Cities & Faces [Import]

1. Transistor Fate

2. Cities And Faces

3. Inside

4. Pale Skin

5. Tell Me What It Seems

6. News

7. Blackest Time

8. U Got Mine

9. Modern World

10. Somewhere

11. Over the Sun

Cities And Faces,Nude,Scarlet,Goth Metal,Goth Rock,Heavy Metal,Rock/Pop

Average customer rating: Best CD of the year, so far Rock and Roll Heaven A Great Comfort to Me After I Found Out my Friend Passed Away... facinante Love It!

Cities Anberlin Manufacturer: Tooth & Nail Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Five Score and Seven Years Ago Never Take Friendship Personal Southern Weather Blueprints for the Black Market Santi ASIN: B000MM0L3C Release Date: 2007-02-20

Tracks:

1. (Debut)
2. Godspeed
3. Adelaide
4. A Whisper & A Clamor
5. The Unwinding Cable Car
6. There Is No Mathematics To Love And Loss
7. Hello Alone
8. Alexithymia
9. Reclusion
10. Inevitable
11. Dismantle.Repair.
12. (*Fin)

Amazon.com

Unlike most emo bands that merely offer a laundry list of personal hardships over the sound of loud guitars, the members of Anberlin know that they can seek salvation in a higher power, so the songs on Cities aren't so much about self-pity as self-preservation. It's a refreshing twist on the formula, especially when paired with the industrial-strength hooks the spiritual Florida band knocks out on tracks like "Dismantle. Repair." and "Godspeed." On the latter, the group's frontman Stephen Christian lashes out against the bad habits of his secular counterparts: "Tell them who you were, who you really were/Kill yourself slowly over time, fashion statement suicide." --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews:

Best CD of the year, so far.......2007-06-28

The best album I have purchased this year. The catchiness never lets go for the whole cd from (Debut) through (*Fin).
Tracks of particular interest are:
A Whisper & A Clamour, the first track I heard (on local radio). It grabbed my ears and made me listen.
The Unwinding Cable Car, something about the melodies and harmonies on this track really gets me.
(*Fin) Probably my favorite track. This is an epic piece of music that closes the cd with greatness. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for boy choirs.

If you like emo music that's not simply emo music and is even a bit positive at times then go right ahead and click this cd into your shopping cart. You will like it.

Rock and Roll Heaven.......2007-06-20

On their third release, Anberlin has more than come of age. Once again teamed with super-producer Aaron Sprinkle (Kutless, Hawk Nelson), the band delivers arguably their best work yet. Lead singer Stephen Christian has one of the best voices in rock, in my opinion. On this disc he also delivers very introspective musings in the lyrics. The album kicks off with the frenetic, hard-rocking track "Godspeed." Pop-friendly cuts include "A Whisper And A Clamor", and "Adelaide." The band slows it down a bit on "Inevitable", and on the acoustic gem "The Unwinding Cable Car." Another highlight is the powerful chorus of "Dismantle.Repair.", one of the album's strongest cuts. The last song, "Fin", gives the album a rousing ending, starting slow and speeding up to an emphatic conclusion. If you buy the special edition, there are three bonus tracks and a DVD documenting the making of the album. The three songs alone make it worth the extra money. Also, if you download the single for "Godspeed" on iTunes, it comes with a bonus track "Haunting", which is amazing-worth the $1.98, and should have been included on the album. The band is very entertaining live as well.

A Great Comfort to Me After I Found Out my Friend Passed Away..........2007-06-19

I purchased this CD on Itunes and I had found out that a friend of mine had gone to be with the Lord. I had been planning to buy this for a long time so I did. When I listened to the songs I was feeling very sad.

The songs that comforted me were "Alexithymia", "The Unwinding Cable Car," and "A Whisper and a Clamor". The lyrics of "Alexithymia" reminded me that I really need to live my life because I don't know how long I have even though I miss my friend a lot.

This CD is very uplifting and encouraging. Not to mention it really has great songs on it. This is one of the few albums out there that every single song on it is a great one.

Anberlin, although disliking the label of "Christian Band" because of the stereotyping it brings, are still Christians in a band who write from their experiences. I've liked their stuff since "Never Take Friendship Personal".

if you love good alternative music and if you like good Christian music, Anberlin's stuff is a must buy for a music fan. This is going to be on my Ipod for a long, long time, and in a way, I'll never forget my friend Justin Skaggs, because I'll always think of him when I listen to this music.

facinante.......2007-06-14

Great riffs,this is the band man. Amberlin:Smooth-Alternative-Rock Band.

Love It!.......2007-05-16

I took a chance and bought this cd for one song and now I'm in love with it!

Average customer rating: A Daring and Solid Offering! Another fantastic release from Richmond Fontaine A masterpiece

Thirteen Cities Richmond Fontaine Manufacturer: Union ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Sky Blue Sky Easy Tiger The Motel Life: A Novel (P.S.) Obliteration by Time New Moon ASIN: B000OQDUMU Release Date: 2007-05-22

Tracks:

1. Intro/The Border
2. Moving Back Home #2
3. $87 And a Guilty Conscience That Gets Worse the Longer I Go
4. I Fell Into Painting Houses In Phoenix, Arizona
5. El Tiradito
6. A Ghost I Became
7. Westward Ho
8. St. Ides, Parked Cars, and Other People's Homes
9. The Kid From Belmont Street
10. Capsized
11. Ballad Of Dan Fanta
12. The Disappearance Of Ray Norton
13. Four Walls
14. Lost In This World

Customer Reviews:

A Daring and Solid Offering!.......2007-07-03

This album unabashedly defies categorization as Richmond Fontaine further creates their own idiom of musical expression: part americana, folk, prose laced with tragedy, transcendence and narrative innocence, multicultural blues, and so forth.

By any means, see them perform live. You will be forever changed.

Thirteen Cities is a work of growth and change. RF has been evolving consistently for many respectable years now, and this album is nothing short of their brilliant artistic evolution. Thirteen Cities is unlike anything I have ever heard before (cohesively) and I can't begin to compare it to any other artist or category of music, so I'll try not... to try. Okay, so the lyrical (or literary) themes share a common thread with their past efforts, and it weaves the fabric that holds these works together. Every track is uniquely different, while Mr Vlautin's vox are immediately recognizable, as is his well-grounded writing. Each number invokes a different mood while somehow keeping a similar, complimentary flavor on the aural palate... some evocatively sublime, to the verymost downtrodden disturbing perils of life. Always served with a huge slice of heart, raw truth, clarity and compassion; the experience of listening remains in flux as you take the aural journey that awaits you.

