Not to be taken lightly, dramatic tone and lyrical silliness obscure a sinister impulse throbbing within the album, spitting delightfully mysterious candy machines baubles onto your eager palm. [Nov/Dec 2008, p.87]

Galore sounds like the stock "empowering dance pop" library compilations that music publishers bombard film music supervisors with.

Eccentricity is what defines Grampall Jookabox and their sophomore effort Ropechain, but that doesn’t make it any less listenable. In fact, Ropechain has its fair share of fine musical moments that actually benefit from the bizarre tendencies of the group.

Treasure's aggressive style deftly balances Cad Petree's more melodic side, and sees the band straddling the line between insistent, hard-hitting rock and Coldplay-esque balladry. [Nov/Dec 2008, p.87]

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.

The tracks on Heart On don't veer from EoDM's favored subjects of Los Angeles fakery, sex, girls, sexy girls, and how they're gonna get sexy girls. But shit, that doesn't matter because they're sure as hell sticking to what they do best (with their trusty cow-bell, no less): they make you want to rock out and get your sleazy dance-on at some greasy bar with a PBR.

While the album won’t produce any converts or even revive interest in the band’s newer music among purists, it’s an enjoyable, self-assured collection of jangly guitar pop tunes that sounds guided by the group’s own creative compass instead of fickle fans’ expectations.

The ’Hunter may not have bagged a 14-point buck this time around, but Microcastle is still good enough to stuff and mount on the wall.

Drawing on ’70s disco and ’80s electro pop for the 12 tracks that make up The Fame, Gaga writes deluxe ditties that compel the listener to “Just Dance.”

In Alpinisms, School of Seven Bells have themselves one of the year’s most intoxicating debuts.

Deceptively primitive-sounding, Alight Of Night is the definition of a "grower." [Nov/Dec 2008, p.84]

The developed avant-jazz compositions stand out just fine, but with all their consequential underpinnings, Herbert and the band are swinging on all levels.

Black thrives on his own, finding strength in lyrical risk-taking that ultimately makes the Milk name ring thicker and sweeter than ever before. [Nov/Dec 2008, p.84]

Switching, flexible, rug burn reverberation. Of Montreal’s pretentious compound syllables titillate mind and body, catcalling strangers walking down the street you imagine naked, whose vocabulary is as ripped as the holes in their shirts.

Even though Prekop and Prewitt continue interlocking their guitars over spiny rhythms from McEntire and Calridge throughout the set, something doesn't quite click often enough this time around. [Nov/Dec 2008, p.87]

Missiles is a true testament to meticulous sonic invention. [Nov/Dec 2008, p.85]

This albums isn't as infectious as "You're A Woman, I'm A Machine," but who cares? Grainger didn't make it for DFA fans. [Nov/Dec 2008, p.85]

Droppin’ Science Fiction, the debut project from hip-hop supergroup The Mighty Underdogs, is one of the strongest underground hip-hop albums to come out in a long time.

Tobacco’s jagged, unconventional sounds aren’t easily pinned down, and therein lies their appeal.

Nomad is ambient music for beatheads in need of a record to clear their minds to, or dance music for new age lovers.

Despite the fact that the album is largely a deconstruction of masculinity vs. feminity, Yo Majesty isn’t afraid to tone the sex down to hop on the progressive tip. 'Never Be Afraid' displays the cosmic gospel of Jwl B. However, this retreat into tamer territory isn’t indicative of weakness; chalk it up to what is actually a significantly well-rounded and versitile rap duo.

They stick to the band's strict formula of melodic, thematic, well written music.

Even with the occasional miss, the near-violent style-hopping is more than welcome where Rupture is concerned.

Japanese Motors’ debut is a solid dose of garage pop, but chances are, it won’t change your life.

This is the sound of five British lads wanking about, unsuccessfully attempting to write ballsy yet progressive sounding rock/punk anthems when their musical calculations are painfully transparent.

It’s a rare thing to find so many talented collaborators (notably Guilty Simpson, Oh No, & Murs) on top of the skills of such a creative and accomplished selector as Madlib. WLIB AM puts an odd twist on oldschool and dresses to impress.

With production skills that some say are comparable to Madlib and the late J Dilla, we can say, overall, his cutting-edge sound makes Out My Window lovable, fostering the mood of a carefree summer day.

Double Night Time unapologetically flaunts its electronic overcoat, and glam it should, given the remarkably clean sounds coming from Geist’s boards.