IFftEE
FOfNUTI'
I
1.
Clutch
-
Blast
Tyrant
(DRT
Entertainment)
Clutch
is
a
band
that
has
existed
for
well
over
twelve
years,
which,
lets
face
it,
is
a
fairly
breathtaking
achievement
for
a
band
with
little
commercial
success.
And
after
twelve
years
it
is
also
fairly
astonishing
that
Clutch
have
released
what
is
to
date
their
finest
and
most
thoroughly
rawkin'
album.
The
Clutch
formula
is
a
simple
one
(one
dash
of
Black
Sabbath,
a
pinch
of
ACDC,
and
season
with
Black
Oak
Arkansas)
but
simplicity
doesn't
mean
that
the
music
lacks
dynamics.
Over
the
years
the
band
has
grown
from
a
taut
metalcore
band
into
one
of
the
finest
purveyors
of
southem-boogie-swamp-metal
in
the
world.
Some
bands
may
claim
to
evolve
from
one
album
to
the
next,
but
Clutch
always
delivers;
even
though
they've
never
made
the
evolution
claim.
Each
album
the
band
has
released
has
been
better
than
the
last
(with
the
exception
of
1999's
Pure
Rock
Fury)
and
this
song
cycle
doesn't
disappoint.
All
this
despite
the
fact
that
lyricist
and
lead
throat
Neil
Fallon
has
fashioned
a
GASP
concept
album
about
the
strange
happenings
that
occur
before
Armageddon.
Fallon's
lyrics
are
fun,
literate,
and,
as
always,
show
a
good
and
playful
mastery
of
the
English
language.
Any
band
that
can
write
a
song
about
a
boat
called
me
Swollen
Goat"
and
make
it
swing
gets
props
in
my
book.
Simply
put,
this
is
the
album
of
the
summer,
and
quite
possibly
the
year.
The
Three
CDs
You
Should
Have
Bought
This
Summer
...But
Didn't,
Did
You?
3.
My
Morning
Jacket
-
Acoustic
Cjtsuoca
EP
(RCA
Records)
Jim
James
(the
man
who
essentially
is
My,
Morning
Jacket)
has
the
best
male
singing
voice
in
trie;wbrld.l
say,
this
jeven
though
I
have
no
knowledge
of
musical
theory
(octaves
be
dambed!)
The
only
thing
I
know
is
how
music
makes
me5
feeFandr
sweet
esusftlames'
voice
could
make
a
statue
cry
blood..
His
songs
on
this
acoustic,
live
EP
have
been
stripped
down
to
their
Hare
bones
and
benefit
most
from
this,
intimate
setting.
James'
songs
are
not
grand
but
rather
paint
'small
vintages
of
what
it's
like
to
be
in
love!
Like
most
guysafteFreading
that
last
sentence
I
would
"be'
turned
off,
of,
this
music
for
HNHH
B
Sill
ISIllSllillilriWiSlillliKil
IPu
1
good,
but
MMJ
is
no
"I
love
you
baby,
oh
babe,
you
and
me,
uh
huh
uh'huh"
music?He
never
resorts
to
the
cliche,
and
the
music
envelopes
the
listener
like
a
warm
blanket.
It
is
the
best
romantic
mood
music
that
my
substantial
record
collection
contains.
The
ionly
artist
that
can
really
be
compared
to
MMJ
is
Jfcanada's
own
Neil
Young.
However,
most
of
lYoung's
records
have
the
inevitable
filler;
this
is
not
gso
with
James.
This
album
is
pure
magic,
and
I
:;,fguarantee
it
will
put
anyone
in
"the
mood",
if
you
tfknow
what
I'm
sayin'.
Wiggety-wiggety.
Also
recommended
and
runners
up:
October
2004
Arts
&
Entertainment
9
fjgMiSST'
WMifsiclReviews
bylNathan
KellySf
2.
Eagles
of
Death
Metal
-
Peace
Love
Death
Metal
(AntAcidAudio)
Anyone
who
has
been
keeping
tabs
on
this
column
knows
that
I
have
a
huge
hard-onerrrr,
admiration
for
the
work
of
Josh
Homme
(Queens
of
the
Stone
Age,
Desert
Sessions,
Kyuss,
yadda,
yadda,
yadda)
and
he
has
struck
gold
once
again
as
the
skinsnian
behind
the
Eagles
of
Death
Metal's
debut
album.
Unlike
most
of
the
projects
Homme
is
involved
in,
he
doesn't
play
the
main
role
in
Eof
DM.
Instead,
that
slot
is
filled
by
Jesse
"the
Devil"
Hughes
who
wrote,
sang
and
played
every
note
of
this
album
in
his
garage
after
his
wife
left
him.
Now,
after
hearing
this
you
may
expect
some
morose,
whimpery
music
to
have
come
out
of
the
situation,
but
how
wrong
you
are
mister!
This
album
is
a
full-on,
sexy,
dirty,
rock
and
roll
party.
This
music
is
highly
calibrated
to'make
you
shake
your
ass,
so
be
careful.
I,
for
one,
had
not
danced
for
a
good
six
years
before
I
heard
this
album
(because
dancing
is
wrong
and
sinful)..
But
now,
when
I
hear
the
first
note
of
"I
Only
Want
You,"
I
can't
help
but
shake
what
my
mamma
gave
me.
This
is
what
people
should
dance
to,
not
whatever
crap
is
being
pumped
to
you
by
the
good
folks
at
the
local
discotheque.
Oh,
and
on
a
side
note,
this
music
has
nothing
to
do
with
Obituary
or
the
Eagles...
sorry.
RfjRiMfl?rwra!
&.
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Modest
Mouse
-
Good
News
For
People
Who
Love
Bad
News
(Epic
Records)
Incredibly
accomplished
indie-rock
band
makes
its
big
pop
move.
Also
frontman
Isaac
Brock
has
the
most
insane
laugh
ever
The
Dillinger
Escape
Plan
-
Miss
Machine
(Relapse
Records)
'
This
is
guaranteed
to
melt
your
brain.
The
inventors
of
math-metal
bring
us
version
2.0.
Machine
Head
-
Through
the
Ashes
of
Empires
(Roadrunner
Records)
Bay-Area
thrash
tyrants
unleash
their
best
record
ever,
and
leave
all
other
metal
bands
from
the
early
90's
in
their
dust.
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note
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