One sentence album reviews (#17)

After some constructive criticism over drinks this weekend about my Twitter reviews, there may be a change soon. But for now, here's the ones I've posted recently:

The Vines - Future Primitive (2011): It's been 11 years since they were hailed the future of rock and they still sound the same: Whiny. 2/5 

The Weeknd - House of Balloons (2011): a modern RnB album with a lot of dub/electro overtones. Great rainy day  or laid-back romance music 4.7/5

William Elliot Whitmore - The Death Valley Sessions (2003): Sounds like Woody Guthrie soundtracking O brother Where Art Thou in an open field 5/5

The Wonder Years - Suburbia I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing (2011): A pop-punk album with a theme. The songs show depth not known to the genre and aren't generic or whiny. 4.5/5

Noah and the Whale-Last Night On Earth (2011): He seems to be much happier than his last album and thus migrated to radio friendly rock 3.6/5

Wugazi - 13 Chambers (2011): It's Wu-Tang songs mixed with Fugazi songs. This does not need a description to why it's amazing 4.4/5

The Airborne Toxic Event - All At Once (2011): At stages sounds like AFI, The National and Titus Andronicus. A bit confused, but well rounded indie 4/5

Big D & The Kids Table - The Damned, the Dumb & the Delirious (2011): An album where they finally balance their ska-punk & dub-reggae sides 4/5

Limp Bizkit - Gold Cobra (2011): The musical trip down nostalgia lane is quite excellent... until Fred opens his mouth. Worst. Lyrics. Ever 3/5

Junior Battles - Idle Age (2011): yet another Canadian band that sounds similar to Billy Talent, but a hell of a lot more pop-punk! 3.9/5

Portugal. The Man - In The Mountain In The Cloud (2011): an indie album that sounds dangerously like a 90's pop album 3.7/5

August Burns Red - Leveler (2011): a rare "metalcore" album that is composed of more than just breakdowns and screaming for no sake 3.8/5

Algernon Cadwallader - Parrot Flies (2011): fairly lo-fi midwestern emo album. The lo-fi makes it more raw and shows more emotion 3.4/5

Cake - Showroom Of Compassion (2011): Without the wit and comedy of their old stuff, it just sounds like a poor man's Presidents of the USA 3/5

Departures - When Losing Everything Is Everything You Wanted (2011): dark and dirty hardcore that just attacks you with raw emotion 4/5

Sublime With Rome - Yours Truly (2011): He has a voice like Brad, but not the lyrical ability or background to write the gritty songs 1.5/5

Eddie Vedder - Ukulele Songs (2011): Ukulele = happy. Eddie Vedder = sad songs. Ukulele + Eddie = a surprisingly odd yet enjoyable serious album 3.8/5

Dead By April - Stronger (2011): An album that sounds like a really shitty techno synthesiser collided with a real crappy metal band 1/5

Farewell To Freeway - Filthy Habits (2011): Alright metalcore, which doesn't have one hint of synthesizer or auto-tune (bonus point!) 3/5

The Fresh & Onlys - Play it Strange (2010): I kept thinking I'd picked up a 1960s garage rock vinyl from a thrift shop 3.3/5

Haram - Drescher (2007): Another good album from the old school of post-hardcore, but with a bit more of a jangly guitar element 3.8/5

Have a Nice Life - Deathconsciousness (2008): a 2 hour trip through a shoegaze, garage rock & ambient landscape that I want to do again 4.7/5

Hold Tight! - Can't Take This Away (2011): A nice DIY styled pop-punk/orgcore band; takes me back to the good old days of late 90s punk 4.2/5

The Hotel Year - It Never Goes Out (2011): This is shaping up to be the year pop-punk gets good again, thanks to great albums like this 4.6/5

Joyce Manor - ST (2011): Quirky and fun orgcore/pop punk. Fun to listen to. 4.4/5

Lionheart - Built on Struggle (2011): The most typical "good" hardcore album ever: breakdowns, gang vocals, catchy lyrics & short solos 3.6/5

Millionyoung - Replicants (2010): I think I finally understand what the chillwave genre is. It's this. And this is happy lofi-pop music 4/5

New Lows - Harvest Of The Carcass (2011): hardcore with a low and sludgy sound that makes you wonder if they used broken recording equipment 3.5/5

Salva - Complex Housing (2011): good dubstep album (it exists!) in that it's more of a minimalistic techno feel than just wub-rinse-repeat 3.8/5

Free Music Friday 26! (The not for everyone edition)

I stumbled across this band through another blog, which started a review with the words:

This EP, like every good hardcore recording since the beginning of time, starts out with feedback

So yes, I had to get it. But really, it's not for everyone. The band is called Chewed Out, and I couldn't find a picture of them. Here's one of the top Google image search results for them though:
I think that is Steve Jobs punching someone. Yep, no idea.

Anyway, Chewed Out are dirty, grimey hardcore which starts leaning a bit more of the way towards grindcore. If you like bands like Dangers and Departures (which I really freaking do), or even chaotic noisy hardcore bands like The Chariot or Norma Jean, you'll enjoy the shit out of this.

They have a free EP on their Bandcamp. Get it and get moshing in your bedroom/office/wherever you keep your computer.

One sentence album reviews (#3)

Here's the last few I put on Twitter:

Good Cean Fun - Between Christian Rock And A Hard Place (2006): Positive/straight edge/vegan/Christian hardcore punk; it's so much fun 4.5/5

Dear Landlord - Dream Homes (2009): Awesome & simple classic punk rock from Chicago (my favourite punk region) 4/5

Cower - Land Before Time (2010): Bluesy sludge metal has a baby with a hardcore band with a speech impediment; vocals are hard to hear 3/5

Departures - EP (2010): Excellent hardcore EP, with vocals that border on screamo/scramz (3.5/5)

Japandroids - Post-nothing (2009): simple yet noisy two piece garage rock with simple and fun lyrics and a beat that makes you move. 5/5

Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue (2009): The bastard child of a folk album and an 8 bit electronic album; Bibio swings between the two. 3/5

Big Troubles - Worry (2010): Two of my favourite things: lots of fuzzy guitars and lots of fuzzy vocals; channeling My Bloody Valentine 4/5

Titus Andronicus - The Monitor (2010): It's as if Bruce Springsteen hit the drugs and formed an indie garage rock band tinged with country. 4.5/5

Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest (2010): Lo-fi shoegaze that just spaces you out as you get lost in the music; could not stay awake at work. 3/5

Everything Everything - Man Alive (2010): Vocals and pop-stylings of Coldplay get a bit more indie with a splash of Radiohead. 3.5/5

Gin Blossoms - No Chocolate Cake (2010): The 90's called, they want this album and this band back. It's at least 15 years too late. 1.5/5