Here, [Hot Chip] beefs up the rhythms and tones down the indie-geek shtick. [Jul 2006, p.84]

A set of punchy roots pop whose backbeat thumps as hard as her still-wounded heart. [Jul 2006, p.86]

His furious, frantic monotone dramatically collides with producer El-P's postindustrial beats. [Jul 2006, p.86]

Recall[s] the most disturbingly surreal moments of a David Lynch film. [Jul 2006, p.87]

Ripped is about three- or four-minute songcraft--never the highlight of their resume. [Jul 2006, p.88]

As addictive as ice-cream dots. [Jul 2006, p.88]

Confirms [Molina] as one of underground pop's most beautifully odd voices. [Jun 2006, p.83]

While Decemberunderground sounds terrific, at times Havok's dear-diary lyrics are so awkward they're almost laughable. [Jul 2006, p.81]

Pearl may have studied Karen O's textbook, but when her bandmates rev up a proper garage-rock racket, she dives in like she was born with her own irresistible rock-star sneer. [Jul 2006, p.82]

Baroque but not self-indulgent. [Jul 2006, p.83]

Bear[s] the mark of Big Star. [Jul 2006, p.85]

These thumping, Ibiza-inflected excursions into pop and R&B aren't quite as catchy [as "Starry Eyed Surprise"]. [Jun 2006, p.83]

Their sophisticated studio treatments make every sound sparkle. [Aug 2006, p.84]

The tracks that are anchored by [Sia and Jose Gonzalez] have a soulful edge, but elsewhere the instrumentals drift aimlessly toward the hotel jazz bar. [Jul 2006, p.90]

Asya... has an immediate confidence, rolling through tricky time changes like Tori Amos' plucky little sister. [Jul 2006, p.87]

A better-than-decent, ultimately pointless live set. [Jun 2006, p.82]

More avant-opera than pop. [Jul 2006, p.90]

Here, his three sidemen elevate [DeLonge's] emo tendencies to something grander and more timelessly romantic--though somewhat less exciting. [Jul 2006, p.82]

Fifty-year-old men rarely sound this enraged and energized. Neither do twentysomethings. [Jun 2006, p.82]

These are the kind of go-with-the-flow countrified tunes that the Grateful Dead used to spin between epic jams, but with a more delicate acoustic touch. [Jul 2006, p.90]

Nice, sure, but whatever happened to naughty. [Jun 2006, p.82]

The cool sound of hot days, fragrant smoke, and FM radio at ear-splitting volume. [Jun 2006, p.77]

They've returned to the frantic music of original heroes Gang of Four, banging out songs that vibrate with exactly the tense energy they'd mislaid. [Jun 2006, p.83]

Pink showcases every sound Boris can make.

These Brits deconstruct bombast via bombastic guitar riffs. [Jun 2005, p.108]

High-energy electro eccentricity. [Jun 2006, p.80]

Smith sounds less joyful than usual, unable to reconcile religious faith with everyday hope. [Jun 2006, p.79]

Equal parts bang and whimper. [Jun 2006, p.81]