Reatard is strangely reminiscent of old-school punk-rock. He takes bouncy beats, simplistic chord progressions and catchy, repetitive lyrics and packages them into 2-minute song bites. Much like the Ramones did, except with a more lo-fi feel. You can picture Reatard as a one-man outfit, recording on broken-down equipment in his room. It’s that do it yourself feel that gives his songs an endearing quality.

Despite all that, Reatard is definitively different from punk bands past. In “Screaming Hand,” he has you expecting a certain melodic outcome but fails that expectation by throwing in a somewhat awkward but altogether fitting mid-chorus breakdown. “An Ugly Death” starts out slow and serious with an almost tribal drum beat, but a guitar riff quietly enters with increasing intensity, segueing to a traditional punk progression with a cleaner guitar sound and an out-of-character 50s style guitar solo midway. He presents a self-paradox — you know what to expect, but he always throws in something to surprise you.

“Always Wanting More” stands out as the most musical track with an arching guitar line. But the chorus lapses into the traditional Jay-style repetitions that prominently play out in “See/Saw.” Reatard uses a decent amount of synthesizer, evident on tracks like “You Mean Nothing to Me,” with its quasi-funky intro. He operates within a sphere but stretches the limits. It’s amazing what he accomplishes with little more than a guitar, drums and his voice.

Reatard gets you back to the basics of music with this head-bobbing singles compilation. So enjoy the punchy punk-rock and look forward to his upcoming album.

With all due respect to Nasir’s heroic Untitled effort and Weezy F. Blogger’s double-platinum Tha Carter III, T.I.’s Paper Trail is the most completely satisfying album in a historic year for rap music. And though we’re all waiting anxiously for this year’s hall of fame roll-call of releases — Common, Kanye, Ludacris, Jay-Z and maybe (just maaybe) an Eminem comeback and Dr. Dre’s Detox — T.I. has given us, in his sixth and best studio effort, a record that might just hang on for Album of the Year once all is said and done.

Few records are so fully enthralling that you can listen to them straight through without skipping a track. Paper Trail is one of those rare exceptions. This album has a little bit of everything, but while Tha Carter III would be like Chili’s appetizer sampler, Paper Trail is Thanksgiving dinner. You want raw, unrelenting lyricism? Start yourself off with “56 Bars” and “I’m Illy.” Ladies? You can have “Whatever You Like.” Haters? T.I.P. would like to say, “What Up, What’s Haapnin?” Do you like to see superstars squash beef? Look no further than “On Top of the World,” where Ludacris delivers yet another lyrical beat-down on his guest verse. If you’re a fan of MTV-ready collabs, (not like this) then “Live Your Life” ft. Rihanna and “Dead and Gone” ft. Justin Timberlake are just what TRL ordered. Or would have liked to order. And don’t forget the clubs — the Swizz Beatz produced “Swing Ya Rag” is a certified banger. T.I. can go from predictably risqué (”Porn Star”) to profoundly reflective (”Slide Show” ft. John Legend) with incredible ease, and it’s this fluidity that makes the album so successful.

Awaiting a year-long prison term after pleading guilty to gun charges, T.I.’s release comes at a crossroads in his life. He responds to the situation in this album with a carefully refined balance of humility and confidence. And for a man who embodies the term “swagger,” you might expect it would be difficult to take a bite of humble pie. But with tracks like “Ready for Whatever,” “No Matter What” and “Dead and Gone,” T.I. admits his mistakes and comes out sounding stronger and more mature for them.

But don’t be mistaken. There’s still nobody with swagga like T.I.P. (with all due respect to Diddy, who makes eating Froot Loops seem cool). He reminds us of this by saving the best verse for last on “Swagga like Us,” alongside a pantheon of swag gods: Kanye, Lil Wayne and Jay-Z.

While we’ll have to wait and see if Paper Trail holds on as the best rap album of 2008, one thing is for certain: This record has certified T.I.’s status as a legend in the game. Behind masterful production — featuring DJ Toomp, Drumma Boy, Jim Jonsin, Swizz Beatz, Danjahandz and Kanye, among others — T.I. is at his lyrical best, and his maturity as a man and artist is evident. It may be a while before we next hear from Clifford Harris, so enjoy for now what he’s given us with Paper Trail: a classic.

