Albums

Before the weekly Digests there was the Album of the Week: Five years of reviews of TMN’s favorite new releases, major and minor.

New Order, Waiting for the Sirens’ Call

Except for 1985’s Low-Life and 1986’s Brotherhood, New Order has never been a band to release albums too frequently. Since… (Albums | March 30, 2005)

British Sea Power, Open Season

In 2003 the boys in pith helmets released their debut album, The Decline and Fall of British Sea Power, which,… (Albums | March 16, 2005)

…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Worlds Apart

This review is two weeks late. And I know that there could be many very believable reasons for this, but… (Albums | February 8, 2005)

The Tears, Live in Heaven

In 1992 Suede was hailed by the notoriously excitable Melody Maker magazine as “The Best Band in Britain”—before they even… (Albums | January 18, 2005)

Sonoma Aero, Sonoma Aero EP

This stunning debut EP from new-ish New York Band Sonoma Aero features waves of tough, confident guitar-bass-drum combos reminiscent of… (Albums | December 7, 2004)

The Arcade Fire, Funeral

A predictable choice? Fine. It’s the name on everybody’s lips…even the band’s own: Lead singer Win Butler quipped, “Hi, we’re… (Albums | October 19, 2004)

Two Lone Swordsmen, From the Double Gone Chapel

Isn’t this supposed to be techno? Er, electronica or whatever? And yet it sounds so un-manufactured. So handmade and crafted,… (Albums | July 27, 2004)

Heligoland, Shift These Thoughts

If you are one of the people who can imagine music that’s a precise combination of His Name is Alive,… (Albums | July 14, 2004)

The Cure, The Cure

After a decade in the wilderness, mired in irrelevance, the Cure, at last? After misconceived covers of Bowie and the… (Albums | June 29, 2004)

The Thermals, Fuckin A

Punk rock, though its definitions vary, can be seen wherever a message determines its music. If that’s true, then the… (Albums | June 22, 2004)

Rhythm of Black Lines, Human Hand, Animal Band

From a world borne of one part heretofore-unimagined prog beauty and a little bit of Austin, Tex., comes the latest… (Albums | June 15, 2004)

The Charlatans, Up at the Lake

The lead singer of the U.K.-based Charlatans, Tim Burgess, has lived in L.A. since 1998. The band’s two most recent… (Albums | May 25, 2004)

Morrissey, You are the Quarry

Morrissey has never seemed more relevant. The glory days of the Smiths are long, long gone, in fact are a… (Albums | May 11, 2004)

Xiu Xiu, Fabulous Muscles

Known as much for its abject refusal to bend to the rules of pop music as for its ability to… (Albums | April 27, 2004)

Ratatat, Ratatat

A two-man dueling-guitar and beats instrumental combo, Mike Stroud and Evan Mast (who’s also known and loved as electronic percussion… (Albums | April 20, 2004)

Lansing-Dreiden, The Incomplete Triangle

The incomplete triangle’s three sides face a reflective horizon. Its three-sided face disappears into a black mirror. You can oftentimes… (Albums | April 6, 2004)

Phoenix, Alphabetical

Four years ago Phoenix released their debut album United, a partly ironic, partly dance-y, altogether fascinating Gallic amalgam of funk,… (Albums | March 30, 2004)

Tulsa Drone, No Wake

The instrumental explorations of Richmond’s Tulsa Drone spread across a stark, moody landscape that equally recalls the prog rock of… (Albums | March 23, 2004)

The Elected, Me First

The Elected makes a kind of beautiful, traditional pop music that jumps deep into your heart and lives with you,… (Albums | March 16, 2004)

Decibully, City of Festivals

Formed from parts of The Promise Ring and Camden, and with a history that’s too confusing to even attempt recounting,… (Albums | March 2, 2004)

The Secret Machines, Now Here is Nowhere

Crunching and pulsing with some sort of covert messages from a cold, dead star, The Secret Machines are back. What… (Albums | February 3, 2004)

Suede, Dog Man Star Live at the I.C.A.

