British Sea Power: The Decline of British Sea Power September 10, 2003Thank god they didn’t name the band Italian Sea Power, cuz we all know where they ended up....
The Decemberists: Her Majesty the Decemberists September 10, 2003Who doesn’t love a sea shanty? Well, sea shanties sung by nerdy intellectuals whose only experience on a...
Kings of Leon: Youth & Young Manhood August 20, 2003Now I understand the “southern Strokes” moniker that’s been hung on these guys. Interesting you have to go...
Guided by Voices: Earthquake Glue August 20, 2003This is oddly a bit of a return to form of sorts. Again, Pollard dials it back (to...
The Buzzing August 15, 2003So, I took a chance on this one–definitely not the first time, but maybe the last. The idea...
The Black Eyed Peas: Elephunk June 25, 2003Where are the P.C. Police when you need them? “Let’s Get Retarded” is one of the danceable, pop...
Grandaddy: Sumday June 11, 2003It takes a brave man to go with the neckbeard. It doesn’t keep lead singer, Jason Lytle, from...
The Matrix Reloaded June 6, 2003I know there are going to be a bunch of nerds out there just waiting to string me up for this one. Of course, I spent a Saturday night watching this sci-fi geekfest, so
The Natural History: Beat Beat Heartbeat June 1, 2003Trying to define hipness in music is very difficult. Some people think Radiohead is hip. They’re not. Some people...
The Apes: Oddeyesee May 7, 2003These days not having a guitar in your band makes you artsy. We know that artsy isn’t everybody’s...
Goldcard: Goldcard April 30, 2003I bought my first Pond album in college. I dug it. It was glossy and sly. Goldcard is...
The Black Keys: Thickfreakness April 9, 2003Jesus, this stuff is heavy. Like a non-hipster version of The White Stripes and a heroin-addled Eric Clapton,...
The Exploding Hearts: Guitar Romantic April 2, 2003Tragedy and rock ‘n roll seem to go hand in hand. Such is the story of The Exploding...
…And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead: The Secret of Elena’s Tomb March 26, 2003A softer, gentler Trail of Dead? God help us all. Lord knows what this means for the future...
McSweeney’s Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales March 1, 2003Short story collections are perfect for those of us with the attention spans of your average sugar-addled ADD...
American Hi-Fi: The Art of Losing February 26, 2003I have a personal investment in this one. No, I didn’t actually pay for the album, but we...
The Postal Service: Give Up February 20, 2003Ben Gibbard can write lyrics that would make even the most ardent metalhead melt. There is a nostalgia...
50 Cent: Get Rich or Die Tryin’ February 7, 2003I gotta admit that I really don’t get this stuff. I mean the guy had like one good...