The album may not be the most cohesive collection of songs, but it’s infinitely entertaining, delicate and precise in its construction, and a solid debut from a couple we can only hope to hear more from.

The group maintains its own modern, unique sound while capturing and reimagining the familiar. [May 2006, p.95]

Pushes the boundaries so far it's difficult to even call what they do "house" anymore. [Nov 2003, p.88]

Milky Ways is a simple yet multilayered album that fires on all cylinders.

They definitely know their way around the early Duran catalog, not forgetting the requisite stops at New Order and the Psychedelic Furs. [Apr 2005, p.101]

She's made some excellent and creative dancefloor techno here, but like so much great techno of the past, it fails to gel into a definitive album. [Jul/Aug 2005, p.99]

More of the breezy, lo-fi indie pop that aligns Mark in the Elephant Six canon of pretty-pretty flights of fancy. [Mar 2007, p.101]

The duo’s debut does not reinvent the wheel, but Thunderheist delivers a fun, funky dance set that should offer at least a few surprises.

This balls-out, hard stoner rock will get you to pump your fist in glory. [Apr 2006, p.97]

Earthology, like its title suggests, is a study of the Earth, -ology, derived from the Greek logos, meaning branch of knowledge-and as such, is an informative journey with countless layers that serve to educate its listeners who pay attention, unwinding its knots to reveal its (in recent memory) unmatched complexity and depth.

Damn decent stuff. [Oct 2005, p.85]

What gives [Strength In Numbers]... the sound of a band landing its proper second stride is the hiss and grind that churns docile compositions into studio-kissed wonders. [Mar 2007, p.97]

This timeless band may have taken some nods from M.I.A., Bloc Party, Hot Chip and even Bonde Do Role to keep up with 2008--or not--but they continue to soar high on some genius sonic whimsy, making The Dream a truly commendable offering.

AC still celebrates soaking up esoterica, but this album is the group's jauntiest, least emulsified. [Sep 2007, p.128]

Far better than the Cranberries in retrospect. [Sep/Oct 2007, p.131]

It takes a minimum of three full listens to really appreciate what’s going on here, so take some time with Time:Line, and reap the rewards of cross-country wav file transmission.

Visitations occasionally suffers from "too much of a good thing" syndrome. [Jan/Feb 2007, p.77]

Shows exactly what a great, reliable pop entity they have become over the past decade. [Apr 2006, p.82]

Perhaps an EP would have better-suited Yorke's solo aspirations. [Jul/Aug 2006, p.115]

Sadly, Camu Tao passed on before he had the chance to fully craft his magnum opus and one has to applaud the decision to let the world hear what is and what could have been.

Love, Hate, and Then There’s You may not be a sign of the band’s growth, but it succeeds in capturing what the Von Bondies are and have been best at.

Quicken The Heart has allowed Maximo Park to showcase all their strengths, some harder, more distorted anthems, and some gentler, livelier ballads.

An emo-rap fan's wet dream. [Feb 2003, p.93]

For every gloomy 4AD inspired "Hail Xnanax," there's the poppy metronic Kraftwerk pulse of "Zugaga." [Jun 2005, p.77]

The music is accessible and poppy without dumbing-down the analog arrangements or their coffeehouse terrorist aesthetic. [#84, p.114]

This'll retain its heat only until everyone's heard it. [Apr 2004, p.88]

A wonderfully challenging album like its three predecessors. [Oct 2002, p.98]

Positively dripping with crude funk. [Mar 2003, p.95]

Takemura's most embraceable album to date. [Jan 2003, p.77]

It's less angular than Fear of Fours but just as convincing--tiny music that thinks very, very big. [Jul 2003, p.93]

Dependable? Yes. Beautiful? Definitely, yes. [Apr 2007, p.107]

Espoir is a strong start to a promising international musician’s career.

Next to the Eels and Atmosphere, eclectic and earnest self-examination hasn't sounded this interesting (not to mention entertaining) in a while. [Aug 2002, p.118]

On Varcharz, Mouse on Mars crank out 11 new tracks that, for better and worse, continue to expand the boundaries of abstract music. [Sep 2006, p.138]

At its best moments, the latest effort from Stars yearns for the flicker flame of "Set Yourself on Fire," but it is neither as gorgeous as nor is it as jarring a mixed bag as "In Our Bedroom."