Though not an official release, last September’s shows in London were so spectacular that they deserve to be. Until these… (Albums | January 20, 2004)

Lying in States, Most Every Night

The debut LP from this Chicago quintet reveals a band with more than a fair share of ability tucked under… (Albums | January 13, 2004)

Belle and Sebastian, Dear Catastrophe Waitress

One could be forgiven for missing out on Dear Catastrophe Waitress. After all, it seemed Belle and Sebastian’s star had… (Albums | January 6, 2004)

The Charlatans, Tellin’ Stories

Rob Collins, 1963–1996. That’s what this album meant to a lot of people. That organ sound, it’s what made The… (Albums | November 25, 2003)

Explosions in the Sky, The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place

Austin’s Explosions in the Sky continue their foray into intricate, driving instrumental mayhem and glory with The Earth Is Not… (Albums | November 18, 2003)

Winfred E. Eye, The Dirt Tier

This is the kind of music the punk-rock farmhands make when they head back to their quarters for late-night jams,… (Albums | November 4, 2003)

The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow

Oh, oh, oh, Oh, Inverted World was nothing short of mind-blowing, which means the follow-up from The Shins, Chutes Too… (Albums | October 21, 2003)

TRS-80, Shake Hands With Danger

Part One TRS-80 is a band, not a computer! Part Two Actually, it used to be a computer, and it… (Albums | September 30, 2003)

The Badger King, Break Up + The Showering Dragons

The Badger King broke up? Nope, but they got four new songs along with two new remixes of songs off… (Albums | September 23, 2003)

The Emerald Down, Aquarium EP; A Study in Her, Auto-Amputation

Not in Oxford (OX4, for some of you), not in Reading, not anywhere in the U.K., in fact, but in… (Albums | September 15, 2003)

Colder, Again

Colder is Marc Nguyen Tan, a Parisian producer and designer who, yes, probably has every single Factory Records album in… (Albums | September 8, 2003)

Stars, Heart

‘I am Evan and this is my heart.’ ‘I am Amy and this is my heart.’ ‘I am Chris, this… (Albums | September 2, 2003)

T-minus Band, Four Legs to Three

T-minus Band is known for three things: 1) that it’s a true DIY project if ever there were one; 2)… (Albums | July 21, 2003)

Dead Meadow, Shivering King and Others

Dead Meadow is dirty, dirty psychedelic rock of the Blue Cheer variety. In fact, so much of the sound is… (Albums | June 1, 2003)

Mercury Rev, Deserter’s Songs

I’ve long held a belief in the twin, astral spirits of Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips. Maybe it’s not… (Albums | May 20, 2003)

Sterling, Sterling

Chicago’s Sterling is a maelstrom of wonderfully technical, instrumental rock. Oh my, a ‘maelstrom.’ Yes, that’s what I said. But,… (Albums | April 21, 2003)

The Stone Roses, Second Coming

‘It sounds like tree frogs.’ ‘It sucks.’ ‘Did Ian Brown just spend the last five years making field recordings?’… (Albums | April 10, 2003)

Dif Juz, Soundpool

Dif Juz, however you’re meant to pronounce it, is music for music dorks such as myself. Soundpool presents the quartet’s… (Albums | March 23, 2003)

The Thermals, More Parts Per Million

The Thermals are from Portland, Oregon. The Thermals are Hutch Harris and Kathy Foster (Hutch & Kathy, the All-Girl Summer… (Albums | March 6, 2003)

Red House Painters, Retrospective

Mark Kozelek is arguably one of the greatest songwriters of all time. And most humorously self-effacing. Which may be why… (Albums | February 20, 2003)

The Pale Saints, The Comforts of Madness

The Pale Saints: they were kind of like a cross between My Bloody Valentine and the Wedding Present. No, maybe… (Albums | February 13, 2003)

The Rolling Stones, Aftermath

Last year’s Rolling Stones remasters gave much more than just an improved audio experience, they also showed stateside listeners the… (Albums | January 30, 2003)

Calla, Televise

It’s only January and already there’s a contender for Album of the Year. And, yes, this is it. What does… (Albums | January 24, 2003)

The Malarkies, 10,000 Back Doors

‘The packaging of each CD is unique. Hand-printed with linoleum block lettering, each step of the printing process took several… (Albums | January 16, 2003)

Ride, Nowhere

shoegazing (n): to stare at one’s shoes, typically while (whilst) playing loud, effects-laden guitar pop; coined to describe the stage… (Albums | December 5, 2002)

Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Yanqui U.X.O.