The final product comes on two CD’s: one disc of On an Island live and one of Floyd classics.

In homage to Dark Side of the Moon, disc 1 begins with “Speak to Me,” “Breathe” and “Time.” The phase-shifted open chords catapult listeners back to 1973 psychedelic and signal the beginning of a journey that only Gilmour (and perhaps Roger Waters) can provide. The rest of disc one continues on with On an Island material, which provides an exciting change for long-time listeners. Gilmour’s new stuff might as well be from the 70’s, considering the flashy guitar riffs on tracks like “This Heaven” or the extended sax solos on “Red Sky at Night.”

Most fans will be thrilled at the prospect of longer and livelier versions of old favorites on disk two — who wouldn’t jump at a 12 minute version of “Shine on You Crazy Diamond”? At first listen, many of the live recordings sound like note-for-note replicas of the studio originals (sans a female backing choir). However, by the sixth minute of the “Comfortably Numb” solo, you begin to see the marginal benefit of listening to these versions over their 70’s counterparts; the strings and keyboards are deeper and more resonant, while the guitars still cut like a knife. Between the vocal layers to the Baltic Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra to the frenetic rock guitar, Gilmour succeeds in creating a degree of heaviness that is hard to come by in modern music.

The two whole CD’s occupy at least a couple hours, but if that doesn’t cut it, the box set is packaged with up to five discs of extras and surround sound mixes. If you have a lot of money (or bandwidth) five speakers, and an interest in making-of footage, go for the full effect.

Fans wrapped around the block and stretched back through an alleyway, waiting to enter the Aragon. While such a crowd might be expected at the venue’s typical pop-rock shows — upcoming acts include Beck, Kings of Leon and Jason Mraz — it’s surprising to see My Bloody Valentine, a band with no commercial success and on its first tour in 16 years, perform a sold-out show.

The recently reunited Irish alterna-rock group stopped in Chicago as part of a tour built on nostalgia. Saturday night’s set included no new music, despite reports of an upcoming album, instead featuring a number of songs from their signature work Loveless. Released in 1991, the album’s seemingly infinite layers of fuzz and dreamy vocals have led to its inclusion on ‘Greatest Albums’ lists by Pitchfork Media, Rolling Stone and Spin. It was after the release of Loveless, however, that the band dissolved into obscurity as singer and guitarist Kevin Shields isolated himself while trying to deliver a follow-up album.

My Bloody Valentine filled the Aragon not only with people but with blistering sound. At recent shows, numerous concert-goers have reported seeing soundboard readings around 130dB — somewhere between a pneumatic drill, a low-flying jet and a gunshot. Walking into the Spanish-style theatre, security guards provided complimentary earplugs. While experienced fans took a pair or two, the defiant and uninformed passed on this offer and are most likely still partially deaf.

Those less experienced with the band’s sound probably got more than they bargained for. For nearly an hour and a half, My Bloody Valentine blasted forth crunchy guitar riffs and booming bass drum hits with an intensity and volume that would make Metallica sound like Simon & Garfunkel. The vocals on the albums lay very low in the mix, but the messy acoustics of the Aragon only muddled them further.

Those more familiar with the music may have been disappointed over the set list. While the albums tend to mix dream pop and noise rock, their live performance heavily favored the latter and completely left off softer classics like “Sometimes,” a song prominently featured in the movie Lost in Translation. Although such extreme noise is normally accompanied by extreme theatrics, the members of the band simply stood there wailing on their instruments, staying true to their “shoegaze” reputation. Shields appeared to acknowledge the audience just once during the entire night with two words: “Yeah, thanks.”

No matter the level of familiarity, nothing could help you prepare for the cacophony of “You Made Me Realise,” the band’s final song. A chord halfway through what is typically a three minute and 46 seconds song, became a prolonged experiment in terror as it was repeated on end to create a nearly 22 minute beast. The experience can best be described like being strapped to the bottom of a jet engine or being trapped in an air raid: what the band has referred to as the “holocaust section” of the song. While not quite a transcendental experience, the ear-splitting noise causes you to lose all sense of time in a swirling and evolving texture of sound that pulsates through your entire body. The volume was so utterly devastating that you would swear you could touch it.

