... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-12-07 18:46:10 New in the KUCI Music Library December 7, 2009 by: Matt Buga Nana Grizol- Ruth [Orange Twin] Really poppy indie-rock out of Athens that sort of reminds me of the Weakerthans. Earnest, unpretentious and disarming lyrics about love and and all it entails, usually a little more positive regardless of heart... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-11-23 18:22:42 New in the KUCI Music Library November 23, 2009 by: Matt Buga Wild Yaks-10 Ships (Don't Die Yet) [Ernest Jenning Record Co] Balls out rock n roll. I left this on my CD player while I went out and my roommate listened to it three times. Pretty soulful and shredding, and it has some sweet wailing saxophone... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-11-17 05:27:53 New in the KUCI Music Library November 16, 2009 by: Matt Buga Red Mass- Red Mass EP [Semprini] Out of the ashes of CPC Gangbangs comes this great punk-rockin' album thats got a sweet 77'/space rock influence on it. Very melodic all the way through, always decently energetic but for those of you who are b... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-11-10 05:26:02 New in the KUCI Music Library November 9. 2009 by: Matt Buga Candy Claws-In The Dream of Sea Life [Indiecater] Perfect example of something way calming and definitely not boring at all. Gentle sounding indie-pop that is very ocean-y and summer-y. Hell, it even samples the ocean. It actually works really... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-11-03 14:51:51 New in the KUCI Music Library by: Matt Buga Etienne Jaumet- Night Music [Versatile] I've been listening to this all weekend, and all my roommates have walked by and inquired what I was playing. Instrumental electronica sounds that sort of sound what people in the 90s thought that the fu... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-10-28 07:54:37 New in the KUCI Music Library October 26, 2009 by: Matt Buga Felix- You Are The One I Pick [Kranky] Folk-y/lounge-y female singer-songwriter driven by more minimalist-leaning piano and cello work. There's backing guitar and bass work done by a dude from the stoner metal band Lords which is kind of curiou... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-10-20 12:07:00 New in the KUCI Music Library October 20, 2009 by: Matt Buga Efterklang & The Danish National Chamber- Performing Parades [Leaf] Now this is something fantastic. This four-piece from Denmark performed their album, Parades, with the National Chamber Orchestra back in 2008, and this is the fantastic live ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-10-13 06:16:30 New in the KUCI Music Library October 12, 2009 by: Matt Buga James Husband- A Parallax I [Polyvinyl] Did you used to listen to Of Montreal way back when? Stripped down 60s influenced indie pop/Cherry Peel-era? Well boy have we got a treat for you/me. This album is a collection of recordings by James Hug... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-10-06 06:25:24 New in the KUCI Music Library October 5, 2009 by: Matt Buga Sweet Trip- You Will Never know Why [Darla] I really like this one, its dream-y but instead of being slow and drone-y, its catchy and active. The trio's regular rock band instrumentation (guitar+bass+drums) is excellently complimented with som... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-10-01 09:23:34 New in the KUCI Music Library September 29, 2009 by: Matt Buga Music Go Music- Expressions [Secretly Canadian] Maybe stuff like this should be referred to as pop excess. Not ironic over-production, but this kind of highly energetic multi-faceted gem of disco, rock n roll, Queen, and Abba. Driven by energe... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-09-22 21:20:54 New in the KUCI Music Library September 22, 2009 by: Matt Buga Batrider- Why We Can't Be Together [Low Transit Industries] Generally dark and melancholic break-up songs with great female vocals. A little dissonant guitar work here and there, but most songs have a good catchy melody somewhere in there. Good... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-09-15 06:58:26 New in the KUCI Music Library September 15, 2009 by: Matt Buga U.S.E. - Loveworld [Mannheim Worldwide/Rebel Group] This 7-piece, also known as United States of Electronica, and are way dance-y and full of soul. Awesome funk/soul inspired guitar hooks, vocoders, disco-beats and rad lyrics make this album w... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-09-10 15:41:44 New in the KUCI Music Library September 10, 2009 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Why? - Eskimo Snow [Anticon] This band is skilled and well-versed in seamlessly channelling depravity and joy thru an idiosyncratic lens not quite hip hop not quite "indie rock." Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs [Matador] This... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-09-01 16:16:44 New in the KUCI Music Library September 1, 2009 by: Matt Buga Shonen Knife- Super Group [Good Charamel Records] Classic girl pop punk trio from Japan! Around since the 80s, and still doing the stripped down pop punk power trio business singing songs about nothing and happiness, well except for one black ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-08-26 07:33:38 New in the KUCI Music Library August 24, 2009 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Jay Reatard - Watch Me Fall [Matador] If there is one undeniable talent that Jay Reatard has, it is songwriting. You can absolutely not deny the hooks he squeezes out of what seems like the most basic building blocks of whatever it is that pun... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-08-18 15:07:20 New in the KUCI Music Library August 18, 2009 by: Matt Buga Mark Mallman-Invincible Criminal [badman recording co] Ultra-fab ultra-produced pop record channeling classic glam rock. Dare I make a comparison of Jay Reatard meets Patrick Wolf? Yeah. Marmoset- Tea Tornado [joyful noise] Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-08-10 20:58:29 New in the KUCI Music Library August 10, 2009 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Mount Eerie - Wind's Poem [P.W. Elverum & Sun] Once upon a time, Phil Elvrum made very melancholy, occasionally sunny, heavily produced (in the dorky, recording-engineer type way) songs as "(the) Microphones." Now, he makes those songs as "Mou... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-08-04 14:51:09 New in the KUCI Music Library August 4, 2009 by: Matt Buga Timbre Timbre- self-titled [Arts & Crafts Productions Inc.] Americana-flavored low-key pop, very much supplemented with great production. Sounds sort of cinematic and epic, despite being generally minimalistic. Really hits the spot man. <... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-07-28 16:40:31 New in the KUCI Music Library July 27, 2009 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Fruit Bats - The Ruminant Band [Sub Pop] If fruits were nuggets of relaxed musical pop-joy, then this band's name would be accurate as to the type of music they produce. Pictureplane - Dark Rift [Lovepump United] This is... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-07-22 16:43:58 New in the KUCI Music Library July 21, 2009 by: Matt Buga Goldenrod - Paintings for Prophets [beast's content] This one rules. Major soul and funk influences on this one, mainly on the vocals, upright bass, and piano. But this isn't genre-throwback, its way fresh with its instrumentation and producti... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-07-14 16:30:30 New in the KUCI Music Library July 14, 2009 by: Matt Buga Brian Glaze - Green Living [World Famous in San Francisco] Brian Glaze was a founding member of Brian Jonestown Massacre, and it shows. Great album containing fancy guitar work in lo-fi pop songs with 60s psych, folk, and new wave influences,... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-07-07 16:49:44 New in the KUCI Music Library July 7, 2009 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls [Fatcat] These dudes are gonna tour with Frightened Rabbit and the Twilight Sad. Like those bands, this band is Scottish. This is dynamic indie rock. Discovery - LP [XL] Thi... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-06-28 16:05:38 New in KUCI Music Library June 28, 2009 by: Matt Buga I Was A King- self titled (TCG) Great Norwegian guitar-driven power pop with a teeny slight psychedelic taint in the vocals/distortion. Mellow but powerful, great hooks, and a guest spot from Sufjan Stevens on here somewhere. My favorite of t... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-06-25 08:58:32 New in the KUCI Music Library by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Ty Segall - Lemons [Goner] OC-boy toy Ty Segall returns with a band-album, as opposed to his last record which featured Ty Segall: the One-Man Band. Garage fuzz filled and on Goner. It makes me feel nice inside to know that a local dude is rid... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-06-15 18:06:29 New in the KUCI Music Library June 15, 2009 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer [Jagjaguwar] Fact: this band's first full-length as a band and not as Spencer Krug (Wolf Parade) alone is one of my favorites. On this album, Sunset Rubdown continue constructing deconstructive emotive spectacles i... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-06-04 12:57:40 New in the KUCI Music Library June 4, 2009 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Eels - Hombre Loco [Vagrant] Eels' frontman E seems like a real BAMF. Skeletonbreath - Eagle's Nest, Devil's Cave [Ernest Jenning] Terrorbird KIND of nails it with this one: think A Hawk And A Hack Saw playing the Lightn... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-05-23 13:55:12 Propagandhi: Supporting Caste by: Daniel Johnson Propagandhi are finally touring the US in support of their album “Supporting Caste”. If you’re not lucky enough to see them live, this release should give you an idea of what you’re missing! With 12 new tracks plus a hidden bonus song... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-05-21 09:39:38 Fever Ray: Fever Ray by: Daniel Johnson A repetitive droning sound may open Fever Ray’s debut album, but the release is hardly boring. In her first solo album, Fever Ray (born Karin Dreijer Andersson) blurs the line between indie rock and electronica. She does this in a way that is sure to p... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-05-13 13:32:06 New in the KUCI Music Library May 12, 2009 by: Sam Farzin and [x] Clues - Clues [Constellation] Alden Penner (ex-Unicorn) cavorts with some Arcade Fires on this very fun and fairly complex and dense pop cirque. SF Iron & Wine - Around The Well [Sub Pop] A collection of singles and "be... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-05-06 18:04:22 New Experimental Releases May 1, 2009 by: Brayan Magdaleno Terminal 23 - The Melting of Ice [Inam] Another winner from Inam. Haunting electronic drone and noise. Tones pulse and vibrate, swell and dwindle. I find this album really beautiful, it seems bleak and at the same time uplifting. ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-04-28 14:06:54 New in the KUCI Music Library April 27, 2009 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Akron/Family - Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free [Dead Oceans] Grateful Dead Williamsburg ripping amazing forever harmony party love death the infinity of the cosmos. Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle [Drag City] Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-04-20 20:56:15 New in the KUCI Music Library April 20, 2009 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Spokes - People Like People Like You [Counter] Inevitably comparable to Broken Social Scene, Mogwai, and the Arcade Fire. Instrumental and epic, yeah? The Bicycles - Oh No, It's Love [Fuzzy Logic] Cute and appealing wit... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-04-14 12:25:14 New in the KUCI Music Library April 14, 2009 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Vs. Children [Tomlab] Owen Ashworth was a film student before becoming CFTPA; this is fitting, since his songs are compacted, emotionally compelling narratives with elegant arcs fitted into the catchiest of ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-04-07 16:28:37 New in the KUCI Music Library April 7, 2009 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director The Thermals - Now We Can See [Kill Rock Stars] Are The Thermals a pop-punk band? Probably. Are they the most illustrious, intelligent, and indelible pop-punk band in America? Yes. Joker's Daughter - The Last Laugh [Team Love] ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-04-03 15:35:21 New in KUCI Music Library April 4, 2009 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Strange Boys - And Girls Club [In The Red] Some dudes kickin around the garage rock can with dirty finesse. Plus, they're on IN THE RED so you know they're all aces. The Coathangers - Scramble [Suicide Squeeze] The gal... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-04-01 18:57:49 New in the KUCU Experimental Library April 1, 2009 by: x Lotus Plaza - The Floodlight Collective [Kranky] Totally dreamy shoegaze. This is one of those albums that can move between experimental and rock-a and no one would be the wiser. This album will get all the psychedelic/experimental kids slowl... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-03-18 16:40:05 New in the KUCI Music Library March 16, 2009 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director and Jason Pulaski Dan Deacon - Bromst [Carpark] This is the best album of the year and I really hope everyone plays this because it is so goddamned good. Woah, what an awful blurb! Check it out: this is Dan Deacon's finest work. No longer will you be able to c... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-03-04 09:40:48 New in the KUCI Music Library March 4, 2009 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Black Lips - 200 Million Thousand [Vice] Happy-go-crazy broken garage rock boys from ATL fresh off a million world tours, bonafide rock stars that still would rather play basement parties (always happening in Irvine). Mirah - (a)... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-03-02 16:26:28 Belle & Sebastian The BBC Sessions by: Daniel Johnson There's a lot of music at KUCI. Here's a selection that you may have missed from 2008 that is certainly still worth checking out... Belle & Sebastian recently released a hodgepodge of recordings from the mid 1990s through the early 2000s ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-02-24 16:29:39 Welcome Wagon Welcome to the Welcome Wagon by: Daniel Johnson There's a lot of music at KUCI. Here's a selection that you may have missed from 2008 that is certainly still worth checking out... “Welcome to the Welcome Wagon” is the debut release from The Welcome Wagon, the musical project of Pre... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-02-18 14:16:53 Sunday at Devil Dirt Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan by: Daniel Johnson There's a lot of music at KUCI. Here's a selection that you may have missed from 2008 that is certainly still worth checking out... As a joint effort by Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, “Sunday at Devil Dirt” is a haunting and myster... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-02-04 15:33:29 Free Animal Collective Bootlegs! by: Kyle Olson From their humble beginnings sounding like the Beach Boys if they were raised by wolves, to their current position as indie rock's darling weirdos being constantly fellated by musical taste-makers the world over, Animal Collective have brought their joyfu... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2009-01-28 17:02:24 New in the KUCI Music Library January 28, 2009 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Late Of The Pier - Fantasy Black Channel [Astralwerks] British youths weaned off early 2000s dance-punk turn around and make an album of post-dance-punk-funk. I guess this is, more accurately, post-nu-rave...which was never really a genre, rig... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-12-08 20:32:10 New in the KUCI Music Library / December 8, 2008 December 8, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director The Tallest Man On Earth - Shallow Grave [Gravitation] A fresh-faced Swede (are there any other kinds?) tackles the folk music of Dylan and Harry Smith's Anthology series. The picking is loud and the voice is earnest and the music is remarkabl... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-12-03 08:40:20 Friendly Fires Friendly Fires by: Vivian Lee Paris: Friendly Fires promise that one day they (and you) will live there together. Club showcases, living it up, watching the stars and the city lights – oh the life! It's hard to believe that Friendly Fires are actually English by reading t... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-12-01 18:59:45 New in the KUCI Music Library / December 1, 2008 December 1, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed [Arts & Crafts] Lovable UK popsters release their second full-length in the same year as their debut. These folks are a million miles a minute more talented and full of ideas than you and they... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-11-04 20:32:06 New in the KUCI Music Library / November 3, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Final Fantasy – Spectrum 14th Century [Blocks Recording Club] Cherish this digi-only-but-obviously-not release by everyone's favorite strings arranger and all around nice Canadian violin boy Owen Pallet. Chamber popppp. Grampall... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-10-20 19:59:45 New in the KUCI Music Library / October 20, 2008 October 20, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director High Places - High Places [Thrill Jockey] Water-logged future noise with light as the lightest lead whispy female vox as guiding light. Accessible inaccessibility that recontextualizes the ethnic as the universal. Parts & Labor - R... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-10-20 19:53:32 New Experimental Releases / October 20, 2008 October 20, 2008 by: Brayan Magdaleno Menace Ruine - The Die is Cast [Alien8 Recordings] So, when I saw this album I kinda freaked out a little (okay, a lot). Menace Ruine's previous release, Cult of Ruins, gets a lot of play on my show. It was an amazing mix of black metal and no... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-10-15 09:07:31 New Experimental Releases / October 14, 2008 October 14, 2008 by: Brayan Magdaleno Korperschwache - Eight Velvet Paintings for Helen Keller [Inam] Distorted guitars and drums. There's so much over-drive on this album that I thought I had blown out my headphones. Then I realized that I was just listening to pure awesome. The... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-10-15 08:55:47 New in the KUCI Music Library / October 14, 2008 October 14, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping [Polyvinyl] This band has gotten huge. And so weird. They had a horse on stage at their show last week in New York. And like a circus troupe, and other stuff. I'm From Barcelona - Who Killed Harry... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-10-07 11:17:44 New in the KUCI Music Library / October 6, 2008 October 6, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Marnie Stern - This Is It And I Am It And You Are It And So Is That [Kill Rock Stars] This is awesome. This is so awesome. Remember how when Marnie's last album came out you thought it was gnarly and shred-city but maybe not totally mature 100... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-09-30 22:49:14 New in the KUCI Music Library / September 30, 2008 September 30, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Deerhoof - Offend Maggie [Kill Rock Stars] Greg Saunier is such a rad drummer. He is top dog. From my listen to this, it seems like this record does not have many of the immediate in your face exploders that filled "Friend Opportunity" like "... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-09-11 09:18:57 New Experimental Releases / September 1, 2008 September 1, 2008 by: Eric Roper Harold Budd & Clay Wright - a song for lost blossoms (darla) Beautiful ambience full of wavering tonal bliss. This is music for clouds to dream to on a clear blue day, and with rainbows too! The first track, 'Pensive Aphrodite', clocks in ju... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-09-11 08:57:09 New in the KUCI Music Library / September 10, 2008 September 10, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Talkdemonic - Eyes At Half Mast [Arena Rock Recording Co.] Viola+drums, instrumental awesomeness. Other instrumentation as well, but mainly the interplay of strings and thumps is what makes Talkdemonic continue to be so compelling. ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-09-02 20:37:36 New in KUCI Music Library / September 2, 2008 September 2, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Laborious lovers, Here I am listening to Fela Kuti, gnawing on a biscuit. I was supposed to go look at some cool synthesizers but the lady flaked hardcore. It was an epic bummer. I didn't barbecue yesterday. Did you? When I walked by my... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-08-27 07:58:45 New in the KUCI Music Library / August 27, 2008 August 27, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Howdy homies, Another week, another batch of albums. Last night, I saw Radiohead. It was pretty boring because they didn't rock enough. The lights were pretty though, very pretty. The lightning designer must be this guy. Brian Quon, ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-08-20 07:43:35 New in the KUCI Music Library / August 19, 2008 August 19, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Friends, ACROBATICS EVERYDAY has a killer show this Friday at the Phoenix Grille. Performing artists include CAPTAIN AHAB, ANAVAN, DESTROY TOKYO/RELIGIOUS GIRLS, and three more very co... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-08-05 17:03:57 New in the KUCI Music Library / August 5, 2008 August 5, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Meticulous mercenaries of musical maladies, This week we have some rad music that is new. My #1 add is the coolest thing ever. Ponytail - Ice Cream Spiritual [We Are Free] This is my favorite album of the year. Twin telecas... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-07-30 09:30:51 New in the KUCI Music Library / July 29, 2008 July 29, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Tune titans, I'm pretty hungry. I really want some chicken tikka masala. Jesus Christ that would hit the spot. Holy moly. Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst [Merge] RECORD STORE, America (AP) -- Conor Oberst releases solo album. Rec... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-07-16 16:28:50 New in the KUCI Music Library / July 15, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director KUCI wizards, You know the only thing less healthy than eating a chiliburger? Eating a cinnamon roll immediately after it. Awaiting health problems: Melvins - Nude With Boots [Ipecac] Thunder grunge riff sludge dru... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-07-07 20:57:59 New in KUCI Music Library / July 7, 2008 July 7, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director My fellow Americans, I spent a major chunk of this past 4th of July playing Rock Band. Rock Band is such a weird thing. It is ostensibly really, really worthless insofar as you spend a lot of time and energy playing fake instruments along to a v... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-07-07 19:06:03 Above & Beyond Anjunabeats100 by: Arthur Galestian Anjunabeats100 celebrates the 100th release of British trance label Anjunabeats. DJs and producers Above & Beyond are consistently hailed as leaders in cutting edge, uplifting trance music. Ranked 6th in DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs for 2007, the group is the mas... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-07-02 10:50:13 New in the KUCI Music Library / July 1, 2008 July 1, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Dear readers, This has been a fun week. I have gone to see a lot of artists and performers in a variety of contexts. I could list them all but that would be presumptious and obnoxious so I won't. Instead I will focus on one event in particular I ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-06-28 21:15:17 New in the KUCI Music Library / June 23, 2008 June 23, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director KUCI compatriots, I was in Berkeley and San Francisco this past week. I walked a lot. I got two Buddhist music CDs from Chinatown, but when I got home and tried one of them, it turned out to be a VCD. What the heck! Here are three weeks ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-06-04 10:35:24 New in the KUCI Music Library / June 3, 2008 June 3, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director You know what's awesome KUCI? Burritos are awesome. I know, I know. I sound like a stoner (not) and everyone knows that (right?). Seriously though. Burritos. What are your favorite burrito places, KUCI? I like Poquito Mas, and Al(b)erto... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-05-27 16:20:13 New in the KUCI Music Library / May 27, 2008 May 27, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director KUCI friends and enemies, Yesterday, Parenthetical Girls and PWRFL POWER and Au played at UCI, outside at the Student Center's Terrace Stage. It was really really really really really really really really really really really really really reall... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-05-05 17:47:31 New in KUCI Music Library / May 5, 2008 May 5, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director KUCI listening friends, On Friday I saw Akron/Family again, amidst the bones of dinosaurs and other dead animals. If I could, I would probably see Akron/Family every Friday. On Saturday I saw Harold And Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-04-29 16:29:29 New in the KUCI Music Library / April 29, 2008 April 29, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Kkuuccii How are you? I am tired. I spent a loooooooooong time doing adds today. Last week was invigorating. This week will probably be the opposite of that: gnitarogivni. Onto the jams: No Age - Nouns [Sub Pop] LA punks bri... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-04-23 09:53:43 New in the KUCI Music Library / April 22, 2008 April 22, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director HELLO KYUCEE This weekend I saw AKRON/FAMILY at Pitzer College. Pitzer College is wacky. They have a wall painting of two (2) dragons fighting in a sky-arena. One dragon is blue and one is green. Akron/Family is probably the best live band in the... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-04-16 09:51:51 New in the KUCI Music Library / April 15, 2008 April 15, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director I had blurbs written, and then I closed the box apparently. Without saving. That is infuriating! Okay. I have been at KUCI for going on over 7 hours. The fluorescent lights are starting to hurt my head. This is Blurbs take 2. Brian (Mysteriou... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-04-09 09:21:01 New in The KUCI Music Library / April 7, 2008 April 7, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Hey friends, Got 10 minutes left on this bad boy before it goes kaput. I biked to school today and it was awesome(ly tiring I had to take a break). The guy next to me is being very obnoxious about being a political scientist. Whatever, dude. ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-03-24 20:00:18 New in the KUCI Music Library / March 24, 2008 March 24, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Springtime champions ! New recs for the week ahead! It's spring break. Go outside and swim, or make hot dogs (tofudogs if you are a vegantarian), or listen to music in a park. On a boombox, or an iPod dock station if you are ~advanced~. ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-03-19 16:56:53 New in the KUCI Music Library / March 18, 2008 March 18, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Last night I saw Boredoms. I loooooooooove Boredoms. These are nonblurbs in the visual-movement style. I stole this week's second top add from Eric. It's going to be in the experimental section but I love it and it is one of my favorite albums of... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-03-12 09:59:04 New in the KUCI Music Library / March 9, 2008 March 9, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Destroyer - Trouble In Dreams [Merge] Musical inventiveness coupled with crescendoing nasal trouba-ramblings. Destroying mastermind Dan Bejar wins again! I used to drop so many quarters on that game RAMPAGE at the arcade where you destroyed t... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-03-03 14:30:16 New in the KUCI Music Library / March 3, 2008 March 3, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director This weekend I went to a fantastic restaurant in Laguna Niguel called Lulu's Cafe where I dined graciously on seafood and crepes. I would recommend it should you need to get ~*romantic*~. Here is new music. Why? - Alopecia [Anticon] Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-02-25 18:02:20 New in the KUCI Music Library / February 25, 2008 February 25, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Hungry Harlequins! This week there are 16 adds, because a) there are a lot of good records, b) I am feeling particularly indecisive, and c) might as well splurge once in a while, right? Two are (AWESOME) late adds, and one is a single that will g... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-02-18 20:41:07 New in KUCI Music Library / February 18, 2008 February 18, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Regal radio-ites! Three-day weekends are the best. I have been relaxing. I bought a Polaroid camera and a copy of "White Lines" on vinyl at the OCC swapmeet. I saw Wooden Shjips at McCabe's Guitar Shop. And today, I listened to the weekly Jabba-s... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-02-11 13:27:16 New in KUCI Music Library / February 11, 2008 February 11, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Caffeinated collegues! This weekend I participated in UCI's Mad Film Dash. That was tiring. I had two Red Bulls within 7 hours, and then balked at a third around 2 pm after ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-02-04 18:40:03 New in KUCI Music Library / February 4, 2008 February 4, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Masters of melody! I have been running on low amounts of sleep due to the scholastic vicegrip. As usual, there is a nice variety in this weeks adds. Due to my impending writing party, these blurbs will once again be short. In the spirit of "fun"... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-01-28 14:31:53 New in KUCI Music Library / January 28, 2008 January 28, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Rainy Revelers! These blurbs are of the succinct variety. Secondly, There are an ungodly amount of new records this week that have big and exciting names. Hot Chip - Made In The Dark [Astralwerks] Now you don't have to play ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-01-21 18:21:19 New in KUCI Music Library / January 21, 2008 January 21, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Dreamers! It's true, I've got Monopoly on the mind. I actually bought it yesterday at Target (did you know there's a fancypants electronic version with debit cards now? One of the pieces is an LCD TV...) and played with a group of folks. A lucky... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-01-14 20:08:56 New in KUCI Music Library / January 14, 2008 January 14, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Enfants musicaux! I just ate a loaf of ciabatta from Trader Joe's with spicy hummus. It was delicious. I was counting on getting some water from the lobby water dispenser but we are you of water! Damn you, waterman! Last night I played S... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2008-01-07 15:28:38 New in the KUCI Music Library 1/7/08 January 7, 2008 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Salutations! Christmas! New Year! It has been a long month since the last time I did adds and wrote blurbs and I feel really rusty, like that bike I had when I was younger with the training wheels that was left out on the balcony and got rain... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-12-05 13:05:06 New in KUCI Music Library / December 4, 2007 December 4, 2007 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Chilly champions! Last night, I went to go see some bands at the Smell in downtown Los Angeles. First, Smogmonster I think played, and it was glitchy and lo-fi and cool. Then Lucky Dragons played and everyone smiled and touched hands. Then The Wa... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-11-26 18:23:36 New in KUCI Music Library / November 26, 2007 November 26, 2007 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Salutations! I have a lot of school work that is weighing heavy on me and it sort of feels like I am Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner is dropping an anvil on me, but in slow-motion. This week's adds are small in number but aurally tas... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-11-19 13:46:57 New in KUCI Music Library / November 19, 2007 November 19, 2007 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Compatriots of sound! I bought a K records pin from Calvin Johnson. Something about that is so surreal! Johnson doesn't look into the camera when you ask for a picture with him. He also can make his voice deeper than the Marianas Trench. ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-11-12 16:39:44 New in KUCI Music Library / November 12, 2007 November 12, 2007 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director My memory is currently being jogged by peanut butter cookies from the lobby thanks to a certain Jake Bacon. All I can seem to remember from this past weekend is sweet, literally: cake, yogurt, candy, scones. I saw Joanna Newsom at the Walt Disney Concert ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-11-05 18:49:03 New in KUCI Music Library / November 5, 2007 November 5, 2007 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Hear ye, hear ye, This weekend, I ate a lot of chicken wings and I watched a lot of movies. I went to Yogurtland twice. I ate at two restaurants. I sat on the computer for awhile. I went to a party. I danced. I listened to Sir Richard Bishop and ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-10-31 12:57:11 New in the KUCI Music Library October 31, 2007 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Okay KCU-AI-AI-AI, So I saw Battles last night and watching John Stanier play drums is like watching Godzilla tear apart Tokyo or another Japanese city. Watching people play guitar and keyboard at the same time flawlessly is like watching someth... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-10-15 08:48:50 New in the KUCI Music Library / October 8, 2007 October 8, 2007 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Good afternoon, sport! I went to Yogurtland on Saturday and Sunday. Can you say "weekend highlights?" I also saw the Yeah Yeah Yeahs for free at a skatepark in Lake Forest (basically wtf?) and had a heart-to-heart in a bunk bed. I hope your weeke... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-10-01 20:20:14 New in the KUCI Music Library / October 1, 2007 October 1, 2007 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director Woop woop! This week presents us with a delicious batch of musics for you to spinnnnnn. I considered regaling you with some stories about my weekend but I am pretty boring. All I have to say is that Dan Deacon is my hero forever. Kyle wants to le... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-09-25 21:16:35 New in the KUCI Music Library / September 25, 2007 September 25, 2007 by: Sam Farzin, KUCI Music Director !! Hello KUCI here are some music adds for your ears and hearts down to your tosies. There are a lot this week but some are delayed from last week and plus EVERYBODY loves music right!? YEAH MUSIC AND WORLD PEACE! Devendra Banhart – ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-09-19 15:53:40 Dirty Projectors Rise Above by: Kyle Olson There are certainly albums from one’s formative years that, no matter how long it’s been since listened to, can be put on and sung along with word for word. These are the kinds of albums our youthful selves listened to daily. Though, if asked to sing ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-09-05 11:08:39 M.I.A. Kala by: Vivian Lee Not going to lie: when “Bird Flu” first leaked onto the Internet about half a year ago, I wasn’t fond of it. M.I.A. bragged that she titled the song “Bird Flu” because the beat “gon kill everyone.” I agreed, but only because I thought she me... