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My Reviews
I have decided to review some albums i own in case
your curious what my thoughs are on it. please
understand that these reviews are brief and i don't go
into any depth or details about each individual track.
they are fairly general, just my basic thoughts and
perception of the album.
 = very poor
= fair
= average or as i say "eh"
= pretty darn good
= geeee wiz this album is swell to the max!!!
REVIEWS
MODEST MOUSE - THE MOON AND ANTARTICA
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE - THE PHOTO ALBUM
NEW END ORIGINAL - THRILLER
JIMMY EAT WORLD - BLEED AMERICAN
SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE - DIARY
THE GET UP KIDS - SOMETHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT
ONELINEDRAWING - SKETCHY EP #2
THURSDAY - FULL COLLAPSE
HEY MERCEDES - EVERYNIGHT FIREWORKS
SAVES THE DAY - STAY WHAT YOU ARE
DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL - THE PLACES YOU HAVE COME TO FEAR MOST
VROOM - THROWS LIKE A GIRL
A BUCK SHORT - BUILT TO BE BROKEN
RECOVER - RODEO AND PICASSO
THE JULIANA THEORY - UNDERSTAND THIS IS A DREAM
ARTIST modest mouse
ALBUM the moon and antartica
RATING(1-5)
ABOUT BAND
modest mouse is a trio from seattle, washington. man
do these 3 guys have talent. they've got a sort of
messy quality to their music that i just love. they're
pretty much pop-indie, but it's hard to say. they're
definately doing something different and i just love
their originality/creativity. they could be compared
to bands like built to spill.
THOUGHTS
this album is excellent! it spends much deserved time
in my cd player : ) it takes you on a "rollercoaster
of moods." sometimes dark and creepy, other times
you'll wanna get up and dance(which i do)! some people
find them "wierd" but thats what makes them so great.
the lyrics are wonderful, issac(singer/song
writer/guitarist) really makes you think about
subjects like the universe, big things (like life and
such) or even things about the way everything around
us works.
FAV TRACK
ugh! thats too hard...i like "lives" and "gravity
rides everything" and...and...and...all if it!
FIRST REACTIONS
I must admit, i thought they were wierd too when i
first heard them but it grew on me and now i love em!
SHOULD I BUY THIS?
the question is not should you buy it, it's WHEN
should you buy it. but you really have to be into the
type of music otherwise you might not be as excepting
of it.
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ARTIST Death Cab for Cutie
ALBUM The Photo Album
RATING(1-5)
ABOUT BAND
Death Cab For Cutie is yet another band fron seattle,
washington. in a way, they have a lot in common with
modest mouse. they are also poppy indie-ish kind of
music but i would say a bit more poppy...in a strictly
good way! there are 4 members in DCFC and they've been
around since 1997 so they're fairly new.
THOUGHTS
i really enjoy this album very much mainly because of
the awesomely great melodies! each track is very
nicely done and well crafted. the songs on this are
freakin' addictive with very catchy tunes and the way
everything blends together is just great. i often
catch myself singing a DCFC song or having it play
repeatidly in my head! yes, it is that great/catchy.
ben also writes wonderful, original lyrics from catchy
chorus lines to tragic tales of his childhood.
FAV TRACK
"styrofoam plates"
very sad...about his father, his death, and how he was
a bastard.
FIRST REACTIONS
when i first heard em i thought they were...er..ok.
when i actually went out and baught music from them i
discovered they were a lot greater than i thought,
silly me.
SHOULD I BUY THIS?
yes!
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ARTIST new end original
ALBUM thriller
RATING(1-5)
ABOUT BAND
new end original is made up of 4 members. you may know
front man jonah matranga from emo-core band Far(which
is broken up) and OneLineDrawing(which is a solo). I
am a HUGE fan of all of jonah's work, he's a brilliant
artist and person...probably one of my favorite
astists ever. new end also includes members from Texas Is
The Reason and others but charlie and scott recently
have left the band.