Some of the songs do hearken back to the band's earlier material (which is a nice hook to hang ones' hat on). The real surprises are the departures via (surprisingly musical) spoken-word pieces and atmospheric instrumentation/angles.

With each successive listening, I find myself delving deeper into the subtle nuances of RF's latest creation. A daring and solid offering- hats off to all the guys in Richmond Fontaine for delivering a really refreshing slab of inquisitve American country soundscapes.

Another fantastic release from Richmond Fontaine.......2007-06-27

Briefly put, Thirteen Cities finds a great balance between the musical style of previous albums (Winnemucca and Post to Wire) and the somber storytelling of The Fitzgerald. Sound quality has also improved markedly over the years. The lyrics represent a fresh batch of stories from another side of America, and the arrangements are creative and unique.
Great album altogether.

A masterpiece.......2007-05-25

Yes, that much over-used word when the likes of Mojo give 3.5 star reviews to records they call masterpieces. But this is an absolute 5-star record. The best rootsy band in America have astonishingly exceeded their past excellence and delivered their best yet. The stories are intact, but surrounded by a broader range of music and pace. There's none of the Husker-go-country of their earlier records but they rock firmly but gently in parts, strum soulfully in others. But above all, even though it might be a marginally more commercial sound, it's an incredibly warm and human record. Cliché alert and possibly mixed metaphor: but the band seem to inhabit the songs like a warm winter coat, and rarely has music, arrangement, song and performance all come together so snugly.

And it's a grower and grower. Whatever you think 1st listen, by 5th you'll like it twice as much and by 10th you'll love it and repeat-play immediately to the 11th.

I'm struggling to find reference points - it's just great songs, and very American-sounding ones to me a Brit. But think of when already-great bands suddenly gel as a unit and step up a notch, usually with great outside help eg producer, and rooted in a particular place/studio: The Band's 2nd LP, Creedence's Willy and the Poor Boys, London's Calling, QotSA's Songs for the Deaf, Tusk, Exile, Steve Earle's El Corazon, Gentlemen by the Afghan Whigs. Thirteen Cities sits alongside these great records with pride and I hope a touch of deserved arrogance.

Oh and whatever you do don't miss them on tour. They've added Paul Brainard who plays pedal steel and trumpet on their records, and what a difference he makes. They still bar-band rock, and even included their brilliant Husker Du cover, but again have stepped up to sound bigger and broader without losing any of their warmth and charm. Hopefully bigger stages await them, they deserve it.

As the Stooges record is a disappointment, I'd place money on this as record of 07, no contest. The gauntlet is thrown.

Average customer rating: The Mancunian Epic Continues! Hardly can skip a track, do albums do that?? THANKS DOVES!!! It's okay Another great Doves Album And some not

Some Cities Doves Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Britpop | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Dream Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Britain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Alternative Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music International | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Last Broadcast Lost Souls Employment Plans Z ASIN: B0007735HG Release Date: 2005-03-01

Tracks:

1. Some Cities
2. Black And White Town
3. Almost Forgot Myself
4. Snowden
5. The Storm
6. Walk In Fire
7. One Of These Days
8. Someday Soon
9. Shadows Of Salford
10. Sky Starts Falling
11. Ambition

Amazon.com

In the three years between this album and its epic-scaled predecessor, The Last Broadcast, Manchester trio Doves were obviously doing something more artistically rewarding than mere touring. It's not that their sense of ambitious scale has waned. It's that it has been refocused inward here toward personal matters and the state of their Northern UK homeland. The title track and thumping, soul-inflected single "Black and White Town" state as much early on. But much more than Doves' subject matter has evolved as well. The album's sonically intriguing mix of influences fuse singer Jimi Goodwin's unabashed hook jones with bottom-heavy club rhythms and the restless, expansive instincts of multi-instrumentalist twins Andy and Jez Williams. Then, all is channeled through the fuzzy aura of too many youthful 3am's at Manchester's famed Hacienda nightspot.

The gorgeous moodiness of "Snowden" and string-drenched, mouth-harp seasoned "The Storm" show how far the band has evolved from its early Sub Sub incarnation/Manchester heritage, even as the bigger-than-life "Walk in Fire" shows just how deep those roots go. It's a magnificent record, one whose sense of scale belies its innate efficiency, and arguably Doves' most wholly satisfying to date. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

The Mancunian Epic Continues!.......2006-11-11

Another great album from a band whose glory days are ahead of them. All of the dark and desolate enviornment of a post-industrial Manchester is captured in every note of this album.

Hardly can skip a track, do albums do that?? THANKS DOVES!!!.......2006-08-24

Loved LOST SOULS, one of my all-time favs of any group to be honest. Honest, full of intrigue and originality that hooked me as a Coldplay fan. I now consider myself a graduate of Coldplay to the Doves. Coldplay's music is very listenable, great for pop/rock today, but lacks the musicianship and experimental work the Doves are able to explore and provide for their fans. Coldplay is too predictable, bottom line. I do like their music however. Anyways, getting back from that tangent, Some Cities is so different from their previous efforts. Your not going to get another Lost Souls, which was an absolutely epic record. The only problem with that album was there were too many tracks. Every time I listen to the album I skip at least four tracks that bore me. However, there best work is on the album so how can you call it anything but great? Every album seems to have its lows. Last broadcast was similiar w/out such great tracks as Lost Souls. Getting to "Some Cities" I found this album to be their best overall effort. I might skip a few tracks when not in the mood, but going through the album I find such diversity with tracks like "almost forgot myself" "snowden" to my favorites "walk in fire" to the pounding drums and elevating beauty to an amazing guitar riff that leaves you breathless and with chills and goosebumps on the song "one of these days", Can't name a bad song on this album. I forget titles of the songs and have this song in my CD changer so much, I only know track numbers. Basically, if you need something to help wake you up from the boredom of Coldplay and their predictable songs and lyrics, pick this album up. SUCH A GREAT ALBUM, see what you think and if you don't have it yet, go straight to "one of these days" and turn that sucker up!!

