Luciferian Towers is a muddled mess of underworked ideas strung together. [No. 148, p.57]

Magik Markers' simulations are dutiful, but they lack even a hint of the revolutionary spirit, menacing explosiveness, creativity, musicianship, savvy, wit, humor, heart or charm oif their heroes [Sonic Youth]. [Fall 2007, p.101]

Songs Cycled completes Parks' transformation from oddball torchbearer to full-on musical time capsule. [No. 101, p.59]

Essentially, this is one for obsessive completists only. [No. 116, p.55]

The opposition between sonic abstraction and more familiar pop elements like beats, riffs and grooves creates a welcome tension. [#58, p.83]

It's positively full of life. [No. 118, p.56]

Superheroes, Ghostvillains & Stuff also shows how the Notwist masterfully blends organic and inorganic textures outside the studio, but it's also a reminder of how adventurous this band can be. [No. 138, p.59]

The uniformly dark, driving song cycle has no real high or low points--just 11 consistently thrilling guitar and drum loops led around in circular crescendos by Windett's wire-taut tenor. [#73, p.84]

Without seeming pretentious or curated, Out Hud is making dance music that feels "important." [#67, p.110]

This shimmery psych-rock collective is back with more wah-wah Woodstock jammolas filtered through cathartic chanting, African rhythms and jittery percussion. [No. 114, p.57]

Every song on debut Alight Of Night seems to be falling apart, mostly because vocalist Brad Hargett’s melodies are off the map.

Sure, it's a mess. But it's a brilliant, manically theatrical mess, true to Welles' self-destructive spirit. [No. 95, p.57]

Hypnotic and punchy by turns, it's a riveting album that finds Bell X1 pushing its established aesthetics in admirably new directions. [No. 100, p.52]

Howl works best when Feck and Co. marry their frustrated empathy with hopeful jubilation, letting the kids know that although they're lonely, they're certainly not alone. [#82, p. 53]

Sugaring Season isn't a breakthrough, but it's a consolidation of Orton's strengths. [#92, p.58]

The selection here covers a comprehensive gamut of hymns, carols and miscellaneous Christmas songs from all the usual suspects to a few curveballs. [No. 116, p.59]

Gensho makes obvious how much each act enhances the other. [No. 130, p.53]

Four becomes truly trying during its tangent-prone second half. [#70, p.93]

Occasionally cliched and often anthemic, this is an old-fashioned populist rock record that grows steadily with repeated listening. [No.89 p.53]

A massively significant step forward.... Rock Action is so monumentally magisterial, it approaches near heretical status: the post-post-rock era's Sgt. Pet Sounds' Lonely Hearts Club Band.

A batch of 10 songs you really need to spend some time with to appreciate. [#59, p.97]

Somewhere beautiful documents a fantastic 20-song set by this long-adored, seminal New Zealand band that makes you wish you'd been invited to the bash. [No. 104, p.53]

The songs all deal with weighty subjects, but the music, a s pleasing hybrid of blues, rock, classical and gospel impulses shines the comforting light of faith onto every time. [No. 120, p.54]

Fear not, this is a kick-ass rock'n'roll record all the way around. [No. 146, p.61]

Violent, seething and uncompromising. [#67, p.96]

It's a transformative, fluidly orchestrated moodscape of dappled piano figures, synthesizer washes and swelling strings, horn and bell tones. [No. 106, p.54]

Double Exposure is exceedingly well-crafted. [No. 104, p.60]

They whip out churning rock tunes with burning guitars and solid hooks, switch things up with softer, melodic ballads, and evoke the glory days of Southern rock with impressive ease. [No. 136, p.53]