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Album Reviews
(rating system)
Please click on the title to view the full review

Our Writers' Picks


Dave Perkins - Pistol City Holiness

 
Runners' Up
Clifford Brown, Sonny Rollins, Max Roach Quintet - Complete Studio Recordings
Delirious? - My Soul Sings
Grammatrain - Kneeling Between Shields E

 

Scott & Becky Aniol  - God Himself Is With Us:The Gospel Proclaimed Through Hymns (last updated 6/16/09)

If you see a void, sometimes it's incumbent upon you to fill it yourself. 
Bearfoot - Doors and Windows (last updated 6/18/09)
Crossover bluegrass full of good tunes and dark-edged lyrics. The sound of a band who know they are on the way to even higher things. A real joy.
Bizzart - Future Stars And Small Wonders (last updated 6/17/09)
What do you get when you combine bizzare with art? 
Braille & Symbolyc One - Cloud Nineteen  (last updated 6/18/09)
The most immediate benefit of teaming up with a single producer like this is that it results in a cohesion and togetherness of the record's sound that was lacking
Clifford Brown, Sonny Rollins, Max Roach Quintet - Complete Studio Recordings (last updated 6/24/09)
The person deserves credit as the sound is great. From there this reissue goes down hill fast. 

Cailyn/Dani - True Lies and Other Fairy Tales (last updated 6/18/09)
Decent blend of covers and self-penned prog/classic rock. 
Billy Ray Cyrus - Back To Tennessee (last updated 6/17/09)
 Anyone appreciative of the lead actress of Hannah Montana or Metro Station's guitarist owe Billy Ray Cyrus gratitude for siring Miley and Trey. 

Delirious? - My Soul Sings (last updated 6/16/09)
New live package includes songs from the great Kingdom of Comfort album – but hang on a minute ...
Dream Center Presents Press Play (last updated 6/17/09)
I don't necessarily hold any grudges against well-coifed, attactive young thangs looking like they came straight from central casting who want to exalt the Almighty in song with the occasional celebrity guest chiming in. 
Dyslextasy - Live.  Die.  Repeat. (last updated 6/16/09)
Energetic, fun party rock music 

Grammatrain - Kneeling Between Shields EP  (last updated 6/17/09)
If I wasn't already looking forward to the new full-length album Grammatrain is promising for later in 2009, Kneeling Between Shields raises my anticipation to a fever pitch. 

Hands - The Sounds of Earth (last updated 6/24/09)
When I read on their myspace page, a month or so ago, that this young band was being influenced by the post-rock outfit Isis, my eyes bugged out a bit.
HB - Frozen Inside (last updated 6/24/09)
These lyrics would fit into a church service no problem. This is odd for metal. One could call it a metal worship album..
Eoghan Heaslip - Wonderful Story (last updated 6/16/09)
Suggested particularly for fans of Matt Redman, Tim Hughes, or Paul Baloche.

Molly Jensen - Maybe Tomorrow (last updated 6/18/09)
This is an assured collection of conversational singer-songwriter songs that work together well. If you’re between relationships, this could be your soundtrack.
Tim Juliet - Give Me Words  (last updated 6/17/09)
Pop-worship at its . . 

Kronos Quartet - Floodplain (last updated 6/16/09)
Pieces too intense for casual listening mix with radio-friendly shorts on this wide-ranging and generous set from the premier contemporary string quartet.
Frank Lenz -  Strictly Background Original Motion Picture Sound (last updated 6/17/09)
Frank Lenz returns with... a movie soundtrack?  If only all movie soundtracks could be this groovy.
Shawn McDonald - Roots (last updated 6/17/09)
Christian folk-rock Jamiroquoai.