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-08-27 20:51:54 New in KUCI Music Library 8/27/07 August 27, 2007 by: John Penny, KUCI Music Director Hi Everyone, I don't even know where to begin to describe the last week of my life. Between a 30-hour power outage, an insane work schedule, my birthday, and enough girl drama to drive even the most composed man crazy, I lost track of the time a... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-07-31 22:04:27 New in the Music Library / July 30, 2007 July 30, 2007 by: John Penny, KUCI Music Director Hi Friends, I'm tired. I only had one day off this week and today was filled with fielding work calls even though I wasn't there. If you're still a full-time student, try to stay that way forever. Anyhow, there are five new records this week i... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-07-24 13:31:47 New in the Music Library / July 24, 2007 July 24, 2007 by: John Penny, KUCI Music Director What's up Muggles, Perhaps, like myself, you devoted seven hours this weekend to the seventh Harry Potter novel; and then again, perhaps not. If you fall into the latter category, you are probably better for it. I won't spoil anything, but that... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-07-18 09:27:23 New in the KUCI Music Library / July 17, 2007 July 17, 2007 by: John Penny, KUCI Music Director Hi, So I logged into my email today to see how awesome my blurbs were, because I'm narcissistic like that, and I realized that my email was saved to drafts and not actually emailed out to all of you. Oops. There are a couple really good, high p... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-07-10 14:53:29 New in the Music Library / July 10, 2007 July 10, 2007 by: John Penny, KUCI Music Director Konbanwa, Sort of a lackluster week for new music, in my opinion. Fear not, fellow DJs, as I've waded through the mire of crap to bring you the following new releases. Bishop Allen - The Broken String (Dead Oceans) These ind... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-07-04 10:23:12 New in the Music Library / July 3, 2007 July 3, 2007 by: John Penny, KUCI Music Director This week I realized just how difficult the MD job can be... I whittled down the new music to about thirty really average CDs and had a tough time deciding what to keep and what to pass on. Ultimately, I think we've got ten new releases (nine rock, one e... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-06-18 21:12:57 New in the Music Library / June 18, 2007 June 18, 2007 by: Kyle Olson OK, These are probably going to be last set of blurbs. There is a new music director selected (well, two, and they're both legit). So, in order to make these blurbs memorable, I offer you this chilling challenge: I intend to drink a full beer bef... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-06-11 08:25:04 New in the Music Library / June 11, 2007 June 11, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director Alright folks, I had a huge day of going to see plays with my mom, and trips to Amoeba (and the ensuing triple-digit pricetag), and driving, and watching Mythbusters. Sadly, because I am seeing LCD Soundsystem/Y.A.C.H.T. tomorrow night, I need to... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-06-05 14:07:39 New in the Music Library / June 4, 2007 June 4, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director Hey folks, Sorry for the lack/delay of blurbs. Last night when I came to the station, I felt it was a better use of my time to talk to John about Twin Peaks (I have formed a religion around Agent Cooper. WWACD?). Then, I realized the time, decid... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-05-30 09:12:18 The Boggs Forts by: Sam Farzin When you go to see a band, it’s almost a given that you’ll have to sit through some opening acts: friends of the headliner, another band packaged along by the tour promoter, or perhaps a lucky, somewhat arbitrary local band. These artists are often pu... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-05-28 09:50:21 New in the Music Library / May 28, 2007 May 28, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director Happy memorial day, everybody. These blurbs are going out mighty early because, well, I have a day off from work and want to get any obligations out of the way so I can get back to watching the History Channel's "Band of Brothers" marathon while ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-05-21 19:58:45 New in the Music Library / May 21, 2007 May 21, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director Welcome to the slums/blurbs of Shaolin, I have no idea what I'm talking about. I hope you all had excellent weekends. I got to go to a pretty rad Simpsons screening party because my old cohost is dating one of the directors. The In-n-Out... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-05-14 20:02:31 New in the Music Library / May 14, 2007 May 14, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director Hey folks, Listen. I worked really hard today. Really hard. And even though I like most of you, I would probably paint a boat with your blood if I thought it was going to get me home to a tasty dinner a little bit sooner. You'll have to forgive m... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-05-07 21:45:39 New in the Music Library / May 7, 2007 May 7, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director Word up folks, Once again, I write these blurbs from the management office, as my computer was taken from the music office in service to the almighty Fund Drive. Hopefully everyone pitched their tiny little socially awkward hearts out in glory to... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-04-30 21:18:30 New in the Music Library / April 30, 2007 April 30, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director Word up, readers of internet music things. We’re in the middle of the KUCI fund drive. Hopefully, all who read this are either getting a lot of donations on this show, or are donating a lot of money to KUCI. (Self-promotion: New issue... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-04-23 20:00:56 New in the Music Library / April 23, 2007 April 23, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director Hello music-likers, Did you guys have fun this weekend? Yes? Why’s that? Went to a party? Oh. Awesome. When was that party? Friday? Oooooooh. I get it. Wink wink, nudge nudge. It’s a weird week for musics. I am tired from work, and w... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-04-16 21:39:48 New in the Music Library / April 16, 2007 April 16, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director Welcome, tiny warriors of justice and love. I trust you all had lovely weekends. I did OK, seeing both Kimya Dawson last night (anti-folk love) and Lightning Bolt on Friday (there in ur eardrumz destoyin ur brain.) Friday also gained points as be... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-04-11 09:02:25 New in the Music Library / April 9, 2007 April 9, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director Listen, Uncle Kyle had a heck of a weekend, full of mojitos, Brazilian BBQs, badass concerts, etc. Then, he is doing some serious work in the job that actually pays him (I cannot pay my rent with love, I’m afraid). So, do be kind if these blurb... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-04-02 21:32:32 New in the Music Library / April 2, 2007 April 2, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director Hey all, Welcome to April. More importantly, welcome to the new KUCI quarter of scheduling. If you’re a new DJ, congrats. My name’s Kyle. I’m the music director. You don’t have to get on my good side because I have no power over you have ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-03-26 20:15:08 New in the Music Library / March 26, 2007 March 26, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director Hey everybody, Welcome to the BLURB THUNDERDOME!!! Several CDs enter, a couple others leave, and the rest also leave…BUT IN BODYBAGS!!! OH CRAP!!! Was that super intense? Good. Your faces are sufficiently rocked. Slim pickings this wee... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-03-12 20:00:14 New in the Music Library / March 12, 2007 March 12, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director Hey folks, I hope you all survived the weekend. I, personally, managed to claw my way through the weekend with a brain that still feels slightly mushy from lack of sleep and extremely loud music. When your weekend plans involve a concert, you are... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-03-06 13:49:58 New in the Music Library / March 5, 2007 March 5, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director Hey music-toleraters, Everyone have a relaxing weekend? I used the weekend off to engage in a couple of things. Followed up on the launch of my website The Hipster Book Club ,... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-03-01 12:35:07 Of Montreal Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? by: Vivian Lee When I break up with someone and I feel as if I want to die, I put on…well, I guess I listen to any Bright Eyes album. But sometimes, in the throes of post-separation anxiety duress, even MY emo-psyche can’t handle that much pain and sorrow. My brain ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-02-28 12:00:14 New in the Music Library / February 26, 2007 February 26, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director Word up, folks. So, before I start with this week’s edition of “CDs that I am adding to the KUCI library because I think it’s really good and/or I think the DJs will want to play it”, I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce mysel... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-02-20 16:38:44 New in the Music Library / February 20, 2007 February 20, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director Hello radio folks, Here’s this week’s blurb shenanigans. We’ll see if I don’t rush through this so I can go scour local thrift stores for a cheap bike. Kyle wants a bike. Do you want to give Kyle a bike? His birthday is coming up eventual... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-02-14 11:44:03 New in the Music Library / February 13, 2007 February 13, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director Hey all, I hope you all had pleasant weekends. I went to see the fantastically talented Mirah perform at the Troubadour. She was as amazing as always. Her music, for me at any rate, is full of those moments where the music completely strips the r... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-02-06 16:46:19 New in the Music Library / February 6, 2007 February 6, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director Hey all, So, I dunno about you, but that was a wicked exciting Puppybowl yesterday. And when the all-kitten halftime show came on, it blew me away. Man. Puppybowl III was certainly a success. I also danced at the Natural History Museum in the Nor... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-01-30 13:18:28 New in the Music Library / January 30, 2007 January 30, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director Hey y’all, Guess who’s getting out of here crazy early! Me. You know why? Everything anyone sent me this week was laaaaaaaame. I hate music again. I hope you never experience the pain of listening to a crate full of music and having it all su... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-01-24 10:27:20 New in the Music Library / January 23, 2007 January 23, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director We have WAY too many solid adds this week. An upsetting amount of good adds. Why is this upsetting? Because I just worked eight hours, and I need to get this done before I can go to Wingstop for dinner, and then a management meeting. Oh man. Too much stuf... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-01-17 12:09:54 New in the Music Library / January 16, 2007 January 16, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director We have a decent amount of SOLID new releases this week. I hope you kids dig on them. Matt & Kim – Matt & Kim (I Heart Comix) “That’s Kim! I’m Matt! We’re Matt & Kim!!” was how this Brooklyn duo began their set opening for ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2007-01-08 21:46:57 New in the Music Library / January 9, 2007 January 9, 2007 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director I had a lovely break. I didn’t get (literally) 500 emails a day, or have to call promo companies on my way to work. But now the promo companies are at my e-door, again. And the crates of mail I get from the post office are growing in number. Hey, Kyle�... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2006-12-09 10:04:35 New in the Music Library / December 5, 2006 December 5, 2006 by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director The year is winding down, and since SOME college stations aren’t the unstoppable juggernaut of indie music we are, they take BREAKS over the holidays. So, promo companies stop sending stuff out and poor, overworked individuals (such as myself), can find... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2006-10-25 17:01:45 Akron/Family Meek Warrior by: Kyle Olson On their latest outing, Young God Records flagship freak-folk collective Akron/Family lays down another solid collection of peyote-fueled midnight campfire singalongs, which finds the band, once again, shifting up their “sound.” The Akrons seem to be ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2006-10-25 16:48:10 XIU XIU The Air Force by: John Penny Xiu Xiu is nothing, if not uncompromising. The band has the remarkable ability to change styles with each of its albums, yet its songs are unmistakable. Jamie Stewart has proven on his fifth Xiu Xiu (pronounced shoo-shoo) release, The Air Force, th... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2006-06-22 09:09:35 DANIELSON Ships by: Brian C. Quon After meandering aimlessly through the cold corporate water that is modern mainstream music, every independent music fan has shared a similar narrative about how they navigated their ship through the treacherous corporate air-waves and encountered major l... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2006-02-22 15:51:58 Brawdcast The Suburban Spokesman by: Rahul Reddy I've known Brawdcast for almost 2 years, as he has been a guest on my radio show on numerous occasions. I've been anticipating the release of The Suburban Spokesman as long as I've known him, because I knew he had it in him to drop a dope album. ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2006-02-22 15:26:04 J Dilla Donuts by: Rahul Reddy I wish I was on the ball with reviewing this album before his tragic passing, but I never got around to it. Jay Dee, born James Yancey, is highly held by many Hip-Hop fans as one of the best producers ever. He got the J Dilla moniker after confusions wi... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2005-11-26 16:04:09 Little Brother The Minstrel Show by: Rahul Reddy Possibly the most slept on major album all year, Little Brother comes through with The Minstrel Show. Even KUCI hasn't spoken on this album, until now. If you have been hiding under the proverbial Hip-Hop rock, Little Brother is North Carolina's ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2005-11-13 17:07:16 Ladytron Witching Hour by: Sun-J Ladytron's debut, 604 introduced post-punk to popular rock. In 2002 they released Light and Magic contributing to the expanding electro clash scene. In 2003 Ladytron delivered a remix CD and showed their growth doing pop-punk versions of s... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2005-11-13 17:00:24 Danger Doom The Mouse And The Mask by: Sun-J Blueprint + RJD2 = Soul Position = dope. Jay Dee + Madlib = Jaylib = phat. Cage + Camu = Nighthawks = explosive. Madlib + MF Doom = Madvillainy = monumental. However, I have to be honest, I was not hip to the Danger Mouse and MF Doom collabo. Thank god... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2005-09-14 19:14:02 Of Montreal The Sunlandic Twins by: Sun-J The Gay Parade had lo-fi flavor, The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy had a plot, and last year's Satanic Panic In The Attic was a surprising blend of manic pop disco with an ear for world beats. Of Montreal mastermind Kevin Barnes ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2005-09-14 19:11:54 Edan Beauty & the Beat by: Sun-J Boston has left its permanent mark on underground hip hop with the likes of Lif, Insight, Guru, Akbrobatik and a slew of other emcees (excluding Benzino). Edan is a DJ/producer/emcee extraordinaire. Brimming with innovation and chopping at the bits of... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2005-06-24 18:22:21 Millencolin Kingwood by: Sun-J 2002's release, Home From Home was a new direction for the racy Swedish act. It was much slower and more melodic than their past albums, and was received by fans with diverse reactions. With 2005's Kingwood the trio have seemed to somewhat... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2005-06-24 18:20:50 The Perceptionists Black Dialogue by: Sun-J Often referred to as the heartbeat of Boston's underground hip hop scene (Guru isn't very underground these days), Mr. Lif and Akrobatik once again find themselves in the same corner. Combining with scratch master (and acclaimed producer), DJ Fakts, the ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2005-05-16 22:20:36 Spoon Gimme Fiction by: Sun-J Since the beginning of their formation, drummer Jim Eno and vocalist/guitarist Britt Daniel have been the only constants, yet they have always morphed soundscapes. From 2001's Girl's Can Tell to 2002's Kill The Moonlight, Spoon has yet to ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2005-05-16 22:16:20 The Decemberists Picaresque by: Sun-J The Decemberists consist of organist/keyboardist Jenny Conlee, drummer Rachel Blumberg, bassist Nate Quer, lyricist Colin Meloy, and utility man Chris Funk. Picaresque, The Decemberists third full length work was recorded in Portland, Oregon; in ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2005-03-28 17:41:33 Braille Shades of Grey by: Rahul Reddy 2004 was a break out year for a lot of artists. Masta Killa finally dropped his solo album, Kanye released his 10 time grammy nominated "College Dropout," and hell, even Mase came back to break through once more. However, underneath most of mainstream's... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2005-03-21 22:28:18 Aesop Rock Fast Cars, Danger, Fire And Knives EP by: Sun-J Just like any Def Jux release, Aesop Rock pushes the limits of psychedelic hip hop. The first 20,000 copies will be accompanied by an eighty-page book of lyrics, artwork and photos called The Living Human Curiosity Sideshow. Why Aesop just didn't... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2005-03-21 22:25:49 Sage Francis Healthy Distrust by: Sun-J Often coined the more intelligent Eminem, Sage Francis is not your typical rapper. Mainstream hip hop would consider this man overly verbose, a few metaphors more confusing than Talib Kweli, it seems Sage had just missed the cut; but more importantly, he... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2005-02-26 21:26:43 M.I.A. Arular by: Sun-J 28 year old Maya Arulpragasam, AKA M.I.A., created quite an internet buzz last year with her indie, single release, Galang. Her dancehall chants, and fresh beats were a warm welcome to an internet population looking for more Dizee Rascal, and The... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2005-02-26 21:24:47 Bright Eyes I'm Wide Awake And It's Morning by: Sun-J At the young age of 24, Conor Oberst has already at least a dozen (perhaps even a bakers dozen) records released under his belt (not counting 'b-sides'). This year, he dropped two albums simultaneously on the same day. I'm Wide Awake And It's Mornin... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2005-01-24 22:16:17 De La Soul The Grind Date by: Sun-J Hip hop isn't dead, and it never will be. The sound is changing with the younger generations, that is all. After enduring 15 years in the rap game, you'd think the trio of Dave, Maseo and Posdnuos (De La Soul collectively) would struggle to hang aroun... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2005-01-24 22:12:19 The Futureheads The Futureheads by: Sun-J All Oasis reissues aside, another tenth anniversary of Britpop is upon us. I've always felt Britpop to be "bollocks," as the English would say. Britpop to me is a genre for those who look for the middle ground in genre, which is no surprise why Tony Bl... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-12-17 09:09:10 Another look at "The New Danger" A Rebuttal by: Rahul Reddy Read the Orginal Review Normally I�m a big fan of Sun-J�s reviews. He brings dope insight to the variety of albums that he reviews, and shows he ha... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-11-29 11:45:11 Elliot Smith From A Basement On The Hill by: Sun-J From A Basement On The Hill is a posthumous album from Elliot Smith, who tragically took his own life last year. Released as one final album from the man who defined emotion, the indie rockers last thoughts live on through his music. Fifteen tracks... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-11-29 11:44:55 Kid Dakota The West is the Future by: Sun-J Don't be misguided by the title of the album, the LP is not a tribute to rough Americana, but more a dedication to the Midwest with detailed depictions of vast landscape and majestic images. Kid Dakota consists of front man/singer/guitarist Darren Jackson... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-11-01 20:18:32 Q And Not U Power by: Sun-J When the fierce independent label led by punk-rock legend Ian Mackaye, Dischord Records, signed Q And Not U, they had thought they found another Fugazi. At the time (2000), Q And Not U released their debut album No Kill No Beep Beep, an LP full of... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-11-01 20:12:19 Mos Def - The New Danger Dear Dante Smith (or Mos Def), by: Sun-J First off let me tell you how passionately I enjoyed your previous work. Blackstarr was an amazing movement, and 1999's Black On Both Sides was revolutionary for hip hop. After hearing "Close Edge" on the Chapelle show, I was pretty enthusiastic ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-10-20 10:42:35 Arcade Fire Funeral by: Sun-J Arcade Fire spent this passed summer touring with the Wrens and Unicorns, spreading their eccentric rock message far and near. The plunge of Neutral Milk Hotel forced Merge Records to recruit a potential replacement. In Arcade Fire, they perhaps hold the ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-10-20 10:37:50 Saul Williams Saul Williams by: Sun-J Poetry is the most versatile element of communication. Mythology was transcribed through generations by prose and verse. Poetry can be spoken, sung, rapped, or even painted. Saul Williams manifests all of these elements. From his poetic tirades, to his so... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-09-21 12:01:05 Twilight Singers She Loves You by: Sun-J To be honest, former Afghan Whigs singer Greg Dulli has a terrible voice. It's very whiny, weak at times, and fails to approximate the correct key. Though strangely, I find myself enjoying it. The Twilight Singers last album, Blackberry Belle, was ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-09-21 12:01:30 Diplo Florida by: Sun-J Almost a mix between Amon Tobin and the Death Comet Crew, Diplo utilizes an ambient mixture of digitized layers, atmospheric sounds, Garage Band rock guitars and filtered beats. His loops sound as if they were crafted for Dizzee Rascal while maintaining a... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-08-30 13:07:15 The Fiery Furnaces Blueberry Boat by: Sun-J The Fiery Furnaces lead a dying breed of species, the rock eccentrics. Their debut, Gallowsbird's Bark sparked interest of many indie rock listeners. Their sound is marked by strenuous tempos and obscure instrumentation shifts. They often transitio... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-08-30 12:57:32 Badly Drawn Boy One Plus One Is One by: Sun-J With his first release (on Mercury), The Hour of Bewilderbeast, Damon Gough (Badly Drawn Boy) grabbed the attention of many industry-heads, solidifying him several movie scores (only one of which he chose), and an extended label deal. The album was... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-08-19 13:37:38 Taking Back Sunday Where You Want to Be by: Sun-J The past couple of years have been turbulent for the Long Island natives. After their stellar frosh release, Tell All Your Friends, John Nolan and Shaun Cooper called it quits (either that or they were "Cut From the Team." Get it?). If you had visi... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-08-19 13:38:01 The Roots Tipping Point by: Sun-J The Roots have been a mainstay in hip hop for the passed ten years. Where the average life of a rapper is around two years, The Roots have surpassed acts from different movements and generations with their fundamental believe in music. Rather than comprom... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-08-05 13:51:20 The Streets A Grand Don’t Come For Free by: Sun-J Original Pirate Material opened the door for many UK hip hop acts, such as Dizzee Rascal. Mike Skinner, better known under the moniker, The Streets, was an innovator. Not your average emcee, the British 'geezer' perfected his chummy vocal swagger w... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-08-05 13:45:42 Wilco A Ghost is Born by: Sun-J Wilco has transgressed much from the strictly alt. country days of A.M.. Over the years it seems they have been digested by the avant-garde movement. 2001's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was a small diversion in their path. YHF was in fact an unconv... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-07-20 11:51:02 Piebald All Ears, All Eyes, All the Time by: Sun-J The little band from Andover, Massachusetts who started dropping records while they were still getting rejected by women in high school are back. Back, but this time on a different label. The kids (and I don't call them kids because they are young, but be... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-07-20 11:51:14 RJD2 Since We Last Spoke by: Sun-J In 2002, RJD2's Deadringer hit the underground hip hop scene like Kanye West's College Dropout hit the commercial scene. Deadringer's sibling The Horror EP solidified the "RJD2"sound; funky beats, old school samples and a futuristic v... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-07-08 11:32:40 Pedro The Lion "Achilles Heel" by: Sun-J David Bazan, the constant force that has pushed indie-rock outfit Pedro the Lion through the years, all the way back to the 1997 EP that established Bazan's penchant for sincere couplets. David Bazan is a devout Christian outside of Pedro the Lion, but... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-07-08 16:40:30 Felix Da Housecat "Devin Dazzle and the Neon Fever" by: Sun-J Felix Stallings Jr. known to the digital world as Felix Da Housecat was born in Detroit but raised in Chi-town. Developing his talents from a young age, Felix made his first industry bones at the age of fourteen, collaborating with DJ Pierre in 1987 fo... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-06-30 10:29:13 The Hafler Trio "Kill the King" by: Zero Sharp Alongside their music, one of the most interesting things about the Hafler Trio is the fact that they spread so much incorrect and inaccurate information regarding themselves that its rather difficult to figure out much about them. One thing is clear, the... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-06-30 10:28:49 Pan Sonic "Kesto" by: Zero Sharp In an old Pan Sonic interview, I remember the Finnish duo trying to explain their philosophy of music to the readers. Where much of the music currently, much like American food, now is throughly processed digitally leaving its origins unknown, Pan Son... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-06-23 09:26:54 Audio Karate "Lady Melody" by: Sun-J Well I'm glad these kids have finally grown out of Space Camp. Get it? Didn't think so. We'll my oblivious readers (when I say 'my' and 'readers,' of course I am referring to the three people out there) let me introduce the band Audio Karate. The C... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-06-23 09:27:12 Gift of Gab "Fourth Dimensional Rocket Ships Going Up" by: Sun-J For those of you who are unfamiliar with Gift of Gab, let me brief you with a quick history lesson. In 1998 a group who called themselves Blackalicious released an album called Nia. The album was filled with soul, sultry beats and smooth, charismat... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-05-18 13:39:57 The Liars They Were Wrong, So We Drowned by: Sun-J In 2001, The Liars released their debut, They Throw Us All In A Trench And Stuck A Monument On Top, an album filled with noisy hi-hats, heavy low end grooves and actual samples from the Bronx bred 80's act, ESG. Reviewers, or actually, that group o... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-05-18 13:35:55 Danger Mouse The Grey Album by: Sun-J Nowadays, with copyright laws blindsiding us worse than your girlfriend letting you know she is pregnant, it takes a brave soul to attempt a re-creation, or a hybrid of existing "art," as the musicians refer to it. It takes man without fear. A "Daring Dev... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-04-29 09:31:51 El-P High Water by: Sun-J My dedicated readers (all three of you) know how I feel of El-P from Previous reviews. I respect the man for his business sense. Though his production becomes tired, and his voice and flow is far too flawed to be flaunting around on tracks, especially tra... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-04-29 09:35:23 Onelinedrawing The Volunteers by: Sun-J Genres are created so easily these days it makes me sick. We should treat genres as we treat equations. Each one formed should have a purpose, a proof, a legitimate reason for existence. Formerly of the band Far, singer/songwriter/producer Jonas Matranga ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-04-21 16:43:29 Fat Cat Compilation "Split Series 9-16" by: Zero Sharp In the wonderful tradition of releasing compilations for those of you "who don't buy white labels," Fatcat Records is releasing the second compilation of selected tracks from its split series 12." The split series is a set of ongoing releases of the edgie... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-04-21 16:43:18 Ninja Tune Remix Retrospective "Zen RMX" by: Zero Sharp Over the last ten years, Ninja Tune has been enough of a backbone to the electronic music scene that they even basically have a genre named after them. Along with the cool tour down memory lane that was recently released, Ninja Tune released a two CD coll... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-04-08 15:38:58 Mochipet "combat" by: Zero Sharp The practice of bastard pop, that is to say, taking vocals of one song and pasting them across other aspects of other songs, has taken off in the last few years. In what seems to be taking that idea to its logical extreme, Mochipet has already established... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-04-08 15:38:49 Ninja Tune Compilation "Zentertainment 2004" by: Zero Sharp In a preview of what is to come on the Ninja Tune label, "Zentertainment 2004" features the new signings and new releases upcoming on the label. In the style of the label, many of the songs here are solidly based in jazz and funk breakbeat styles, and th... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-04-02 11:24:09 The Get Up Kids "Guilt Show" by: Sun-J After a very subpar 2002 release, On a Wire, the Get Up Kids bounced back with side projects under New Amserdams or as Reggie and the Full-Effect. Both were rather successful endeavors, and the Get Up Kids have seemed to return back to form with... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-04-02 11:24:23 Deerhoof "Milk Man" by: Sun-J Deerhoof have the keen ability to take conventional sounds, and rearrange them in a dyslexic manner, creating an erratic array of tonal hybrids. With their sixth album, Deerhoof increases distortion and cuts out the pointless interludes abundant on Ap... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-03-24 10:10:55 Decomposure "Taking Things Apart" by: Pietro Da Sacco DECOMPOSURE is the audio and visual experimentalist known as Caleb Mueller from Canada. Currently residing in a sleepy little town in Ontario, Caleb lived most of his life in the flat, prairie-ridden areas of Saskatchewan and also went to the Emily Carr I... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-03-24 10:09:06 Nurse With Wound "Soliloquy For Lilith" by: Zero Sharp Stephen Stapleton is someone who needs little introduction to those versed in strange, dark experimental music, but what about those out there who haven't managed to become introduced to the inner circles of the underground? Looking at the release list fo... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-02-19 16:39:39 The Walkmen "Bows and Arrows" by: Sun-J As all the other NYC bands such as The Strokes, The Walkmen incorporate enough grunge guitar to make you dream of wailing guitars. Their 2002 debut, Everyone Who Pretended to Like me is Gone was filled with warm analog sounds, and an overall U2 in... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-02-19 16:38:51 Ride "Waves" by: Sun-J Along with My Bloody Valentine, Pale Saints, Swervedriver and Chapterhouse, Ride joins company with best shoegaze bands of all time. Riding out their fame, and possibly capitalizing on nostalgic fans thirsty for anything Ride, the Oxford, England b... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-02-13 13:19:56 Meat Beat Manifesto "...In Dub" by: Zero Sharp Jack Dangers is back on the case, this time with a new album reconstructing "RUOK?". I won't say the word remix as that doesn't seem as appropriate of terminology here. It's not that Dangers doesn't know how to remix, the previously released remix album o... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-02-13 13:19:46 Squarepusher "Ultravisitor" by: Zero Sharp After two and half years since Squarepusher's last proper album, "Go Plastic," Tom Jenkinson has had some time to do what he probably does best, reinvent himself. "Ultravisitor" is a rather complex album that seems like the next step in a brilliant evolut... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-02-05 16:54:46 Air "Talkie Walkie" by: Sun-J GREAT NEWS!!! The French have proved themselves to actually be useful. All jokes aside, the French duo of Nicolas Godin and Jean Benoit Danckel have returned with, dare I say...a breath of fresh "AIR?" Well, one thing I refuse to do is compare this al... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-02-05 16:54:29 Mathew Dear "Leave Luck to Heaven" by: Sun-J Minimal techno or Microhouse is what they are calling it these days. Sort of a mesh between jungle and house. Techno "Nsync" with the eclectic, "dirty pop" of today. The music is much simplified then its ancestral genre, yet the fused sounds alienat... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-01-30 15:24:38 Kid 606 "Kill Sound Before Sound Kills You" by: Zero Sharp After a release schedule these last few years that borders almost on mania, I'm somewhat surprised that Kid 606 still has new material to release. Well, he indeed does, and his new album, which follows up on "The Illness" EP, is called "Kill Sound Before ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-01-30 15:24:08 Telefon Tel Aviv "Map of What is Effortless" by: Zero Sharp I only managed to hear a song or two off Telefon Tel Aviv's first album, "Fahrenheit Fair Enough," but like many others out there, I was intrigued, and I enjoyed it. I seemed to have missed a few small releases between then and now, but when "Map of What ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-01-22 18:46:06 Jaylib "Champion Sound" by: Sun-J Stones Throw, underground's most underrated record label, presents a dream collaboration. One of those combos that can only be imagined through a curious post from a hopeful underground back packer. Hip-hop Detroit prince, Jay Dee AKA Jay Dilla teams u... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-01-22 18:45:33 Lucero "That Much Further West" by: Sun-J Well, now that Ryan Adams is off in La La land, as his sound achingly closes in on rubbish with each and every release, what is an alt-rock/ country/ punk fan to do? Well, remain calm and keep your hopes confident, because Lucero is every chocolate in F... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-01-18 12:54:37 Plastikman "Closer" by: Zero Sharp After nearly five years of silence, Richie Hawtin's minimal side-project, Plastikman, unexpectedly is seeing another release. "Closer," the fifth for Plastikman, doesn't really visit too much new ground, however, for those fans of minimal techno, there ar... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-01-16 13:57:17 Pimmon "snaps*crackles*pops" by: Zero Sharp Up until this point, the only exposure I had to Pimmon was through his appearance on Fatcat Records' Split series with his side of beatless tracks that managed to be slightly noisy and warm at the same time. Needless to say, when I picked up "snaps*crackl... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-01-08 16:25:55 David Dondero "The Transient" by: Sun-J When you think of David Dondero, think of Jack Johnson, Ben Harper and Edwin McCain (and not that ultra poppy song, "I'll Be"). David Dondero's music is more on the folk side, but a similar acoustic soloist with vocal renderings which are reminiscent of... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2004-01-08 16:23:38 The Books "The Lemon of Pink" by: Sun-J Fronted by Nick Zammuto and Paul de Jong, The Books have a manic but eclectic twist to their musical compositions. Their debut, 2002's Thought for Food, was an inconsistent, unorganized jungle of vocal samples and electronic progress, yet the Toml... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-12-27 16:26:34 Wheat Per Second, Per Second, Per Second...Every Second by: Sun-J Formed when two members met in a 1997 art class in the modest Taunton, Massachusetts. Wheat collectively released a debut one year later. 1998's Medeiros was an indie rock release. Wheat were soon filtered, and then tagged with cult followings. ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-12-27 13:55:47 Azure Ray Hold on Love by: Sun-J From Athens to Omaha. From Warm to Saddle Creek. Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor's journeys metaphorically chronicles through the passion of their music. Often labeled as slow core, the female duo started off one November with an EP of acoustic g... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-12-18 20:29:15 Photek "Modus Operandi" by: Zero Sharp Under the guise of suggesting solid Christmas presents for those who like music, I'm deciding to go back into the past again to my favorite year of 1997. This time, I want to talk a little bit about drum and bass; more particularly, some of the albums for... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-12-19 08:27:27 Drum and Bass Compilation No U Turn presents "Torque" by: Zero Sharp This is the second of the drum and bass retrospective reviews, and this time we'll be revisiting the dance floors of 1997, and the starts of the style which came to be known as techstep. Starting around 1996, No U-Turn and Emotif, among other labels, help... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-12-12 14:29:38 The Decemberists Her Majesty, The Decemberists by: Sun-J Historical preservation through storytelling is a lost art. Long gone are days when one's word of mouth can conjure up, and amplify a hero's deeds, or a villain�s shrewd mischief. The closest reference we have is Greek and roman mythology which preserves ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-12-12 14:29:26 Her Space Holiday The Young Machines by: Sun-J After dropping albums under the names, Home is Where you Hang Yourself, and Manic Expressive, it's not hard to see why Marc Bianchi's records are so dark and melancholy. The San Francisco native, and soft spoken romantic, combines acoustic g... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-12-05 13:54:05 Plaid "Spokes" by: Zero Sharp For the long-time electronica listeners who remember names well, it would come as no surprise that the new album from Plaid should sound good. For the rest of us, here's the back history: the duo that makes up Plaid, Andy Turner and Ed Handley, have been ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-12-05 13:54:26 Luke Vibert "YosepH" by: Zero Sharp In some ways, it was probably just a matter of time. Between becoming well known for his drum 'n' bass work as the off the wall Plug to the more classic style of Amen Andrews, in addition his work in twisted hip-hop as Wagon Christ, and well, himself, it ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-11-27 13:31:21 Mates of State "Team Boo" by: Sun-J Mates of State's first album, My Solo Project, was a journey into the sound of a husband and wife tandem who dropped the guitars in trade for a chamelian organ. Impacting the richtor scale with great force, My Solo Project set the stage for... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-11-27 13:31:05 Aesop Rock "Bazooka Tooth" by: Sun-J Still living off the respect Labor Days garnered, Aesop Rock has returned with an album full of vintage Def Jux produced gems along with an unbrandished, sweeping tornado of boastful verbal treats. Ian Bavitz, affectionally known as Aesop Rock pre... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-11-20 11:56:47 [The User] "Abandon" by: Zero Sharp Before starting this review, I should probably admit that I have a quite the soft-spot in my heart of hearts for both pipe organs and good conceptual ideas. For me, then, the new album by [the user], the same [the user] who brought a classical style symph... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-11-20 11:56:05 Klute "Lie Cheat, and Steal" by: Zero Sharp Although it seems like the two genres should be easily intertwined, the ability to produce both quality breakbeats and drum and bass seems to elude most producers. Enter Klute, a low-profile drum and bass producer that has been consistently putting out so... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-11-13 10:23:48 The Shins "Chutes Too Narrow" by: Sun-J Usually when a band debuts strong, and are labeled with more potential than the Olsen twins at fifteen, their sophomore efforts are usually considered flops or not on par with the first release. Few artists have the ability to improve with the second r... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-11-13 10:23:35 Lyrics Born "Later That Day" by: Sun-J Tom Shimura AKA Asia Born AKA Lyrics Born. From Soulsides Collective, to the now quickly surging Quannum indie label. Shimura has seen it all. A loyal artist on a once withering label, the man now known as Lyrics Born has had his music pigeonholed fo... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-11-06 15:56:55 Kid Koala "Some of My Best Friends are DJs" by: Zero Sharp Kid Koala seems to know how to have fun. His new album, "Some of My Best Friends are DJs" is rather chalked full of it; there's a comic book, a travel chess set, and a long, entertaining video clip seeming in the style of "johnny the Homicidal Maniac" and... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-11-06 15:55:43 Chris Clark "Empty The Bones of You" by: Zero Sharp "Empty the Bones of You" marks Chris Clark's sophomore full-length release on Warp Records. With his first release, he showed himself to be a worthy artist to be on Warp, but that was most of it; he sounded like the standard Warp artist. "Ceramics is the ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-10-30 12:27:25 Mojave 3 "Spoon and Rafter" by: Sun-J Ten years ago, Mojave 3's functional group dropped an album under the name Slowdive called Souvlaki, and they were quickly accredited into the "shoegazing" movement. Essentially a genre which bridged the gap between light country and experimental r... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-10-30 12:32:51 Atmosphere "Seven's Travels" by: Sun-J Everyone's girfriends' favorite rapper is back. Slug AKA Sean Daley AKA Seven returns with his groups fourth album, Seven's Travels. Perhaps the most notable, and profitable indie hip hop act out there, Atmosphere is comprised of MC Slug, produce... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-10-23 10:38:28 Patric C. "Hitler 2000" by: Zero Sharp A Beginner's Guide To Digital Hardcore - part 3 of 3 Welcome back to the last of the digital hardcore reviews. If you missed the first two reviews two weeks ago, I would recommend going back and looking at the reviews for Alec Empire'... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-10-23 10:38:19 Meat Beat Manifesto "Storm the Studio R.M.X.S." by: Zero Sharp The problem when people remix classic, influential music is that it's generally neigh-impossible to bring it back to the level that it was before. If nothing else, the new album of remixes of Meat Beat Manifesto's "Storm the Studio" shows how much from th... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-10-16 12:06:14 Death Cab For Cutie "Transatlanticism" by: Sun-J Don't get the picture misconstrued or take the band's relationship to be "staind." Despite the fact that "it's been a while," since the band got down for some serious writing. Their latest musical offering, and October 7th release, Transatlanticism... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-10-16 12:05:56 King Geedorah "Take Me to Your Leader" by: Sun-J It's the return of the three headed monster from outer space...Or at least that is what MF Doom considers himself on his latest release, Take Me to Your Leader, which he put out under his new moniker, King Geedorah. After just having released an al... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-10-23 09:02:15 Alec Empire "The Destroyer" by: Zero Sharp A Beginner's Guide To Digital Hardcore - part 1 of 3 In the early nineties, on the ever-so surly streets of Berlin, a group of people who saw both the brilliance of jungle and its relative tameness was helped create a genre that fell ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-10-23 09:03:03 Christoph De Babalon "If You're Into It, I'm Out of It" by: Zero Sharp A Beginner's Guide To Digital Hardcore - part 2 of 3 This review is the second in the series of three reviews looking back at a few classic releases that started a genre at the same time as flying under the radar of many people who wo... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-09-29 20:17:42 Enon "Hocus Pocus" by: Sun-J After indie outfit band Brainiac decided to part ways, few expected much from guitarist John Schmersal. Though, he soon retaliated critics and naysayers by hooking up with a couple of garage band musicians and dropped an album under the name Enon, 2000's... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-09-29 20:13:44 Stereophonics "You Gotta Go There To Come Back" by: Sun-J From the hype their '97 release, Word Gets Around, the Welsh three piece Stereophonics were spontaneously thrown into a never ending race for the princes of brit-pop-rock title. A fast accomplishment for any act, especially since '97 was the year... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-09-16 09:34:42 Northern State "Dying in Stereo" by: Sun-J What do De La Soul and Public Enemy share in common? Well besides the obvious, they both share the same origin as the tri-feminine Northern State. Who the hell is Northern State you wonder? A group of three women; Hesta Prynn, DJ Sprout, and Guinea Lov... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-09-16 09:35:04 Bonobo "Dial M for Monkey" by: Sun-J Bonobo's are the rarest of all the great ape species. One of humankind's closest relatives, the Bonobos are tiptoeing the line of extinction. These underrated primates are enclosed by a world of mystery, and in fact, most know not of their existence. Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-09-09 13:10:12 Kid 606 "The Illness" by: The Wally Llama Kid 606's the Illness brings home the flavor of melodic sythns, drumbeats, and a little bit of vocals, rolled up into one crazy CD package that includes the original 12" version and some bonus songs which vary from rhythmic to spastic. The first track, t... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-09-11 08:17:57 Amon Tobin "Verbal Remixes & Collaborations" by: The Wally Llama Amon Tobin's "Verbal Remixes & Collaborations" features a rich blend of some very interesting remixes and collaborations that range from the fantastic to the peculiar. It starts off with an untitled track by both Amon Tobin and Kid Koala, now if you're a... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-09-03 19:03:28 Black Box Recorder "Passionoia" by: Sun-J Passionoia is album number three from Britain's resident cynical lyricist Luke Haines. Haines is also the captain of Autuers, and Baader Meinhof, whom put out one record back in '99. In addition to all this musical whoring, Haines also has a couple albu... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-09-03 19:00:19 Motion City Soundtrack “I am the Movie” by: Sun-J Just to give a quick background on Motion City Soundtrack, the band originally stemmed from high school friends, guitarists Justin Pierre, and Joshua Cain. After recording a 7” in 1999 in a band and going through a number of lineup changes, the main tw... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-08-29 13:07:11 Merzbow "Animal Magnetism" by: Zero Sharp With what is about his 250th release, Merzbow's back on Alien8, possibly the most popular experimental label to date, with a new album, "Animal Magnetism." As the cover art would suggest, he chose to arm himself with his laptop, his guitar, and sounds sam... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-08-18 09:59:00 Monty Alexander "Impressions in Blue" by: Sun-J Monty Alexander, the Jamaican born pianist has fiddled with many genres in creating a buzz for himself. Alexander has explored Bob Marley tributes, as well as ventured to create live albums with various Jamaican musicians, namely reggae legends Sly and R... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-08-25 18:53:21 Fall Out Boy "Take This to Your Grave" by: Sun-J As a reviewer I am turned on to some of the world's greatest unheard musical talent. Though it is seldom that I come across a true gem. In fact it was only once, Atmosphere's "Godlovesugly." So after hearing praise form a friend, and noticing their cha... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-08-14 13:19:34 Rob Dougan "Furious Angels" by: Zero Sharp A year or more ago, I bought a down-tempo single that was incredible. By the name "Clubbed to Death", it was a beautiful piece of film-noir influenced trip-hop, and it mentioned being from an upcoming album. Now by the time I'd almost forgotten about the ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-08-14 13:18:22 Mu-ziq "Bilious Paths" by: Zero Sharp Mu-ziq's new album "Bilious Paths" stakes out a lot of new territory for Mike Paradings. In the new semi-tired genre of drill and bass and IDM, Mu-ziq decides to stake out into the dirty bass and samples akin to nu-school breaks. Don't worry, though, it's... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-08-05 17:23:18 Madlib "Shades of Blue" by: Sun-J The man of mystery has returned, though this time not as his alter ego, high octave rapping Quasimoto, but as himself, the surreal madman behind the boards, Madlib. Known to his blood as Otis Jackson Jr, Madlib has been creating magic in the studio for ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-08-05 17:19:41 Thrice "Artist in the Ambulance" by: Sun-J After representing screamo with there indie release, Illusion of Safety, the quartet from So cal (as in Irvine) jumps ship, and releases their first major debut, Artist in the Ambulance. Usually when kids get signed to majors they sell out. They change... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-07-29 19:52:46 London Elektricity "Billion Dollar Gravy" by: Zero Sharp The genre of drum and bass is an expansive playground to say the least. On one side stands the minimal, dark sound that Ed Rush, Optical, and the boys of Renegade Hardware have explored beautifully. On another side stands the unrelenting darkness of Dom a... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-07-29 19:51:47 Tricky "Vulnerable" by: Zero Sharp Perhaps the best way to enjoy the newest album by Adrian Thaws, aka Tricky, is to forget the past. The former member of Massive Attack has come a great distance since helping to invent trip-hop and releasing a solo debut of staggering genius in "Maxinquay... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-07-21 16:36:55 Pinback "Offcell" by: Sun-J Rob Crow and Armistad Burwell IV are the dynamic duo that is Pinback. Pinback is a blend of pop and post rock with hints of emo (mainly from the lyrics), though what sets these two apart from other bands is their ability to display a more full, live guita... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-07-22 09:58:26 Adult "Anxiety Always" by: Sun-J Who else to lead the pop synth revolution than a married couple from Detroit? After causing more than just a stir in electrolashes underground, Nicola Kuperus and Hubble Adam Lee Miller are back after two years since their last LP with another full-lengt... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-07-16 17:30:20 Abstract Polygon "Deselect Mindbox EP/ Mad EP: Mavoo's 3rd Day of 2nd Grade" by: Zero Sharp I'm not really sure how to give a name to this first release from the new Canadian label Tribal Treble so I won't try. The idea behind it is good: the release is actually two seperate albums rolled into one package. The two are only marginally related so ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-07-15 20:11:03 The Cinematic Orchestra "Man With a Movie Camera" by: Zero Sharp The Ninja Tune roster is as mysterious as it is diverse. That being said, I've never heard anything on the label more sublime and majestic than The Cinematic Orchestra. This release, "Man With a Movie Camera" came from a commission four years ago to creat... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-07-07 15:37:25 Mars Volta "De-loused in the Comatorium" by: Sun-J Travel back a few years, and the punk scene is buzzing with word of the next Nirvana stationed out in El Paso, Texas. Five kids with enough energy and charisma to power their genre to mainstream success (which was done eventually). Though, some things a... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-07-07 13:14:11 Ugly Duckling "Taste the Secret" by: Sun-J Three white guys from Long Beach are what Ugly Duckling consists of. Two MCs and one DJ to be precise. Back for the second time with the release of Taste the Secret after enjoying much deserved success from their first release Journey to Anywhere. As u... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-07-01 13:32:17 Yoshimi and Yuka "Flower With No Color" by: Zero Sharp What do you get when you send two musicians to a secluded spot with a truck full of instruments and a good idea? Well, in the case of "Flower With No Color" by Yoshimi P-we (from the Boredoms) and Yuka Honda (from Cibo Matto), you get music that would hav... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-07-01 13:30:46 Nobukazu Takemura "Songbook" by: Zero Sharp Nobukazu Takemura must be a busy man. Including "Songbook", he now has released 3 albums on two different labels. "Songbook" falls under his Child View project, a name he sometimes goes under. Stepping away from the digital, he teams up with Aki Tsuyuko t... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-06-24 11:08:06 Hint "Portakabin Fever" by: Sun-J Personally, when I go to clubs I hate hearing those redundant techno songs with the glitches and the constant beeping and clicking that repetitively distraughts your brain waves to death. Johnathan James, a self proclaimed �techno artist with a palette f... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-06-24 11:06:55 Lagwagon "Blaze" by: Sun-J After several releases since 1992 and claiming a cult-like following, Lagwagon decided to put the punk production on hold, and split in different directions to pursue side interests. Drummer Dave and singer Joey Cape muddled with Me First and the Gimme G... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-06-19 10:25:55 Four Tet "Rounds" by: Zero Sharp "Rounds" marks Kieran Hebden's third solo release under the name Four Tet. Somewhere between free jazz, glitch electronica, hip-hop, and loop-based music sits this album in all of its slow-growing, lush, organic sounding glory. The whole album has a rathe... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-06-18 17:35:05 Loren Connors "Departing of a Dream Vol. 2" by: Zero Sharp Last year, Loren Connors (aka MazzaCane Connors) released an album loosely designed as a tribute to Miles Davis' "He Loved Him Madly." Fragile and floating, minimal accoustic gituar sounds drifted across other beautifully constructed bass and electric... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-06-10 17:51:17 Ed Harcourt From Every Sphere by: Sun-J His sound is that of a Tom Waits meets Badly Drawn Boy. A mix of U2, and Frank Sinatra. A blend of country and teen pop, especially pop. His damn songs are so catchy; they're still stuck in my head one week later. Fresh off a Mercury award nominating ... Click Here for entire article. Featured Review 2003-06-10 17:50:01 Catherine Irwin Cut Yourself a Switch by: Sun-J Does anyone remember Freakwater? The band consisting of two vocal geniuses, Janet Bean and Catherine Irwin whom drew comparisons to practically every great country duo there ever was? Well, Cut Yourself a Switch marks the return of Freakwater, though th... Click Here for entire article.

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New in KUCI Music Library 8/27/07 New in the Music Library / July 30, 2007 New in the Music Library / July 24, 2007 New in the KUCI Music Library / July 17, 2007 New in the Music Library / July 10, 2007 New in the Music Library / July 3, 2007 New in the Music Library / June 18, 2007 New in the Music Library / June 11, 2007 New in the Music Library / June 4, 2007 The Boggs New in the Music Library / May 28, 2007 New in the Music Library / May 21, 2007 New in the Music Library / May 14, 2007 New in the Music Library / May 7, 2007 New in the Music Library / April 30, 2007 New in the Music Library / April 23, 2007 New in the Music Library / April 16, 2007 New in the Music Library / April 9, 2007 New in the Music Library / April 2, 2007 New in the Music Library / March 26, 2007 New in the Music Library / March 12, 2007 New in the Music Library / March 5, 2007 Of Montreal New in the Music Library / February 26, 2007 New in the Music Library / February 20, 2007 New in the Music Library / February 13, 2007 New in the Music Library / February 6, 2007 New in the Music Library / January 30, 2007 New in the Music Library / January 23, 2007 New in the Music Library / January 16, 2007 New in the Music Library / January 9, 2007 New in the Music Library / December 5, 2006 Akron/Family XIU XIU DANIELSON Brawdcast J Dilla Little Brother Ladytron Danger Doom Of Montreal Edan Millencolin The Perceptionists Spoon The Decemberists Braille Aesop Rock Sage Francis M.I.A. Bright Eyes De La Soul The Futureheads Another look at "The New Danger" Elliot Smith Kid Dakota Q And Not U Mos Def - The New Danger Arcade Fire Saul Williams Twilight Singers Diplo The Fiery Furnaces Badly Drawn Boy Taking Back Sunday The Roots The Streets Wilco Piebald RJD2 Pedro The Lion Felix Da Housecat The Hafler Trio Pan Sonic Audio Karate Gift of Gab The Liars Danger Mouse El-P Onelinedrawing Fat Cat Compilation Ninja Tune Remix Retrospective Mochipet Ninja Tune Compilation The Get Up Kids Deerhoof Decomposure Nurse With Wound The Walkmen Ride Meat Beat Manifesto Squarepusher Air Mathew Dear Kid 606 Telefon Tel Aviv Jaylib Lucero Plastikman Pimmon David Dondero The Books Wheat Azure Ray Photek Drum and Bass Compilation The Decemberists Her Space Holiday Plaid Luke Vibert Mates of State Aesop Rock [The User] Klute The Shins Lyrics Born Kid Koala Chris Clark Mojave 3 Atmosphere Patric C. Meat Beat Manifesto Death Cab For Cutie King Geedorah Alec Empire Christoph De Babalon Enon Stereophonics Northern State Bonobo Kid 606 Amon Tobin Black Box Recorder Motion City Soundtrack Merzbow Monty Alexander Fall Out Boy Rob Dougan Mu-ziq Madlib Thrice London Elektricity Tricky Pinback Adult Abstract Polygon The Cinematic Orchestra Mars Volta Ugly Duckling Yoshimi and Yuka Nobukazu Takemura Hint Lagwagon Four Tet Loren Connors Ed Harcourt Catherine Irwin

 

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