The Cure Greatest Hits Elektra/Fiction By: Eric Greenwood Arbitrary and somewhat unrepresentative, the new Greatest Hits package by The Cure is inessential for fans new or old, even if you buy the limited edition double disc that includes acoustic versions of all the songs. With two retrospective collections already on the shelves (Standing On A […]

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Serotonin Universal Time Constant Bifocal Media By: Eric Greenwood Serotonin"s aggressive emo suffers from an overly complex musical base and a rushed sense of melody, among other things. The guitars surge, but they were recorded so poorly that the effect is limp. In terms of dynamics, the band whips through its changes flawlessly- it"s just […]

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M. Ward End Of Amnesia Future Farmer By: Eric Greenwood Being compared to an anomaly like Tom Waits is more of a curse than a blessing. Simply put- there"s only one Tom Waits, and anything resembling him will invariably be viewed as a sad rip-off. So when I read that M. Ward sounded like a […]

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Isobella A 24 Syllable Haiku Claire By: Eric Greenwood With an impressive wall of guitars guiding its slow and shimmering songs, Isobella returns on its second album with another collection of dreamy albeit derivative pop. Let"s get the obligatory references out of the way. Yes, Isobella owns a copy of My Bloody Valentine"s Loveless and […]

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X-ray Spex Germfree Adolescents Caroline By: Eric Greenwood X-Ray Spex were one of the few female-fronted punk bands to make an indelible mark on the burgeoning punk movement in England in the late 1970"s. The band"s early singles were raw and full of abrasive energy, particularly the rambunctious punk classic "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" which […]

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Figurine The Heartfelt March By: Eric Greenwood Figurine"s The Heartfelt is the best argument for the synthesizer that I"ve heard in a long time. Living up to its name – or down rather – Figurine"s music sounds small and insular. The warm analogue tones conflict with the icy detachment of the monotone male and female […]

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Dealership Tv Highway To The Stars Keiki By: Japanese Correspondent- Patrick Doherty "Power-noise-pop" may be too generic and cliched as a descriptor for a band that has a self-proclaimed infatuation with Imperial Teen, but at least it gives you a pretty good idea. The trio that constitutes Dealership (Chris Groves, Miyuki Jane Pinckard and Chris […]

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