Beauty and the Beast. Finally a noise band that isn't afraid to have elements of majestic gorgeousness laced and weaved into its abrasive and ferocious tapestry. This record really puts you into an environment of hostility that all at once entrances you and then kicks you upside the head, all usually within a few seconds.

Incredible achievement with elements of nostalgia Americana and post-modern sheen, Dept. of Eagles break out from the tag of "side-project" to deliver a "damn fine" album of songs so heavenly and smooth, that they go down like a sweet cup of aural hot cocoa. There is something truly transcendent about this album, and it blends 'new' and 'old' so well you completely forget about time all together.

2008 was the the return of noise-pop to the greater indie community and No Age were the for bearers. This album takes that late 80s SST hardcore you really dug, and crushes it down into little juiceboxes of sugary pop, perfect for a fast-paced lifestyle or if you're simply on the go, and need a little something extra just to be a little less bored.

These guys take the very limited focus of hardcore music and expand the horizons to places they have never gone. Usually recording songs that push the 15 min mark, they know how to take their songs over any type of musical terrain availabe to them, and they do it justice with this album. Each song is like a mini album unto itself, and the final product is a punk epic of which you have never heard.

Now we turn to a darker side of electronica. It's almost like an artwork of H.R. Giger melted into music somehow and you're never really quite sure which sinister way its going to turn next. It's themes and sounds are so artificial yet so natural that the boundary evaporates completely. All that it leaves behind is a metallic residue inside your head, which makes you yearn for more.