I like to say that I’ve been trying to spread the gospel according to Godspeed You Black Emperor! for the… (Albums | November 21, 2002)

Sigur Ros, ( )

If Godspeed You Black Emperor! looked out the window and said, ‘You know, maybe the world isn’t a vast, apocalyptic… (Albums | October 31, 2002)

Beck, Sea Change

‘I’m sorry, sir, but you can’t board the ship now.’ ‘What do you mean? I have a ticket.’ ‘Very good,… (Albums | October 24, 2002)

The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds

My brother, easily the most knowledgeable scholar of Beatle lore I’ve ever known, introduced me to Pet Sounds long, long… (Albums | October 17, 2002)

The Kinks, Something Else By The Kinks

‘Waterloo Sunset’ is one of the best songs ever recorded by anyone ever. And of course that’s an overstatement. Nevertheless,… (Albums | September 26, 2002)

Three Mile Pilot, Another Desert, Another Sea

Pete: And how do you take your coffee, Agent Cooper? Cooper: Black as midnight on a moonless night. Pete: Pret-ty… (Albums | September 5, 2002)

Interpol, Turn On The Bright Lights

Four terms this column will not use to describe the album: ‘Joy Division,’ ‘Ian Curtis,’ ‘New Wave,’ ‘Eighties.’ One that… (Albums | August 29, 2002)

The Badger King, The Tongue and Tooth

Don’t be fooled: yes, the first track of the EP, ‘The She Trilogy,’ begins just like The Who’s ‘Baba O’Riley.’… (Albums | August 8, 2002)

David Bowie, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

The 30th anniversary of the release of David Bowie’s glam-rock magnum opus—and the album that defined the genre—is commemorated with… (Albums | July 25, 2002)

Hot Snakes, Suicide Invoice

Full-throttle, straight-up Rock and Roll. Blow-your-mind, wreck-your-house Rock and Roll. This is Rock and Roll. At least, what we think… (Albums | July 18, 2002)

Sonic Youth, Murray Street

Sonic Youth’s new album—their sixteenth—is named after the block in Lower Manhattan where their studio is located. Murray Street is… (Albums | July 9, 2002)

DJ Shadow, Private Press

This, the long-awaited follow-up to 1996’s monumental Endtroducing…, was worth it. Worth every month, worth every day. It’s catchy, it’s… (Albums | June 20, 2002)

Xiu Xiu, Knife Play

This is a very personal album. A look at singer Jamie Stewart’s message on the cover sticker says it immediately:… (Albums | June 13, 2002)

Interpol, Interpol EP

Three new songs from New York City’s Interpol. Their recent signing to Matador has definitely given them access to higher… (Albums | June 6, 2002)

The Mere, The Mere

Athens, Georgia’s The Mere is Jacob Flint. Oh, the name? It’s because he ‘wanted a band name that was short… (Albums | May 30, 2002)

Moviola, Rumors of the Faithful

Dirty, soulful pop reminiscent of Alex Chilton, The Byrds, and Neil Young. Kind of. Okay, no—here’s what it’s like: all… (Albums | May 16, 2002)

Skywave, Don’t Say Slow

Soaring, searing noise-pop reminiscent of The Jesus and Mary Chain’s best moments, this EP from up-and-coming Virginia band Skywave is… (Albums | May 9, 2002)

Unwound, Leaves Turn Inside You

This, the most recent Unwound record, is among their finest work—and that’s saying a lot, given their history of creating… (Albums | March 13, 2002)

…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Source Tags & Codes

Long renowned for their incendiary live shows and penchant for violently, physically tearing through the perceived wall between stage and… (Albums | February 27, 2002)

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Boatman’s Call

‘Poignant’ may be an overused word. Poignant books, poignant movies, poignant moments. But nothing is as poignant as this album,… (Albums | February 20, 2002)

Cocteau Twins, Heaven or Las Vegas

Crisp, ethereal beauty, from the masters of the field. The Cocteau Twins’ so often take great steps in differing their… (Albums | February 13, 2002)

Interpol, Precipitate EP

Raw, inspiring arrangements and memorable, unique methods of song development make Interpol’s debut EP the finest release from an NYC… (Albums | February 6, 2002)

Soviet, We Are Eyes, We Are Builders

It could be argued that NYC’s Soviet are part of the city’s current fascination with all things ‘80s. And that… (Albums | January 30, 2002)

The Emerald Down, Scream The Sound

The Emerald Down harnesses an obvious love for the shoegazer scene of the early ‘90s, matching it with more modern… (Albums | January 23, 2002)

Stina Nordenstam, This is Stina Nordenstam

Swedish chanteuse Stina Nordenstam surprises with an eclectic mix of musical styles and influences, aided to unforgettable effect on two… (Albums | January 16, 2002)

Tarentel, The Order of Things

Disruptive, foreboding, (and mostly) instrumental, The Order of Things (a reference to French Structuralist Michel Foucault?) is often a somber… (Albums | January 2, 2002)

