I've heard that Death Cab's music captures the moment when you walk into a room at sixteen and find your girlfriend making out with the prom king. If that is so, then The Postal Service captures the moment when you get over your girlfriend and fall in love with the girl (or boy) that works at the bookstore with the glasses and the knee socks. They sound like The Pet Shop Boys, albeit atmosphericlly stripped and less serious. The Postal Service's extremely catchy beats and layered melodies make this album a real gem. If you like bands like The Pet Shop Boys, Air, Stereolab, or even Spiritualized, you will like this.

Upon visiting my local record store I asked the knowledgeable clerk (a la High Fidelity) what the best darn tootin' Modest Mouse recording is. He snapped his CD dusting fingers and without hestitation declared Everywhere and His Nasty Parlour Tricks their finest. I had only previously heard the current single on the smelly corporate radio station in L.A., and this group of tracks WHOOOOOOSH!! swept me away. Simple, pleasant melodies paired with clever lyrics and fatalistic dreamery is an inept way to decribe this CD that has not left my changer for three months. It rests between spins alongside other current favs (read: if you like...you will like...) Franz Ferdinand, Elefant, Mum, and The Stills.

Hot Hot Heat is a good band to compare Moving Units to, but they are in no uncertain terms "the same". The songs on this EP are catchy and upbeat, with a distinctive vocal sound. On the first listen you will toe-tap, on the second you'll hum along, and by the third time around you'll be familiar with lines like, "Hello...okay...hello...let's play" and "let's go...to the...disco...for melo...drama." You'll be tickled by Moving Units take on the club scene and social relationships. This is a near-perfect grouping of songs, faulted only by the songs overlapping eachother in pace. An excellent buy for the price.

I wasn't aware of Division of Laura Lee's Swedish citizenship when I first heard their music, and knowing that now makes more sense of their garage-like sound. I was expecting more of a punk-rock sound from this band, seeing as how they share the same label as Pennywise and NOFX. Their sound is pretty rock and roll, but in a more ...Trail of Dead, At the Drive-In way. If you like a heavier rock sound with a more moderate pace and stronger melody and clear vocals, you should like Division of Laura Lee.

Chan (pronounced Sean) Marshall has created a sound and evenly keeled album with You Are Free. She really has honed a refreshingly unique sound. From the first track "Don't Blame You" to "Shaking Paper" the album held my attention and prompted me to strain to make out Marshall's obscure and shadowy lyrics. I agree that Marshall sort of flows into a melancholy P.J. Harvey-ish vein but would temper that kind of statement with her more folk sounding laments as heard on "Good Woman" and "Fool". These remind me of Neil Young during After the Goldrush, but with less urgency. The album does kind of peter out after track 8, with the exception of the chilling track "Names".
All in all a good album that evokes a lot of intimacy and ackward grace. The songs resonate long after they've faded out.

This is music to think to. It's beauty has a distict sadness and surreal texture. It seems that Godspeed You Black Emperor! can do no wrong.
If you haven't listened to God Speed You Black Emperor! before, you may want to start with some earlier works and then arrive prepared for Yanqui U.X.O. Like anything potent and geared to rip your mind away from fatalistic society, it's best to begin in small doses.

Scarlett's Walk is a delicate balance between the first two albums (Little Earthquakes, and Under the Pink) and the other three (Boys For Pele, From the Choirgirl Hotel, and To Venus and Back)(I don't include Strange Little Girls, because it wasn't original material). There are heart wrenching tales of woe ("I Can't See New York", "Strange") upbeat toe tappers ("Wednesday", "Amber Waves", "Mrs. Jesus"), electronic babies ("Sweet Sangria"), and traditional Little Earthquakes/Under the Pink songs ("A Sorta Fairytale", "Pick Out Your Cloud"). I think the bottom line is this, if you are a fan of the first two albums and think that the "album with the pig nursing picture" was too "out there" for your taste and henceforth have not payed any attention to the later albums, you may actually like this one. There are a lot of traditional-sounding songs here that have some of the catchiness related to the first two albums, albiet more polished. If you loved Boys For Pele, and are still waiting for more songs in that vein, Scarlett's Walk may be mildly disapointing, it's very glossy, and not as deep. If you loved From the Choirgirl Hotel and To Venus and Back, you will certainly love this album, only the peppier songs might be skipable. I am a fan of all her albums, and this one did not disapoint me, but there are songs I could certainly have lived without. In this age of technology it was certainly worth my time to burn my favorites to another CD and have my own personal edit. : ) Worth purchasing for any fan of Amos' discography. Highlight of the album is, "Crazy".

I bought this set on a whim, after a listen to a few songs at the local independant music store...WOW. I had never purchased any of DiFranco's recordings before, much less even heard of her. I was immediately hooked on this album, and couldn't get enough of it. I really identified with her experiences, for example, heart ache, sexism, political injustice, etc. Her guitar playing is fantastic, and the live element is someting wonderful, her studio recordings do not compare. There are only three musicians Living In Clip: Andy Stochansky, Sara Lee, and of course Ani Difranco. Andy and Ani's friendship is evident through their conversations onstage, in fact all of Ani's blurbs and commentary are very effective in bringing you closer to the artist. If you like artists such as Tori Amos, Emmylou Harris, Patty Smith, most likely you will enjoy Ani as well.
*Just a note: I have purchased studio recorded material from Ani DiFranco and haven't found any of it to be half as satisfying as Living in Clip.

Set in London, Fowles takes us on a journey through a young man's dimented mind, whilst glimpsing into the dreams of an intelligent young girl. It pulls you into a tug of war over good intentions and obsessive romance. After stalking a young girl for some time, Fred Clegg fianlly "pins" her to the floor of his 17th century cottage's cellar. Beware of feeling sypathy for the wrong person... A good read, enaging, suspenseful, and mischevious. Not for the squeamish.

I shan't write a lengthy blow by blow review of the plot, I merely thought I might add that if you have read this book and enjoyed it you might be delighted to know that Banville's "Athena" is a sequel to "The Book of Evidence". Both are a good read, engaging, painfully personal. If you have ever been the victim of regret and rejection, if you have ever experienced the lonliness of mental solitude, with an unnatural distaste for society, you will not be dissapointed.