Computer Cougar Rough Notes On High Stress Gern Blandsten By: Eric Greenwood Don't be fooled by any "featuring ex-members of" flyers for Computer Cougar, despite the fact that this New Jersey quartet does, in fact, feature former members of both Rorschach and Born Against. The band takes its cues from early British art-punk and late […]

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Stereolab Sound-Dust Elektra By: Eric Greenwood Morphing through another phase in its equally dilettantish and brilliant musical career, Stereolab returns on its ninth album with a proclivity for 1970's schmaltz, among other things. The squawking jazz bursts of its last album, Cobra And Phases Group Play Voltage In The Milky Night, have all but disappeared […]

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Wolfie Tall Dark Hill March By: Eric Greenwood Wolfie bounces through its frivolous pop with three chords and an endless supply of second-hand hooks. Guitarist Joe Ziemba sounds like your typical early-90's indie rock nerd, gurgling the snot between his forced falsetto and a bratty affectation. Luckily, he has Amanda Lyons' virginal voice to pick […]

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Melochrome Stay A Little Longer Loose Thread By: Eric Greenwood This is not good. It's not that I hate slow music either- it's just that this music lacks any recommendable qualities, and the fact that it's predominantly slow is merely a coincidence. "Seasonlong" has a pretty opening riff. I'll give it that. Strummed slowly, it […]

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Cursive Burst And Bloom Saddle Creek By: Eric Greenwood Tim Kasher obviously takes himself way too seriously, but, wait, he's deconstructing himself in the first song. The title track of this EP is a disclaimer that eliminates any mystery between musician and fan. Kasher's tongue in cheek take on the self-proclaimed "marketing scheme" that is […]

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Hefner We Love The City Too Pure By: Eric Greenwood Somehow, over the course of three albums Hefner has managed to transform its awkward, bookish charm into a grating chore on the ears. We Love The City is both a heartfelt and cynical exploration of the band's love/hate relationship with giddy London, but despite Darren […]

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Saves The Day Stay What You Are Vagrant By: Eric Greenwood Congratulations, Saves The Day- you are going to be rich. It took five guys to create this ingratiating, starry-eyed mess. While clinging onto only the vaguest semblance of what can be construed as punk, Saves The Day serves up a batch of the most […]

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