A Place Where The Sun Is Silent – Alesana – These pompous asses mix prog-rock with hardcore and get both wrong. Grade: C
Soul Punk – Patrick Stump – Former Fall Out Boy remolds himself into a hard rocking soul boy nd it sounds pretty good. Just a shame he forgot to write any songs. Grade: B
The Great Escape – Jane's Addiction – They exist so RHCP can look prescient in dumping Dave Navarro and this dreadful modern rock album is just more of the same from the intensely annoying Perry and hasbeens. Grade: C+
Native To – Is Tropical – Limey band whose idea of living by the sea migh not be yours, but these hare pretty good indie rock songs with a tough bottom. Grade: B
Habits Of the Heart – Idle Warship – Talib Khalil's idea f a super ground and the mash of soul and rap hits real hard on song after a song. This is pretty relentless excellence albeit less so on the ballads. Still, a very good album. Grade: B+
The Good the Bad The Sexy – Joe – Generic r&b, sort of what R. Kelly would sound like if Kelly wasn't great. and had no hip hop influence Grade: B
Days – Real Estate – The problem isn't that Real Estate are bad but that they are enormously bland, they repay inattention with indifference and close attention with etheral melodies. Grade: B
Supremo – Chico and Nacho – remnants of a Venezuelan boy band keep the pop and add the beat. Grade: B+
Beyond the Sun – Chris Isaak – Useless but not unpleasant Sun song covers Grade: B-