Editorial Review

Battling his own personal demons while he has been highly coveted as a producer for other bands, singer/songwriter Mark Linkous' output with his own Sparklehorse has been as irregular as it is ingenious. And it's been five years since the candid album Read more

Reviews (2)

Light years of dreaming
Oh, heavens. Every song, every moment was worth waiting for.
I dreamt for light years...
It's been five long years since Sparklehorse's "It's A Wonderful Life," which is probably the most "ordinary" album Mark Linkous has ever produced. But the mysterious Linkous returns to his peak with"Dreamt For Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain," his fourth album full of unpredictable indie-rock.
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Subjects:  1. Alternative Country-Rock    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Dream Pop    4. Indie Rock    5. Noise Pop    6. Pop    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Immaculately prolific and blatantly ambitious, My Morning Jacket celebrate eight years as a recording band with what many refer to as a death knell: the double live album. Yet it takes but a single listen to declare that the brass neck and bravado pays off for this Kentucky band of longhairs, which released the 21-song epic as a companion piece to their concert DVD. Songwriter and singer Jim James's howling falsetto ricochets through MMJ's backlog of songs, which have been reenergized for the stage by the band's airtight live-show mettle. Dusting off remnants of the first two records like "I Think I'm Going to Hell" and the stunning "The Way That He Sings," then lining them up with the more contemporary "Gideon" and "What a Wonderful Man," MMJ never take their foot off the gas. In fact, rather than getting bogged down in concert-album fashion, Read more

Features

• Live

Reviews (7)

One of the greatest live albums of all-time ****1/2
My Morning Jacket is an incredible band.I knew I could always count on them to release a solid psychedelic, southern rock record.But when "Z" came out in 2005, I was absolutely speechless; there was finally a band in the United States to compete with Radiohead, and incidentally, "Z" is probably the best album released since "Ok Computer."It took the band to a whole new level.They went from being solid to superstars; from doing obscure music magazine interviews to releasing a concert in indie theaters across the country.
The ultimate live album from the best live act these days
My Morning Jacket has steadily been climbing the commercial and critical recongition in the last 6 years, with 2005's "Z" album ranking easily as one of the best albums of last year. MMJ has built its reputation as a tireless live act, and finally MMJ releases a live album, and what a joy it is.
JamBase CD Review
The whole idea of a live album can be a bit tricky for all bands, especially for a great band like the Kentucky boys of My Morning Jacket. Let's face it - out of all the groundbreaking artists of the past 40 years who've cut a live one, about 90 percent of them seem to be sub-par. And no, the live downloaded Phish and .moe bootlegs that you listened to in your college dorm while sucking on a glass Jerome Baker piece don't count. Sure, the concerts at which they were recorded must've been enjoyable for the fans, but it can be very taxing when attempting to capture the essence of what it's like being there as a concertgoer in that exact moment. A double-disc album, Okonokos was recorded last November during a two-night stint at The Fillmore in San Francisco, while touring in support of their latest release Z, which was on many critics' year-end top ten lists. Okonokos exhibits the majestic semblance of MMJ's live shows and proves that they are not a jam band but instead a band that just knows how to jam.
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Subjects:  1. Alternative Country-Rock    2. Indie Pop    3. Neo-Psychedelia    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. United States of America   

Editorial Review

The third and final CD in a series that opens and closes a day in the life, Read more

Reviews (28)

Yorn sounds revitalized
Pete Yorn could've just as easily entitled his remarkable 2001 debut
The Best Mix In 20 Years!
I have no idea why people are so hung up on Pete's first album Musicforthemorningafter. Artists change, mature and hopefully never get stuck in a rut. Pete has proven he has indeed taken a huge leap forward. I thought it would be hard to improve on one of the best live sounding albums around, Live From New Jersey, as the balance of everything on that album was near perfect! But Pete did not rest on his past and proved it wasn't a fluke and has engineered one of the best sounding albums I've heard since the 80s. The album is extremely diverse and shows the many tools that Pete possesses. It goes from super pop hits like For Us and Alive, to a southern twang with The Man, to electro with Georgie Boy, to a mellow Jim Croce and James Taylor like vibe with Ice Age. With every song you'll swear you hear a little bit of your favorite bands over the years. This is indeed Pete's best work to date and shows the best is yet to come.