It's okay.......2006-08-02

This album is like a shiney used car that is prone to breaking down: it seems nice on the surface but you just can't get much mileage out ot it.

I really like the sound of this band, but when I bought the album, I tired of it quicker than I expected. It's funny: I can't think of a single song on the album I really can't stand except "Shadows of Salford" but as a whole it's hard to get into. It seems like they are trying to imitate Coldplay in places but not getting the desired result.

The best song of the album is "Walk in Fire" which has the lyric: "You're not free until you walk in fire." I think that's a pretty deep statement about the need to subject ourselves to painful trials to have complete self-control. There are several others worth hearing: "Black and White Town" "One of these Days" and "Sky starts Falling."

In summary, I find the album is good listening from time to time, but I need to give it a rest more often than albums by similiar bands, like Coldplay.

I would be open to hearing more of what this band has done. It sounds like they are really a good band who just had an off-day on the one album I happened to buy.

Another great Doves Album.......2006-07-19

Doves somehow retain their great sound yet always expand further into their musical expression.

This band adds to Last Broadcast and Lost Souls.

Someday Soon is my favorite song on this album. But every song compliments one another.

I cannot wait for the next Doves album.

And some not.......2006-05-21

While "lost souls" had the unmistakable feeling of secretly discovering forgotten objects and finding traces of urban structures in the middle of a desolate summer field with your best friend while sharing chocolates from a lesser known ex-soviet republic, "some cities" has the feeling of your friend coming over to play gamecube and later call up people on the speakerphone seeing what's up, what's happening, maybe hooking up.

The evocative splendor of appropriately lined tracks 1 to 6 of "lost souls" is nowhere to be found here, yet is replaced by the efforts to sustain it of tracks 7 to 12, but with more giving up and less trying.

Is this a really bad album, does it deserve TWO stars? Well no, not if you don't rate it compared to it's first-most predecessor.

Average customer rating: this project has no business working as well as it does but... The best so far from Kozelek! An outside view Usually I'm a skeptic... How About Some New Material...

Tiny Cities Sun Kil Moon Manufacturer: Caldo Verde ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Ghosts of the Great Highway What's Next to the Moon Little Drummer Boy Live Songs for a Blue Guitar Z ASIN: B000BI0WQ8 Release Date: 2005-11-01

Tracks:

1. Exit Does Not Exist
2. Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes
3. Neverending Math Equation
4. Space Travel Is Boring
5. Dramamine
6. Jesus Christ Was An Only Child
7. Four Fingered Fisherman
8. Grey Ice Water
9. Convenient Parking
10. Trucker's Atlas
11. Ocean Breathes Salty

Amazon.com

Isaac Brock--the singer, guitarist and leader behind the enormously popular alt-pop act Modest Mouse--would be few people's first choice for a covers album. But that is part of the genius behind this surprisingly excellent album. Sun Kil Moon leader Mark Kozelek's own recorded cover choices in the past--Kiss, Simon and Garfunkel, AC/DC, and most successfully John Denver--hew far closer to the traditional indie approach to covers: a semi-ironic, studied transformation of a tune into something it wasn't before. With Sun Kil Moon's breezy take on Brock's compositions, there is no irony, just a true love for the weird pop genius that Modest Mouse has in spades. Songs are slowed down a lot and stretched out, and frequently you don't recognize the tune until the chorus kicks in, but it totally works even if you've never heard the originals. Labors of love are rarely as enjoyable for all involved. Huzzah. --Mike McGonigal

Album Description

Mark Kozelek has released six studio albums as frontman for Red House Painters along with three solo records; however, it is with Mark's new band Sun Kil Moon that he has received some of his greatest commercial and critical success. With Sun Kil Moon, Pitchfork says, Mark is "putting to use a variety of wondrous subtle sonic touches that mark unbelievable artistic growth, unraveling unexplored harmonic territory while staying faithful to his trademark brand of languid folk-rock introspection." Two years ago, Mark saw Modest Mouse and sensed something original and explosive. The unorthodox songwriting of singer Isaac Brock intrigued him with its fractured, intuitive lyric style and cathartic, rapid-fire vocal delivery. Sun Kil Moon added songs like "Dramamine" to their set list and began work on what would become Tiny Cities, a full-length album of Modest Mouse covers released on Mark's label Caldo Verde. As with his past covers of AC/DC, KISS, Simon and Garfunkel, and John Denver, Mark's aim was to bring attention to the words and sentiments--to reinterpret freely but to respect the spirit. On Tiny Cities, Mark slows down Issac Brock's words to let them breathe without sacrificing their idiosyncratic power. The results bear the singular, hypnotic style that could only come from Mark Kozelek. Digipak.

Customer Reviews:

this project has no business working as well as it does but..........2007-05-24

... it does. For those who like Sun Kil Moon, the flavor of this record is very reminiscent of Ghost of the Great Highway, a very delicate, lonesome-road kind of sound. How Modest Mouse's brash, disjointed edginess got melded to this style I have no idea, but it works, way, way better than you'd expect. This stuff goes right up with the Ghosts material for soul-searing beauty. I think Kozelek fans will like the outcome more than Modest Mouse fans will, but any way you slice it this is a terrific record.

The best so far from Kozelek!.......2006-12-30

Not being a huge fan of the Red House Painters with the exception of the superb "roller coaster" album, I have come to admire their music more from the solo work recorded years later by Mark Kozelek. All of Kozelek's albums including the wonderful first Sun Kil Moon CD (which is also highly recommended) are uniquely filled with longing and melancholy in different ways. This effort by Sun Kil Moon is in my opinion their triumph. At first I was skeptical about picking up a CD of covers, but I am glad that I did. I consider the track "Trucker's Atlas" to be a flawless song of unparalleled musicianship. Most of the other tracks are equally as brilliant. Kozelek's work makes anyone that was born in the mid to late 1960's recall childhood and growing up. This album again has that melancholy that catapults you into the past. A fine effort and his best so far!

