Jul 27, 2003 Music Inside the Skate Scandal by The Twin Atlas (Review) All 12 songs here seem effortless in their catchiness and prettiness.
Jul 27, 2003 Music Little Darla Has a Treat for You, Vol. 20: Summer 2003 by Various Artists (Review) Featuring Freescha, Aarktica, Lowlights, Momus, The California Oranges, Crispy Ambulance, and more.
May 22, 2003 Music Give Up by The Postal Service (Review) This is an electro-pop record that doesn’t properly belong to any movement or time period.
Apr 20, 2003 Music KingsQueens by Wayne Everett (Review) Good stuff, but it just doesn’t reach the dizzying heights attained by Everett’s own work with The Lassie Foundation.
Apr 12, 2003 Music Enter Twilight EP by Magic Pillows (Review) There’s some considerable promise contained within these five songs.
Mar 23, 2003 Music Christopher’s Dream by Dreamfield (Review) The title track blends acoustic guitars, turntables, Middle Eastern flutes, and fragile female vocals in a dark, hypnotic manner.
Mar 8, 2003 Music Note to Self by Flume (Review) They make me remember 1993 when Juliana Hatfield was queen of alternative music and Evan Dando its crown prince.
Feb 18, 2003 Music Smash the System (Singles and More) by Saint Etienne (Review) A two-disc compilation that serves as an excellent introduction to Saint Etienne’s pristine, immaculate dance pop.
Jan 19, 2003 Music The Fairline Parkway by The Fairline Parkway (Review) Few bands have so skillfully connected the aesthetic dots between sadcore and chamber pop.
Dec 3, 2002 Music River Bends EP by Denison Witmer (Review) This EP is a condensed version of everything that I love about Denison Witmer’s music.
Dec 3, 2002 Music Constellation by Rebecca Pearcy (Review) Pearcy’s folk-pop songs long for a rescue from the hectic city life.
Sep 19, 2002 Music River by River (Review) Listening to the album’s strong moments, there’s no reason for this to be a 20 song, 73 minute epic.
Sep 19, 2002 Music Never Felt This Way Before by The Billions (Review) The Billions have another album of unabashed pop full of clever arrangements, simple yet poignant lyrics, and joy.
Sep 19, 2002 Music Of Joy & Sorrow by Denison Witmer (Review) Music this simple, yet powerfully affecting, does not get made very often.
Aug 23, 2002 Music Microdancer by Churchbuilder (Review) Music like this should be short and sweet, otherwise it wears out its welcome.
May 26, 2002 Music Extended Play by The Connection (Review) These are solid songs, songs that could definitely benefit from a little more depth in the studio, if only to polish the edges.
May 26, 2002 Music Lost Weekend EP by The Clientele (Review) This release finds the band delving more into the atmosphere that, until now, has always been that hazy film giving their music it’s surreal touch.
Apr 21, 2002 Music When We Were Small by Rosie Thomas (Review) Thomas is the kind of performer that could sing gibberish and make it sound good.
Apr 14, 2002 Music Learning About Your Scale by Half-Handed Cloud (Review) Criticizing John Ringhofer for making strange music is pointless because it’s obvious he has no intent to do otherwise.