Decent Modern Rock CD with Variety, But Not Outstanding
Three and a half stars.
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Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Pop    3. Rock    4. Rock/Pop    5. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

The warm melancholy of Gary Lightbody's voice makes for a versatile instrument on Snow Patrol's Read more

Reviews (177)

Once again fooled by the wannabee critics!
I got burned again. I thought Snow Patrol's "Final Straw" would be a 4 star rating, which meant it would be a good buy. Instead, I get a CD that does not have what it takes to be seriously impressed. I read one review that claimed it was perfect in every way (really!) and the emotion and enthusiasm of such and others that follow made me buy this CD. One or two songs perhaps but not the CD I expected. They are an average band but certainly lacking the genius that some of the better groups have. From now on I will try to read between the lines when using people's review to make my purchasing of music decisions. Yes, I sound like a whiner and probably I am when it comes to being let down. Do not get me wrong, I usually value the good advice of individuals such as myself that share their opinions. Some of these opinions are awesome, right on the money! Then again, I do understand that for one listener it might be the most beatiful thing to hit the airwaves and everyone is entitled to their opinion. Where I get confused is when I read the average stars of the reviewers and they say 4 or more stars. Then I like to believe this is something special, perhaps to be bought immediately. Sadly, this is not the case of Snow Patrol's "Final Straw". Adjectives like boring, uneventful, average come to mind, nothing to write home about it, that is for sure! Just telling it like I feel them, I love music, can't live without it and I am forever on the look for originality, talent and awesome performers. There are far and few, but Snow Patrol does not fit the bill. 3* at the most.

Very Nice
Why isn't this band more popular?They remind me of Keane, Reindeer Section (they share members), Pete Yorn (I'd swear the second track is by him), and early Radiohead.The whole album is good but tracks one and two are standouts.Someone already said this in their review but I'll say it again; it's beautiful and melodic.The album zips by and you're left saying, "wow".

this is a great band.
i have to say i'm not quite up with alot of new bands. i have my own personal favorites that i stick with. every once in awhile you stumble across a new band you hear of. this band "SNOW PATROL" i found out quite by accident.
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Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Indie Rock    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop    6. Twee Pop   

Editorial Review

Writer and director Zach Braff does a masterful job matching the charming, heartfelt tone of films like Read more

Features

• Soundtrack

Reviews (297)

Zach Braff REALLY knows what rocks.
The soundtrack CD to Zach Braff's "Garden State" pulls an impressive double coup: simultaneously it's one of the best movie soundtrack CDs of recent years and also one of the best rock music compilations. There isn't a single dud song on this disc, and several of them--such as "In the Waiting Line" (Zero 7), "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You" (Colin Hay), "Blue Eyes" (Cary Brothers), "One of These Things First" (Nick Drake), "Such Great Heights" (Iron and Wine), and "Let Go" (Frou Frou) have become favorites of mine. Braff also does music listeners everywhere a vital service by reviving "The Only Living Boy in New York," probably the least known of the truly great Simon & Garfunkel songs. The soundtrack to "Garden State" is not only great listening on its own, but it succeeds spectacularly in doing what every soundtrack CD ought to do: it makes me want to see the movie again.

Greatest sound track ever
So, my girlfriend and I saw this movie some time ago and fell in love instantly. Half way through the movie we knew that we had to buy this sound track. I mean seriously, Ive never heard one better. If this is your kind of music, you will love almost every song on this CD. There is only 1 we seem to agree not to like, but that should in no way stop you from getting all the other great tracks from this album. Now when we watch the movie, every song that comes on we have to jump up and say "that's my favorite" from the opening scene to the end credits. Listening to this sound track will truely make this movie one of your favorites, if it wasnt already. A+ in my book!

