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Chris ConatonFeatures
A Decade of ChangeBetween the Internet, DVRs, and DVDs, television viewers have been almost completely freed from the vagaries of network scheduling. We can watch our favorite shows whenever we want. [21 October 2009] Comic-Con 2008: Bigger Than Ever, But Does That Mean Better?Comic-Con 2008 was a long weekend of geeked-out bliss and a chance to rub elbows with everyone from tiny independent comic artists trying to sell their books to big Hollywood stars. But it also meant gigantic crowds and impossibly long lines. [7 August 2008] Reviews
The Swell Season: Strict JoyThe duo from Once return with a fine new album. It's mostly about how their real-life relationship fell apart, but with strong songwriting and gorgeous singing. [6 November 2009] 
Mike Doughty: Sad Man Happy ManDoughty goes small with an intimate album of songs accompanied mostly by acoustic guitar and cello. It's a successful u-turn from his overproduced last album. [16 October 2009] 
Porcupine Tree: The IncidentPorcupine Tree adds another concept album to its catalog. It may not be groundbreaking, but Steven Wilson's crew still provides the best Pink Floyd-meets-metal-meets-Britpop conglomeration out there. [9 October 2009] 
Astra: The WeirdingThe Weirding is a prog-rock concept album that owes a huge debt to the music of the '70s. So huge that it's almost indistinguishable from authentic '70s prog-rock. [5 October 2009] 
Elephant Stone: The Seven SeasUnremarkable '60s-style pop with a bit of psychedelia, thanks to frequent inclusion of a sitar. [28 September 2009] Green Day + Franz Ferdinand: 08 August 2009- HoustonOver 2.5 hours of music, plenty of audience participation, and lots of pyro. Green Day knows how to put on a big-time arena rock show. [15 September 2009] 
War Tapes: The Continental DivideIs War Tapes the latest descendant in the musical lineage that includes Joy Division, Bauhaus, and Interpol? Maybe, but they have more to offer than just tortured angst. [14 September 2009] 
They Might Be Giants: Here Comes ScienceThey Might Be Giants create a kids' album about science. Could there be a better pairing of band and topic? [1 September 2009] Reel Big Fish + The English Beat + The Supervillains: 27 July 2009 - HoustonReel Big Fish may be in cruise control as far as their recorded output goes these days, but they still know how to put on a high-energy, fun concert. [27 August 2009] 
Björk: VoltaicWhile the live-in-studio CD is nice, it feels a little incomplete. Fortunately, the DVD makes up for it with great footage of Björk and her 14-piece ensemble at a raucous concert in Paris. [24 August 2009] 
Zechs Marquise: Our Delicate Stranded NightmareThe debut album from this instrumental band is alternately funky, creepy and rocking, and it flows together very well. [13 August 2009] 
Cool Devices: Cool DevicesCool Devices are very punk and they sound like they're having fun. It's a solid debut, but nothing amazing. [2 August 2009] 
Paper Route: AbsenceThe lesson here? Just because you're on Motown Records doesn't mean you should try to do soul music. Sometimes, it's better just to stick to synth-pop. [27 July 2009] 
Trey Anastasio & Don Hart: Time Turns ElasticDear Trey: You're a really good guitar player, and I'm still a big fan of Phish, but I'm not sure this whole "orchestral composer" idea is working out for you. [20 July 2009] 
Dream Theater: Black Clouds and Silver LiningsTwenty years and ten studio albums into their career, do Dream Theater still have the capacity to surprise us? No, not really. [17 July 2009] 
Ice Palace: Wonder Subtly Crushing UsVariety doesn't make up for the lack of distinctive songwriting, and unfortunately the most memorable thing about Wonder Subtly Crushing Us might be that it's completely forgettable. [14 July 2009] 
Birds of Avalon: Uncanny ValleyThe second full-length album from Birds of Avalon combines punk attitude with lo-fi recording techniques and a dash of psychedelia. The result is unfortunately nowhere near as interesting as it sounds. 
