| ROCKIST | HOME | REVIEWS | INTERVIEWS | BANDS ON TOUR | LINKS |
| BEST OF THE NEW BEST OF 2003 BEST OF 2002 BEST OF 2001 | A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
| The Lapse - s/t Wow! What an opening! Jangle-y, fuzzy guitars that recall Seam a bit Is this Lapse writer Chris Leo's answer to the Chicago band's nod in his direction on "In the Sun" off The Pace is Glacial? I don't care...it's one of Leo's best songs in yea's, as is "I Vow for Now" a song with one of those choruses that sticks in your head for hours: "I thought I would die with you." The Lapse, now thinned down to Leo, Toko Yasuda, and various guest drummers (including brother Ted), is not a consistently amazing band and the couple of stumbles on this album make it not quite as perfect as it could be. But, make no mistake, this has some poignant moments and it serves to increase my anticipation for a magnum opus from Leo and Yasuda some day in the future. (Gern Blandsten) The Lapse - Betrayal! So here's the deal: This is Chris and Toko from The Van Pelt (with Dave Leto of Rye Coalition doing a damn fine job on the drums). Half of these were originally intended as Van Pelt songs. And even without the fuller sound of The Van Pelt, these songs are great. Chris Leo has always been a bit of a strange figure to me. I admire his writing for taking on the social and political queries that it does.. What's interesting to me is that however many years after Native Nod, Chris seems less sure about things than he was with them. These songs do get preachy at times, but I like the hint of ambiguity and the fact that there are a few more question marks abound on the album. Very much worth your time! (Gern Blandsten) |
The Liars - they threw us all in a trench
and stuck a monument on top Not an entirely bad start, nor a spectacular debut, from this NYC band. Their songs are an amalgamation of cool bass-lines backed by solid drumming, choppy funk-esque guitar parts, occasional keyboards, and the Mark E. Smith (The Fall)-esque rambling, singing, and shouting of the singer. I think their energy will be their main attribute as they progress. (Gern Blandsten/Mute) Liars Academy - No News is Good News Liars Academy features Ryan (vocals, guitar) and Evan (drums) from the defunct Cross My Heart and Matt (bass, guitar, vocals) from Strike Anywhere. Probably the most straight-forward rock band to come out on hardcore label Equal Vision. Liars Academy deliver the rock Foo Fighters/Samiam/Knapsack style with lots of palm-muted chords, plenty of power chords, and big choruses. The lyrics are more simple than any of the bands mentioned above, but this is a pretty decent debut nonetheless. (Equal Vision Records) Lightheavyweight - Isn't It Pretty to Think So Ex-Fields of Mars. If you dig the Brit pop of Pulp or Menswear or even The Smiths, check this out. I'd recommend this album to all of my friends that dig upbeat, mod-ish pop. (Your Best Guess) Lillingtons - Backchannel Broadcast 1-2-3-4 Ramones-style punk rock songs about spying. Very fun, very catchy, very much worth owning. (Panic Button) |
| Nathan Larson - Jealous God Ex-Shudder to Think guitar player singing and playing Elvis Costello-style ballads and pop ditties. Well worth tracking down. (Artmeis Records) Late Night Television - 11 love songs for your shallow, broken heart What began as 4-track songs by singer/songwriter/guitar player Matt Kelley are expanded hear with Chris Downs on drums and Joe Paone, on bass, who played with Kelley in Sonny Sixkiller. The guitars on this album are much more aggressive than any of the SS stuff, however. Methinks "map of new jersey" is my new fave. This is rock with sensitive lyrics (think Weston, huffy, Karl Hendricks, and Superchunk not Sunny Day Mineral style) about relationships and I love it. A new reason to go to Philadelphia? (Route Fourteen Records) |
Lockgroove - s/t EP Lockgroove is a Boston quintet that started with the collaboration between the Rex brothers, one on drums and the other singing and playing guitar. Live the band incorporates a large amount of improvisation and have been known to induce trances with the loop-y bass-lines, keyboards from outer space, and guitar wizardry of second guitarist Adam Brilla. On record, the band sounds so solid, yet filling your ears in a way that leaves room for my thoughts among the sounds. There's music that bombards your senses, but this is different. It doesn't hit you as much as seeps into your head, the same way The Stone Roses, My Bloody Valentine, and Spacemen 3 (band moans now) used to. At their loudest, this is the most forceful 'space-rock' you're ever going to hear. At their poppiest, it's got a Jesus & Mary Chain swagger thrown in. At the quietest, just vocals, guitar, and piano deliver the goods. Yeah. (Krave Records) |
| The
Lawrence Arms/The Chinkees - split CD One of the better split CDs that I've heard in a while. The Lawrence Arms are top-notch, high energy punk tunes. The lyrics and vocals will no doubt please Leatherface or Jawbreaker fans. The four songs from the Lawrence Arms made me an instant believer. The Chinkees feature the vocals of Mike Park who heads up the Plea for Peace and Asian Man Records. The songs are also high on the energy front. Their first three songs are more straight-forward pop punk tip with the addition of an organ. The last two songs are a ska tune and a fantastic acoustic tune. (Asian Man Records PO box 35585 Monte Sereno, CA 95030) The Lawrence Arms - Apathy and Exhaustion Not nearly as good as their split album with the Chinkees from last year, but pretty thoughtful lyrics nonethelesss. Scratchy throat vocals that remind me of Jawbreaker. Lots of songs about drinking so if you don't like that, stay away. (Fat) |