Put [Monkey] on in the background and it'll sound good, but you won't necessarily notice it. [Apr 2002, p.126]

Her return to electro-pop form on Aphrodite–Minogue's 11th studio record in 23 years–is on point, maybe even better, than much of her discography.

Beauty comes in all forms, even if it might be over our heads. [Oct 2005, p.76]

These ornate, post-folk musings are bittersweet and beautiful. [Sep 2005, p.118]

A melodic minimal techno record that's sunny rather than stark, emo(tional) rather than eerie. [Jul/Aug 2006, p.129]

There are no absolute standouts as on past albums, but that is okay. Where Did The Night Falls is less concerned with purity of individual songs, and more focused on the audible aesthetics produced by its eerie experiments in sound. And for that, UNKLE has another winner on its hands.

The sisters Sierra and Bianca Casady plus a few guests (jazz pianist Gael Rakotondrabe, Argentine drummer Bolsa) improvise another trek through their active imaginations, doing whatever makes sense (or not) to them that day.

Should find a home on your iPod alongside Zero 7 and Brazilian Girls. [Jun 2005, p.85]

Mystics still has plenty of weird, shining moments to solidify the band's unique spot in rock, but the schizophrenia may leave you a bit jarred. [Apr 2006, p.84]

Bunyan's lilting ballads are as darling as ever. [Jan/Feb 2006, p.102]

Hecksher may not have Yorke’s falsetto or vast vocal range, but his delivery is sincere, almost as if each word is a plea to understand his expression. Hecksher’s melancholic state on The Mirror Explodes forces one to sympathize, and ultimately connect with each instrument as its own entity.

We're given a deeper record than some may've anticipated -- sonically, for sure--but more so The Very Best's debut stands up higher as document of seamless (and shameless) cultural convergence.

it is pretty much the same thing we all loved from Hercules and Love Affair. Does that mean this album is bad? No, it's fabulous. There was just no risk, no movement.

At 40-plus minutes, Dumb Luck gets out just when the getting is good. [May 2007, p.93]

Were the House of Gryffindor to stage a theatrical adapation of "Castlevania III," co-scored by Danny Elfman circa "Edward Scissorhands," it might sound like this fourth bobbing full-length by Iceland's glitchy naifs mum. [Sep/Oct 2007, p.129]

Die-hard fans may not like the style change, but I think it’s a step in the right direction.

An ecelctic mess that will send purists of all stripes screaming bloody murder. You, of course, will love it. [Dec 2004, p.105]

Major Lazer have never been bashful about appropriating musical styles where ever they find them; every song they make seems to be trying to remix the entire global street culture all at once. On Lazers Never Die they manage to duct tape all their influences together into a fun, listenable package.

He delivers for fans of every persuasion without losing grip on his ghetto past in the least--no easy feat. [Dec 2004, p.112]

The music on this album is inspired and seriously sex-centric, repeatedly connecting politics with physical intimacy. [Apr 2006, p.82]

Thankfully, the results are still pure Blues Explosion. [Jan/Feb 2005, p.94]

Producer Ethan Fawn's dynamic overlays of crisp, factory-stomped melodic lines carry Glass's unintelligible lyrics straight to neon-lit nausea heaven.

Blonde Redhead's most confounding element is also one of their most endearing. With her ethereal, paper-thin voice, [Kazu] Makino often slips frustratingly off-key. [May 2004, p.84]

The latter half of Paperwork is a showcase for the lead, at times a tad too comfortable with his unrestrained vocalizations.

Gleefully uneasy listening. [Feb 2004, p.82]

Departs from the most interesting moments of his past work and thankfully st-st-st-st-stays there awhile.

An impressive artistic debut. [Oct 2002, p.96]

Unyielding in its murkiness, but all the while strangely accessible, it is a generous full-bodied offering handed to us by these otherwise blurred figures.

This is XTC times Elvis Costello plus the finest moments from the Americana greats and then some. [Apr 2005, p.108]

Lush, engaging and quirkily accessible. [Apr 2005, p.102]

Additional collaborations with Sean Lennon, Cibo Matto, The Mooney Suzuki and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, solidify Naturally as a sure summer listen from two gents who never really go wrong.