The Mars Volta: OctahedronThis isn't the Mars Volta's "acoustic" record, but the usual indie-prog craziness is toned down to highlight slower, calmer material. [22 June 2009] 
NOFX: CoasterNOFX return with a strong record after a few years spending too much of their energy bashing Bush. Coaster sounds like the band is having fun again, which is probably better for all involved. [18 June 2009] 
Envenomist: The HelixEnvenomist makes creepy, minimalist soundscapes that move glacially, scraping dissonant tones against each other above droning bass. Too bad it all starts to sound the same after a while. [11 June 2009] 
Ben Folds Presents: University A CappellaBen Folds invites college a cappella groups to submit cover versions of his songs. The best of them made it to this compilation album, and the results are unique. [9 June 2009] 
So Many Dynamos: The Loud WarsCatchy old-school video game synths merge with guitar rock. [7 June 2009] Cake: 29 April 2009 - HoustonCake put on a loose, fun show in Houston. At least until lead singer John McCrea got frustrated with the audience for not being able to guess what type of tree the band was trying to give away. [5 June 2009] 
Honey Claws: Healer EPHoney Claws are still attempting many different styles on this EP follow-up to their debut album. A little more focus might do them some good. [31 May 2009] 
Sara Watkins: Sara WatkinsNickel Creek's fiddler steps out on her own with her John Paul Jones-produced self-titled debut. It's a laid-back album that wisely focuses on her voice and her violin. [26 May 2009] Spoon + Black Nasty: 22 April 2009 - HoustonWhile several new songs were welcomed with polite applause, tunes from Spoon’s back catalogue elicited a more raucous response. [22 May 2009] 
DD/MM/YYYY: Black SquareFilled with jittery, breakneck guitar songs and slightly less jittery, calmer synth-based tracks, DD/MM/YYYY create an interesting racket with Black Square. [29 April 2009] 
Midival Punditz: Hello HelloThe New Dehli-based duo Midival Punditz combine electronic dance beats with traditional Indian music. [9 April 2009] Flogging Molly + The AggrolitesThe typical Houston audience chant of “One more song!” before the encore was quickly overwhelmed by another section of the crowd shouting “Flogg-ing Mol-ly! (clap-clap-clapclapclap)”, sports event-style. [2 April 2009] 
The DoneFors: How to Have Sex With CanadiansWith an album name like How to Have Sex with Canadians, you wouldn't expect something this romantic from The DoneFors. [29 March 2009] Coheed & Cambria + Trivium - SlipknotCoheed & Cambria's brand of prog-rock overlaid with a nebulous, massive sci-fi narrative that's threaded through all of their albums is not an easy sell outside of a certain, generally geeky audience. Consequently, the band often takes on tours that don't quite fit with what they do. [27 March 2009] 
Phish: The Clifford Ball [DVD]A lavish seven-disc package presents all six sets of Phish's first major festival event. 
D. Rider: Mother of CursesAbstract, sloppy, and practically tuneless, D. Rider tops off its debut album with grating monotone vocals. The end result is, unsurprisingly, quite unappealing. [26 March 2009] ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead + Funeral PartyTrail of Dead put on a high-energy show that works best when two drummers are pounding away. But a band with 6 albums out should be able to play a set that lasts longer than 70 minutes. [25 March 2009] 
Megan Munroe: One More Broken StringMunroe is a pretty good singer doing a smorgasbord of modern country styles and backed with ace studio musicians. I don't know if you could find a more average, middle of the road country album. [11 March 2009] 
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez: Old MoneyThe Mars Volta bandleader goes solo with a collection of 10 instrumentals that recall the best bits of his main band while leaving its worst aspects out. [5 March 2009] 
Franz Nicolay: Major GeneralThe Hold Steady's pianist mostly leaves the keyboards to the side and picks up a guitar for his solo debut. The uptempo songs work well, but the ballads, not so much. [23 February 2009] 
Mythical Beast: ScalesA stoner rock trio with a female singer, a guitarist, and a bassist/synth player, but no drummer. It's good to try something different, but this idea doesn't work. [15 February 2009] 
Psychic Ills: Mirror EyePsychic Ills aim for ambience without offering outright dance music, techno, or jam rock. Their second album hits the target a little over half of the time. [9 February 2009] 
Honey Claws: Honey ClawsThis debut album from a group of Austin indie-hip-hoppers tries a lot of different things, but succeeds mostly when they stick with the hip-hop. [8 February 2009] 
Reel Big Fish: Fame, Fortune, and FornicationA mostly-useless covers album from a band that's been spinning their wheels for a while now. [5 February 2009] 
Emerald Park: For TomorrowThis Swedish six-piece creates sparkling pop songs with just enough edge and creative instrumentation to keep things from sounding saccharine. [28 January 2009] 
Warship: Supply and DependTwo former members of From Autumn to Ashes try out something new. With cool riffs and propulsive drumming, Warship's debut album is surprisingly listenable. [26 January 2009] 
Skew: SkewSkew merges rock sensibilities with electronic sounds into a stew that sounds about as fresh as the idea of merging rock sensibilities with electronic sounds. [13 January 2009] 
South Central: The Owl of MinervaDance music with a steady dance beat that alternates between rock guitars and blippy synths. But what South Central could really use is some songwriting ability. [15 December 2008] 