The
Locust - Flight of the Wounded Locust EP This is a blitzkrieg of 11 super-fast-tempo songs in10 minutes. And if you've never heard them? Well, it sounds like the soundtrack to a sci-fi video game as played by a scream-y H/C band. (Gold Standard Laboratories) Lonely Kings - what if? I'm really excited about this band. Interesting intros and hooks, big Samiam-size choruses, and their own combination of heartfelt and introspective lyrics and Foo Fighters/Social Distortion-swagger that actually ask questions instead of telling you answers. This is one of those love em or leave em bands. I love em. (Fearless Records) |
| Lefty's
Deceiver - Process Junior Pretty cool melodic rock that occasionally gets tricky...like Bluetip and the Pixies meet Silkworm and No Knife...a band to watch. Tej Leo(?) - Rx/pharmicists With this, his first full-length since the breakup of Chisel, Ted Leo hits us with an album that challenges our notions of what pop songs should contain and how they should sound. He deliberately obscures the pop songs that he is so brilliant at writing with tape hiss, portions of already-released songs (mostly from his Chisel and Secret Stars collaborations), and "pirated" (his words) snippets from other musicians' songs. The effect is interesting, if challenging, like most art that combines and collages different elements. The feel is that of a hyperactive mix tape or someone pressing "search" on the radio. He stops and lets you enjoy some songs for longer lest you become too distracted by the distractions. After all, he knows a good hook when he writes one. This is not the record anyone was expecting and this is not the record anyone is expecting!! (Gern Blandsten) |
The
Long Winters - When I Pretend to Fall The Long Winters began as a studio project by Seattle's John Roderick, but have since become a touring band. The core of the group is present live and on the album, but they are also joined on this record the band is joined by an A-list of guests including Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Jon Auer (The Posies), Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie, who co-produced the record), and Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows). When I Pretend to Fall is an impressive collection of songs ranging from sly pop tunes that open the album (the brilliant opener "Blue Diamonds" the Motown-ish romp "Scared Straight", and the ) to breezy quieter tunes in the middle (including the stunning "Bride and Bridle" and "It'll Be a Breeze." The tail end of the album shows off the more-rockin' side of the band ("Stupid" "Prom Night at Hater High" and "New Girl") and also features the incredible harmonies of keyboard player Sean Nelson (ex-Harvey Danger) before closing with the sparse and icy-cool "Nora." At the heart of the band are the rollicking bass-lines, solid drumming, and Roderick's lyrics, which make this album such a great experience. Definitely one of 2003's standout albums. (Barsuk Records) |
| The
Lesser Birds of Paradise - A Suitable Frame If you like the mellow rock of Seam, Pedro the Lion, and Hum's more tender moments or the pop sensibility of American Music Club or Paul Westerberg, I seriously recommend this album. Very impressive. (Loose Thread) The Letter E - s/t EP A soundtrack for your walk across the desert. Odd music coming from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, but they claim that their living environment affected their approach to music and I'll buy it...you can hear it in the small phrases and the spacious recording. Will make an excellent companion to Ennio Morricone's Western soundtracks in your collection. And I reckon fans of Rex and June of '44 will be interested in hearing the collaboration between Curtis Harvey and Sean Meadows. Interesting. (Tiger Style) |
Lost
City Angels - s/t This Boston punk band started to gain national attention with this, their first release for Nitro Records. Combining street punk and catchy melodies with aggressive guitar lines and drumming, the Lost City Angels possess all the qualities of a band that deserves to make the 18-24-year-old crowd take notice. Songs like "Think Yer Alone?" :Edge of 21" and "Lost & Gone" establish the band as tough, yet sympathetic souls, the kids that'll pull you up when you're down, but won't let you mess with their dreams. A solid first national release from a band that deserves to be noticed. RIYL:AFI, Social Distortion, Alkaline Trio, Dropkick Murphys, The Clash (Nitro Records) The Lot Six - The Code Mode EP and Gwylo My favorite new rock band in Boston. Their loud songs sound kind of like Refused meet At the Drive In...their quiet songs sound like Sparklehorse. Live they're even better. (Espo) The Lot Six - Major Fables One of Boston's best bands. Their third full length finds them hitting their stride, making an album that is simultaneously diverse and cohesive. Hopefully, their recent tour with the Distillers and the Explosion will help them gain national acclaim as one of the most captivating live bands around. Vicious guitar lines coupled with the tremendous ability to bend genres to suit their needs, all underlined with the tremendous heart and soul of the singers' vocals. (Tarantulas) |
| MORE REVIEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |