Take Back The Universe And Give Me Yesterday is the major label debut from San Francisco based Creeper Lagoon. They had quite a bit of indie success with their first release I Become Small and Go and got picked up by Dreamworks. Keeping this in mind, the band is going to come under a lot of criticism for putting out an album that sounds a lot more produced than their previous discs. I will spare you the agony of hearing a music critic whine about how some indie rock band sold out because they got access to better equipment, better producers, and a nice advance to give them time to write songs. Creeper Lagoon has put themselves in the position to break into the limelight and get some much deserved attention. Take Back The Universe is chalk full of rock goodness. As soon as you put in the disc you are hit with "Chance Of A Lifetime" followed by "Wrecking Ball" (the first single), and it just gets better from there. There's no rap rock here, no heavy guitars just for the sake of heavy guitars, Creeper Lagoon uses their harmonies, dynamics (when the chorus hits, it just feels good) and some of the best hooks I've heard in a long time. The best part about Creeper Lagoon is their ability to fuse together the standard rock elements with all sorts of new devices to improve the music. Ken Andrews (Failure) mixed the album perfectly, nothing is ever too loud but there is typically some sort of little keyboard loop or tiny drum sound (even handclaps like on "Sunfair") that add so much to the overall sound. Take Back The Universe hits the CD Player and doesn't leave for weeks, repeating on "Dead Man Saloon", "Hey Sister", "Keep From Moving", "Up All Night", and the old style Creeper "Lovers Leap." [www.creeperlagoon.com]

Just because an album is easy to listen to doesn't mean it's good. Just because an album is good, doesn't mean it's easy to listen to. Converge hurts. Singer translation: "Waaaaah, wah, wah, waaaaaaaaaaah!" In all it's dissonance and hot poker in the ear vocals, it's truly fabulous. Just realize what you're getting into. Vocals can really ruin an album these days. It doesn't matter how much the music works your brain and leaves you wanting more, as soon as that singer comes in, it turns that upside down frown upside down. I started the album and smiled (this was recommended to me), the singer chimed in and I stopped smiling, but after about the 4th song, I started smiling again. Supra technical drums with flipity jazz speed, Ibanez/pure tube driven 80 words per minute fingered chunk and bleed fiddlework (guitar), changes that don't let down, relentless speed and energy with wet and flat compression that puts the ride cymbal in your ass, and a singer that truly screams - not that growly, fake fauceto crud. He really screams and sounds like a girl. Singer translation: "Waaaaah, wah, wah, waaaaaaaaaaah! *cough cough*" Turns out they have 4-5 albums and have been pioneering the math-metal-core for several years. This is supposed to be the polished album. I'd hate to hear the old stuff. In a nuttshell, you'll hate the singer. I've become a fan of the metal, and I hate him, almost as bad as Isis and HE WILL knock the overall score down a point and a half. Just like any other "I will kill and pee on you" metal, you get used to these kinds of vocals, but if they'd had a guy that knew a little about melody and enunciation, I'd give the whole thing a 5. Yes, the music is THAT good. But since this guy avoided gargling sandpaper and went straight for the razor blades. [www.equalvision.com]

