Cosmo Vitelli’s first full-length album, Clean, asks big questions. Is it possible to “Listen to Images” (track 1)? Can a “Robot Soul” (track 3) really exist? Will life progress if “People Should Think, Machines Should Work” (track 7)? Such philosophical questions demand big answers… Cosmo Vitelli (aka. Benjamin Boguet) employs the wizardry that has become studio technology to explore these paradoxes. Clean develops like a television commercial for a sexual enhancing drug. Concrete communication becomes more and more abstract as the listener is left wondering "what’s the point?" Clean begins the same way a sedated Jamiroquai or Dirty Vegas album might. But as Cosmo Vitelli becomes more comfortable at the studio switchboard, he slowly ditches lyrics for sonic waves, drum machines and electronic loops. But music is being performed with laptops now, is it not? Like most post-modern studio experimentations, Clean is an atmospheric disc. Cosmo Vitelli plays within the boundaries of electronic composition, but he does not push them. On “People Should Think, Machines Should Work,” “Come On, Generation Clone” and “Be Kind to the Machines” Cosmo Vitelli narrates the progression of studio music. Computers are making music now, and we must embrace them. Cosmo Vitelli answers big questions with more questions. Is electro-pop a fad or will it continue to mature into a respected genre? Clean fits nicely into the musical canon popularized by Dirty Vegas and Paul Oakenfold, but it fails to foreshadow what’s next. [www.astralwerks.com]

When writing a research paper, CD review, fiction novel, or the like, it is always a good idea to have another set of eyes proof read your material before submitting a final draft. The same advice applies to bands when recording an album. Heroes of the Alamo failed to do so, and their resulting album 98 to 1 has a 98 to 1 chance of making any musically astute listeners "Top 100" list. 98 to 1 is a sloppy disc. I began my review process by noting the technical problems each track revealed, but that process quickly became arduous. In some songs the lead guitar is played too low, in others the solo is hasty and careless. Heroes of the Alamo are generous enough to let each band member share vocal duties, but on the slower songs they rely on their Grant Lee Buffalo/Frank Black vocalist to sound sincere; whereas, the soft spoken vocalist sounds off on the heavier songs. Trust me, it doesn’t work. Heroes of the Alamo are too inexperienced and loose to become creative. Moreover, the vocalists often attempt to sing in unison forgetting the harmony part. Whoops? Oh, well… let’s bottle this disc up and market it anyway. The basic problem with this disc is that Heroes of the Alamo try to accomplish too much. When one guitar is needed, they employ two. When one voice will do, they opt for two. In case you cared by this point, Heroes of the Alamo want to sound like old R.E.M., but they are way off target! Coming soon to a fraternity house near you… [www.heroesofthealamo.com]

Could 2003 be the year for ska's return? I doubt it. And for all the kids out there who like it, the haters outweigh us by several tons. Though Capdown's brand of ska is a far cry from the happy, sarcastic type you're probably used to, they still cling, white knuckled to the genre. Actually, to call Capdown simply a "ska" band would be to short them. The band is as much punk and hardcore as ska. They fall somewhere in between Cali-skacore band Link 80 and legendary UK crew, The Specials. Having toured with Less Than Jake, Bad Religion, and Reel Big Fish, Capdown has spread their name across the United Kingdom like herpes across my college campus. The 11-track Pound for the Sound might be hard to get used to. It isn't exacly melodic, and the aggression of the music really keeps it from being truly catchy. The horns are tight and the band seems to have a good idea of what they're doing, but little dinstinction between song changes and a rather stagnant mood are some of its downfalls. I won't say the album let me down, because I hadn't heard much of Capdown prior to this album. Furthermore, I also can't truthfully say that Capdown lives up to the hype that surrounds them. To clarify: every song here is pretty good, but nothing stands out. It's not a typical fun ska album, and it's just not engaging. [www.capdown.com]