An outside view.......2006-11-07

I'll be honest on two accounts: Firstly I have never heard of Sun Kil Moon or Mark Kozelek before (until Amazon recommended this album) and secondly, I know little of Modest Mouse (apart from Phil Ek - Built to Spill)

When Amazon recommended this album, I thought I'd give it a try. I listened to a few of the samples, and then went to iTunes and listened some more. I downloaded Ocean Breathes Salty and fell in love straight away! Eventually I bought the album and have appreciated the work of Sun Kil Moon with the wonderful acoustic blends and mellow sounds.

When I found out that this album was a cover of Modest Mouse songs, I had to listen to some of the Modest Mouse songs to compare. Being very inexperienced in both artists, I felt that the Modest Mouse songs were, quite plainly, unappealing(especially Ocean Breathes Salty). However Sun Kil Moon's take on the songs were great. Mark has stripped back some songs to great moody and atmospheric numbers, with his voice adding to the instruments around. If you want an album to relax to (I play it when I'm studying) and to lose yourself in, I recommend it!!

Usually I'm a skeptic..........2006-10-10

... But honestly, I think this album is brilliant.

I know nothing of Sun Kil Moon/Red House Painters/insert other name-dropping incident here], but I AM familiar with being a *huge* Modest Mouse fan.

That being said, I also have eclectic (admittedly bizarrely so) taste, and when this version of "Neverending Math Equation" was put on a mix CD for me, I didn't even realize what it was (I didn't have the track listing handy). I just thought, "Wow, this is a nice song... I wonder who is this?" Then it started sounding eerily familiar and as it dawned on me what the song actually was, I couldn't stop giggling. Bought the entire album, and now it pretty much lives on repeat.

If you're a "Modest Mouse Purist," so to speak, you may not like this album... AT ALL. And from what I've read, if you're a die-hard fan of *this* artist, you probably won't like it either. But if you're either a) addicted to cover songs, and/or b) readily open to and fascinated by the idea of reinterpreting different musical styles, then I recommend not only getting this album, but also getting the Modest Mouse originals and enjoy the Dichotomy Circus that ensues...

How About Some New Material..........2006-04-30

When I first heard that Sun Kil Moon was releasing a new album, I was pretty excited. After all, "Ghosts of the Great Highway" is one of my favorite albums (of all time). But when I learned that it was going to be a cover album, my excitement quickly faded. The fact that it was Modest Mouse covers intrigued me, but I was still pretty bummed it wasn't new material.

After discovering and falling in love with Sun Kil Moon, I started buying other Mark Kozelek and Red House Painter albums. None of them captured my attention like "Ghosts of the Great Highway." They were just too mopey, and I didn't like his vocals as much. Listening to "Tiny Cities" I can't help but notice Kozelek has reverted back to his old style (especially the vocals).

I have found that my favorite artists and albums successfully mix together melancholy and hope. The vast majority of Kozelek's previous work (excluding "Ghosts of the Great Highway") lacks the second part of the equation: hope. Unfortunately, "Tiny Cities" is no exception.

I never expect Sun Kil Moon to eclipse their debut, and that's ok with me. I would, however, like to see them try. And the only way they can do that is by writing their own songs...

Average customer rating: May appeal to some Indie Rock fans Dappled. Totally Dappled...

Granddance Dappled Cities Manufacturer: Dangerbird Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Fort Nightly Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters Our Love to Admire God Save the Clientele No Shouts No Calls ASIN: B000PSJCP6 Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

1. Holy Chord
2. Work It Out
3. Fire Fire Fire
4. Colour Coding
5. Beach Song
6. Vision Bell
7. The Eve The Girl
8. Granddance
9. Within Hours
10. Watercourse
11. Battlewon

Album Description

Described variably as a "cross between Pavement, The Flaming Lips, and an episode of Sesame Street" as well as "some kind of weird s**t that just rocks." "Granddance" was produced by Jim Fairchild (Grandaddy), Peter Walker, and Jacquire King (Modest Mouse, Tom Waits, Kings Of Leon). "Fun exuberant indie-pop that's weird enough to be interesting and familiar enough to be indelibly catchy" - Rolling Stone.

Customer Reviews:

May appeal to some Indie Rock fans.......2007-07-17

I decided to take a chance on this CD after seeing the video for "Fire Fire Fire" on the IMF (International Music Feed) cable channel. It's not easy to describe this band; the best I can do is to say they come across as an artsier version of Coldplay. Just about every song features that Chris Martin-like falsetto at one point or another, but on some tracks (such as the first song "Holy Chord" or the later track "Watercourse" ) the vocals sound like a Bjork out-take, and thus more self-indulgent than I'm willing to put up with. Regardless of whether I found a given track verging on self-parody, all tracks have very good production, with the vocals always clear and legible above a strong beat and some good instrumental work.

The premiere track remains "Fire Fire Fire" - arguably one of the best indie-rock songs of the decade. Also good is the tune "Beach Song" which can compete with any song now playing on the Emo scene. The CD comes with a second `bonus' CD, featuring another 5 songs, two of them live, the rest studio-born.
I can't really recommend the whole album to potential audiences in this, the mp3 era, but Indie Rock hipsters should definitely get their hands on "Fire Fire Fire" if nothing else.

Dappled. Totally Dappled..........2007-07-16

Australia is starting to churn out some good music. Since the break up of the magical Crow, nothing has really happened. I think that it is safe to say that Dappled Cities can confidently take over the reigns and bring a soul back to the Australian Music Scene (caps deliberate...) I saw them once supporting that balding Mark Gardener of Ride (used to be my Idol). They were brilliant and Be-Engine is a classic (although not on this CD). What can I say about this album though? Get it and learn what it is to be given another, auxillary, music-loving soul. Who knows, it may even replace your main, prime-moving slightly delapitated and majorly decrepid one. I want music that screams, not farts like a sparrow...Listening to this CD was like smoking a sobranie late at night while raining and the smoke just tastes brilliant and, I dunno. Dont be a tight arse and buy it and find out for yourself.

Average customer rating: Great album As Cities Burn pushes the boundaries of post-hardcore wow Decent Great Debut.

Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest As Cities Burn Manufacturer: Solid State Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: When Everything Falls Thrill Seeker Of Love and Lunacy I Am Hollywood Burning Bridges ASIN: B0009ML1PW Release Date: 2005-06-21

Tracks:

1. Thus From My Lips, By Yours, My Sin Is Purged
2. Love Jealous One, Love
3. Incomplete Is A Leech
4. Bloodsucker Pt. II
5. Terrible! How Terrible For The Great City!
6. The Widow
7. Wake Dead Man, Wake
8. Admission:Regret
9. One:Twentyseven
10. Of Want And Misery:The Nothing That Kills

Customer Reviews:

Great album.......2007-05-07

This album rocked, when i had heard the songs seperately I wasn't terribly impressed. Though once you put them all in the order on the album, it projects such and incredible message. The vocals have some serious range, though I was sad to hear that they had to find a new vocalist. In conclution, even though I didn't give too many points to back my oppionion, this album rocked, I would recommend it to anyone who love screamo music!

As Cities Burn pushes the boundaries of post-hardcore.......2007-04-28

With their debut full-length, As Cities Burn goes places most hardcore bands don't dare explore. From the tempo changes, as unpredictable and jarring as you'll find in the heaviest of mathcore bands, to the quiet, beautifully sung sections that appear in literally every song on the album, I guarantee that this album will give you something new, something you didn't expect.

The album starts out with the desperate sound of "Thus from My Lips, By Yours, My Sin Is Purged". You'll have trouble figuring out what time signature it is--or time signatures, I should say--but you'll have no trouble figuring out what they're talking about. This is abject need for change, one of the strongest expressions of emotions I've heard on any album, as the vocalist screams about a longing to get away from his own sinful frailty--"I keep stepping in and out of the shadow/Caught by the drift and pitch..." The track winds down to mellower singing, quiet but not quite peaceful: "Oh, how sweet the sound. I once was blind, but now--I just look away!" Again, it comes in, with the same strong pulse, only to finally drop to a more optimistic, and peaceful, end.

Don't relax too much, though. The next track, "Love Jealous One, Love", starts in a few seconds, with amazingly even more intensity than the last track. It has the same desperate sense of remorse that the first track did, as well, beginning, "This is me at my darkest!" So the album continues, sometimes slower but never less emotional, with highlights including "Terrible! How terrible for the great city!" which criticizes our culture's obsession with lust over true love with rare honesty and precision. "The Widow," a ballad about the vocalist's father who walked out on his mother, is simply beautiful, eschewing screams for a beautifully melodic reminder about the meaning of grace.

The album ends on a fitting note, with the six-and-a-half-minute epic "Of Want and Misery." Here the album's feeling of anger and depression gives way to hope, and is all the more beautiful for it. While the song has the same technical guitar riffs and solid drum sections, a steady piano section complements the song. The song's beautifully sung ending closes the album perfectly:
"I like to think that this is love.../second chances, without end."

wow.......2007-03-17

Took my breath away the first time I heard this cd (which was today). I've decided to write a review while it's still novel. Most would put these guys with Underoath (Christian hardcore), but they are a lot better. The lyrics are well crafted, and though they have religious undertones it still can have multiple interpretations. The best part of the band is the guitar playing which reminds me of early Hopesfall/Further Seems Forever (well layered). It's not that the music is full of technical impressive playing, it's melodic, and at times beautifully chaotic.

Decent.......2006-08-27

This CD is decent. It doesn't overly excite me but it inst bad either. A well rounded, decent disc.

Great Debut........2006-07-24

We can expect one more CD from this amazingly talented band, before they break up officially. They will start writing the CD this fall.

From the scream at the beginning of this amazing 10 track cd, it was clear, that this was going to be an awesome cd. And they are such poetic song writers, it's hard not to be blown away by the lyrics alone, but their melodic guitars, and their truly talented drummer, and the singer is amazing too.

Their crafty, and original material set them apart from these metalcore bands of today, who are pretty much the same exact reincarnations of each other. Their unique vocal styles, and the poem-like lyrics, leave you begging for more.

I was so amazed at the music, that I immediatly started it back up, and listened to it 5 more times. Definatly a must have from a band that's not going to be around much longer.

Personal Picks-

Incomplete Is A Leech.
Wake, Dead Man, Wake.
The Widow.
Admission:Regret
Bloodsucker:PT II.
Terrible! How terrible for the Great City

Average customer rating: worst dream/ambient pop ive ever heard... Wow! Musical Snowstorm 3 and a HALF stars buzz

Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts M83 Manufacturer: Mute U.S. ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Ambient Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Electronic | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Before the Dawn Heals Us M83 The Campfire Headphase Music Has The Right To Children Takk... ASIN: B0002IQB1W Release Date: 2004-07-27

Tracks:

1. Birds
2. Unrecorded
3. Run Into Flower
4. In Church
5. America
6. On a White Lake, Near a Green Mountain
7. Noise
8. Be Wild
9. Cyborg
10. 0078h
11. Gone
12. Beauties Can Die Bonus

Tracks:

1. Birds
2. Unrecorded
3. In Church (Cyann & Ben Version)
4. Gone (Live)
5. Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts
6. Run Into Flowers (Video)
7. America (Video)

Amazon.com

Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts is the second album from French electronica duo M83 (Anthony Gonzalez and Nicolas Fromageau) who, thankfully, derive their name from a spiral galaxy in the constellation of Hydra and not from an interminably lackluster stretch of noxious British motorway. The name certainly nods to where their wide-eyed, spaced-out technicolor imaginations are fixed, but they also know how to sound ponderously intense--hence the cold, cello-aided sonority of "Gone," possibly the only track on the album that defies the lambent warmth of the purring analog synths and beguiling reveries that make the rest of the album as enticingly therapeutic as a thermal spa.

Humane post-rock is clearly M83's strongest attribute because both "Run into Flowers" and "On a White Lake, Near a Green Mountain" are curiously pretty cameos, far removed from the automatic anemia of other workmanlike button-pushers. The high point, though, is the symphonic sweetness and motherly female choral vocals of "Beauties Can Die," which is rather like being cradled in the arms of an angel, or at the very least the arms of Sigur Ros and Lesley Garrett. If one really has to die and go to heaven, one rather hopes the journey up there will sound like this. --Kevin Maidment

Customer Reviews:

worst dream/ambient pop ive ever heard..........2006-10-19

there's nothing pretty about any of these supposed shoegaze-esque cheeseball ballads. Sounds like jesus and marychain on a casio...go buy ulrich schnauss, at least he can write a melody instead of drone for an hour...kind of brings to mind metal-machine music, dont you think?