In the end, fans were able to walk away hearing classics like “Only Shallow” and “Soon” for the first time since George H. W. Bush was president. For the older attendees, it was a chance to relive songs from the past. For the younger crowd, it was a chance to hear songs that were assumed to be relics of a separate era. While their sound might not be as groundbreaking now, My Bloody Valentine still retains the same sense of wonderment that they had nearly two decades ago.

As the lights flashed different colors, and the band members’ silhouettes were barely visible through the illuminated fog, it did in fact feel like floating through a colorful dream.

The details: The band will be playing in the evening at the Kellogg Centennial Global Arts Festival Fountain Square (supposedly on Sherman Avenue between Grove and Davis). The event is the start of Kellogg’s year-long centennial celebration.

Videos of their big hits:

“Sink to the Bottom”

“Stacy’s Mom”

“Radiation Vibe” (I’ve never heard this song, but Wikipedia tells me if was popular…)

The processed drum beats and electronic riffs are all over the place. At its best it sounds like it’s ripped straight from a B-side Justice or Girl Talk track. More often than not it sounds like whiny sub-Pixies style vocals over Super Nintendo music. In the end, this music isn’t meant to be dissected and analyzed. A good techno song should drown out everything else with pulsing bass and drums and Friendly Fires doesn’t fail to deliver.

Bottom line: Friendly Fires is a mediocre debut album but the group certainly sounded like they had fun making the record.

But before we all lock ourselves in the library and crack open our notebooks, One-Click Wonders leaves you with a preview of what to scope out sonically this summer. Because even if you put all the bloggers onto a boat and sank said vessel, music would still exist.

Most anticipated album — A lot to choose from for this one, but, since we love them so, my vote is for The Hold Steady’s Stay Positive. Early listens to America’s favorite pack of musically-excellent bar rats reveals an album not nearly as excellent as Boys and Girls in America, but still an awesome affair filled with catchy guitars and sing-a-long choruses. Stay Positive also gets the nod for “album most likely to propel band into the mainstream spotlight.”

Best-bet Festival — The Pitchfork Music Festival captures 2008 best, but that still isn’t enough to knock off the utter insanity that is Lollapalooza this year. Radiohead, Rage and Kanye as headliners? Not to mention Wilco, Gnarls Barkley, Lupe Fiasco, Broken Social Scene and tons of other great acts.

Best concert — Wherever Radiohead is stopping this summer. That was easy!

Best rap album with the worst name — Outkast Big Boi drops a solo album this summer, titled Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. Uhhhh, who is Chico Dusty and why does his son have such a stupid moniker? I feel he could be a character in Semi-Pro. Oh wait, Andre 3000 covered that one. Anyway, ignore the horrid title, and listen to lead single “Royal Flush.” Now this sounds good.

Best remix album — The Twilight Sad’s Here It Never Snowed Afterwards It Did mini-album. Glasgow’s saddest bunch reworks several of the tunes from their 2007 debut album, cutting the guitar-feedback out in favor of strings and vocal emphasis. None of the reworkings on this bite-sized LP come close to matching the awesomeness of the original tracks (guitar squall is what these lads do best), but they are very listenable, and introduce intriguing opportunities not seen in the band before. Plus, the new title track kills.

Song everyone should be sick of by now, but won’t go away this summer — I’d heard about Leona Lewis and her kinda-gross sounding “Bleeding Love,” but never actually got around to looking it up. When I finally did, I discovered I’ve already heard this song — roughly a billion times pumping out of passing cars, on the radio and inside Best Buy. And I don’t think it’s going anywhere. At least I have a face to associate this song with when I hear it for the trillionth time in August.

Artist due for a re-examination — Today, Liz Phair is best known for helming this Avril-aping piece of pop and a song featured in every WNBA ad back in the day. But she was once every indie boy’s dream girl, the musical mastermind behind the suprisingly not-safe-for-work Exile in Guyville. That seminal album gets a reissue this year, and Phair will tour the country performing that album this summer. Expect the errors of her ways to be ignored as everybody talks about how great “Fuck and Run” is.