From Menomena’s homemade sequencing software, to The Flaming Lips “digital orchestra,” to The White Stripes lo-fi retrograde appreciation, it isn’t at all rare to find bands that wrestle for a unique sound or a distinctive method to steal the indie spotlight; and then there are those bands completely satisfied with a typical lineup and conventional sound, bands like Jargon. The majority of the record is very much average. Amongst the dulcet guitars and bare vocals there are some highlights, “Surface” and “The Lion’s Flower” being the two best tracks. The rest don’t surpass that conjectural line separating the “must listen” songs from those that are “just okay.” The vocals have a nice tone and the music is appeasing, but would benefit from a little diversity and some studio trickery. It’s the kind of album that you might pick up at a concert and be completely satisfied with, but wouldn’t go out of your way too much to share it with your friends. Jargon feels like a peanut butter sandwich; it’s a satisfyingly plain meal, but nothing I would order at a restaurant. [www.jargonia.com]

Simian first came to my attention during the whole short-lived, so-called electroclash movement (RIP). They were probably put into that genre because a keyboard and a bit of an electronic touch are present on We Are Your Friends. However, they have thankfully transcended their trendy categorization and have produced a semi-worthwhile album. Electronic enhancements are quite a feature of this album, but it is not the "gimmick" of the album. Sure, there are electronic beats present, but rock riffs and melodies often take over. In "Never Be Alone", it is difficult not to sing along with the sublimely catchy verse. "La Breeze" takes its cue from many a good rock anthem by starting out mellow, swelling into a splendid cacophony of drums and strong vocals, and resulting in a vintage-garage-esque feel - no wonder it was used for the American Eagle "vintage" commercials. The track "Skin" showcases the singer's borderline-annoying yet sexually-energized voice; carefully backup harmonies makes this a nice 80s-inspired track. Weaker tracks are scattered throughout the album ("End of the Day", "The Way I Live"), which pitter along at an even and mediocre pace, with nothing profound and say except the usual heterosexual attractions and strife. However, the originality and light-heartedness of the album make it worth a listen. [www.wearesimian.com]

Sometimes it is hard for people to associate a familiar name with a new face. When you get to know and love someone in one set of clothes, it is hard to see them in anything else. Micheal Jordan will always be a Chicago Bull, despite a stint with the Wizards, and Billy Corgan will always be a Smashing Pumpkin, despite the brief formation of Zwan. Vaden Todd Lewis established one of the best bands ever to come out of the Lone Star State, and rose to recognition with the late, the great, the Toadies. Now, along with Taz Bentley, another “formerly of” by means of The Reverand Horton Heat, Lewis rises like a phoenix with the second coming. The results are pure rock n’roll greatness! Buried In Your Black Heart is an eleven-song assault of balls out rock. Some people have labeled the band as a little too much fluff and fun, and not enough talented artistry. My response is: who gives a crap? After the screw job The Toadies got from their label, can you blame the man for just wanting to get back to the roots of rock and just have some good old fun? The album’s strong points are personified in its front man and his songwriting. A distinct, powerful voice brings every track banging into your head, while the melodies prove that rock can at once be hard and still catchy. Straight rockers such as the title track, “Walk Away”, and “Come On Down” pepper their way among the more meaty tracks, making you wish your hair was just a little bit longer so your head banging might look a little better. “Beautiful Night”, “You’re So God Damn Beautiful”, and “Your Fault” ride the fence between melody and mayhem like a tidal wave through your headphones. The boys slow it down for a few moments with the album closers “Conditional” and “Let It Go”, but the stand out happens early with the infectious “Shadow”, a blend of creepy, loving lyrics combined with a slow building stroke of the guitar to build a vintage Lewis classic. They aren’t reinventing the face of rock, but they aren’t trying to. When it comes to straight rock n’roll it doesn’t get much better than this. Buyers beware: once this album hits your player it won’t soon be making an exit. A solid piece of work from beginning to end marks the full-length debut of what is sure to be a band to keep an ear and an eye on. [www.theburdenbrothers.com]