The Pica Beats: Beating Back the Claws of the ColdThe Pica Beats work sitar, oboes, and other unusual instruments into their songs, but the album only really takes off when they use these instruments in traditional pop frameworks. [12 December 2008] The Revival TourThe Revival Tour matched up Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music), Ben Nichols (Lucero), Tim Barry (Avail), Tom Gabel (Against Me!), and Kevin Seconds (7 Seconds) for an evening of solo sets as well as some collaboration. [9 December 2008] 
Juno (Deluxe): Music From the Motion PictureHow to capitalize on one of the few successful movie soundtracks of the past decade? Re-release it a year later with some "b-sides!" [1 December 2008] DredgDredg’s new material seemed to pick up from where 2005's Catch Without Arms left off, combining more pop-oriented songwriting with the atmospherics of their earlier work. [25 November 2008] 
Miniature Tigers: Tell it to the VolcanoMore whimsical pop songs with silly lyrics on the Tigers' third release of the year. [21 November 2008] 
Rocket From the Crypt: All Systems Go IIIRFTC's second album of the year, a collection of raw eight-track demos recorded between 1997-2000, sounds pretty darn good for a band that went defunct in 2005. [17 November 2008] Opeth + High on FireThe one truly off-the-cuff moment came when a fan yelled out a cover request and Opeth’s frontman Mikael Akerfeldt responded, “I can play that one… on Guitar Hero!” [13 November 2008] 
...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead: Festival ThymeA quick four-song EP that seems to indicate that Trail of Dead may be on the verge of getting their mojo back. [4 November 2008] 
Dark Dark Dark: The Snow MagicDark Dark Dark are a band with accordion, banjo, cello, and string bass that play music which almost lives up to their name. And it's not easy to be that dark. [30 October 2008] 
Blood Ceremony: Blood CeremonyLate '60s -- early '70s-style metal. With a flute player and an obsession with witches. No, of course it doesn't work. [23 October 2008] 
Caw! Caw!: Wait OutsideCaw! Caw!'s debut is full of spacey, melodic rock that sounds a bit like Explosions in the Sky doing pop songs with a lead singer. [14 October 2008] 
Ninja Gun: Restless RubesWith a name like Ninja Gun, you'd expect a pop-punk band or hipster indie rockers. What you get is actually a very good hybrid of alt-country and power-pop. [6 October 2008] 
Dream Theater: Chaos in Motion 2007/2008Dream Theater's third DVD in the past five years is chock full of fresh material, but it's still their third DVD in five years, and it's all starting to feel like business as usual. [29 September 2008] 
Icy Demons: Miami IceThe Icy Demons take cool ideas and instrumentation and only bring the songs to fruition about half the time. There are a handful of great pop songs here, but the rest of the album is undermined by contrived weirdness. [25 September 2008] 
Mason Proper: Olly Oxen FreeMason Proper's second album is a focused, brisk effort. Lasting only 37 minutes, this is atmospheric low-rock with a dark edge and bursts of punk energy. [24 September 2008] 
sBach: sBachNintendo-era synths, rocking guitars, and drums that sound like they're being played by a talented chimpanzee. Spencer Seim of Hella serves up an interesting mix as sBach. [22 September 2008] 
The Mood: SynaesthesiaA strong power-pop release with a depressingly generic name. [18 September 2008] 
Lex Land: Orange Days on Lemon StreetA solid singer-songwriter debut from a young woman with a strong, classically-trained voice, Land really stands out on her darker songs. [15 September 2008] 
Opiate for the Masses: ManifestoDo you remember the hard-rock hits of the '90s? So do Opiate for the Masses, and they sloppily rip those hits off and spit them back out for you on Manifesto. [10 September 2008] 
Safari So Good: Every Fight is a Food Fight When You’re a CannibalGuilty pleasure pop-punk with goofy song titles, catchy choruses, and tight harmonies. [4 September 2008] 
Jupiter One: Jupiter OneOne of the stronger debut albums of 2008, Jupiter One manage to play in a variety of styles, yet maintain a coherent sound and a surprisingly strong groove. [29 August 2008] 
Telepathique: Last Time on EarthTelepathique is a bilingual electro-funk duo from Brazil. Their debut album attempts to merge pop sensibilities with club-oriented tracks, but only succeeds about half of the time. [28 August 2008] 
E.S.L.: Eye ContactA band that consists of piano, cello, violin, and drums. An all-female group unafraid to cover Neil Young and the Beastie Boys. A song that compares a lover to Secretariat. E.S.L. is all of these things. 
Matthew Sweet: Sunshine LiesSweet has been low-profile for most of this decade, but Sunshine Lies is a great return to form for one of the best power-pop artists of the '90s. [26 August 2008] 
Golden Animals: Free Your Mind and Win a PonyGolden Animals' debut full-length is a slice of '60s blues and psychedelia with a heavy debt to the Doors. [22 August 2008] 
Starling Electric: Clouded StaircaseBar/None picked up the formerly self-released debut of this dreamy indie-pop band. Harp, organ, piano, flute, and glockenspiels all get tossed into the mix, and most of it actually works. [20 August 2008] 
Cancer Bats: Hail DestroyerLoud, angry punk music from Toronto. Apparently there are some Canadians that aren't so polite. [19 August 2008] Less Than Jake and Goldfinger with Big D and the Kids TableThe second annual edition of Less Than Jake's Shout it Loud summer tour recently rolled through the Detroit area, bringing Goldfinger, Big D and the Kids Table, and Suburban Legends along for the ride. [24 July 2008] 
The Orchid Highway: The Orchid HighwayA shamelessly, nay proudly, derivative band that worships at the altar of 60's rock and psychedelia. 