Fine collection!
Selected by the actor/director and writer himself - Zach Bach, he did an impressive job of hand picking songs that embodied the emotional fine points of the movie. Not only do these tracks magnificently harmonize the movie, the songs complement each other seamlessly, and when put together, it created something fantastic as if the tracks should have never been apart to begin with.
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Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. British Folk    3. Indie Pop    4. Indie Rock    5. Pop    6. Singer/Songwriter    7. Soundtrack    8. Soundtracks    9. Soundtracks & Film Scores   

Editorial Review

For its first new set of music since 2000's Read more

Features

• Enhanced
• Explicit Lyrics

Reviews (2040)

One Of The Greatest Cd's Of Our Time
Epic and anthemic, and yet every track can be listened to without the others.It tells a great story and has a great set of characters.Jesus of Suburbia and Homecoming particularly stick out in my mind.If you don't have it already, get it.

You tell 'em
OK, fair enough, Green Day were the first band with the guts to actually call the Bush administration out for what it is (or what they think it is, anyways).I'm puzzled how people can say the lyrics don't even make sense - I have no problem figuring out what the songs are about!That's the lyrical review - 5 stars.I'm not a fan of punk rock so I can't fairly review this CD in musical terms, so I gave it the 3 stars of middle ground.The average # stars is therefore 4 stars.(I wonder if the people who can't figure out the meaning of the lyrics, will be able to follow that.)
Brainless, mindless trash...if you like Greenday...you must be a retard.
Green Day is a completely talentless pop rock band.Ths type of music takes no talent what so ever.Its three chords played on a guitar...and nothing more.Then they put those three chords through a bunch of distortion and fuzz boxes to mask the lack of talent.Well Greenday, you little bas.ards didn't fool me with your noisy guitar pop.I know a lack of talent when I hear it, and Green Day are absolutely talentless at playing their instruments.And what are these lyrics anyway?Half the time you can't even understand what these punks are saying because the music is such a noisy guitar pop racket.And whenever the lyrics are audible, they sound stu.pid and don't make any sense."The New Media"?"The Redneck Agenda"?Lyrics like that are such a bunch of pseudo intellectual nonsense that its almost laughable.Green Day are a bunch of juvenile delinquents who probably aren't even old enough to vote, let alone know anything about politics.And the harder they try to be intelligent, the more idiotic they sound.SO Green Day, please stop writing those pseudo intellectual "social commentary" tunes that take no talent.You don't sound smart.You don't sound intelligent.Every word you sing on your pseudo intellectual "rock operas" just shows your ignorance abou t the topic you're writing about.ANd Green Day fans...how can you actually enjoy this noisy, three chord, guitar pop racket? How can you like listening to a bunch of bratty juveniledelinquents from the suburbs shooting their mouths off about politics when their knowledge is limited to riding skateboards, smoking joints, and playing 3 chords on a guitar?I'm begining to think that in order to be a Greenday fan, one must not have a brain cell.After all, that's the only way one could listen to this brainless, mindless cr.ap.Come on Green Day fans, this CD isn't a five star unless you're reta.rded. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Pop    4. Punk Revival    5. Punk-Pop    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop    8. United States of America   

Reviews (26)

Can't stop listening to it!
From the first chords of this CD I knew this was going to be different.By Track three I had determined that this was the CD I had hoped would follow up their first.Don't get me wrong, I love JOC but this album goes back to the relestless faith of "Flood".The plaintive cries for God's help and grace resonate within this piece.No, every lyric is not pop and uplifting but then neither is every Psalm. This is a journey through hurt and pain to a beautiful afterlife. This is the Christian journey.
Different, not great, but worthy enough
Jars' latest album, as all their other albums, pales in comparison to their self titled album.Work is a sweet song, really catchy and fun, with great lines like "I have no fear of drowning; it's the breathing that's taking all this work."The rest of the album just doesn't cut it.They lack really powerful substance in their lyrics.Good Monsters, sounds a little bit like something from The Click Five and Mirrors and Smoke sounds like Johnny Cash.Oh My God is a good song.This isn't a great offering by Jars, but good enough.The are no songs on this album as good as the Valley Song or Jealous Kind.