Café Tacuba is explicated by several magazines as the Kid A style-forward-thinking music for the “Rock En Espanol” genre; I’m an admirer of “experimental” style music, so I had a confident predisposition to expect something out of the ordinary. I’m not familiar enough with Latin music to compare its home-country revolutionary eminence, but let me tell you not to expect any of the classic filter heavy, structurally repetitive, machine-like Kid A-isms or anything else exceptionally novel. Café Tabuca isn’t at all the Beatles, Radiohead, or whatever American bands thoughtless critics have fastened them with; I think that Cuarto Caminos is best described as upbeat ska-pop-rock with energetic vocals, lackadaisical lyrics (from what I’ve been able to translate), and wildly diverse melodies/instrumentation with a hint of digital effects. If it has any influence over contemporary music, it will be in the variety of its components rather than the overall sound. Initial disappointment aside, this album is pretty good. With the production credits being split between various producers and mixers, the three tracks that really stand out for me are the three produced by Andrew Weiss; they most demonstrate the progressive elements that have propelled Café Tacuba into such an overwhelmingly positive media reaction. Showing off wide-ranging vocal styles and well-placed effects, the album certainly possesses a lot of energetic and passionate moments. Even though it's in Spanish, I find my self singing along slurring words that I don't really understand or even know how to pronounce correctly. That has to be a good sign. If you have extra change and you happen to be in the mood for some unusual, expressive music, you might want to check this out. [www.cafetacuba.com.mx]

Gabin is a European post-Moby dance outfit that appropriates a blend of antiquated orchestra and vocal samples. It has some DJ elements and a few guest vocalists, but the integrated old-fashioned vocal clips (much like Moby’s Play) are the most interesting, but that’s not really saying much. Exploiting drum-machine presets and some very plain melodies, Gabin takes it’s design from the worst elements of Moby and doesn’t ever claim any individuality. It has a lot of dated, 80s ethereal-synths, lots of chimes, and a dash of conceitedly minimal piano. Never building or shrinking, the songs use a typically consistent dance-club structure. Pretentiously Moby-esque songs titles (“Delire et Passion,” “Sweet Sadness,” Une Histoire d’Amoure” etc…) amongst uninspired album art, I can’t find anything positive to say about this record. It has decent parts, but never brings any originality to the table. Even for superficial DJ fans, you probably want to stay away from this record. [www.astralwerks.com]

The perpetual flaw of the dance/party genre is that it willingly acknowledges its own emotionless, immaterial quality; all that matters is the beat and the level of enthusiasm in the vocals. The lack of concept and sentiment forces party-type bands to have a zealous, attention-grabbing image (in an effort to attach some substance to the disposable music). This is why in every other review that you may come across they will go into great detail concerning the personalities of the band-mates, one named Junior and the other named Senior. I’m not interested in selling you anything but music, so I’ll skip the biography. D-D-Don’t Don’t Stop the Beat has all the necessary ingredients for a party atmosphere: shameless drum machines, chanting hip-hop (sometimes even disco) vocals, off-the-cuff lyrics, twangy bass, horns and strings, and some relatively lo-fi production. The “live recording” sound gives it an old-fashioned quality that is reminiscent of a variety of eras, ranging from the Beach Boys in “ Rhythm Bandits” to Michael Jackson in “Move Your Feet”; at times it almost sounds like a “garage” counterpart to dance or hip-hop. This is the type of album where it’s fun to hear the single now and then but probably isn’t worth purchasing the album. Bands like Beastie Boys and Daft Punk make for a great party atmosphere, but they also transcend such a singular intention and double as excellent personal listening. Junior Senior does not, and since it isn’t anything greater than its image, I’d rather hear it in passing than in full. [www.juniorsenior.com]

