Crow is too talented to just screw around all the time, but luckily, he's pretty good at that, too, so everything ends up sounding rather flawless. His pop pedigree is untouchable and his blend of lush rhythms and smooth, massaging vocals creates an impeccably polished sound. Not only does the music world at large seem to be out of the loop, but perhaps Crow himself doesn't know how good he is, because to me, this sounds like one of the best indie pop rock albums in recent memory.

If he does know, I hope he keeps on doing what he's doing in spite of being ignored and maybe next time around he should do a little more bragging. If you would like to help the cause, you can start by purchasing the damn thing. 

Hopefully, if enough of us play this loud enough for long enough, it will only be a matter of time before the word spreads to the masses. Personally, I think some of this stuff could be played on the radio tomorrow, but unfortunately, as we know all too well, the majority of radio stations and the robots who work for them are corroded beasts. Mabye the lack of good mainstream artists is really to blame for the death of record stores. If Nirvana was still around, I guarantee they'd still be selling CDs. The problem is that 95% of the world's best musicians are living in the underground. If this wasn't true, I wouldn't have to keep torturing you by babbling endlessly about unearthed classics like this near-masterpiece.

For fans of: Pinback, Elliott Smith, Queens of the Stone Age, Jellyfish

the Scene is Dead
8. Pig Destroyer - Phantom Limb (Relapse)
I can't seem to figure out if these guys are screwing around or not, but I do know for sure that it rocks like not much else out there. It is loud and vicious and it's quick enough to keep your head moving while it's ringing. I defy you to keep still while the blatant rhythms pulsate.

Maybe they're goofballs who just so happen to like death metal. Or maybe they're metal heads who enjoy a good classic comedy now and then. The formula is working regardless as they take a hardcore state of mind and bring it to the modern metal forefront with flying colors that frighten while they brighten. I haven't had this much fun thrashing since Slayer's Reign in Blood and if you don't understand what that means, then this is probably not for you. The rest of you have probably already stopped reading this and have reserved yourself a copy. Good move.