THOUGHTS
this is the first and only album so far from new end
original...when you hear it you will be absolutely
blown away! it's definately rock music at it's
greatest. the emotions of the songs vary. some times slow
songs about loneliness(i.e. leper song) other times
loud explosive songs(i.e. hostage). it covers the
whole 9 yards as far as emotions go...sad, angry, lonely,
happy. they lyrics are also incredible, i admire jonah
for his writing abilities and his ideas. if you ever
get the chance to see him live DO NOT pass up that
opportunity, i've filmed his set before : )
FAV TRACK
every single track...but my absolute favs are:
#1 defender, hostage, and lukewarm
FIRST REACTIONS
i absolutely loved this album from the start. it's one
of those records that everyone can love.
SHOULD I BUY THIS?
ohhhh yes! then buy cds from onelinedrawing and far!
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ARTIST jimmy eat world
ALBUM bleed american
RATING(1-5)
ABOUT BAND
jimmy eat world is a rock or "emo" band from mesa,
arizona. JEW constist of 4 member and have released 3
full length albums. bleed american is their latest.
THOUGHTS
me being a big jimmy eat world fan i went out and got
this cd the week it was released just to be a lil'
disappionted. sure there is a lot of great things
about this record but it just doesn't amount to their
previous albums. on the good side, these are well
crafted nicely written tracks. jim is an excellent
song writter. some people say it's a bit over
produced... sure i like the raw quality of music but i
don't think over production is really an issue unless
it get's to the point where it's not the bands making
the music, it's the producers...not an issue for JEW
they've got lots of talent.
FAV TRACK
"your house" and "sweetness"
FIRST REACTIONS
like i said before, it was a bit of a let down from
their previous music but nonetheless a good record.
SHOULD I BUY THIS
i would say buy clairity or static prevails first,
then this album but, hey thats just me. it's worth the
money.
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ARTIST sunny day real estate
ALBUM diary
RATING(1-5)
ABOUT BAND
please don't tell me you don't know sunny day real
estate! they basically started a whole new genre
influencing tons of bands like mineral and elliot. you
might know dan who is now in dashboard confessional.
SDRE broke up but members from the band are starting
another band called the fire theft and i just can't
wait! i believe there were 5 members in sunny day...
THOUGHTS
diary is the first album released by this band back in
94. i just love this record. the vocals are great,
their unique and that's what i like! i really like the
art inside the cover also, but back to the cd...i
would probably descibe it as emo, oh no that word that
everyone hates! but seriously this record is
fantastic! it's packed with emotions. i can honestly
say there isn't 1 sunny day song i've heard that i
don't like. each song is just beautiful. great music
put to wonderful lyrics and their own style, good
stuff.
FAV TRACK
song about an angel
FIRST REACTIONS
i loved them from the beginning. as time went by i
began to appreciate them more and more.
SHOULD I BUY THIS
definately
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ARTIST the get up kids
ALBUM something to write home about
RATING(1-5) 1/2
ABOUT BAND
i'm sure you all know the get up kids, that poppy emo
band that everyone loves. the get up kids consist of 5
members from Kansas. these guys have a HUGE fan base
and at the same time have to juggle their own record
label(heroes and villains) and being in other bands
like reggie and the full effect and the new amsterdams.
THOUGHTS
ok, sure i like the get up kids...who doesn't? but i
just don't understand what all the huss and fuss is
about. maybe it's the keyboards? who knows? i'm mean
they're good but their music is just...eh. nothing
really over and beyond. some people describe their
lyrics as emotional but they don't really strike me
as "emotional." sure, it's catchy and fun to listen to
but this album doesn't really spend that much time in
my cd player. there was this phase where i just
absolutely loved TGUK but it got old to me
fairly fast. maybe i played them too much? maybe
i'm just the minority speaking here but that's just
what i think.
FAV TRACK
there's actually are a bunch. probably "i'm a loner
dottie, a rebel"
FIRST REACTIONS
probably one of the few bands i loved then liked less
and less as time went by...
SHOULD I BUY THIS
if you're into poppy emoish kind of stuff
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ARTIST OneLineDrawing
ALBUM sketchy ep # 2
RATING(1-5)
ABOUT BAND
OneLineDrawing is made up of Jonah (from Far and New
End Original) and his sidekick r2(yes the robot) and
are from Sacramento Ca. OLD has release several EPs
including sketchy ep # 1, and some EP/media mix CDs
called Always New(which you can put in you computer to
see video and such). OLD have also put some split
albums out with bands like Rival Schools, The Juliana
Theory, the Grey Am. Visitor, the first full length
from OLD will be out soon on Jade Tree, can't wait!