I am not a hardcore Placebo fan. They seem to me to be one of those bands that people discovered in high school and then fully embraced their seemingly quasi-over-the-top dramatics. The perfect music for the depressed generation that didn't feel like their pain was being addressed enough by Nirvana or Stabbing Westward. I'd heard a few of their previous singles and never had much interest. Then the band released "The Bitter End," the first single from Sleeping With Ghosts. I almost instantly became a fan after listening from start to finish. Not being the long time fan, I can't compare this to the band's old work and tell if they've grown exponentially or continue to release the same style they've always done. The album is a straight-ahead, big guitar, big hook approach. The band seems to draw from a lot of dancefloor and nu-wave influences, heard mostly in the snappy drumbeats and backing keyboards. Before you get it in your head that this is a new Orgy album, feel safe in knowing that this is a ROCK record - the guitars are up front and being used properly. Finding yourself enjoying the musical portion of Sleeping With Ghosts is a pretty safe bet if you're a fan of any rock that exists on the edge of mainstream success and popular indie (My Vitriol, Self, Creeper Lagoon, Dredg, etc.). However, the vocals and lyrics may be a different story entirely. Have no doubt, Brian Moloko's voice is as nasally as can be. The lyrics pretty much stick to the conceptual area of lost lovers ("Sleeping With Ghosts"), bitter lovers ("The Bitter End"), forgotten love ("Special Needs"), hateful breakups ("Second Sight"), and... well... you get the point. Fortunately, the vocals fit this sort of desperate yearning and bitterness perfectly. If you wrote Placebo off some time ago as "that crybaby band with the weird lead singer" give them another chance on Sleeping With Ghosts. The album kind of drawls off near the end into slower songs, but without the change in tempo you'd forget to appreciate the truly rocking stuff in the first half. [www.placebo.co.uk]

On The Speakers is the new band of ex-Creeper Lagoon vocalist Ian Sefchick. After Creeper Lagoon had toured in support of their first major release, Ian left the band to Sharky Laguana, who's since continued on under the trusty moniker, but with a brand new sound. For those whose thirst has not been quenched by the new incarnation of Creeper Lagoon, On The Speakers is the perfect way to fill that void. When two creative types part ways and start making art on their own, it sometimes becomes painfully obvious who was responsible for certain aspects of their previous collaboration. Without a doubt, Ian was responsible for the feel-good, make-people-dance-and-smile, rock songs of Creeper Lagoon. As expected, the On The Speakers EP is a fun filled rockin' good time. Sometimes when a band records an album in the right mindset - the combination of spontaneous happiness, carefree (yet proficient) performance, and just a bit of great songwriting - it shows through in the recording. The sing-along choruses ("Could I Be Right?", "Dance Crazy"), sweet pseudo-crooning ("Dolphins"), and exploding guitar work ("Click Your Heels") all come across naturally and comfortably through the recording; a true happiness exudes from these songs. I know that sounds nuts, but this EP really comes off as a band getting their feet wet and having a great time doing it. There's no major label pressure, no royalty paperwork, no 5-star producer behind the board, and no noose around their neck to have a breakthrough single. It's a good time with some good rock. Oh, and sleep easy knowing that if you loved the rock songs of Creeper Lagoon, you'd be hard pressed to find anything but joy on this EP. [www.onthespeakers.com]