Wow!.......2006-10-08

M83 totally blows me away. It's really difficult to describe their music, but I'll take a stab it here. You might say that their music is "post-apocalyptic" - i.e. the kind of music one might expect to hear after the apocalypse, if that makes any sense. Many of their songs might be described as HUGE, with layer upon layer of really intense music. This is what I like to call headphone music. It's really not the kind of music to listen to casually in your car, but more like something you'd listen to while sitting on the floor in the dark or lying in bed wide awake at 3 AM. And it's not exactly easy music to listen to either. I've really never heard anything like this, and it demands your full attention if you really expect to "get it".

Musical Snowstorm.......2006-07-17

M83s chaotic and scratchy start soon blooms into hypnotic lyrics that suddenly end. The next track is somewhat hypnotic in its awakening and fuzzy and static in sleepy ways.

Electronic voices seem to be exploring the landscape without any direction, wandering like lost souls across a newly found bliss. If you like white noise, this may intrigue you. It feels like you are walking through a snowstorm of sound on the first CD.

The second CD seemed much more grounded and Tsuase was intriguing. Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts seems to be the creative high of the two albums and while there is a consistent humming, nature sounds explore the heights.

~The Rebecca Review

3 and a HALF stars.......2006-07-11

Wow. It seems as if you have to think this is a legendary album or you hate it with a passion. No median? Hey, this is a good CD. I was blown away a few times, I was dancing uncontrollably a few times. I am not going to rip this album apart just because it wasn't legendary. I cant listen to the entire CD and say this is the greatest thing I have ever heard. I can say, however, that its worth buying and my ears were satisfied. I would say listen to it for yourself and decide weather you like it. I dont think you will be let down.

buzz.......2006-05-31

i have no idea how to review an album or even critically write about a group but this band (or bloke) fills my head with sound! more than anything around today and competing with the old faves! i am listening to dead cities right now and it amazes me..

Average customer rating: Even Worse than The First transplants didnt do bad at all. More solid than the 1st Blackplants? Great Album, and a TON of top level tards underrating it.....

Haunted Cities Transplants Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Punk Revival | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Rap Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Transplants Give 'Em the Boot, Vol. 2 Give 'Em the Boot, Vol. 4 Give 'Em the Boot Life Won't Wait ASIN: B0009OL89O Release Date: 2005-06-21

Tracks:

1. Not Today
2. Apocalypse Now
3. Gangsters & Thugs
4. What I Can't Describe
5. Doomsday
6. Killafornia
7. American Guns
8. Madness
9. Hit the Fence
10. Pay any Price
11. I Want It All
12. Crash and Burn

Amazon.com

Rarely is a side project equal to the member's primary outfit, but the Transplants subvert that long and wisely held opinion. Named because they are indeed musicians transplanted from other bands--Blink 182's skin beater Travis Barker, Rancid's guitarist and singer, Tim Armstrong, and former AFI roadie Rob Aston make up the line-up--but much to their credit they didn't bring much baggage from their rather high profile musical units except maybe just the smallest throwback to mid-career Rancid on the confrontational and rather bleak "American Guns." But that's really a creative blip, instead the band members display a contagious and clubby party ethic, rather like the Stone Roses before the end of Madchester years with a buzzy menacing guitar and some superb Keith Moon-ian drumming underpinning everything. Instead of promoting punk revivalism, "Haunted Cites" is a compendium of what the band members listen to on their off hours, fusing their love of dancehall, metal, Philly soul, reggae and hip-hop into this rhythmically solid and lyrically adventurous follow-up to their standout 2002 debut. Any band that can name check Blackie Lawless in their first song, and then go on to create such luscious vintage soul, sounding like a reincarnated Stylistics on the chillingly beautiful "What I Can't Describe" deserves to be on the express elevator to the top of the charts. And that's even before you take into account their sardonic paean to hedonism on "Gangsters and Thugs," with it's charmingly bone-headed chorus "Gangsters and thugs/Criminals and hoods/Some of my friends sell records/Some of my friends sell drugs." --Jaan Uhelszki

Album Description

"A few years ago, when Tim, Travis and myself were finishing up the first Transplants album, we weren't sure what was going to happen. You wouldn't believe how many people told us that they "don't get it" or that they're "not sure what people will think". To tell you the truth, we didn't really care. But here we are, a few years later, with a new Transplants album-Haunted Cities. I've always had a hard time describing our records, being as though all 3 of us have different backgrounds all 3 of us live different lives, but what I can tell you is that Haunted Cities is unlike anything else. With guest appearances by the Boo-Yaa Tribe, Rakaa from Dilated Peoples, B-Real and Sen Dog from Cypress Hill, people ain't gonna know what hit 'em. And to tell you the truth, we still don't care."-Rob Aston, Transplants

Customer Reviews:

Even Worse than The First.......2005-09-27

Come on Tim, why are you doing this? you are a musical genious! you played in Operation Ivy! come on man! what's happening! This album, the second album in the history of the transplants is even worse than the first, congrajulations! I didn;t think that was possible! Everything is bad here. Tim went even lower than RANCID, trying to make his voice sound "punk" and ruined his vocal work. It is all a bunch of screaming, croaking, and clicking. Instrumentally, this album may be amongst the worse ever made. Infact, their drummer sounds like a beginner who's been playing for like a year. Tim's guitar level stays about the same, but the bass player is teribble. Tim Armstrong used to play music with exellent musicians, amongst them Matt Freeman, who in my opinion is one of the best of our time. Now the bass player, who's name I haven;t bothered to look up is just as bad as the drummer. I shamefully rate this album 1 star and pray that one day Tim Armstrong will once again take up his guitar, realize what a loser he's bieng right now, remember Operation ivy, and once again become kick ass.