Worst album art — Say hello to My Morning Jacket’s Evil Urges, otherwise known as Dream Theater Wants Their Artist Back.

Song of the summer — Probably “Bleeding Love,” but I’m holding out hope for Estelle and Kanye pretending to be British.

Bold prediction that isn’t that bold — Nine Inch Nails will release two more out-of-nowhere online albums.

Band that needs to just go away - Weezer, I’m glad you discovered the Internet. Now just vanish. And take Tay Zonday with you.

Pretty neat, and always a good time seeing a celebrity wearing an NU sweatshirt. Some of it seems a bit weird (why a shout-out to Bobb? Flat Top? Can’t find a word that rhymes with Chipotle?), but cute all the same. Also, does anyone jump in the lake at midnight? Further more, did the people who cheered for the Smokin’ Aces line actually see that movie? It sucked.

And hey, Common hates Bush! So do I! It’s a shame Obama isn’t running against Bush!

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In other words, they’ve got the tunes to turn the Lakefill into a part-rave, part-mosh-pit, part-juke-hall dance party. Sure, the “indie rock meets ultra-thumping dance/hip hop track” formula isn’t exactly fresh anymore, and Northwestern got to experience its most innovative form when Girl Talk came to campus. But the two DJs in Flosstradamus are among the best mash-up artists because of their pop instincts: Your first reaction to most of their tracks will be to grin, your next will be to dance, and then you might get a little flustered that you can’t get what you just heard out of your head. Ask anyone who’s seen the them at their countless number of shows in Chicago over the past few years — it’s gonna be fun out there.

As Daft Punk-mania slowly fades after a manic 2007, the fallout from the robotic duo’s rise to prominence can begin to be assessed. Tons of good was done (an awesome live show, Justice, “Stronger”), but Daft Punk’s success also led to plenty of half-assed imitations slowly becoming more prominent. See the likes of Does It Offend You, Yeah? and Ghostland Observatory. Chicago electro-pop duo Walter Meego also sound similar to a certain mechanical pair of Parisians, but on their debut album Voyager, prove to be a band simply taking stellar notes from Daft Punk, not cheating off their homework.

Voyager squares rockin’ guitars against bright synth waves, a neon-lit combination recalling the interstellar sounds of Daft Punk circa Discovery. But Walter Meego don’t make music for the dance floor; you can move to Voyager, but more because it’s excellent pop music buried under guitar, electronics and melencholy lyrics. Lead track “Forever” sees the duo at their most poppy and most catchy, electro-squiggles and keyboards leading up to the album’s most irresistible chorus (punctuated with guitar squeals, nonetheless). Other standouts find the duo getting slightly darker while retaining some shine, such as on the heavy-hitting “Lost” and frantic twirl of “Letting Go.” Walter Meego does downtrodden best on the previously-released “Keyhole,” where the lead vocals undergo some ghostly, screechy transformation all while being joined by a very un-Daft piano.

Walter Meego never rip-off Daft Punk wholesale, but the album’s weakest tracks overindulge in some of the French duo’s tricks. The vocoder-heavy “Girls” and “Tommorrowland” move a bit too slowly and stick out amongst all the faster, more catchy songs on Voyager. “More Than I Can Say” is the album’s one moment of pure boredom, a guitar-heavy ditty that is never that enjoyable. The only other Daft Punk-heavy flashback conjured on this album comes on the very danceable “Baby Please,” where a watery guitar sounds straight out of “Something About Us.” Not that their is anything wrong with that.

Voyager shares its title with a Daft Punk song . Whether or not that’s intentional, Walter Meego simply hint at the sound of those robots, and never try to bite their moves, opting instead to apply them in new ways. And they succeed, as Voyager is a bright debut album and an exciting collection of heart-heavy electro-pop. Plus, it’s nice to know two other guys in Chicago know how to honor Daft Punk in interesting ways.

Bonus video for “Wanna Be A Star” below. It’s an older version, but still pretty good.