Welcome to the world of dark ambience: Welcome to Geogaddi. The latest release by the masters of solid rhythm, Boards of Canada, is a collection of deeper and more shadowy works than the previous “A Beautiful Place in the Country” EP, never mind a more dusky approach than the previous Music Has A Right to Children LP. Geogaddi, which boasts 23 tracks, is a more overcast and cloudy day:  Much more complex and atmospheric than any ambient electronic efforts by anyone else to date.  The patterns woven by Boards of Canada here are similar to older efforts, as there are the same gargled voices, the same vocoder samples, the same eerie (or cheery- it depends on how you look at it) children squeals in the background.It’s a thought provoking, intelligent recording, delving further down the iceberg and surfacing with a bare and sometimes frightening approach. To tunnel this far into the electronic medium is something that has been greatly underestimated in the wake of Fatboy Slim, Moby, and their ilk.  Though Boards of Canada is childlike in repose, there are underlying themes of the elements coursing through the veins of this album.  No doubt an excellent piece of music, Geogaddi’s major flaw is that it doesn’t flow as well as some of its previous albums: It’s a skipper, meaning that, after a few listens, you’re more prone to cruise up and down to fully absorb the more standout tracks.  The most stellar of the bunch are the muted and twisted back roads of “julie and candy”, the roaming bass and floating, ethereal “1969”, the poised and nimble steadiness and soaring treble of “alpha and omega”, the haunted coastlines and floating buoyed memories in “the beach at redpoint”, the LSD cartoonism of “the devil is in the details”, and the wispy and feathery exquisiteness of “dawn chorus.”  The rest of the album has its enduring and engaging moments, such as the spooky tribal hum of “gyroscope” and the misshapen carousel of “beware the friendly stranger”. There quiet reflection of “you could feel the sky” and “sunshine recorder” is irrefutably pretty and introspectively sound, while the science lessons in “energy warning” and “dandelion” get a little wearing after a few revolutions.  The most unsettling and remarkable verity of Geogaddi is that, prior to reviewing the album cover and track listing, I sat by the speakers and listed the tracks, writing down my initial reactions to the songs:  It was most uncanny that my opening thoughts were very close to the actual names of the songs, which isn’t significant in itself but more on the thought that maybe, just maybe, I am in tuned with what Boards of Canada is wishing me to think: I am imagining the pictures that they tried to paint for me through their music. Could this be true? Why don’t you purchase this curious and scenic album and see if the sounds paint a picture for you? [www.warprecords.com]

It's great, but they sound like they are trying to be Radiohead... it seems like every band that happens to be from Europe and plays atmospheric pop music gets that label slapped on them. It has happened to Muse, Travis, Star Sailor and now Clinic. Not that sounding like Radiohead is a bad thing, but it always seems to be a stab at the bands, almost calling them unoriginal. Americans just need something to compare everything to, I suppose. That being said, Clinic does sound like Radiohead. They write great pop songs. They play around with instrumentation and arrangements to test their audience. They test the listener, asking them to trust what they are doing and always supplying the payoff. Walking With Thee starts off with a pulsing synth tone and piano backbone, followed shortly with a harmonica lead. "I believe in harmony," is the first thing you hear from singer, Ade Blackburn's voice and that is quite obvious throughout the 11-track album. The title track, "Mr.Moonlight" and "Pet Eunoch" are the strongest tracks on the album and the last track, "For the Wars," a 4-minute rock waltz, ranks as one of the top album closers in a long while. [www.cliniconline.org]

Clarence Greenwood is bringing something back to music that hasn't really been there since Bob Dylan was prolific ... no, a profound consciousness. Citizen Cope, Greenwood and his band mates, mix narrative, social awareness, street consciousness, hip-hop music, folk music, a touch of reggae, pop hooks and the kitchen sink into their debut CD. Rarely, in the past couple of months, has an album been released containing such sincerity in the lyrical department. Greenwood isn't saying anything too new, but the package is different, and maybe it will reach people that others are not. Any progress in making the nation more aware is good progress. I recently read an article about how if information is presented in a narrative form, it will be more effective to its audience. I think that's exactly what Citizen Cope intended to do with their debut CD. While most narrative material seems to be written from personal experience, the narratives attempted on this record can be grasped by anyone. Looking for a new perspective? This is the album for you. [www.citizencope.com]

