Epinions Recent Reviews for arrusseth

Some Odds and Ends, Both New and Old, Good and Bad

Sun, 30 Sep 2001 22:35:55 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author arrusseth - Modest Mouse

Everywhere & His Nasty Parlor Tricks

Success as an indie rock band has always been about possessing a certain degree of cool. It is one of those unchartable things, vital to a band's career, and yet totally impossible to...

Demos, Rarities, and Live Recordings, oh my!

Thu, 29 Jun 2000 20:12:17 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author arrusseth - Released following the success of Whatever and Ever Amen, Naked Baby Photos records the power pop trio playing with characteristic charm, humor, and virtuosity before their rise to fame. The album is essentially a collage of live...

Sleater-Kinney : Progressive New Punk

Fri, 23 Jun 2000 19:13:35 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author arrusseth - Though Sleater-Kinney changes little between albums, an admitted fact, they have always been able to craft exciting songs, sounding unique and different. That is no less true here. All Hands On the Bad One shows the trio of ladies progressing...

Lazy Line Painter Jane Boxset - Three Essential Works

Sat, 17 Jun 2000 03:31:43 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author arrusseth - Three Essential EPs

Belle and Sebastian are rising stars. Begun only as a short-term project, the collective has become the darling of indie crowd across the world. Their combination of simple, meaningful lyrics, and beautiful musical...

Belle and Sebastian - Brilliant and Progressive

Mon, 15 May 2000 00:41:41 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author arrusseth - The year is 1998 and Belle and Sebastian has seen itself go from a school recording project to a worldwide underground hit. The pressure building on the band must have been enormous, but you wouldn't be able to know that by listening to their brilliant...

Timeless Classic

Sun, 7 May 2000 14:14:25 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author arrusseth - Described by lead singer David Byrne as an epic journey of a man through the dangerous, technology driven world we live in today, Stop Making Sense is surely one of the finest live recordings ever released. From a more paranoid than usual, rough...

Belle And Sebastian: Unforgettable Beauty

Sat, 6 May 2000 20:45:25 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author arrusseth - Named for Belle et Sebastian, a French novel about a boy named Sebastian and his Pyrenees mountain dog named, Belle, this indie folk rock group has been created different, unforgettable music for the past five years. The release of each new album...

Cardigan's Return Anew

Thu, 27 Apr 2000 02:59:43 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author arrusseth - After only a quick listening to The Cardigan's latest album, Gran Turismo, it becomes quite apparent that they've been listening to more than a few Massive Attack and Portishead cuts. Best known for their super catchy hit 'Lovefool', The...

Major Shift In Creativity

Tue, 25 Apr 2000 18:55:43 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author arrusseth - Gospel choirs, intensely atmospheric works, and oddly innovative song structures. Could this really be Blur? Yes, everyone's favorite British band has returned again with an album that no one could have guessed would be created by a band, only a few...

Eleven Gems

Tue, 25 Apr 2000 01:25:12 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author arrusseth - Every song on this album is a classic. Its not because they are perfect musical opuses though, they're not. Somehow, each song manages to capture a very specific feeling, a stunning vision occurs upon only pondering the lyrics for a moment. None lurk...

Beautiful

Thu, 13 Apr 2000 21:19:14 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author arrusseth - A group of suburban boys attempt to look in through the windows of a house holding their obsession, the girls across the street, the Lisbon girls. As the night grows darker, the unnamed narrator comments:

"We couldn't see in any better,...

The Great Leap of the Rentals

Wed, 5 Apr 2000 23:25:21 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author arrusseth - And we sing / Out of tune / We are on the cruise

The chorus on one of The Rentals' more memorable new songs tells their new album, Seven More Minutes, like it is. Listening through the album, one feels a real sense of a journey, a collection...

Built to Spill - Art Pop In Perfect Form

Thu, 24 Feb 2000 02:42:32 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author arrusseth - Crazy though it may sound, the only problem with the songs on Built to Spill's latest album, Keep It Like A Secret, are that they are too short! Unlike the band's previous album, they package all their delightful melodies into little gems, jumping over...

Masterwork of 90's Pop

Thu, 17 Feb 2000 19:06:59 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author arrusseth - "Here on my own now after hours / Here on my own now on a bus / Think of it this way / You could either be successful or be us / With our winning smiles, and us / With our catchy tunes, and us / Now we're photogenic / You know, we don't stand a...

Rocking Folk Pop

Wed, 16 Feb 2000 19:26:36 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author arrusseth - 'Tigermilk', the rare 1000 copy, original Belle and Sebastian album is, at last, available to the general public! This debut, by the secretive European folk-pop, is undoubtedly their most catchy album, if not their most polished LP. In each of the ten...

Balthazar - A Perfect SoHo Stop

Wed, 16 Feb 2000 18:47:04 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author arrusseth - Located in the SoHo area of New York City, Balthazar is tucked away on Spring Street (80 Spring) and barely visible from far away. Step inside, however, and you are sure to be pleased.

You notice two things when you Balthazar through large...

AIR - Electronic Music With Soul

Sun, 13 Feb 2000 15:23:01 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author arrusseth - Finally, after years of hype, an 'electronic group' emerges with an album that is actually fun and bearable to listen to. Previously left to the likes of Stereolab, Air emerges with a tasty journey in experimentation. The mood on the album is always...

Weezer Drops The Sugar Pop

Sat, 12 Feb 2000 03:13:14 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author arrusseth - After Weezer's Eponymous release, they were largely cast aside as one hit wonders (think 'Buddy Holly'). In terms of commercial success they sadly do deserve this title. When viewed musically, however, their second release, Pinkerton, is light years...

Natalie Merchant - Memorable In New York

Sat, 12 Feb 2000 02:43:24 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author arrusseth - For most casual listeners, the last time they heard Natalie Merchant was around the time of her first album release (Tigerlily). Since the catchy pop songs (such as 'Wonder' and 'Carnival') that lined her debut album, Natalie has matured greatly. On...

Kubrick at his best in Barry Lyndon

Sat, 12 Feb 2000 02:27:10 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author arrusseth - Coming off the heights of such critically lauded films as 2001, A Clockwork Orange, and Dr. Strangelove, fans of Stanley Kubrick waited eagerly for his next film. Rather than release a major, blockbuster, cashing in on all his hype, he instead decided...