Their take on Delta blues and twisted folk is continually spot-on, going down equally well with a bad breakup or a cold beer with pals. [Nov 2007, p.172]

Reunion Tour further cements the Weakerthans' status as legitmate rock 'n' roll tastemakers. [Nov 2007, p.172]

There's very little here to grab the listener. [Nov 2007, p.162]

The Dropkick Murphys don't fuck with a good thing on The Meanest Of Times. [Oct 2007, p.156]

Venus Doom is such a refreshing return to an organic, guitar driven sound unheard since 2003's "Love Metal." [Nov 2007, p.170]

What keeps Bitchin' from being more fun than Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson's sex tape is Jay Ruston's production job. [Nov 2007, p.170]

They've retained some of the tighty wound post-punk angularity they've always favored and even bust a bit of old school punk, but the real advances are melodic. [Nov 2007, p.160]

Much of the disc is business as usual. [Oct 2007, p.169]

The freakiest freak-folk is rarely as freakish as the more disorienting triumphs of Strawberry Jam, a neo-psychedelic mind-fuck from Animal Collective. [Oct 2007, p.160]

The Go! Team's folluow-up is densely packed enough to make Phil Spector's Wall feel like a screen door. [Oct 2007, p.160]

It's still a blast to listen to Hot Hot Heat when they sound like they're having fun, even if they have to fake it. [Sep/Oct 2007, p.169]

While Release has all the hallmarks of a great DJ mix album, it's a record meant for pop consumption. [Nov 2007, p.176]

While the album has occasional moments of brillance, most of these songs sound like underwhelming sketches instead of finished products. [Oct 2007, p.160]

Stuffed from nose to toes with nine noise-rock delights. [Oct 2007, p.168]

Autumn represents Pinback's strongest album to date. [Oct 2007, p.162]

Longtime Black Lips fans will notice a more polished production compared to past albums, but it also seems apparent that these boys have barely begun to scratch the surface when it comes to showing us what they've made of. [Nov 2007, p.170]

The group's self-titled fourth album may be the maverick trio's most straightforward yet. [Oct 2007, p.160]

It peaks on 'Coffee,' a wonderfully weird, ska-tinged duet with the Mountain Goats' John Darnielle that flat out rocks. [Oct 2007, p.170]

It's quite a bit slicker and sonically feels as if it could fill an arena--but lacks personality. [Oct 2007, p.172]

Wires is the type of disc that takes you on a journey--an example of how brilliant instrumental music can be when done right. [Oct 2007, p.172]

Like "Paul's Boutique," the results are as unexpected as they are lethal. [Nov 2007, p.176]

Hip-hop is only a fragment of Jmaie T's DIY grenade, and the messy hybrid of punk, rap, and reggae on Panic prevention makes Skinner's grime gleam. [Oct 2007, p.172]

What Challengers lack in immediacy, it makes up for brain-teasing melodies and majestic orchestrations. [Oct 2007, p.162]

Fans will love it, but if you're not already on board, this album won't change your mind. [Oct 2007, p.169]

There are gems and duds, but overall this is a fine and successful experiment that'll kick-start any social gathering. [Oct 2007, p.172]

The tightly wound dance numbers are dancier ("Knights"); the slow sex jams are sexier ("White Mystery"); and new keyboardist Alex Rose gives the synths a much stronger role than ever before, both with brilliant countermelodies and sublime textures. [Sept 2007]

The band of brothers and sisters (plus one cousin) have made the gauzy shooegazing of 2005's "Room Noises" a lot noisier.... What hasn't changed, wisely, are the soaring sibling harmonies and sense of wonder, which are still best heard in delicate moments. [Oct 2007, p.168]

Although the album occasionally slogs through Broder's intentionally weird melodies, it boasts enough oddball genre fusing to keep you engaged. [Oct 2007, p.172]