The best description I’ve ever heard of Girl Talk came from a friend of mine who could easily be called a rap aficionado: “Girl Talk is what happens when white people get their hands on good rap.”  As self-depricating as it might sound, I can’t help but agree.  Nevertheless, Girl Talk (aka DJ Gregg Gillis) appeals to me beyond the songs compiled within his various albums, so maybe I like what said “white people” do to “good rap.”  Gillis’ newest effort, Feed The Animals, showcases a bit of a change for the Girl Talk enterprise with a stronger incorporation of classic rock and oldies tunes that almost 1-for-1 balance the more hip musical samplings.  Additionally, the flow of the album seems a lot less choppy than past mixes, which honestly steals some of the chaotic energetic attraction.  Overall though, Feed The Animals delivers what any Girl Talk fan could hope for in a dance mix, not to mention you can download it from the Illegal Art site for whatever you think it’s worth ala Radiohead’s In Rainbows.  Can’t beat that!
Illegal Art

Summer of 2008 has been jam packed with new albums from all the biggest names in hardcore.  One of the most recent additions to that list is the long anticipated new album from Cold World.  Unfortunately, I’m not sure this one’s worth all the hype.  Unlike their previous releases, this new album (technically their first proper full length) lacks a lot of what has made Cold World such a unique force within hardcore.  Despite a few short interludes, the hip-hop influence seems almost entirely gone and a stronger metallic sound has crept in.  Add to this a less-than-stellar recording (despite being produced by Biohazard’s Billy Graziadei) and the final outcome leaves a lot to be desired.  Honestly, I like the bulk of these songs… the album just suffers a number of small issues that add up to a semi-disappointing album.  If nothing else, this album will be awesome when given a proper re-master/re-issue treatment down the line, if/when that ever happens.
Deathwish Inc.

At first glance, Punk’s Not Dead might seem like one of any number of poorly made pseudo-documentaries on the subject.  Much to my pleasant surprise, it’s not at all.  Instead, director Susan Dynner compiles unique interview footage and archival images spanning from punk’s early days to contemporary bands like Green Day and Pennywise.  What seems most intriguing is drawing the connections across generation lines, something punk has never been great at doing.  Although this film couldn’t be called comprehensive by any stretch, what it lacks in thoroughness is more than made up for with content.  My only real complaint would be that some elements appear a bit too similar to those seen in American Hardcore.  Beyond this, I’d suggest any open-minded punk fans to check out this DVD.
Red Rover Films

I’ll be the first to admit I’m a total sucker for solid emo pop.  Bands like The Get Up Kids, Knapsack, Jimmy Eat World, and even The Juliana Theory get more play on my iPod than most would be comfortable ‘fessing up to, but hey… it’s all about the hooks.  So, when I received the new album from Rookie Of The Year I expected it to fall right in among these others.  Unfortunately, while Sweet Attention has a lot of similarities to the aforementioned bands, they suffer from what ultimately killed some of them: over-production.  Throughout, songs come across too polished and “radio-ready” to appeal to the purists, yet the songwriting has too many flairs of the underground to be wildly popular with radio listeners.  That said, this record is good… just not great.  If they’d lean more towards the Jimmy Eat World side of things and less towards The Juliana Theory, they’d be better.
One Eleven Records

This sophomore effort from Have Heart has arguably been one of the most anticipated new albums of 2008.  I can only imagine the pressure these fellows must have felt trying to write the follow-up to their incredible first full-length, The Things We Carry.  For some, Songs To Scream At The Sun might fall short, yet that would be a very narrow view.  Instead of treading the easy path of doing a second installment of ’90s hardcore reminiscent of Strife, Mouthpiece, and the like, Have Heart instead took an entirely new approach to their songwriting.  Filling each song with drawn out, dramatic structures, they build intensity without relying exclusively on fast-paced parts.  So, while some might hear Songs To Scream At The Sun and be disappointed with it’s oddly different sound, I personally think it’s quite possibly going to end up on my top ten list for the year.
Bridge Nine Records

This review has taken me a long time to write, if for no other reason than Ghost Buffalo are so hard to figure out.  Featuring two former members of emo-gone-wild band Planes Mistaken For Stars, their connections to the heavier side of indie rock are apparent.  Team that with moody, yet powerful female vocals and the result falls surprisingly close to sounding a bit ’90s alt-rock.  Despite not being sonically all that close, this album reminds me of the dark, emotive Long Gone Before Daylight by The Cardigans with it’s tendency towards hooks concealed within broader strokes.  I think it’s safe to say very few would have expected this as a post-PMFS project, but maybe that’s part of Ghost Buffalo’s charm.
Suburban Home Records

Although he might be best known as the filmmaker who directed the Wilco documentary I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, Sam Jones apparently shares in that band’s love of creating music too.  Much like his film subjects, Jones’ band The Revisionists take a unique approach to merging various styles of American music.  Not quite alt-country, yet not quite rock either, this album defies easy classification throughout it’s ten tracks.  At times, an almost punk rock vibe creeps in, primarily in the rhythm section, but even that seems hard to put a finger on.  In the end, The Revisionists suffer a bit from their less than apparent direction, with the listener too busy keeping track of what’s going on to sit back and enjoy the tunes.  Nevertheless, there’s a whole lot of promise that can’t be denied.
Loveless Records

The background music for your tea party (or armageddon) has finally arrived. Although far from fodder for your party playlist, Eluvium’s Copia calls forth beauty from melancholy with its quiet instrumental musings. The songs move slowly, softly growing into triumphant crescendos. Vaguely electronic but rooted in simple piano melodies, the mood of this faraway-sounding album is both antique and post-apocalyptic at the same time. The cartoony album art and buttery, ambient music would lend themselves nicely to the soundtrack for some indie animated film.
Temporary Residence

After some time off from doing design reviews, I have finally brought them back.  What better release to pick back up with than this eye-catching new album from Take It Back! featuring artwork by one of my all-time favorite designers, Dave Quiggle.  But first, let me talk about their music… Take It Back! fall right in the middle of the post-Comeback Kid sound that incorporates extremely melodic, catchy song structures into tunes that are predominantly hardcore.  At times, they even sound a bit like Set Your Goals, especially with the dueling high/low vocals throughout the CD.  Ultimately, Take It Back! suffers from a lack of originality and a vocalist with bigger ambitions than his range allows.  That said, this being their first proper release shows a lot of promise that will hopefully come to fruition down the line.  As for the design/layout, Quiggle demonstrates his diverse abilities extremely well with this one.  The cover image and outer spread exude the fun spirit of the music without being too cheesy.  The way in which the cover elements are carried into the inner panels really works well.  This is also true of the outer and inner tray designs, with the latter showcasing his great use of gradients in the colors.  My only qualm with Quiggle’s work here would be the inside of the insert, on which he does use the comic-like halftone pattern as a nice backdrop, yet he fails to make the text-heavy content a little more interesting than just words.  Overall though, this reminds me of why I love his art/design so much.
Facedown Records / Dave Quiggle

That old saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” must not apply to CDs because I knew exactly what to expect from the first sight of Vacation Bible School’s cover.  Anyone familiar with Aaron Cometbus’ zine (appropriately enough entitled Cometbus) and/or his design work would immediately have an inclination of what Vacation Bible School are trying to accomplish.  Pretty much their entire layout serves as a tribute to Mr. Cometbus’ art, yet doesn’t quite come through with the same quality.  As for their music, it fits the same M.O.  Each of the eight songs recall Lookout! Records era pop punk in their own way, most often in the vein of Pinhead Gunpowder (which… surprise, surprise… featured Aaron Cometbus on drums).  The only touch of their own is a bit of a rock n’ roll feel added throughout, but the entire CD maintains a sense of being dated (not necessarily in a bad way).  Honestly, what this album lacks in creativity it more than makes up for with the walk down memory lane… especially for those who remember a decade ago.
Cassette Deck