PEACE OUT!

transplants didnt do bad at all. .......2005-08-21

the transplants lowerd down on the screaming unlike the first cd.And most of the songs are amazing, 2 or 3 songs lack excitment and are boring.Otherwise 9.1/10

More solid than the 1st.......2005-08-04

The thing that attracted me to this band in the first place was Travis. He is my favorite drummer and I knew he would never dissapoint and that he'd bring something special to any band he's in. After that 1st impression I discovered that the Transplants are very versatile and the vocals and melodies are very strong. The 1st album was great but the production was a tad bit rough as it was recorded in Tim's basement and Travis only had 5 hours to record drums. This record is a lot more polished and the vocals have improved.
Not Today-7/10 A good opening punk track that gets u pumped for the rest of the cd. This song does get repetitive and a little boring after a while.
Apocalypse Now-8/10 This song brings in the electronic elements which I'm not really fond of. But since there is a nice mix of electronics and real instruments I'm ok with that. Good rapping and a good rock chorus.
Gangsters and Thugs-8/10 The 1st single is really all electronics. But since it has a great melody and good rhymes, I can't help but to give it 8.
What I Can't Describe-7/10 This song is completely different fron the rest of the cd since it is pure hip-hop with a little bit of funk and soul. I like the melody but the song's a little too ghetto for me. Not a real heavy beat or anything.
Doomsday-8/10 I like where they were going with this song. There's a swing beat with solid vocals and interesting instrumentation. I just think they should of took the musical idea further instead of the focus being on vocals most of the time.
Killafornia-10/10 One of my favorites. I love the beat and the attitude of the whole song. The guy from Cypress Hill sounds amazing and the track just flies. I wish I saw them play this at Warped.
American Guns-9/10 Damn catchy song. Not too fast or heavy of a song, just fun. I've had this stuck in my head a lot.
Madness-8/10 This is also a fun song. Cool instrumentals, just not as memorable as American Guns.
Hit the Fence-9/10 Basically a short rap song with an awesome beat. This stands out to me cuz Travis puts a pretty simple cadence into a song to make it bounce and sound amazing.
Pay Any Price-7/10 I'd say the worst sounding song production wise on the album. Not very catchy and they sound like they don't care about what they're singing. Pretty cool instrumentals with a kind of lazy, beach vibe.
I Want It All-10/10 Another one of my favorites. I love the hand claps and the beat through the whole song. A really fun, party kinda song.
Crash and Burn-6/10 This in my opinion is the worst song on the cd. It sounds like a bad No Doubt song with the reggae feel with all electronics. The vocals are the best part of this song but still not that great. I'd say a bad way to end the album.
Overall this is a good album. I've grown to really like Rob's rapping style. It has different songs for any mood you're in, which is always good for when you're trying to find something to listen to. They are also awesome live. Travis changes a lot of the parts to make it a lot more interesting. The compositions are also more complicated live and they just put on a good show.

Blackplants?.......2005-08-03

This is the sweetest hip hop cd ive heard,....oh except that little fact that hip hop is crap.Ive always backed tim and now i must say i doubt myself if i can even like him anymore. Now on to the main issue.... Skinhead rob. If i was him i would seriously consider suicide.i despise skin head rob with every ounce of my being and especially my teetee. He is a fat waste of space. I cant wait till the next T-plants cd where tim and skinfag rob are on the cover with gold teeth and dredds. Wicked style. lates . ...... and get ready to see a wet bird fly at night.

Great Album, and a TON of top level tards underrating it............2005-07-05

First off, "Tristan" should legally change her name to "tard". Im not kidding. Whining about this CD and your closed mind not being able to grasp it is one thing, Saying that Lars and the Bastards "Viking" CD was the worst thing out in 2004 is altogether ignorant. Viking is hands down the BEST CD of 2004, and brought back old skool, kick ass, in your face punk while your idols Yellowcard and Good Charlotte continued to pollute the airwaves. Listen to 1 percent and Maggots on Viking, and attempt to deny the GENIUS guitar work. Knucklehead.

On to "Haunted Cities":

The greatest thing about The Transplants is they really DONT GIVE A F**K what people think of them. They do what they do, and enjoy every second of it. In my version, the CD blasts off with "Not Today". Honestly, there is so much going on with every track that you really have to listen 3-4 times to appreciate the hell out of it. My girlfriend was so blown away from the first track alone that she had me play it again so she could soak in everything about the song.

And thats where the genius of the transplants comes in.....its punk, soul, hip hop, reggae, funk and rhyming. The feeble minds wont get or like this CD, because it simply asks your brain to actually process something unique, deep, and completely different than the usual mundane, droning garbage out there. The Transplants proved that they can't be labeled in the first CD, and they stay true to that on this one as well.

5 stars isnt enough-this CD will blow your mind if you take it ALL in and give it the listening time it deserves.

Tim also proves once again that he simply one of the most talented music cats on the planet.

Average customer rating: Not The Best Their Sergant Peppers Anberlin - Cities WORTH THE BUY! Love it

Cities Anberlin Manufacturer: Tooth & Nail Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Blueprints for the Black Market Five Score and Seven Years Ago Never Take Friendship Personal Southern Weather Oh! Gravity. ASIN: B000MM0L3M Release Date: 2007-02-20

Tracks:

1. (Debut)
2. Godspeed
3. Adelaide
4. A Whisper & A Clamor
5. The Unwinding Cable Car
6. There Is No Mathematics To Love And Loss
7. Hello Alone
8. Alexithymia
9. Reclusion
10. Inevitable
11. Dismantle.Repair.
12. (*Fin)
13. Uncanny
14. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
15. The Promise (When In Rome)

Amazon.com

Unlike most emo bands that merely offer a laundry list of personal hardships over the sound of loud guitars, the members of Anberlin know that they can seek salvation in a higher power, so the songs on Cities aren't so much about self-pity as self-preservation. It's a refreshing twist on the formula, especially when paired with the industrial-strength hooks the spiritual Florida band knocks out on tracks like "Dismantle. Repair." and "Godspeed." On the latter, the group's frontman Stephen Christian lashes out against the bad habits of his secular counterparts: "Tell them who you were, who you really were/Kill yourself slowly over time, fashion statement suicide." The special edition features the original 12-track album that also sees the band dipping into a handful of standout acoustic ballads, plus three bonus tracks (including a cover of the Smiths' "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" and When in Rome's "The Promise") and a DVD. --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews:

Not The Best .......2007-07-16

I got this album and thought it was going to awsome. I was very disappointed by it. It doesn't compare at all to Blueprints for the Black Market or Never Take Friendship Personal. If you're going to get any of Anberlin's albums, buy the earlier stuff. It will hold your attention better.

