James Blake — James Blake

7/10 I can’t remember any debut album in recent memory with as much pre-release hype as this one. Google the phrase “pitchfork james blake wunderkind” and look at how many links you get. I love Pitchfork so very, very much. Anyway, you’d think James Blake was releasing thirty-eight minutes of musical tones that could raise

So Much For I

Well, that’s it for “I.” Ever heard of synaesthesia? Words that start with “I” seem small and mean to me for some reason. I’m not saying I have synaethesia, just that words that start with “I” make me feel funny for some reason. They seem foreboding and nasty and cold. That’s weird. “J” starting words

Why I’m Glad How I Met Your Mother Lasted this Long, Even If the Ending Doesn’t Satisfy (And I Think It Will)

For the last few years, I have heard the same thing from How I Met Your Mother ex-fans:“That stupid show should have ended a long time ago.”I will not deny that at points after the fourth season, the show has gone through some uneven stretches. Few shows that have run for nine seasons have not.

The Isley Brothers — Go for Your Guns

8/10 You might have noticed from all the randomly posted youtube links that the author of this blog enjoys slow jams. This can be traced to two factors:1. The outline of slow jam love began when all the cool kids in the back of my bus listened to R & B when I was in

Isis — Wavering Radiant

8/10 Isis further the transformative spiritual themes of their previous albums with their final work, Wavering Radiant. The band also embrace the decade that really made them possible, the 70’s, more than ever. The keyboard sound might as well have arrived by time machine from 40 years ago, as well as Wavering Radiant‘s more relaxed

Isis — In the Absence of Truth

9/10 In the Absence of Truth is about…who knows what it’s about. The cryptic liner notes and lyrics and whatever other resources don’t make much sense, but the album sounds like some sort of epic spiritual quest that ends in a “Garden of Light.” The band, who merge heaviness with more gentle passages and ambiance,

God, It Feels So Good to Close My Eyes

Isis — Panopticon

8/10 Panopticon is the followup to Isis’ breakout album, Oceanic. Isis play stretched out, nearly instrumental rock songs, with some metallic touches, and some yelled vocals. This time around, vocalist, Aaron Turner, injects a good bit of melody into his voice. To be honest, he sounds a little bit like Nick Hexum from 311, and

I Don’t Know How, But Jars of Clay Did It Again

Isis — Oceanic: Remixes & Reinterpretations

7/10 Now here is an interesting re-mix album. Oceanic: Remixes & Reinterpretations‘ contributors take just about any conceivable remix approach. Some take the ambient angle, which works pretty much any time it is employed. Others go for more complete restructurings. Some just get weird, bringing parts of the songs that were buried under the surface