First of all, if you're even the slightest Blinker The Star fan, you need to completely forget that August Everywhere ever existed. You won't want to forget about it - it's lush harmonies, it's massive instrumentation, and somewhat homage style to proper 70's rock - but you have to. Still In Rome is the next step in Blinker frontman Jordon Zadorozny's evolutionary songwriting process, if August Everywhere had never existed. This album is about big dumb rock riffs, squelching guitar solos, and... dare I say it... the rock-anthem, arena-style chorus. Upon hearing this record I was deeply depressed. One of my few sources of quality songwriting and songcrafting had traded its dense layering for grotesque "yea yeahs!" ("Bathroom Wall"), and over the top finger tapping solos ("Live By The Gun"). I won't even get into the fact that he rhymes 'ego' with 'amigo' ("Amigo") or the usage of vocal reverb ("Bad Luck"). It's unfortunate for Blinker The Star that August Everywhere actually ever was released, because it opened the door for the world to see what potential and direction songwriter Jordon Z actually was capable of. But instead, Still In Rome is a big dumb rock record from a songwriter that could have very well put out an incredibly lush and interesting album. If Still In Rome existed on its own, with no comparison to previous efforts or other songwriting talents, it would appear to be a fairly fun album. At times it's definetly trying too hard (the intro and bridge to "Live By The Gun" is just too much), the lyrics are somewhat juvenile ("You tell me you're a lady / But can I touch it, Baby? / I'm a guy, not the Berlin Wall / swing your hammer and just watch me fall!" - "Bathroom Wall"), but it's easy to imagine having a good time driving around listening to the album in the background, or watching the band take the riffs and shredding to another level in a live environment. Not too surprisingly, the strongest tracks on the album are those that were collaborations with other artists. "Still In Rome", "Get Together", "Go To Go Through It", and "Don't Believe It" all feature ex-Failure drummer Kellii Scott on drums. Fleetwood Mac legend Lindsey Buckingham appears on "What Have I Been Waiting For?", along with ex-Jellyfish drummer Andy Sturmer and Lusk's Paul D'Amour. They must have had the sense to let Jordon know not to put in that dueling guitar battle (as we are aurally witness to in "Bad Luck"). To add insult to injury, the artwork for the disc features a drawing of two infants reaching up to suckle at the teet of a howling wolf (or possibly coyote). I would not typically bring up artwork, as it is only an encasing for the music held within, but if I find myself shaking my head in disappointment by mearly viewing the cover to a disc, it deserves to have a flag raised on it. Overall, you could do alot worse than Still In Rome. However, if you're Jordon Z, you could also do alot better. [www.blinkerthestar.com]

If you haven’t realized that marketing rules the world yet, you must wake up! For example, Pilsner Urquell is apparently the peasant beer in the Czechoslovakia, but importers strategically opted to provide kegs to swanky clubs in NYC only and advertise in “sophisticated” magazines such as GQ. The result? Regardless of the taste, Pilsner Urquell is considered a classy microbrew in the States. Perhaps Natural Light can learn from this business model when exporting internationally. Yes, the laws of marketing apply to musicians as well. There are thousands of rock/bluegrass/jam bands on college campuses across the country with catchy names and lofty dreams, but when the sympathetic ears of your collegiate peers disperse after graduation, so does the joy of being in a celebrated rock band. Unless you have a good marketing director… Case in point: Cast Iron Filter out of Davidson, North Carolina has created their own genre: Irongrass. Such marketing techniques worked for Uncle Tupelo when they created the magazine No Depression and the genre: alt.country. Something new always turns heads, and Irongrass is doing just that. Obviously, the music must measure up to the hype as well. Cast Iron Filter’s first live release titled, Live from the Highway, embodies Irongrass. Imagine the playfulness of String Cheese Incident (“Sgt. Blue Kitty”), the authentic grit of Uncle Tupelo (“SOKY Fair”) and the songs of Bruce Springsteen (“27 Dollars and a Wedding Ring”). Yes, that’s a nice image, but it still doesn’t quite describe Cast Iron Filter. Hell, they claim the only way to truly experience Irongrass is so see Cast Iron Filter perform in concert. Sounds like another marketing technique to me? Marketing or not, Live from the Highway, convincingly advocates for the live Irongrass experience. The songs transform from narratives to compositions to soulful ballads. Although Cast Iron Filter has three previous studio albums, Live from the Highway, is an essential Irongrass recording. [www.castironfilter.com]

