Somewhere More Familiar
Artist: Sister Hazel
Community Score: 6.38

While it is a bit glossier than the group's debut, Somewhere More Familiar is an engaging record of polished jangle pop, highlighted by the group's harmonies and knack for ringing acoustic guitar riffs. The group's songwriting is a bit inconsistent, but when Sister Hazel do hit upon the right song -- such as "All for You" -- the results are... Read More

Stunt
Artist: Barenaked Ladies
Community Score: 7.47

By trying to mask their smart-ass humor in a big pop production, the Barenaked Ladies attempt to set themselves up for the big crossover that they nearly achieved with such past singles as "Be My Yoko Ono" and "Brian Wilson." Nothing on Stunt, the group's fourth studio album, is so clearly jokey (although "Alcohol" comes close), but they still... Read More

Ye Olde Space Band: Plays Classic Rock Hits
Artist: The Moog Cookbook
Community Score: 7.00

After achieving notoriety with their self-titled album in 1995, the duo known as the Moog Cookbook decided to follow it up with a set of classic rock hits. And the results on Ye Olde Space Bande are just as good as their humorous debut. It's hard to imagine a synthesized makeover of songs by such hard rock/heavy metal artists as Kiss, Van Halen,... Read More

Galore
Artist: The Cure
Community Score: 7.28

It's ironic that the Cure, a band whose albums have always seemed like definitive artistic statements, were at their best as a singles band. On the group's singles, Robert Smith's ideas reached their full potential, since they captured not only the group's off-kilter pop sense, but also the haunting melancholy and wacky humor that interlaced... Read More

Beyond & Back: The X Anthology
Artist: X
Community Score: 9.33

X cannot be praised enough. The legendary L.A. band wrote countless classics, released consistent albums, and have influenced many along the way (just check out the raves fellow rockers give the band in Beyond & Back's liner notes). It's a testament to their greatness that the material on Beyond & Back: The X Anthology sounds original and fresh... Read More

So Much for the Afterglow
Artist: Everclear
Community Score: 7.69
Twenty Percent of My Hand
Artist: 59 Times the Pain
Community Score: 5.00

The second full-length by Sweden's 59 Times the Pain -- the group's first album to see U.S. release -- build on the strengths of 1996's More Out of Today by opening up the stylistic straightjacket of hardcore just a bit to incorporate occasional tempo shifts and some actual pop song approaches. The single "Don't Belong Here" has the pubbed-up... Read More

The Best of the Call
Artist: The Call
Community Score: 10.00

The Best of the Call compiles all of the hits and best-known songs from the group's career, adding a couple of solo tracks from their leader, Michael Been, as well as two new tracks by the band, which feature contributions from Bruce Cockburn and Jim Keltner. It's a near-definitive collection, and for the casual fan, it contains all the Call... Read More

The Mollusk
Artist: Ween
Community Score: 7.78

On the surface, The Mollusk is a return to the panoramic, multi-genre extravaganza of Chocolate and Cheese, but in its own way, it's as much of a concept album as 12 Golden Country Greats. It just isn't as explicit about its intentions. Nearly every song on The Mollusk has a nautical theme, buoyed by a heavy progressive rock influence. Several... Read More

Farmer
Artist: Farmer

On their self-titled debut, Farmer offer up folk-accented heartland rock not dissimilar from Hootie & the Blowfish, although frontman Marshall Altman lacks the vocal resonance of Hootie's Darius Rucker; anthemic and heartfelt, cuts like "Sadie" and "Make Some Time" resurrect the spirit of 1970s AM radio. ~ Mark Donkers, All Music Guide Read More

The Best of 1980-1990
Artist: U2
Community Score: 8.29

As one of the most popular bands of the '80s, U2 didn't quite fit into any particular category. They were a post-punk band that quickly found acceptance from a hard rock audience, a group that made fully formed albums but often made their best statements on individual songs, especially during the '80s. Consequently, they're a very hard band to... Read More