An Epic Christian Rock Album
I love the first Jars of Clay cd, but I would have to say that this one is the best! The crunchy rocker "Work" sets the tone. I love the line "I have no fear of drowning, it is the breathing that's taking all this work." How true!
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Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative CCM    3. CCM    4. Christian    5. Pop    6. Rock   

Editorial Review

Longtime listeners have seen it coming:it was only a matter of time before John Mayer dropped the pop star pretense and proved he could really bring it. Chalk it up to one too many Dave Matthews comparisons, or the cupcake-sweet residue stuck to his image after the success of "Your Body Is a Wonderland"--but something convinced Mayer it was time to take him game to the next level. With help from studio pros Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino, he succeeds on Read more

Features

• Live

Reviews (208)

Johnny We Hardly Knew Ya
Holly cow! This guy has been doing a little wood sheddin'. I have Heavier Things and it occasionally makes its way into the CD player and then back to the shelf. Try! stays in the CD player. A very impressive piece of work. Great song selections that carry a little more import than some of Mayer's own pop-oriented writing. But it's really the guitar playing, backed by this incredible rhythm section, that stands out. Mayer set out to prove something to his audience on this disc, establishing himself as a musician to be taken seriously, and he pulls it off convincingly. When you play in a trio format there is nowhere to hide, and Mayer stands at the front of this band and rocks. This is the best CD I've heard in a long time. Its reassuring to know that with all the drivel you hear on the radio, someone still has the integrity to break through the [...] and put out an exceptional CD.

What a concert album should be--a milestone for Mayer
. . .I am probably the newest passenger on the John Mayer Love Train here. The first song I ever heard was "Vultures" at 4:00pm the day I saw him in concert that night with Sheryl Crow in Indianapolis, three days before "Continuum" hit the market. I got to hear him sing it live that night.While waiting for Continuum to come out, I ordered "Try" solely to have "Vultures,""I Got a Woman," and "Good Love is on the Way" (I hope he'll release a studio version of this awesome rocker!) to tide me over, so to speak.But what made me a true believer once I got this thing in my hands was hearing "Out of My Mind."Close your eyes and you'll swear that Ray Charles is singing and Stevie Ray Vaughn is playing the guitar.But no--apparently this is John's composition, played and sung by John with--dare it I say it?--SOUL.And it's not even the peak of the concert.There's lots more to come.The encore section is 20 minutes long, including a raw rocking version of "Something's Missing."Yes, I have to ignore the sexist lyrics of "I Got A Woman" and just listen to that blues guitar wail, but after all, he didn't write that one.Mr. Charles did. There's a lot of variety here--a fun, funky cover of Hendrix' "Wait Until Tomorrow", "Daughters" (for those of us who can't get enough of "classic John"). The "green" song that follows "Out of My Mind" reminds me of the Beatles circa 1969."Vultures" rocks, of course--the only thing missing are the keyboard parts from the "Continuum" version.I love the way he ends this one--it fades out to him and this little funky rhythmic thing.
I Ain't Impressed A'TALL
OK, John Mayer, whoop-whoop; I saw him on "Austin City Limits" awhile back, and I (AND my Wife, too!) thought it was Nelson Mandela's step-son, Dave Matthews.And now, he's gone and 86'd Jessica ("What...ME worry?") Simpson, too."Fifteen Munutes of Fame," Johnny...OK, all THAT aside: I don't know who Mayer is (ahem) "cozy" with, because, like Johnny Lang and the aforementioned Matthews, he HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO SAY.And, again: all THAT aside, how did this @#$% manage to get the Who's bass player and Keef's drummer to provide the thythm section for this mess?Save your money,or go buy Tony Joe White's newest CD. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Album Rock    3. Alternative Pop/Rock    4. Blues-Rock    5. Pop    6. Pop/Rock    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