The Band of Heathens: The Band of HeathensAnother band out of Austin, this one more country than most, The Band of Heathens offer a solid studio debut. [22 July 2008] 
The Mother Truckers: Let’s All Go to BedLet's All Go to Bed is The Mother Truckers' third album, and it plays to the band's strengths: Teal Collins' big, brassy vocals and Josh Zee's red-hot guitar playing. [15 July 2008] Roger Clyne and the PeacemakersClyne then warned the audience to pace themselves and not get overheated (Gruene Hall has some well-placed fans and is open-air on one side, but there is no air-conditioning) or too drunk, because the band was going to play for a long time. [9 July 2008] 
Bridges and Powerlines: Ghost TypesIt's another indie-pop band with an affection for catchy guitar riffs and synthesizers, but Bridges and Powerlines also bring good songwriting to the table. 
Bum Kon: Drunken Sex SucksSmooch Records unearths an album's worth of songs from a little-remembered early '80s punk band. [8 July 2008] 
Everest: Ghost NotesPleasant pop/rock that isn't particularly memorable, Everest is like Spoon without Britt Daniel, or maybe Wilco without Jeff Tweedy. [1 July 2008] 
Fall of Serenity: The CrossfireGerman death metal band weathers lineup changes and returns sounding the same. [20 June 2008] RadioheadClearly, people are willing to travel long distances to see Radiohead play, and they now seem to be developing the kind of rabid fanbase that very few artists outside of the jam band community enjoy. [10 June 2008] 
Blip Blip Bleep: Alarm Clock, Snooze Bar, Wake UpA day in the life of a bar-hopping 20something, as told by an upbeat synth-pop band. 
Wolftron- Flesh & FearsThe frontman of Daphne Loves Derby does a solo album of romantic pop. But where's the heart? [4 June 2008] 
Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers: Turbo OchoThe Peacemakers set out to write and record eight songs in eight days. They ended up with nine songs and a good album to boot. [22 May 2008] 
Instant Orange: Instant OrangeThis disc collects the entire discography of a forgotten early '70s folk-rock band. It's the first time their music has been released beyond their original pressings of 100 copies. [30 April 2008] 
God Fires Man: A Billion Balconies Facing the SunNew Yorkers form hard rock band. All that's missing is songwriting chops and creativity. [1 April 2008] 
The Battle Royale: Wake Up, ThunderbabeThis synth-soaked pop band splits their new album in half, dropping the synths for acoustic guitars on the latter chunk of the album. It almost works. [31 March 2008] 
Porcupine Tree: Nil RecurringEngland's prog-rock torchbearers continue to put out exciting, accessible music with this strong EP. [25 March 2008] 
The Felice Brothers: The Felice BrothersSiblings from upstate New York play ragged, dingy Americana. Their self-titled American debut is a mixed bag of old-timey fun and thinly-sung ballads. [11 March 2008] 
Scott Reynolds and the Steaming Beast: Adventure BoyOld-school punk singer does an album of laid-back pop with a little help from some Flaming Lips. [26 February 2008] 
Streetlight Manifesto: Somewhere in the BetweenSka-punk isn't dead, it just went back underground. Streetlight Manifesto prove there's still life in the genre. [21 February 2008] BlogsChannel Surfing: True Blood Season 2 - The Wrap-Up [24 September 2009]Short Ends and Leader: Let’s Go to the Clip: The Comic-Con ‘09 Film Recap, Part 2 [4 August 2009]Short Ends and Leader: Let’s Go to the Clip: The Comic-Con ‘09 Film Recap, Part 1 [3 August 2009]Graphically Speaking: Anticipating Comic-Con ‘09 [22 July 2009]Mixed Media: Auto-Tune the News #6 (video) [14 July 2009]Channel Surfing: Harper’s Island: The Death of Cheesy Fun? [10 July 2009]Sound Affects: Three More Memorable Albums from 1999 [29 June 2009]Channel Surfing: Prison Break: An Epitaph [18 May 2009]Channel Surfing: On the Bubble: 5 TV Shows Worth Saving [1 May 2009]Channel Surfing: Heroes: Season 3 Finale and the State of the Show [30 April 2009]Notes from the Road: Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers: 1 March 2009- Houston, TX, The Continental Club [9 March 2009]Sound Affects: Weezer - “Pork and Beans” [26 May 2008] |
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