Review: Against Me! – White Crosses

Against Me - White Crosses

Beneath every great rivalry, there is always a line of mutual respect. For the most part. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning; Jack and Sawyer; Bill and Hillary Clinton. The only intense rivalry that raises a few questions are fans of Against Me. There are those who believe the band to be a shell of their former selves, and those who’ve grown right alongside them. It’s a fierce competition that is about as pointless as that time Emmanuelle Lewis and Gary Coleman were pitted against one another: there’s no clear winner, because they are both adorable!

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Review: The National – High Violet

The National - High Violet

At a gathering at my apartment this past Saturday, I was talking with a few guys about music and such when The National’s “Mistaken for Strangers” came up in the music rotation, prompting a story about how, at a Boston show a couple of years back, lead singer Matt Berninger downed an entire bottle of wine during the performance before proceeding to smash the bottle. I’ve never had the privilege of seeing The National live, and though that anecdote strikes up an odd image, it’s not entirely surprising. The band seems to champion that segment of folks stuck in the middle and damned to stay there, people who’ve left behind their days of chugging Keystone Light with their college career but whose daily trivialities still provoke the onset of that maddeningly irresistible urge to treat oneself to a hangover, people whose attachment to their office chair, frustration with company politics, and overexposure to ambient fluorescent lighting have initiated the slow but accelerating descent down that slippery slope toward sociopathy. And even if you’re the type to appreciate the humor that being surrounded by morons affords and can take just about everything with a boulder of salt, you don’t have to look far to find a real-life analog for The National’s protagonists, like just over the cubicle wall at the Paxil-popper in the next desk. Yeah, their songs are for that poor motherfucker. And even if you’re still in high school or college, like many readers will certainly be, listen up, friends– you might not relate now, but this is what you bastards have to look forward to.

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Review: Minus the Bear – Omni

Minus The Bear - Omni

Oooh baby, turn down the lights and turn up the bass. It’s about to get dangerously sexy all up in here with Minus The Bear’s latest album (and Dangerbird Records debut), the funktastic Omni

Basically, this is the story of how Minus The Bear got their groove back after the lukewarm reaction to 2007’s Planet Of Ice, arguably their worst effort to date. And from the very first notes of opener, “My Time,” you immediately hear the difference. Featuring a synthesizer barrage of noise, “My Time” is taking you into the bedroom and dimming the lights. “Summer Angel” is a little bit gentler than the preceding track, bringing out more of Minus The Bear’s smooth rock sound. Guitarists Jake Snider and Dave Knudson emphasize the dark and furious nature of “Secret Country,” as their guitar work lends to the controlled chaos that is the bridge. 

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