It's common knowledge that solo albums are simply an excuse for a frustrated band member to indulge their experimental sides and Rob Thomas, singer for decidedly M.O.R. multiplatinum rockers Matchbox Twenty is not one to pass on the opportunity. Having already explored the classic rock thing through his collaborations with Mick Jagger and Santana, Thomas goes the other way here with results that are unexpected, and, sometimes totally unbelievable. He veers from modern R&B on the Justin Timberlake-aping "Lonely No More" to vintage prog-rock in "All That I Am," touching on all points in between. There are a few nods to the Matchbox canon with "Ever the Same" and "This Is How a Heart Breaks" but, as the title suggests, this is an album about finding himself. For the moment, Thomas is still searching. The DualDisc portion features 5.1 surround sound, a 20-minute documentary on the making of the album by filmmaker Gillian Grisman, plus the holiday tune, "Christmas in New York."Read more

Features

• DualDisc

Reviews (220)

It's probably a good CD
but I wouldn't know because when I got my copy (not ordered from Amazon) it was this super thick disk that was bigger than all my other CD's and won't fit in my CD player.As a result I'm afraid to try it in my car becuase I don't want it to get stuck.
Rob Thomas is one to watch...
His singing style is very unique as are his lyrics.He has an eclectic mix of love songs, "we are the world" type songs and a few others on this album.He has the staying power for long the long term and I would love to see him mature throughout the years and watch to see where he goes.I loved Streetcorner Symphony!It is so upbeat it can pull me out of whatever is ailing me.Lonely No More is my theme song for right now in my life - needless to say I am replaying grooves in that one!Enjoy this album - I sure do!

In a word... horrifying
I must admit, I kind of like Matchbox 20. I never went out and bought their albums, but songs like "Push" and "The Real World" do bring back some good memories of the mid-to-late-90's (although the late '90s was when pop culture first began to truly suffer).
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Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. American Trad Rock    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Post-Grunge    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

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Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (166)

Covers the basics, but Legacy: The Absolute Best is a better comp
Okay, don't get me wrong, I love the Doors - they made some of the greatest American music (along with Dylan and the Velvet Underground) during the British Invasion days, and their music has not dated in the least. And this two-disc, nineteen-track comp does do a good job of rounding up the bare essentials (Light My Fire, Break On Through, The End, Love Me Two Times, The Unknown Soldier, Five to One, Hello I Love You, Touch Me, Roadhouse Blues, Riders on the Storm, L.A. Woman), it's missing some very important songs, most notably Peace Frog (an inexcusable omission), plus Soul Kitchen, Not to Touch the Earth, Moonlight Drive, Twentieth Century Fox, Back Door Man and a few other good ones that managed to make it on Legacy: The Absolute Best. And why Alabama Song was included in the place of any of the above songs is simply inexcusable - in my mind, that's one of the group's weaker songs (along with Touch Me, while I'm ranting). That said, it's not at all a bad way at all to get into the Doors, and tends to be less expensive than Legacy. So if you need the absolute basics, and nothing more, this would be a good way to get them in one fell swoop. But if you want to dig a bit deeper, that's what Legacy's for.

