Once again, I'm bored at work. Obviously, it's of no consequence to you (lucky). I've decided to write some real CD reviews for you:

Guster On Ice: Live In Portland, Maine: Guster is an amazing band and it shows on their first live album, Guster On Ice. If you're familiar with Guster, this CD is an easy listen. Not only is it an easy listen, it is also an amazing listen. The live versions of "Mona Lisa" and "Airport Songs" sport amazing electric guitar (and even a drum set on the latter), thus making the tunes heavier and even darker than the original recorded versions. Two crowd pleasing songs, "Come Downstairs And Say Hello" and "I Spy" have both been extended to feature instumental jams. To be funny, Ryan Miller substituted the lyrics of "I Spy" from "We went down to the May parade" to the more questionable "We went down to the gay parade."

The DVD is even more amazing than the CD. The DVD features a full-length concert (actually, the concert concert was filmed over two nights in Portland, so were getting a little bit of both nights here) and loads of extras. Guster was kind enough to include two of their three music videos ("Careful" & "Amsterdam"). Thankfully, they spared us from their first one, the infamous "Fa Fa" video. They've also included, my favorite of all the extras, the documentary "Dave Yonkman's Week With Guster." You get to meet Adam Gardner's parents, as well as the band itself. For any Guster fans who happen to be Barenaked Ladies fans, you'll be plased to know that the Barenaked Ladies make several cameo appearances.

Unlike Guster's previous (non-internet) releases, this one was slapped with the dreaded parental advisory sticker. It's not because of either the concert film or the CD. Both are rather clean for family listening. The documentary would probably get a PG-13 rating, as there are a few swearwords (not suitable for younger children). Ryan also drops the f-bomb a couple of times during "Come Downstairs Mulligan." There are no more swearwords on this disc than a Ben Folds album.

The only real downside to this album is its heavy price ($25-$30). It is recommended that the album should be ordered through Guster.com for $19.99 (This price does include shipping)! It's the best way to bypass "The Man."


Vertical Horizon Between The Dim & The Dark: To be completely honest, this album is nothing like I thought it would be: better than anything I've ever heard before. I was wrong and was let down because my expectations were so high. To be fair, this not a terrible album. It's very good. Unfortunately, it's not one that you'll love the first or second times you listen to it. An average person would probably toss it aside after the second track. After listening to it a few times, the album has really grown on me. A few of the songs will make it on some of my mix CDs.

The highlights of the album are "Young America," "Between The Dim & The Dark," "Daylight," and, the best track on the record, "Mexico."

Word.