Come With Us on this review of the latest release from one of the greatest electronic duos in existence, The Chemical Brothers. Forget everything you know about electronic music and erase all those Moby songs you heard on the radio from your head and prepare yourself for something completely different. So that was a good setup to this review right? It should have you intrigued and ready to see what I have to say about this album. Well to be honest, when I first dropped Come With Us in the changer I was disappointed. I was so impressed by the Brother's last release, Surrender, that I was hoping for more of the same. Turns out at the time I didn't really understand what they were all about. You see the Chemical Brothers have always been about taking their music in a new direction. Doing the unexpected and straying from what's "in" at the time. We have become so accustomed to hearing pop electronic music from the likes of Moby and BT that we forgot what true dance music is all about, the beat. On Come With Us, the Chemical Brothers once again change direction from their last release which was a little more accessible to the mainstream crowd, and made a record that is better suited for the dance floor. Lush beats and samples are thrown with such accuracy that you begin to find it hard to sit still and feel like you need to be doing something, anything, just moving. The first single of the record, "Star Guitar", was tested out by being distributed to DJs to try out in their sets. It's huge success in the clubs should have been a sign to us that Come With Us was going to take us to the dance floor. This album has gotten mixed reviews from the press, and think this is due to the fact that a lot of people don't take the time to understand where The Chemical Brothers are coming from. To really appreciate a record you have to understand what the band is trying to do. For instance, if you listen to Pennywise expecting another Blink 182, you are going to be disappointed. Along the same lines, if you listen to Come With Us expecting a Moby record, or even another Surrender, then you are going to be disappointed. If you approach it with an open mind and know that the Brothers are going for a more dance-oriented sound, then I think you will be impressed. I give this album 4.25 manstlye points. I know some people will disagree with me, but I feel that the Chemical Brothers created a really great record, and once again were successful at re-inventing their sound, thus staying ahead of the pack. [www.thechemicalbrothers.com]

Even though it has only been about 2 years since we heard some new music from Cake, this album came at a really good time for me. There is just something refreshing about hearing the band's take on "rock." By now you should have heard the first single "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" either on the radio or MTV. The song is a pretty good representative of the whole album: witty lyrics, a cool beat, and some horns thrown into the mix. If you are a Cake fan already, then rest assured, you won't be let down by Comfort Eagle. If you aren't really familiar with the band, then where the hell have you been? The band has had their share of singles on the radio, but it seems like people forget about them in between albums. If you have never heard Cake, then I urge you to follow the link above to their official site and check out the samples in the music section. Most of the songs on Comfort Eagle were once again written by singer John McCrea. I particularly like the title track on this album. The song has a really cool sitar sounding guitar/keyboard effect playing in the background during the chorus that adds quite a nice touch. As I mentioned before, one thing that has always impressed me about Cake was their witty lyrics. This album is full of catchy rhymes and seemingly pointless banter that blends together to make great songs. To sum it all up, I really enjoy this album and have already listened to it probably a little too much. Cake has never been one of my favorite bands, just because I never really got into them that much. However, with the release of Comfort Eagle I am begining to lean in that direction. I give this album 4.0 manstyle points for originality, great lyrics, and providing me with a nice break from the current rock/metal scene. [www.cakemusic.com]

I have been a long time fan of Bush, ever since Sixteen Stone came out back in 1994. In fact, the first 'real' concert I went to was Bush when they were on the Black Dog Tour in '95. I came away from hat show with a bloody nose, and a busted lip that I still have a scar from today, but it rooted in me an appreciation for Bush that has stood the test of time. Ever since Sixteen Stone I have kept track of Bush and their releases, but not until now have I felt compelled to go out and buy their latest album. The band seems to have finally returned to their roots and cranked the grunge up a little. To clarify though, this is not another Sixteen Stone, but instead, Golden State is the perfect blend of the raw Bush sound of old, combined with the well-produced, lighter sound prevalent in their last album, The Science of Things. I have this theory, which some disagree with, that very rarely will the follow-up albums of a heavy band who has tasted main stream success be as raw or as heavy as their first release. I just think that part of what makes that sound on their debut is their hunger and desire to be successful. Once they achieve this, they loose that hunger, and in turn loose a lot of their edge. Countless examples can be named (Incubus, Korn, etc.), but what I think is important is when a band comes back to that original feeling and adds to it several years of maturity and experience. This is exactly what Bush has done on 'Golden State'. All in all, I think Golden State is a great album that has finally got me excited about Bush again. If you have ever been a Bush fan, now is the time to check back into them. If you have never heard of them, then well I am really sorry that you have no ears, it must be difficult. For me, Golden State is a great reminder of that great show back in 1995. [www.bush-music.com]