The Ed Palermo Big Band - Eddy Loves Frank (last updated 6/18/09)
Ed Palermo’s Big Band does right by Frank Zappa on Eddie Loves Frank - his third album of lovingly-arranged Big Band recordings of Zappa’s jazzier compositions

Tony Palmer - All You Need is Love (DVD series) (last updated 6/18/09)
Palmer’s definitive series on popular music is now available as individual episodes. There’s truly something for everyone here.
Dave Perkins - Pistol City Holiness (last updated 6/15/09)
It only happens a two or three times a year for me when I put a new disc in the cd player and out of the speakers comes something so good that I can’t put it away.
Purpose - If I Stop Runnin (1996) & 3-song EP (2009) (last updated 6/24/09)
John Lennon is alive and well, not only in the music of his sons Julian & Sean, but also in the music of the band Purpose. 
Hiram Ring - Breathe Deep  (last updated 6/16/09)
A great album full of hope.

Saxon Shore - It Doesn’t Matter (last updated 6/24/09)
Waiting for this to release was like being a kid on Christmas Eve waiting to get at the presents in the morning. 

Shiny Toy Guns - Season of Poison (last updated 6/16/09)
Stands up as smart alt-pop rock that should supplant much of what passes for modern pop radio. 

Slow Hands - Dependence (last updated 6/24/09)
Slow Hands’ Dependence blends electronic and pop with a human voice…
Spoonfork - All is Well (last updated 6/16/09)
Part  garage, part stoner, part seemingly weird for the sake of weird. 
Tre9 - The Farmer (last updated 6/24/09)
Tre9 is a dirty south crunk hip hopper, minister, and entrepreneur. 
Various - Fireproof Soundtrack  (last updated 6/17/09)
Soundtrack
Various - 6-Way Sin Decomposition  (last updated 6/16/09)
: . . . hardcore punk-influenced thrash begats death metal, and death metal begats the even punkier, generally more compact grindcore. Add preoccupation with medical textbook terminology and the most unappetizing of bodily functions, and there be goregrind. 
Short Bits
    The Phantom Tollbooth finally reached the point where we can't do a full review every CD we received.  We thought we'd say something about the most of them

    7/2009
    And Then There Were None - Who Speaks For Planet Earth?
    Conspiracy of Thought - Nothing More Than Light
    Randall Goodgame - (Bluebird) (EP)
    Icon For Hire - 3-Song EP
    In Grief - Deserted Soul
    Elliot Jack - I Didn’t Know That Led To This (EP)
    Language Room - One By One /Not Waving, Drowning
    Listener - Return To Struggleville 
    Rev21 - In the Twinkle of an Eye
    Somewhere Familiar - Like aShadow, Without Hope
    Soul Patches and the Second Bananas - Puddin’ (EP)
    The Southern Sea - Theoretically, Yes. Honestly, No.
    Undying Allegiance - Don’t Panic! (We Aren Control)
     
     

Writers' 2008 Top Releases
If you are interested in writing for us, please contact us.
Please use the subject New Writer
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The Phantom Tollbooth accepts CDs which we will consider for review. We do not review demos.
The Phantom Tollbooth is moving our mailing address. (We are still based in Chicago, Illinois.)
Effective immediately, please send all review copies to the following address:
The Phantom Tollbooth
Attn: Shari Lloyd
W147N9991 Emerald LN
Germantown WI 53022-6617
Including a brief bio or press sheet is helpful; we generally do not need press photos. We will consider everything that comes our way, but we can't guarantee anything beyond that.

 

Prior Writers' Pick's

June 2009

  • Israel Houghton - The Power of One
  • Roger McGuinn - Live at the Basement
  • mewithoutYou - it's all crazy! it's all false! it's all a dream! it's alright
  • Procol Harum in Concert with the Danish National Concert

  • May 2009

    April 2009


    March 2009


    February 2009

    January 2009 December 2008


    November 2008

    October 2008


    September 2008

    August 2008


    July 2008

    June 2008
  • Various - In the Name of Love: Africa Celebrates U2
  • May 2008
  • Admiral Twin - The Center of the Universe
  • April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008


    December 2007

    November 2007


    October 2007

    September 2007
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