“KMFDM forever sucks.” (lyrics from track eleven: “Intro”) A more comprehensive method of reviewing this album than specifically describing the sound, production, and lyrics would be just to say that it’s everything you’ve come to expect from KMFDM. All the German industrial/dance beats, distorted, single-chord guitar riffs, super-blown out vocals, faux woodcut propaganda artwork, and the typically intolerable lyrics are present. As always there are the “conceptual” tracks, those that are loosely connected with the album theme and the rest (the majority) are nonsensical, manufactured filler. It is so lyrically, structurally, and sonically similar to every other KMFDM release, they might as well just start releasing the same album every year or two (with different titles of course). Remember Mr. Sascha, if sales are bad blame Internet piracy like every other formulaic band that releases cookie cutter songs. Don’t you dare experiment or grow as a band, because people really want to buy the same records over and over and over, right? I can think of a million ways in which KMFDM might alter their methods to appeal to me, many of them dealing with new filters, new vocals, or new mixing techniques, but most importantly stop with the “political sample, lyric A, chorus, lyric B, chorus, bridge, someone talking in German, mini guitar solo, chorus” structure. I enjoy a few KMFDM and MDFMK songs, but their full albums are painfully vacant of any worthy content. With such an uncannily consistent discography (nine to eleven songs per album with only two or three songs per album that have any distinction) I doubt that anyone interested in this KMFDM record will be persuaded by a review. “Nothing new it’s the same old shit/ if it works this good why fuck with it.” But… [www.kmfdm.net]

Outlandishly whimsical pop-rock probably doesn’t get much better than this. Catchy as hell and absurdly eccentric, Dear Catastrophe Waitress is one of those albums that’s so heavily caked in charm it borders on being annoying. The screwy lyrics and thick string/wind orchestral production, courtesy of producer Trevor Horn, mash sugar-coated melody after melody into your brain. To prove that it isn’t just the copious layers of instrumentation that makes this album so captivating, the fourth track, “Piazza, New York Catcher,” uses just vocals and acoustic guitar and achieves the same level of eccentricity and catchiness. What exactly it is that gives Belle and Sebastian the ability to pull off such tacky lyrics as, “We need to talk, step into my office baby/ I want to give you the job, a chance for overtime/ Say, my place at nine?” is beyond me. In fact, the album’s luster didn’t hit me until a few days later, when I couldn’t for the life or me get the title track out of my head. Like a Chuck Palahniuk novel, Dear Catastrophe Waitress starts off with an extraordinary level of energy but loses its steam a little over the halfway mark, leaving the listener with a bit of a sour taste. Despite the fading interest, the instantaneously singable lyrics and earlier tracks are certainly worth a purchase; that is, if you enjoy quirky lyrics and downright girlish music. [www.belleandsebastian.co.uk]

With a name like Smile Empty Soul and that annoying chorus of their first single, (you know the one, "I do it for the druuuugs...") this band already has two strikes against them. However, after listening to their debut, self-titled album, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they did manage to avoid the deadly third strike, and they came out ok. This album starts out with the previously mentioned "Bottom of a Bottle", but from there the lyrics get slightly better and things start to pick-up. "Silhouettes" takes things in a positive direction, with a nice melodic chorus and pleasant guitar work. "This is War" is a really nice acoustic track that combines a string quintet with haunting vocals to create one of the most memorable songs on the album. From there we go into "Therapy" and "For You", both of which are pretty mellow, but solid before moving into "Your Way" and "Every Sunday" which pick things up a bit. Then it is back to slower more acoustic songs like "With This Knife". Basically, the album alternates between the more aggressive, modern-rock songs and the slower acoustic ones that really display singer Sean Danielson's vocal talent. I guess the weakest thing about the Smile Empty Soul debut would have to be the lyrics. Subject matter doesn't stray very far from drugs, abuse, and lots of other angst-ridden things. It's just a little too reminiscent of the beginning of nu-metal and all the hate-fueled screams that the genre became known for. It leaves me wondering if singer Sean Danielsen is really that tormented, or if it is all a bit contrived. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the album, and while it definitely won't blow you away, it is an OK effort from this Lava Records band. [www.smileemptysoul.com]

Deja Entendu is the second album I have gotten from Brand New since I have been working at Silent Uproar, and oddly enough I don't remember anything about the last album I got from them. The reason it surprises me is because Deja Entendu is so damn good that I felt I surely would have remembered their last album. Regardless, the band has my attention now and I think they deserve yours too. It is hard to describe the kind of music on Deja Entendu. I mean, I always thought that Brand New was essentially a punk-rock band. However with their latest album, they come across as more of a melodic rock band than anything else. "I Will Play My Game beneath the Spin Light" or "The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot" definitely show they aren't afraid to throw in acoustic guitars, but they also do their share of rocking out and blend it all ever so elegantly. The album is chock full of melodic songs combining amazing guitar riffs and overwhelmingly beautiful vocal melodies. "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" and "Jaws Theme Swimming" are stand out tracks, the latter featuring pleasantly slow verses complemented by a soaring chorus with a catchy-as-hell guitar riff. I can't really find a bad thing to say about this album and I can only hope you take the time to check it out. Interesting song titles, nice album art, and, of course, great songs all combine to make Deja Entendu a really amazing album. [www.brandnewrock.com]

