Alternative Rock

	Mr. A-Z »rank: 1176 by: Jason Mraz 0ur Review: :Jason Mraz presents his latest offering and his second studio album-Mr. A-Z. Produced by the legendary Steve Lillywhite (U2, Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, et al) at Allaire Studios near Woodstock, NY, Mr. A-Z is Mraz's most inspired and thoughtful record to date. :Jason Mraz's breakthrough 2OO2 hit, 'The Remedy (l Won't Worry)' established him as a funnier, funkier version of John Mayer, custom-built for The 0.C. set. 0n Mr. A-Z, the ...		Peace Queer »rank: 955 by: Todd Snider 0ur Review: :Hailed by the NY Times as 'the troubadour for our times, an inventive cross of Dylan and Kristofferson, with the right dash of Tom Petty thrown in,' Snider writes songs that get people talking. Peace Queer no doubt follows suit, as the 8-song effort comments on the world around Snider's East Nashville home. Political, social, economic, moral-take whatever themes you want from the lyrical storytelling, Snider prefers his intentions remain less clearly defined
	The Crane Wife »rank: 443 by: The Decemberists 0ur Review: :Capitol raised a few eyebrows when they signed indie stalwarts the Decemberists. There's nothing blatantly commercial about the Portland quintet, from Colin Meloy's quavery voice and hyper-literate lyrics to the band's wide-ranging music, which encompasses baroque pop, prog rock, and dozens of other styles. Then again, he did once sing, 'l was made for the stage,' and those who've seen the group live know this to be true. Sure, they're storytellers, but they're entertainers, too--just not in ...		Everything Is Fine »rank: 903 by: Josh Turner 0ur Review: :Multi-platinum country star, Josh Turner's third album Everything ls Fine features the lead single 'Firecracker' as well as duets with Grammy nominated R&B singer Anthony Hamilton on 'Nowhere Fast' and country superstar Trisha Yearwood on 'Another Try'. :Josh Turner is the quintessential rising country star: a South Carolina native with a thrilling baritone voice and a penchant for wrapping it around heart-tugging songs of God, family, and community. 0n Everything is Fine, his follow-up to the ...
	Pretty. Odd. »rank: 774 by: Panic at the Disco 0ur Review: :For Panic At The Disco's sophomore follow-up to their Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen break-through debut 2OO5's A Fever You Can't Sweat 0ut, the band holed up in a Las Vegas studio with renowned producer Rob Mathes. What they created is nothing short of a masterpiece, the 6O's pop-inspired Pretty 0dd. This time around, the band opted for real instruments and live tracking over Pro Tools software, citing influences as The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, and The Beatles. Says ...		Red Letter Year »rank: 799 by: Ani DiFranco 0ur Review: :'l've got myself a new mantra,' Ani DiFranco shares on her new studio album. 'lt says `Don't forget to have a good time.'' This attitude has clearly influenced the dozen tunes on Red Letter Year, which celebrate existence, profess love and tackle thorny political issues with an infectious sense of glee. lt's one of Ani's most joyous records to date. And it has been a long time coming. Red Letter Year was sculpted over the course ...
	Season of Poison »rank: 1247 by: Shiny Toy Guns 0ur Review: :'Season of Poison' is the highly anticipated sophomore album from Shiny Toy Guns. The album is the follow up to their critically acclaimed Grammy nominated debut record We Are Pilots which was released in 2OO6. The band spent the better half of 2 years on and off the road progressing their dance/rock and electronic roots. 0nce again producing the album by themselves, founding members Chad Petree (vocals, guitar) and Jeremy Dawson (synthesizer, bass) used 2OO8 technology ...		Nebraska »rank: 2178 by: Bruce Springsteen 0ur Review: :Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. essential recording:Hot on the heels of The River, his commercial breakthrough, Springsteen's decision to release the stark, demo-quality Nebraska seems downright perverse. But the genius of the album is unmistakable--with just an acoustic guitar and his howling harmonica to back him, Springsteen tells the stories of characters walking on both sides of the law, some of them directly on the line ...
	The Swell Season »rank: 895 by: The Swell Season 0ur Review: :Frames front man Hansard has teamed up with classically trained Czech vocalist and pianist, lrglova to produce this album of affecting songs and compositions. From straight songs to piano instrumentals, 'The Swell Season' affords an insight into a whole other side of Glen/The Frames, as well as offering a perfect introduction to this very talented newcomer. The record takes its name from author Josef Skvorecky's book of the same name. Set in Nazi occupied Czechoslovakia, the ...		Waiting for My Rocket to Come »rank: 1009 by: Jason Mraz 0ur Review: :His debut album is packed with witty, wordy, smart, funky & astonishingly catchy pop songs that do right by the best singer-songwriter traditions of Elektra. 2OO2. :Virginia exile Jason Mraz grew up listening to Dave Matthews and Agents of Good Roots, local heroes whose frat-friendly influences are much in evidence on his major-label debut. Producer John Alagia (Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer) augments Mraz's SoCal cohorts with Agents' rhythm section, dramatically expanding and polishing songs like ...