Rhythm of Black Lines, Set a Summery Table

Rhythm of Black Lines makes invigorating, sweeping Prog, as elusive as it is enchanting, with guitar, bass, and drums individually—and… (Albums | December 19, 2001)

David Bowie, Station to Station

Because his cocaine use at the time was so heavy, David Bowie does not remember 1976, the year this album… (Albums | December 12, 2001)

Polvo, Today’s Active Lifestyles

Awkward and backwards, North Carolina’s Polvo surprises at every turn. ‘Is this the part? No, wait, here it comes.’ Repeated… (Albums | December 5, 2001)

Yes, Fragile

Prog rock at one of its finest moments, though perhaps not at its most ambitious (and that should probably be… (Albums | November 28, 2001)

My Bloody Valentine, Loveless

A mind-searing epic of beauty, 1991’s Loveless is an album that, in itself, spawned thousands of bands, and changed the… (Albums | November 21, 2001)

Bedhead, Transaction de Novo

At one point I was a fanatic for the lazy, droning sounds of Bedhead, and I went to every show… (Albums | November 14, 2001)

…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Relative Ways EP

The first offering from the Trail of Dead since 1999’s Madonna, the Relative Ways EP shows a band further tempering… (Albums | November 7, 2001)

Sonic Youth, Daydream Nation

Sonic Youth’s 1988 magnum opus is, indeed, one of the finest albums ever recorded by anyone. Not necessarily a concept… (Albums | October 31, 2001)

Mogwai, Young Team

This 1997 LP was the first Mogwai record I owned, given to me by a friend who bought it for… (Albums | October 24, 2001)

The Prima Donnas, Drugs, Sex & Discotheques

The Austin by way of Sussex (uh, right…) Prima Donnas—Otto Matik, Niki Holiday, and Julius Seizure—took our world by storm… (Albums | October 17, 2001)

Explosions in the Sky, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever

Instrumental bombast, everlasting beauty: a truly unforgettable album from what will certainly be an unforgettable band. While Explosions in the… (Albums | October 10, 2001)

T-minus Band, Technostalgia

Pure, precious pop: Alabama’s T-minus Band, consisting solely of songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Troy T., offers a delightful slice of all the music… (Albums | October 3, 2001)

Fridge, Happiness

This is delicate music—and perfect electronic/acoustic pop. A very direct comparison might be to Durutti Column, although Fridge create a… (Albums | September 26, 2001)

Chris Lee, Plays & Sings Torch’d Songs, Charivari Hymns & Oriki Blue-Marche

Showing more maturity and self-assurance than the self-titled debut of last year, Plays & Sings Torch’d Songs… shows an overt… (Albums | September 19, 2001)

Fugazi, Repeater

This record is highly recommended—inspiring, heartfelt, profoundly intense. Fugazi’s pleas for social responsibility and the devotion with which they approach… (Albums | September 12, 2001)

New Order, Get Ready

New Order make a triumphant return with Get Ready, their first record since 1993’s Republic. They’ve definitely tweaked their setup… (Albums | September 5, 2001)

The Faint, Danse Macabre

Do I hate to make another Faint album the album of the week so soon? No—not when it’s this good…. (Albums | August 29, 2001)

Public Image Ltd., The Flowers of Romance

Tribal, synth-laden—oh, and you better believe it’s avant-garde—this 1981 release from PiL is a head-trip of violence and beauty. John… (Albums | August 22, 2001)

Vitesse, Chelsea 27099

Bright, persistent synth-driven pop—just what’s needed to get us all (those in New York, anyway) out of this rain-fueled slump,… (Albums | August 15, 2001)

The Fall, This Nation’s Saving Grace

Abrasive? Anarchic? Just nuts? I don’t know and I don’t think they ever knew, either—or cared—and in that may be… (Albums | August 8, 2001)

Chris Clark, Clarence Park

Warp Records wunderkind Chris Clark will change the way you feel about experimental electronic music. Though continually pushing the envelope,… (Albums | August 1, 2001)

New Order, Technique

Right now it’s really hot in New York. Really hot. Something about the vacant, tropical, acid-house sound on this album… (Albums | July 25, 2001)

The Lies, Resigned

In this album San Francisco’s The Lies have crafted an intense, lovely, soaring effort that touches so many different levels… (Albums | July 11, 2001)

Adult., Resuscitation

Detroit’s Adult. (always written with the period) is detailed, nuanced, modern, electronic music for every activity that comes to mind…. (Albums | July 4, 2001)