When I look at the name of this band I expect something. I expect to hear soul. I expect to hear blues. I expect… well, expectations can be a bitch. Contrary to what I expected and what I researched, I didn’t hear much “Mississippi” sounds in these all-stars from the North. What I did hear was a decent pop-rock record with some Southern influence, but not a Southern soul. Expectations aside, let’s look at what we are dealing with. Polaris had a weird affect on me. Every single time I would put the disc in to listen I would think, “Ok. This is some catchy stuff. Not bad.” Then I would get distracted and not even halfway through the album I would forget it was playing. It didn’t make me retro vomit. It didn’t make me jump for joy or play air guitar so my co-workers could laugh at me. It was just there. It took the ever-feared title of a background music album. The music is a worthy effort I guess, nothing horrid. It is played well and played fluently, but lacks emotion. The lyrics are not Hemingway or Shakespeare, just typical; love, life, money, etc. A few notable exceptions are the catchy, “Kids These Daze” and “All Along”. Aside from that there isn’t much to scream about, whether it be from praise or scorn. There are even a couple tracks, like “Be So Glad”, that just seem odd and out of place. Rapping, an old blues man singing, reggae, a lot of something, but the result is a lot of nothing. Fans of the band will enjoy the album, although more mainstream sounding than their previous efforts. The casual listener will probably see it my way (and damn straight they should). This is an album that could have been playing in every store you have ever walked into, and to this day you would never have noticed. [www.nmallstars.com]

Living in Texas, I am kind of biased to some of the local bands. The music scene of the Dallas/Ft. Worth area has been of particular interest to me. Hearing that a band is from the area always draws my interest; not only because the area is responsible for producing my favorite band (the Toadies), but also a slew of other great bands such as Baboon, Pinkston, The Polyphonic Spree, Centro-matic, and on and on. I had heard the name Slow Roosevelt, but the most I had heard of their music was a little track on Sandy Does Dallas, a rather cute little album of Dallas bands doing the soundtrack to Grease. Not sure what to expect, I was kind of let down to discover a rather dull rock record. There is nothing particularly horrible about the band or the album really. It is just that it falls into the already over crowded area of rock replete with screaming lead vocals and chugging guitars devoid of any real melody or sound. Sure, there are a few headbangers in the crowd that will find some tracks to their liking, but for the most part the album lacks any original sound and just doesn’t bring much to separate it from it peers. Weightless is not horrible, but it plays more like background music than anything that is going to make your ears take notice. Let’s face it kids, this is just bland hard rock. [www.slowroosevelt.com]

Converge-spawned metallic hardcore acts seem to be more popular than pop-punk bands nowadays – which is to say, there’s much too many. As anvil-heavy hardcore bands continue to erupt across the globe, there’s a steady decrease in quality, originality, and ingenuity. Which is why a band such as Breather Resist are a tricky four-some to evaluate: they’re leagues away from being the best, but far from being the worst. Only In The Morning, Breather Resist’s eight track debut disc, is an album rife with serrated hardcore vocals and crushing guitar chords that work their best on the slash-and-burn riffage of “Just Do It” and the rhythmic stomp of “The Best Mistake.” But despite the short time span Only In The Morning allocates (a mere 22 minutes), it struggles to keep the listener’s attention throughout. Breather Resist are simply a mediocre band with a mediocre debut album. Hopefully they’ll escape their influences and their Xerox-copied sound that borrows from both Botch and Converge so that bands may one day begin copying them. [www.breatherresist.com]