For your own good, please don't buy this!
This two disc set just barely brushes the surface of what the Doors have to offer.Here are some awesome, essential Doors songs you'll be missing out on, just to name a few:
A papier mache hero.
The "Lizard King" was a hero of the "counterculture" until 3/1/1969.Then, he turned into a cowering wimp!!!When it came to assaulting traditional American values, the "Lizard King" was awesome.See: the Ed Sullivan Show, the Singer Bowl riot, his Oedipal days at the Whiskey, etc.However, when the powers that be finally decided to push back, the "Lizard King" became a professional victim-a misunderstood artist who simply had "something to say."He whined about how everyone was out to get him.That's why the "conterculture" failed.They were good at pushing, but, when it came to pushing back, they were exposed for what they were: a bunch of bed-wetters.Thirty-eight years on, it's no surprise that America never "broke on through."Hey Ray, John, and Robbie: your fearless leader turned into a gutless turd!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Hard Rock    3. Pop    4. Pop/Rock    5. Popular Music    6. Proto-Punk    7. Psychedelic    8. Rock    9. Rock & Roll    10. Rock/Pop   

Reviews (5)

A return to form while still progressing.
I find this album to be my favorite since Semantic Spaces, but in its own way.They definitely started down a particular path with Karma onward, but Chimera and Poem just didn't grab me.This one does, and shakes hard.I found myself moved to tears in some spots, much like the first time I heard "Silence" or "Flowers Become Screens" - it's somewhat less sensual, unfortunately, but still evocative, touching, moving.I'd been worried that things would turn too "pop" ever since Poem, but this represents a return to complexity I just didn't feel in those last two albums.

Enchanting
Delerium is one of my all time favorite bands. I have been a fan for several years now. I must admit their last studio album "Chimera" was far from perfect. There were some good songs but the album wasn't as good as "Karma" and "Poem" were to me. I was a bit nervous about the new album "Nuages du Monde" after my mild disappointment with "Chimera". Thankfully worries were put to rest. I found "Nuages du Monde" to be a real gem. I love the operatic sounds of "Angelicus". Isabel Bayrakdarian has a lovely voice and it matches well with the music. Gotta love Katherine Blake and the gals in Mediaevael Baebes. Their contributions to Delerium's music, past and present, is always a delight to hear. And it is always good to hear the enchanting vocals by Kristy Thirsk and Kirsty Hawkshaw. What would a Delerium cd be without their lovely ethereal voices? I just bought "Nuages du Monde" today and I am already listening to it for the second time which says a lot about what I think of the cd.

pretty sounding but lacks memorable songs
I'm a huge Delerium fan and own all their albums.I have sung their praises and turned friends onto their music.Their fifth album for Nettwerk Records, Nuages Du Monde (Clouds of the World) is lush, exotic, cinematic, and features a fine assortment of breathy female vocalists, however, the experience is like listening to sonic wallpaper.Songs meander aimlessly.The compositions are not all that memorable. The whole is not greater than the sum of the parts, unfortunately.
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Subjects:  1. Alternative Dance    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Techno   

Editorial Review

Loaded with lyrics about nightmares, pain, isolation and broken relationships, Read more

Features

• Enhanced

Reviews (78)

Great driving music
Ok, i bought this album because i liked the first one's sound.In that respect, one x did not disappoint in the least.They have creative, catchy riffs.The drums are simple but they work.The lead singer's voice does sound better in this effort than the first cd.I am pleased overall by the sound.
This is a great CD
This CD seems to have a lot of positive reviews, so I'll keep mine short.I saw Three Days Grace in concert as an opening band a few years ago, and I liked them so much I went out and bought their first CD.I really liked it, although there were a few songs on there I don't play that much.But, the other songs made the CD a major favorite of mine.
Well Rounded and Full of Power Musically and Emotionally
This is the first album in years that I have bought and enjoyed almost every song.Usually I buy two or three of the songs I like off of an album to save myself some money, but this was a great album.It's powerful lyrics, heavy riffs and overall full sound just blew me away at first listen.I have it in my car, and I haven't taken it out in over a week even when my total drive time is two hours a day.I am so impressed with the way they've matured and haven't sold out at all. A great rock album, one that I keep suggesting to all my friends. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Metal    2. Canada    3. Pop    4. Post-Grunge    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Reviews (63)