THOUGHTS
perhaps the greatest ep i own! definately different
from Far, but in a good way. although is only 6 songs,
it's a wonderful cd. it starts off with an awesome
cover of Jawbox's "Savory." this song is done GREAT!
There is also another awesome cover od 7 Seconds' "Got
My List" which is also great. Jonah lyrics always
break boundaries and are like no other. he's not
afraid to speak whats on his mind and that's what sets
him apart from other artists.
FAV TRACK
"crush on everyone" and "savory"
FIRST REACTIONS
i never felt just "eh" about any of jonah's work. like
anything else he releases, i love it the instant i
hear it.
SHOULD I BUY THIS?
yupper duppers
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ARTIST Thursday
ALBUM Full Collapse
RATING(1-5)
ABOUT BAND
thursday is a great band from new brunswick, NJ. they
have been causing quite a stir in the in various music
scenes but i can definately see why. this is their
second album and is released on Victory records.
THOUGHTS
vocally, lyrically and musically this record is
excellent. the combination of smooth and sreaming
vocals might be what attracts people to thursday. you
can feel the pain and emotion is the wails and it's
almost chilling to listen to but beautiful at the same
time. i find this music lyrically great because each
song is nicely written and it's not your average
perdictable lyrics. they're way more mature and
thought provoking than most other bands. i only wish i
could write as beautifully. i like that fact that they
sing about topics most groups do not. for
instance, "Autobiography of a Nation" is about culture
and how everything we say and do is actually stolen
from other people. there is definately losts of energy
in the music also, it's sorta like.. WAM! right in
your face! with explosive hardcore melodies.
definately more produced then their previous album,
Waiting, but i think this record is a tremendous
improvement. Thursday are definately on that higher
level that every band is aiming for. some people find
it diffcult to classify their music. i've heard
everything from emo-core to hardcore to punk. perhaps
melodic hardcore?
FAV TRACK
"cross out the eyes" and "autobiography of a nation"
FIRST REACTIONS
the first song i ever heard from them was "this side
of brightness" from Waiting and i loved it! then i
listened to more of their hardcore songs and wasn't
really to fond of it because i'm not really into the
hardcore stuff but of course, i absolutely love it now.
SHOULD I BUY THIS?
if you're into bands like At The Drive In and
Recover...yes! wait...no...buy it!
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ARTIST Hey Mercedes
ALBUM Everynight Fireworks
RATING(1-5)
ABOUT BAND
Hey Mercedes is a band that is based in the chicago,
IL area. HM consist of 4 members, 3 out of 4 are from
the widely popular indie band Braid. the 4th member was
Mark but he quit and the new guitarist in Sean O'brien.
THOUGHTS
being that most of these guys were in Braid i'm just
goin to have to compare Hey Mercedes to Braid...i
personally LOVE braid. they are definately one of my
fav bands but hey mercedes doesn't even compare to
braid. for one they're lacking the qualities i love
most, their originality and their messy style. on the
good side, bob nanna has maintained his unique
writting style that i love. what caused this change?
some say it was because Chris is gone, other say it is
Vagrant Records but who knows? don't get me wrong, i
love hey mercedes and this record is really very good
but not over and above. the songs are catchy and well
crafted with more of a pop-punk influence. they still
maintain some characteristics of braid in their sound
but it just isn't the same.
FAV TRACK
A-List Actress
FIRST REACTIONS
well i've always alway liked hey mercedes and i still
do like em a lot.
SHOULD I BUY THIS?
this is another album that mostly anyone can like. i
would personally buy braid cds first. they've also go
a self titled EP out with my favorite HM track, "stay
six."
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ARTIST Saves the Day
ALBUM Stay What You Are
RATING(1-5)
ABOUT BAND
(well this is a std site so you can find info)
STD is a pop-punk/emo New Jersey based band. they've
won the hearts of thousands and thousands with their
catchy, melodic, heartfelt songs about love, death,
insecurity, etc.
THOUGHTS
it kinda makes me mad when old saves the day fans
don't like them anymore because of this album or
because they're now mainstream. i've read so many
negative reviews of this album and i just don't
understand why they believe what they believe. some
people say they have lost their edge but i don't think
they have at all. of course, we are all entitle to our
opinions. anyhow, i like this cd very very much. it
spends a lot of time in my cd player because i enjoy
listening to each and every track. chris conley is
brilliant. especially his lyrics. they're definately
original and relatable. to apeal to people you've
gotta have relatable music. the song cars and
calories is about feeling insecure with yourself. how
many young teenage girls can relate to being insecure
with their bodies? actually mostly any can relate to
being insecure with themselves. it's important for
people to know that they are not the only ones. it's
sort of a conforting feeling really.
FAV TRACK
like i said, i like every track but my fav is probably
"this is not an exit"
FIRST REACTIONS
loved it from the start!
SHOULD I BUY THIS?
yet another cd that anyone can like! seriously any
type of person can like this album, even your mom.
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ARTIST Dashboard Confessional
ALBUM The Places You Have Come To Fear Most
RATING(1-5) 1/2
ABOUT BAND
Dashboard Confessional started out with one man(Chris
Carrabba) and his guitar. later other people began to
play other instuments and the line up is always
changing. the soft slow acoustic songs of dashboard
don't seem like the music your ever day punk rock
would be listening to and yet dashboard seems to be
winning over thousands of fans from moms to punks to
the people watching TRL on MTV. he has a diehard
devoted fan base of people all over but originates
from Boca Raton, FL(my home state!). DC have gained
huge amount of success and also appears in such
magazines as Teen People, Rolling Stone, Alternative
Press, etc. and even has been on that horrible show
TRL. as long as he maintains honesty in his music i'm
all for his success. it was inevitable.
THOUGHTS
this was his second full length cd and personally i
like the first one better, it was close though. the
swiss army romance had more of that raw, straight up
emotion quality but nonetheless this record was
excellent. the brilliant dance = the most
amazing/saddest dashboard track. chris carrabba has a
beautiful way with words, yanno? this is one of those
CDs that you play as you lie in bed under the covers
crying because your lover just broke up with you. it's
seems as if most of the songs are a painful love
tragedy that the fans just tend to eat up along with
the great catchy acoustic melodies. i myself am a
sucker for a sappy song, don't try to say you're not!
FAV TRACK
the brilliant dance(you'll cry if you see him perform
this song, i did)
FIRST REACTIONS
loved it
SHOULD I BUY THIS?
definately, anyone can love dashboard Confessional
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ARTIST Vroom
ALBUM Throws Like a Girl
RATING(1-5) 1/2
ABOUT BAND
vroom is a rock band from Lynchburg, VA. i don't
really know much about them but i saw them live and
decided to pick up their cd.
THOUGHTS
so i went to a show and they were playing and i
thought man, these guys seem really creative. there
set was so neat-0, with a bunch of black and white TVs
on stage. so i decided to pick up their record just to
be a bit disappointed. i just saw them like 2 days ago
and today was the first time i listened to it all the
way through. it's pretty much you average pop-punk. i
me don't get me wrong, average doesn't necessarily
mean bad. this record is actually pretty good but not
that original. i like vroom a lot better than most pop-
punk bands. in my opinion, they are better than bands
like the Ataris, New Found Glory, Rufio, Fenix Tx
(ewww), etc but it's not really my genre. the guitar
riffs, like most pop punk, are very catchy and the
lyrics as well but what i really don't like about the
lyrics are they're way to ordinary. i really enjoy the
vocals on this cd though. i can definately see them
becoming a mainstream band.
FAV TRACK
i'm not really sure if i've listened to it enough to
say. i really like the songs I Can't Stand Another
Minute Here, Charleston, and Dumb Like That.
FIRST REACTIONS
that songs are really really nicely done. they've got
everything except originality. they're definately good
and have what it takes to be successful!
SHOULD I BUY THIS?
if you like pop-punk!
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ARTIST Sugarcult
ALBUM Start Static
RATING(1-5)
ABOUT BAND
Sugarcult is a 4 piece pop-punky kinda band from cali.
they've had a few hits on the radio, and are fairly
new.
