The first truly great album of the dance-punk movement. [Sep 2006, p.132]

Though adhering to this formula/non-formula, this self-produced long-time-comin' sophomore release relies on an even more augmented eclecticism than their 2004 guitar-driven Future Perfect (not better or worse, just OK Computer to The Bends differences).

Silent Alarm doesn't just maintain Bloc Party's post-dance-punk appeal, it blows the fucking lid off. [Apr 2005, p.100]

Dance Mother is musical pixie dust illuminated by a warm neon glow. There is a great sense of magic and wonder in Telepathe’s music, their chirping, fairy-like, multi-tracked vocals providing a feeling of childlike awe.

The Norwegian maestro of disco, Hans-Peter Lindstrøm, teams up again with Christabelle (also known as Solale), and together they craft a masterful 10-song pop album.

Quasimoto is Madlib at his most creative and compelling. [May 2005, p.83]

Either allow this the dignity of being played through a quality sound system or go invest in a pair of Beats by Dres. This is far less an album than a cinematic experience.

A perfect album. [Sep 2006, p.143]

The Campfire Headphase is enough of a genre bender to finally introduce this music to a well-deserved new audience. [Dec 2005, p.94]

To call Stankonia the album of the year would be easy. It would also be somewhat incomplete. The Atlanta duo's fourth album is more than simply a great record; it's a complex tome that enmeshes contemporary hip-hop values with a timeless Southern soul, while pushing the envelope damn near off the table. [#79, p.134]

Given their experience writing and producing for the likes of Kylie Minogue, Madonna and Brittney Spears, it stands to reason why Miike Snow is such an irresistibly captivating album.

Nearly every song here can be called seminal without the slightest flinch. [Oct 2002, p.102]

Lerche has a pop manual the size of the OED, and he's not the least bit bashful about using it. [Apr 2004, p.86]

Unequivocally recommended for the open-minded among us. [Apr 2006, p.86]

What Sufjan did in The Age of Adz is so beautiful and rich and complicated; he ended up telling the story of what life is for so many people who just end up turning the gears of the larger machine.

This [is] all the Kraftwerk you need, if you didn't need all the Kraftwerk ever made. [Jul/Aug 2005, p.106]

If The Horrors began as a Halloween novelty, Primary Colours is like a twisted ending right out of the Twilight Zone--a hype beast that turned out to be a real monster.

The Golden Age of Apocalypse has an extremely rich and cosmic-like atmosphere, making you instantly reach for the repeat button. Stephen Brunner is no more a sideman; he's a solid jazz cat that doesn't need to jerk off with his bass wizardry.

The vocals are where Murphy has developed the most, trading in his Mark E. Smith yelp for various crooning styles. [Jan/Feb 2007, p.75]

While many of Cave and Co.'s albums celebrate redemption and salvation after an emotional battering, Grinderman 2 is about release, musically and otherwise – what else would you expect from a photo of a rabid wolf about to piss on then or tear a hole in someone in an opulent house?!

Bleak and beautiful, Family & Friends is an absolute beast.

The best thing about the second Yeah Yeah Yeahs album is the fact that it defies expectations, yet seems like the perfectly logical next step for such an adventurous band. [Apr 2006, p.81]

An album this undeniably imaginative, consistent and immersive comes as a wonderful surprise and proof that maybe music isn't as lost as it seems. [Apr 2007, p.107]

The cumulative results of his efforts are a masterpiece both dark and striking. Dear is putting forth an open invitation to tour these shadowed places of his imagination, and this is one offer too good to miss.

Amazing new music from Shields.... The perfect soundtrack to a brilliant movie. [Dec 2003, p.89]

She's made her Marvin Gaye album, a sweet collection of dreamy, reggae-kissed gems. [Dec 2003, p.86]

Cold and sweet all at once while perched atop a reef of moody Krautrock, Let the Blind Lead has a progression that melts more than it floats.

Too often, bands are promenaded across the web, heralded in a way that makes everyone a name-dropping music connosieur, only to fade too fast....hopefully the same won't happen to the latest interwebs It Chick, Bethany Cosentino b.k.a. Best Coast.