"…Stick with me baby/ Stick with me anyhow/ Things should start to get interesting right about now…" And right he is. Bob Dylan, the most notable lonesome cowboy of the 60's, is back, gravelly voice and all, with his newest effort Love and Theft. And under the pencil-thin moustache his mouth is curling into a sly smile, because Mr. Dylan can now smirk, he can now gloat: He has made one damn fine album. Not that Bob Dylan is one to boast: Love and Theft is a charming, head-bobbing album, shaken and stirred. The melodies are finely tuned, the words are as flawless as ever, and Dylan's newest incarnation as a Delta blues man fits him like a deerskin glove, because only the weathered and the weary can caw out the blues, and Dylan is one weathered fellow… But not weary: He still encourages women to toss their panties out of flying convertible Mustangs, he's still picking on antiquated notions and making wise observations, but he's a bit more laid back about it these days. His storytelling is more bittersweet than his previous Time Out of Mind, and his voice, more rocky yet less nasal than his earlier years, proves a silky blue croon on tracks like "Sugar Baby" and "Mississippi." Dylan works a voodoo that even the darkest Trent Reznor can never tap into, and he provides a simply gorgeous album that none but a handful of today's bands can even come close to… And I use this sentence to challenge current artists to study the book of Bob and to use it as a level of which to coin their own music on, because this man, and his entire body of work, is a masterpiece, a free-standing work of art, and how many Apex Theories, Nelly Furtados, or Linkin Parks can say this? None. Zero. Zilch. Nil. Nada. Zip. (And don't chalk it up to experience: Comparing Highway 61 Revisited to Is This It? is pure sacrilege.) Mr. Oscar-Winner is definitely enjoying the over 50 lifestyle. He croons sweetly in "Moonlight", churning his poetic lyrics into a fine, silken and frolicking melody. Dylan borrows musical stylings of the 40's and 50's, rearing the album in as suddenly more American than any "Tribute to America" record yet to be marketed. Yet the songs aren't so defiantly American as they are dovetailed with the pepper and spice that makes America comfortable and recognizable. "Highwater (For Charley Patton)" chugs forward, Dylan's voice as smooth as barbwire yet still illustrating through sound the likeness of a rainy day, and the superb blues-y chords do Patton justice, (even with the low baritone voices echoing in the background.) "Honest with Me" and "Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum" are rockier, with slide guitars and excellent craftsmanship: They don't so much make you want to twist and shout as they do encourage your hair to blow in the wind. "Bye and Bye" is bittersweet, with a romping 40's ballroom twist, while "Summer Days" is pure on the wrap-around porch with the pitcher of lemonade enjoyment. "Po' Boy" is a bit dragging, with some of the easiest couplets Dylan has yet to coin, but it still hearkens visions of sawmills and the realism of impoverished people that Dylan is so good at bringing to life. "Cry a While" is a dulcet melody that truly tugs at the heartstrings, but the final song of the album, "Sugar Baby", simply breaks your heart into pieces with each firm strum of the guitar and each break in Dylan's voice. Dylan's guitar has never been sweeter, his voice has never been more sugary and mild, and the whole album, thanks also in part to the virtuoso studio band Dylan hired, is magnificent and warm. As I said before, it's a treat to have Mr. Robert Zimmerman still cranking out some songs for us, but on this record, he taps into a jukebox full of Americana, and tells the story of the proletariat with more experience and a more battered suitcase than many of our greatest storytellers… Which I guess is what makes him the best, and also makes this album such an endearment. While Bob Dylan is not for everyone, this album is sure to win over a few more listeners, a few more admirers and, if the album would have its ideal way, a few more believers in the human story. [www.bobdylan.com]

This album can make anyone happy if they let it. Cave In's latest full length, Jupiter, is hardly reminiscent of any of their earlier albums (which could give the average human a heart attack). Cave In has grown up a lot. Only 8 tracks fill this album, but each track could be easily split up into 3 more. Superpower melodic space rock would be one of the many ways to describe this album (not the band, just the album), with "sounds like they're in a gym" drums, huge guitar sounds, and vocals that creatively float atop pleasant and thick chordal experiments. This album pulls no complaints from me aside from the instrumental track which doesn't impress as much as the rest of the disc, but holds it's hypnotic place near the end of the album. Deathly starving Failure fans will find refuge in the huge and climatic sound of the album overall, while each song by itself could easily stand alone as a hit, if the radio wasn't in such a simplistic rut. The positive-triprock chorus towards the end of "In the Steam of Commerce" will shake the brains and expand the soul, while the 9-minute epic, "Requiem", stays quite interesting for the length it is. A huge and powerful, pleasant rock savior is what Jupiter is. Vocals that don't shy away from Fauceto, thickness that works on you without all the "chunk, chunk", and hook after hook of hokeyless melody that could have found itself on the radio, but won't now because of what is "in". If you ever decide to listen to the older Cave In, you might find yourself surprised - it's basically shred. They fact that Cave In CAN do prog-rock, but chooses to write something ultimately melodic and rock 'n roll, it makes you like the album even more. I don't want to rate this album too high, but it's been on repeat in my changer for weeks, and I still find myself sick with goosebumps in certain lines. [www.cavein.net]

Boy Hits Car is a fairly new band out of L.A., and this is their first major label release. Although the band has been together since 1993, they are just now starting to break into the scene. One of the most notable things about this album is how all of the layers of music fit together so well. Many of the tracks feature the addition of a 12 string acoustic guitar, which when combined with a regular guitar, has a very unique sound. With the addition of the vocal stylings of lead singer Cregg, you are presented with 11 tracks that get stuck in your head for hours after you have listened to the album. Another thing to note is that due to the mixing by Toby Wright, the album has a very tight and leveled sound. Everything fits together very well and sounds great in a good pair of headphones or blasted on your stereo. The only reason this album doesn't get a higher score is because all though the vocals are great, they sound a lot alike on some of the tracks. This is only a minor point, and may just be because I listened to it too many times in a row in too short a time period. Regardless, this is a very solid album, and I think it will be great to see how far these guys go. [www.boyhitscar.com]

Ancient Melodies Of The Future couldn't be a better title for the latest from Dough Martsch and crew (Scout Plouf and Brett Nelson plus some special guests). AMOTF starts off with "Strange," a track thats lead by keyboards by Sam Coomes (Quasi, Heatmiser), quite a depature from the immense guitar sounds that Built To Spill is typically known for. The first two minutes of this song is a good indication of what the entire album is like, played down guitars for the most part and a bit more of a laid back feel. Keep It Like A Secret came at you with full force by starting out with "The Plan" but here the powerful guitars take their time to show up, and then leave before crossing the five minute mark. They meander in and out of songs while the vocals lazily make their way through each verse into the chorus. This album on the whole is relaxing but not without it's impacting moments. "In Your Mind" takes on some classic Built to Spill attributes by pulling the listener along through the verses and once the second chorus has it, the guitar picks up and carries the rest of the song. The most interesting song on the album is definetly "Happiness" with it's repetitous and tongue-twisting lyrics. It has a rocked out country feel to it, due mostly to the combination of thumping drums and slide guitar. Doug Martsch has obviously grown up, and the whole tone of this album shows that he is writing melodies as an older wiser songwriter. He's still got all the talent he ever had, and definetly shows that his lyrical ability is up to par, especially on the acoustic song like "The Weather" a little love song written for whoever he pleases to write it to. If you own Keep It Like A Secret and that's all, you may be thrown off by the laid back feel of this album, but if you're an avid Built To Spill fan, you'll appreciate the songwriting and enjoy the songs - even if it takes you a few listens to fully discover. [www.builttospill.com]