THOUGHTS
ok, i've seen these guys 3 times live and they're
pretty entertaining to watch but i rarely EVER spin
this CD. i just baught it because they were such
freakin nice guys! i was like...ah what the hey and
baught it. the cd started with a track that made me
believe it was going to be more rock then pop but then
after that is was all pop-punk. yes, that's right
another average pop-punk band! the vocals are average,
their style is unoriginal, but the lyrics are ok.
they're are pretty catchy. they're the type of band
that appeals to the teenage girls. at least Marko from
sugarcult has good taste, he told me he liked bands
like Jawbox and Jets to Brazil.
FAV TRACK
hate every beautiful day
FIRST REACTIONS
i was pretty much thinkin...what the ? another new
found glory sound alike
SHOULD I BUY THIS?
if you're into the pop-punk or are rich and have the
money to spend.
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ARTIST A Buck Short
ALBUM Built to be Broken
RATING(1-5) 1/2
ABOUT BAND
A Buck Short is a 4 piece local band from Sarasota
Florida. I saw them open a show and thought they were
pretty good so i decide to pick up some music by
them...
THOUGHTS
This is a 8 song EP, i would probably describe it as
pop-punk with emo and hardcore influence. I couldn't
really decide whether to give it a 3 or 4 so i settled
in the middle. they don't really break down any
barriers but they are pretty good and fun to listen
to. their lyrics are a lot more mature than most pop-
punk bands so that is probably one of their best
qualities. They also combine pop-punk vocals with
screaming vocals in the background, sure it's been
done before but i still enjoy listening to them.
FAV TRACK
"unconscious and beeding" and "shallow water"
FIRST REACTIONS
when i saw then perform i thought they were pretty
good. when i first listened to them my first reaction
was they sounded a bit like Finch.
SHOULD I BUY THIS?
if you're into the genre, yes. like i said, they're
local but you can find the cd at interpunk.com. i got
my copy for 5 bucks so it was pretty inexpensive.
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ARTIST Recover
ALBUM Rodeo and Picasso
RATING(1-5) 1/2
ABOUT BAND
Recover is a 4 piece melodic hardcore band from
Austin. Texas. This band is fairly new and fairly
small but are on a fairly big record label(haha man am
i repeatative), Fueled by Ramens. they have recently
been gaining success with such bands as Further Seems
Forever, Thrice, the Movielife, Thursday, the AEffect,
Hot Rod Circuit, Bad Religion, the Stereo, Hot Water
Music, the Impossibles(rory from the Impossibles
helped produce the album), etc. They also did a breif
tour with label mates Less Than Jake, and Whipper-
snapper and even landed a nice amount of dates on this
years Warped Tour. Good for them, they deserve it.
THOUGHTS
Rodeo and Picasso is an amazing album. The
characteristics that make it so great are their
combination of smooth and heavy metal vocals, thought
provoking lyrics, and explosive hardcore melodies.
Each song on this record is fast paced and will surely
get your head bobbin' and your adrenaline pumpin'! i
see big thing for Recover mainly because of their
ability to appeal to people from various music scenes,
from emo kids to metal heads.
FAV TRACK
Two Minutes Hate, Sympathetic Sickness, and Rodeo
FIRST REACTIONS
When i first heard Recover I thought they were way to
hardcore for me but as time went by i grew to love em
a lot : )
SHOULD I BUY THIS?
yeah but you but you have to be into the hardcore
genre or at least have an open mind towards it.
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ARTIST The Juliana Theory
ALBUM Understand this is a Dream
RATING(1-5) 1/2
ABOUT BAND
The Juliana Theory is a 5 some pop-emo band from
Pennsylvania. They are widely popular, appealing to
people on the whole "emo" community. TJT has sold
110,000+ records and even have a song appearing on the
Disney movie, Motor Cross(i swear my little brother
was watching it and i just so happened to hear
it! hehe). They basically have already gained succes
in the music bizz but i don't really understand why...
THOUGHTS
(still workin on this review)
FAV TRACK
FIRST REACTIONS
i used to be into them lotz but not really much anymore.
SHOULD I BUY THIS?
errrr sure
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