Their Sergant Peppers.......2007-04-10

As many say a band's third album is their most mature and best work. Anberlin is no different. The first two albums were amazing. The third album is phenominal. Perhaps it is because they have been playing together so long and Christian from Acceptance joined the band. Cities is not one you will want to pass by.

Anberlin - Cities.......2007-04-02

Cities is one of the most amazing albums i've ever heard. Stephen Christian took his vocals to the next level on this one. I believe the songs "Hello, Alone" and "DismantleRepair" show this the best. Cities is the album all hardcore Anberlin fans have been waiting for. Anberlin is the FUTURE of music.

WORTH THE BUY!.......2007-03-29

So I bought this CD because, like most who have heard their first album, I love Anberlin. The only negative I can say about this CD is that a few of the songs sound alot like songs on their 1st album. Still though, definatly worth the buy! Oh, and see them in concert if you get a chance. AMAZING energy!!

Love it.......2007-03-26

Just as good as Never Take Friendship Personal. Just saw these guys live too and they were awesome.

Average customer rating: Good stuff... One of my top 5 albums of all time One of the top 10 cd's ever produced Better Than Great !

Dead Cities The Future Sound of London Manufacturer: Astralwerks ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Techno | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Big Beat | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Trip-Hop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Ambient | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music Techno-House | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Lifeforms ISDN My Kingdom Accelerator Cascade ASIN: B000003RY8 Release Date: 1996-10-29

Tracks:

1. Herd Killing
2. Dead Cities
3. Her Face Forms In Summertime
4. We Have Explosive
5. Everyone In The World Is Doing Something Without Me
6. My Kingdom/Max
7. Antique Toy
8. Quagmire
9. In A State Of Permanent Abyss
10. Glass
11. Yage
12. Vit Drowning/Through Your Gills I Breathe
13. First Death In The Family

Amazon.com

This U.K. duo's landmark ambient techno album Lifeforms (1994) explored lush jungle vistas. Its follow-up opts for a much darker urban nightmare motif that makes it an ideal soundtrack while reading William Gibson. Progressive rockers by any other name, FSOL are highly respected innovators who rate with Orbital as the genre's leading exponent. --Jeff Bateman

Customer Reviews:

Good stuff..........2007-01-07

For those with a narrow musical mind, (i.e. the 'top 40' variety) this would be an unbearable CD to have to sit through, but for those with more open musical tastes, particularly in the lineage of ambient, acid techno , then this CD is for you. The soundscapes and musical textures on this masterpiece are eerie, haunting, beautiful, intricate, complex and dark. Hats off to Dougans and Cobain , the musical geniuses behind this production. I particularly enjoy the track 'Glass'. But the songs as a whole fit perfectly together and mesh well. For those looking for something similar, try Tangerine Dream's 'Ricochet'. This is the only album I can compare it to in terms of eerie, haunting, beautiful, intricate , complex and dark. And TG did it back in the 70's...live! Even the album cover , like Dead Cities, is ominous. Good stuff.....

One of my top 5 albums of all time.......2006-01-09

Even though I bought this album almost a decade ago I have to express how wonderful of an album it is. The brilliance of this album lies in the conjured images it leaves in ones mind after listening to it. It seems the music was composed for a noire sci-fi film yet to be made. One moment its hostile the next its absolutely beautiful. Each track fades into an other weaving in and out of you're subconcious. If you're to get one electronica album its this one. A timeless masterpiece of epic proportions. FSOL's most surreal album to date.....do yourself a favor and get it while you still can.

One of the top 10 cd's ever produced.......2005-10-10

There's some good songs on ISDN and some good ones on Lifeforms, but this entire album is creme de la creme. It is definitely one of my favorites of all time. Each track has it's own identity, you never know where the next one is going. In a good way.

Better Than Great.......2005-09-06

What's more to say about what may be the best "rock" album ever (especially if you consider the "My Kingdom" EP to be the second disc in a two disc set)? The most emotionally wide-ranging album from one of the best bands ever. Who else has ever made music like FSOL? The Beatles and Fripp&Crimson are the only possible contenders. I've never heard anything that does a better job of juxtaposing the terrifying and the unbearably beautiful. If I could pinpoint the one disinguishing feature of all FSOL/AA releases, it would be (as a line in "The Isness" goes) "...[a longing for] inexhaustible ecstasy." It's all the more poignant on this album because of its being interwoven with themes of terror, paranoia and a sense of unrecoverable loss of something without which life isn't worth living. It sounds hokey, but just opening up the booklet while listening to "Her Face Forms in Summertime" and reading the scrawled message "things are getting f*&ked up round here" makes my eyes a little watery. My CD developed a 2 second glitch and I just ordered another one--this is so incredible that nothing less than perfection will do.

Just a few points of note: if you're wondering why you spent all that money on your two channel stereo and you haven't heard this album yet, pick it up and turn it up. I've heard recordings with more bottom end and slam, but none with more depth, nuance and musicality. I've also found that one of the true tests of a Masterpiece is whether it's possible to really enjoy listening to anything else after its over. Play Coltrane's "Ascension," Beethoven's String Quartet in A Minor Op. 132, or Bruckner's Ninth and see what I mean. I played Dead Cities last night and everything to which I tried to listen sounded hopelessly trivial afterwards. In the early 80s, a lot of my friends used to speak of The Clash as "the only band that mattered." At the time, I didn't think any band had mattered all that much since '72. To my now-much-older ears, FSOL fits that description more accurately than any band to the last 35 years, and this is probably their best work (every single one of them is a desert island disc, however). One of the very few utterly timeless classics of modern music, and a record that belongs in the collection of anyone with ears.

!.......2005-03-08

For me, this is my favorite FSOL record. Leans heavily on trip hop flavors and does not sound like Lifeforms at all. Well performed and intellegently written.
Great spin!

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1. Complete Sun Singles, Vol. 3 [Box set] [Import]
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3. Difficult to Cure [Limited Edition] [Import]
4. Down to Earth [Limited Edition] [Import]
5. Dream Topping: El Retrospective
6. Easy Action
7. Etc
8. Eternity
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10. Finelines [Import]

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