Modern Rock Reviews

Modern Rock Archive

The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger - A+
The best indie dance rock song to come out since "I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor". This song has a lot to offer: clever lyrics, a beat that builds nicely to an outstanding chorus and solid instrumental breaks between verses.

The Fratellis - Flathead - A+
Another brilliant single from the latest buzz band to come out of Britain, sharing many of the great qualities with the (slightly) superior "Chelsea Dagger".

The Killers - When You Were Young - A+
An interesting and original new song from The Killers second album. I'm glad to see they aren't sticking to formula like many bands do at this point in their careers.

Against Me! - Thrash Unreal - A
The hottest new band in political punk's first major release single is a thought provoking song with an interesting story and a great chorus.

The Hold Steady Stuck - Between Stations - A
Imagine Bruce Springsteen as an indie rocker and you'd be able to grasp the concept of the Hold Steady's sound. This is one of their best songs. It's not as good as the comparable "When You Were Young", but it's far more mature as a song.

The Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby - A
Clever lyrics and a great chorus don't quite add up to a perfect song in this case, but it was close.

The Killers - Read My Mind - A-
Another solid Springsteen-goes-indie tune from one of the hottest bands in Modern Rock.

Mando Diao - The Wildfire (If It Was True) - B+
Great verses lead into an almost non-existant chorus. This song is good, but could have been much better.

The Killers - For Reasons Unknown - B+
Not the best single from the Killers so far, but definitely in the top half.

The Fray - Look After You - B+
Another sweeping ballad from The Fray, who are making a play to be the American Snow Patrol at this point.

The Kaiser Chiefs - The Angry Mob - B+
There are undeniable shades of Oasis in this song, which isn't in the same league as "Ruby", but it still pretty good for a sweeping Brit-pop tune.

30 Second To Mars - A Beautiful Lie - B
Better than the usual 30 Seconds output, but still nothing more than derivative.

Sixx A.M. - Life Is Beautiful - B
Not bad for a first song. A well-paced song with a good tempo and a decent chorus.

The Academy Is - Everything We Had - B-
A sappy power ballad with good lyrics. If you like this sort of thing, it might be pretty good. I don't.

Ozzy Osbourne - Not Going Away - C+
Ozzy just hasn't been the same since he became a TV star, but then again neither has heavy metal as a whole.

Marilyn Manson - You And Me And The Devil Makes 3 - C
One thing I've never been able to say about Manson is that his music was boring. This is no longer true.

Sevendust - Beg To Differ - C-
Sludgy, loud and unpleasant. The lyrics aren't bad, but other than that, this song is a mess.