A review of reviews.
This review will begin by quoting from what I found to be the most helpful and entertaining reviews written up until this point.I will then offer a few thoughts of mine on the album.The quotes:
Mediocre at best.
You know why Trivium are the NEW Metallica??? BECAUSE THEY RIP THEM OFF IN EVERY ASPECT THEY CAN...
I like it, but not as much as Ascendancy
I'd give The Crusade a 3.5 star rating (I'd give Ascendancy 4.5...I love that record).I like The Crusade a lot, but it took a few listens to grow on me.It's an entertaining listen with solid riffs and nice leads and solos.Some of the lyrics are good, some not so...I do appreciate the obvious political/spcial themes of some of the tracks.I do like the singing, as I'm an old school metal fan, and I don't consider it a sell-out as many have called it.However, I got to know Trivium through Ascendancy, and later Ember to Inferno, and the change on The Crusade kind of threw me for a loop even though I knew before hearing the album this was the direction they were taking.I used to hate the screaming and Ascendancy was one of the records that finally got me to "get over it."lolAnyway, this is a good record with obvious Metallica, Megadeth and Iron Maiden influence on it.If you like metal without the screaming, this is definitely worth picking up. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Metal    2. Pop    3. Rock    4. Rock/Pop   

Reviews (2)

Strange, twisted, and funny
The second I heard the song, "Crows," I knew I had to own this album.I know nothing of Lemony Snicket books, but I've a been a Magnetic Fields fan for awhile.So, after very awkwardly browsing the childrens' section at the bookstore, I was able to find a copy of this really great album.I was very happily surprised to find that this CD is more in line with Merritt's great early nineties albums (like Holiday, Wasps' Nests, and The New Despair) rather than i or (shudder) Showtunes.This is a great mix of synths and traditional instruments (if you consider an electric sitar "traditional").The lyrics are very depressing/weird/funny/moving depending on the song, though some are all four.
The Gothic Archies' strongest outing yet...
...and one of Stephin Merritt's most memorable, and by far the funniest.On this album he is doing what he does best: being a glum old curmudgeon-popster with tongue wedged squarely in cheek.No knowledge of the Lemony Snicket books is needed.There are a number of direct references in several of the songs, but the lyrics stand on their own quite well, particular in numbers such as Freakshow, Shipwrecked, How Do You Slow This Thing Down?, and A Million Mushrooms.Expect an expertly crafted mixture of glum yet surprisingly catchy arrangements coupled with more of Merritt's hilariously morose lyrics.Highly recommended! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Indie Pop    2. Indie Rock    3. Lo-Fi    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Coldplay required a lifetime to make their wonderfully assured debut,Read more

Reviews (1015)

Something Missing
I am not going to rate this particular album as compared to the other two Coldplay releases as they are all essentually the same quality.I really find that I enjoy listening to Coldplay, however it took a while to figure out why.I have decided that Coldplay represents to me what I miss from yesteryear on the radio, however, there is nothing groundbreaking or unique about Coldplay's music.For those younger people who believe Coldplay is the next this or that, well, they aren't.I think my biggest problem with Coldplay is they lack an identity of their own, which is why there is so much debate on who they sound like.Throughout their collection, I hear U2, Dave Matthews, Depeche Mode, the softer Smashing Pumpkins, and even Soundgarden (Daylight).Maybe it is commendable that they remind me of so many other bands, as it suggests they are not one dimensional.
great album
Coldplay rocks! rocking, yet raw and spiritual, simple and moody, yet uplifting. "Politik" rocks while "clocks" is a beautiful and earthy song. Other standout tracks include "The Scientist", "in my place" and "amsterdam" great album, buy it if you dont already have it.

Coldplay's "A Rush of Blood to the Head"
This is a quietly brilliant album by Coldplay. There's something for everyone here, from the rocking "Politik" to the celestial, beautiful "Clocks". I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Rock/Pop