Eclecticism has always been the strength of the Chemical Brothers and with their seventh studio album Further they continue to develop musically.

He sounds darker and more menacing than ever. [Oct 2004, p.105]

It's the challenge of hearing Amanda claw her way through relentless electro barrages in an effort to deliver her heartfelt lyrics, that makes tracks like 'DJ' or the melancholy 'Leaving You Behind' (which is assisted by Lykke Li's haunting vocals) some of the most unexpectedly personable material to come out of Diplo's party-centric clique.

This could be a great album with some gentle editing and condensing. Many of these songs cannot support the weight of 8 or 10 or 12 minutes, although the extended length seems to be nearly the whole point of this album.

French Kicks have smoothed out the jagged guitars and off-kilter rhythms... in favor of a cleaner, more understated sound. [Jul/Aug 2006, p.120]

A perfectly pleasant and unoffending offering. [Mar 2006, p.116]

Swift is likely to turn some more heads with this one. [Mar 2007, p.101]

Their efforts are ambitious and commendable, but it seems like it will end up as one of those albums that may captivate you for a couple weeks--but will eventually be ousted from your recently played.

There may be no safer bet than an Amanda Palmer’s bleeding-heart album--her built-in fan base will eat it up the same way they voraciously devoured Tori Amos’ open wound a decade ago--but the Palmer Show is strong enough to sustain much more daring theatrics than what’s given here.

The studio noodling on Roots & Crowns sounds fittingly organic and effortless. [Oct 2006, p.117]

The path to orchestral bombast continues on So Divided. [Dec 2006, p.118]

Although their name might seem like a stretch when requesting at your local record store, this album is worth a purchase.

No build-up is too big, no feedback too catartic as this wall of sound is topped by the rising sun. [May 2006, p.94]

Putnam's longing voice and rusty guitar strum easily envisions a rustic dwelling, yet their studio strengths reveal a Pink Floyd fetish. [Jun 2005, p.85]

The boys have yet to prove their worth with the tender, mellow bits... and one can't help but wonder how strong Favourite Worst Nightmare would have been as simply a full-throttle, adrenal-tapped EP. [May 2007, p.92]

New Magnetic Wonder cloaks itself in a glow of irrelevancy. But beneath, Schneider's gooey power-pop thrives. [Jan/Feb 2007, p.76]

The Television Personalities show that they are still running strong on ideas and originality. [May 2006, p.91]

Somewhere between the Plimsouls and The La's, this should keep your top down throughout the summer. [Jul/Aug 2005, p.109]

Intimacy offers the most ideas that Bloc Party has ever put on display. Skip the first two tracks and you'll find more hits than misses.

Pressure and Time is revivalist rock inflected with just the right hue of the now.

Their wall of sounds with lush keyboards and itchy guitars still fire strong. [Nov 2003, p.92]

This one’s not as immediately accessible as "Affair," but still maintains Lindstrom’s position at the top of the electronic scene.

Although theFREEhoudini won’t have MTV calling or cause die-hard fans of a Busta Rhymes or a Jadakiss to check Themselves out on tour, it will satisfy the duo’s following and provide a taste of what’s to come on their upcoming album, "Crownsdown."

Finds them recapturing the magic. [May 2005, p.92]

Somewhere between Matmos and Ariel Pink, this is wickedly out there. [Sep 2005, p.110]

Very simplistic in melody and progression, each track on 200 Million Thousand is a tube-driven, distorted mess, complete with classic Brit-punk vocals. Twangy and overdriven guitars are matched with screams and pissed-off vocals full of attitude, creating a highly energetic punch, reminiscent of a Black Lips live performance.

More light = more fun. [Mar 2007, p.101]

Now far denser than disassociated, this is Ladytron at the group's most masculine.

His fiercest, finest record. [Feb 2003, p.94]

Clearly he's been listening to much Jeff Buckley... as Strangers throbs with that familiar bluesy bombast. [Mar 2005, p.112]

Short with no filler, Daggers isn't revolutionizing rock, but noticeably stands out among its sonic peers. [Apr 2006, p.88]