Air, 10,000 Hz Legend

For the stutter beat in ‘Electronic Performers.’ For the chorus of ‘How Does It Make You Feel?’ (and for the… (Albums | June 27, 2001)

Lowercase, Going-Away Present

Dark, driving punk rock sewn from the same fabric as Unwound. But it’s different, mind you: this is death-wish music…. (Albums | June 20, 2001)

The Faint, Blank-Wave Arcade

They played two shows here in New York last weekend—both sold out and I didn’t get into either one. It’s… (Albums | June 13, 2001)

A Silver Mt. Zion, He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corners of Our Rooms

This Godspeed You Black Emperor! side project featuring Efrim shows a more focused version of the music for which Godspeed… (Albums | June 6, 2001)

Suede, Sci-Fi Lullabies

A two-disc collection of b-sides from Suede (AKA ‘The London’ Suede, for legal reasons…) is a beautiful idea, in that… (Albums | April 11, 2001)

Bjork, Selmasongs

The only way to ‘get’ this album is, I would surmise, to watch the film, Dancer in the Dark, for… (Albums | April 4, 2001)

Spiritualized, Pure Phase

It is, apparently, mixed separately by channel. Which, certainly, means you should listen to it with headphones. And it’s brilliant,… (Albums | March 28, 2001)

Daft Punk, Discovery

I first heard this album last week and it’s purely coincidence that this record is today’s top review on Pitchfork:… (Albums | March 21, 2001)

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Peel Sessions

In case you didn’t know, OMD is not just about ‘If You Leave.’ And this compilation of Peel Sessions from… (Albums | March 14, 2001)

Max Tundra, Some Best Friend You Turned Out to Be

No kidding: it takes a while to figure it out (even vaguely), but once you do there’s probably little music… (Albums | March 7, 2001)

Elliott Smith, Elliott Smith

Elliott Smith’s 1995 self-titled album is the album of the week for one reason: the song ‘St. Ides Heaven.’ Yeah,… (Albums | February 28, 2001)

A.R.E. WEAPONS, A.R.E. WEAPONS

New York Muscle: Equal parts Throbbing Gristle, Suicide, Grandmaster Flash, and, well, A.R.E. WEAPONS, this is a gritty, challenging debut… (Albums | February 21, 2001)

The Tindersticks, Curtains

Brooding and sensual (probably not the first time those words have been used to describe this album), Curtains is magnificent,… (Albums | February 14, 2001)

Television, Marquee Moon

A perfect record from beginning to end, Marquee Moon is one of the best albums ever (ever) recorded. If you’ve… (Albums | February 7, 2001)

The Charlatans, Up To Our Hips

This album is brilliant in the way it plainly looks you in the eye and tells you to fuck off…. (Albums | January 31, 2001)

Mirwais, Production

Production is brilliant, although we’re not sure exactly why. Every song on the album is good, that’s for sure, but… (Albums | January 24, 2001)

Brian Eno, Another Green World

Easily one of the most compelling, distinct (and best) albums ever recorded, Another Green World marks an important turning point… (Albums | January 17, 2001)

Depeche Mode, 101

On Saturday, June 18, 1988, Depeche Mode played the final show of their Music For The Masses tour. The show,… (Albums | January 10, 2001)

Phoenix, United

This is the final album of the week for 2000 and, as such, it seems appropriate that TMN say that… (Albums | December 27, 2000)

Joy Division, Substance 1977-1980

Compiling early raw material and a number of later singles and b-sides, Substance 1977-1980 is a fine, impressive collection not… (Albums | December 20, 2000)

Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven

The first LP was groundbreaking; the EP took that momentum and displayed a tightness that was teeth-shattering; and now (actually,… (Albums | December 13, 2000)

Mercury Rev, Yerself Is Steam

It’s a far, far cry from Deserter’s Songs, most definitely, and this is where it all began for Mercury Rev…. (Albums | December 6, 2000)

Jonathan FireEater, Wolf Songs for Lambs*

The short, tumultuous career of the D.C. quintet Jonathan Fire*Eater culminated in the 1997 release of their debut album, the… (Albums | November 29, 2000)

Echo & The Bunnymen, Ocean Rain

One of the best albums Echo & The Bunnymen recorded and, certainly, their most ambitious. Three years before finally infiltrating… (Albums | November 22, 2000)

Doves, Lost Souls

The most obvious reference point for this album, which has, in the past week, put Morning News staffers in their… (Albums | November 15, 2000)

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