CD-Charts Position 191
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Whiskey Tango Ghosts

CD-Charts > Music > American
by: Tanya Donelly

Release Date July 26, 2004
Listening to this album evokes memories of empty October evenings as the light draws in and you slip into an introspective mood. It's like being wrapped in a blanket of melancholy. That's not to do it a disservice as there are some fine songs on here, beautifully crafted but it's very much a mood album and as such I can only play it occasionally.

CD-Charts Position 192
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Murmur

CD-Charts > Music > American
by: REM

Release Date
In the early eighties American rock music had stagnated. Obese with hoary stadium embracing poodle rockers the genre needed something to reinvent and revitalise and usher in a new wave of bands ready to head off at exciting fresh tangents. Arguably the release of REM,s debut album Murmur in 1983 was the pivotal moment that precipitated a whole slew of bands that shot blasted the clichéd excesses of American rock out of the limelight back towards the gaudy margins where it belonged.
Where a lot of the new US bands would empirically opt for the harder edged extremes of rock REM instinctively had a gentler , looser take on American rock that embraced the past while simultaneously taking it into a new direction. They eschewed rock clichés ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 193
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Automatic for the People [VINYL]

CD-Charts > Music > American
by: REM

Release Date December 15, 2003
A beautiful record that I never tire of listening to. It has been with me a long time - my favourite record alongside Nirvana Unplugged - and has a terrific soothing quality.
The only thing I would question is the inclusion of "Ignoreland" which hints at their later political actions but does little to complement the album's mood of brooding but optimistic introspection.
Strangely, perhaps, I'm not a big fan of "Everybody Hurts" either. But the rest of the album is sheer brilliance, and more than the sum of its parts. "Sweetness Follows" and "Nightswimming" in particular are sublime.
The band would never be the same after Bill Berry left, witness his input into songs like "Find the River", probably my favourite track of all time.

CD-Charts Position 194
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Losing My Religion

CD-Charts > Music > American
by: REM

Release Date January 06, 2003
I had to write a review for this song because it is my favourite track of all time. I first heard it on Jools Holland last year, and it has always been my favourite. Whenever there is the opportunity to do any karaoke, I always look for this song. It is an excellent original track, and I have chosen to review it because of this. I reccommend that you buy it or go out and listen to it.

CD-Charts Position 195
Average Rating:

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Bee Thousand

CD-Charts > Music > American
by: Guided By Voices

Release Date October 01, 1999
it deserves 5 stars as it is the highpoint of 90's Lo fi recordings.

similarly there are bands like sebadoh and pavement and Liz phair was kinda in that area - but this beatles inspired band seem insanely cool tunes together with gritty guitars to produce one of the Lo Fi masterpieces around.

To those of you not sure what lo fi is - its like your mates playing in the garage and recording it there and then - its the music without the studio sheen.

personaly i like the aesthetic as it gets you closer to the music - the more times it gets recorded, dissected and then put back together inthe studio - the further away you are from what the guys actually wrote.

A great album packed with tunes and beguiling lyrics ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 196
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Everything in Time - B-sides, Rarities & Remixes

CD-Charts > Music > American
by: No Doubt

Release Date October 18, 2004
This CD is essentially a CD of three parts - the first half (tracks 1 to 9) are b-sides and out-takes from the Return of Saturn album, 10-14 a collection of other bits-n-bobs from throughout the years, and tracks 15-17 are a disappointing collection of remixes.

This odd bunching together of three different groups of songs leads to a somewhat disjointed collection, but there are so many great songs here that it still merits a five-star rating. The tracks from the RoS sessions show quite how much talent was streaming out of the band during that era. There are some great fun fast numbers like "Under Construction", "Big Distraction" and "Full Circle", alongside some slower material ("Beauty Contest", "Cellophane Boy"). "Leftovers" is one of the most sublimely ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 197
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Musicforthemorningafter

CD-Charts > Music > American
by: Pete Yorn

Release Date April 01, 2002
There was such a buzz about Pete Yorn a few years back,(Reviews in Vogue background music in American Drama's) I thought by now he would be a household name, but it's a fickle world and so here we are Pete is still farily underground, but still churning out music as good as this album which was his debut.

What you get is a great singer songwriter who can replicate songs with a band (as you get on his albums) or with simple acoustic guitar when he wants to go it alone. What this proves is the songs are strong, and along with clever lyrics this all gels for a great album. Listen to Life on a Chain or Just Another(Loved by my Wife who heard it in an episode of Dawson's Creek just before Damien Rice's Blowers Daughter kicked in and stole the show) to get the Pete ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 198
Average Rating:

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Rough Dreams

CD-Charts > Music > American
by: Shivaree

Release Date June 10, 2002
my interest in shivaree stems from first hearing 'reseda casino' on an HMV compilation cd. This song immediately caught me, and I have to admit it remains one of my favourites on the album.

Ambrosia's voice (great name!) is very striking and unique. It instantly reminds me of Gwen Stefani from No Doubt (no less), albeit a more breathy, sensual vocal... I believe Gwen's solo album is released soon, I wouldnt be suprised if it ended up sounding exactly like Shivaree's offering! this, is no bad thing! There are also hints of Cerys Mathews (catatonia), and early Nina Pearson: Cardigins, though I'm sure this is purely a personal thing!
The album feels a little flat in its early stages, but by track 3 it's really picked up - the prince and the showgirl, thundercats, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 199
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In Time - The Best of REM 1988-2003 [Double Disc Digipack CD + DVD-A w/video]

CD-Charts > Music > American
by: REM

Release Date February 28, 2005
It is a true surround mix, but it is horrible to listen to. Some, like Stand, suddenly sound overly simple and quite underproduced. The life that was in the stereo mix is gone, as is the semi instrumental chorus of Stand at the end. Instead of the "Stand!" with echo you get the full line without echo. Nothing really benefits from the surround mix - it feels like it could have been done much better. By the way, there's a little bad language on Bad Day if that bothers you.

CD-Charts Position 200
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Under the Bushes Under the Stars

CD-Charts > Music > American
by: Guided By Voices

Release Date February 28, 1996
personally its not my fave GBV album - but its still got some great songs on it.

I see GBV's career in 2 parts - the earlier part which is full of sketchy catchy hooks, short songs and sing a long choruses. then the second part which embraced higher production values and the songs became longer with a firmer structure and more ambition - with some definate prog rock leaning and a little more experimentation.

This album is the turning point - there are enough catchy numbers on this too keep a pop fan happy and we start to see songs like 'Offical Ironman rally' appear which have a much more conventional approach and a solid tune rather than a 'catchy hook'.

a good place to start i reckon - if you like the catchy sketchy songs - try earlier records ... Read More: