Poor Dennis Lyxzen. I took it upon myself to get a feel of what the rest of the listeners out there felt of the latest from The (International) Noise Conspiracy entitled The Cross of My Calling before sitting down to write my own review. Somewhat expecting reactions similar to mine, I was instead absorbed with people whining and moaning about their dear ol' Refused and what have become of their beloved frontman complaining mostly of the more brighter direction he has headed in as of late. Now don't get me wrong, I love Refused just as much as the next guy and early T(I)NC is some of the best rock n' roll out there but please, give the man a break.

In my opinion, The Cross of My Calling is one hell of a comeback from the disappointing Armed Love of four years ago. Sure the new record is still on the mellow side of what we have come to expect from the Swedish quartet but lets not kid ourselves the record still rocks. If you have been keeping up with vocalist Lyxzen and his recent endeavors such as the many reincarnations of The Lost Patrol then you have a basic idea of which way the new music is leaning towards. Not to say that the record at times does not rock your fuckin' socks off, cause it does.

Maybe most of the online reviewers don't have much of a heart for 70s classic rock which is exactly where the band went for with this record. This baby is a psychedelic beast and I must say that I loved it. From the Doors-esque "Intro" and "Interlude" to the Rolling Stones inspired "Satan Made the Deal" to the Santana blues riffs run rampant in "Child of God" there is oh so much to adore in The Cross of My Calling. Those concerned about the lack of Lyxzen's signature yelps need not worry cause it is all there in tracks such as "Arm Yourself" and "Black September" to name a few of the stronger cuts.The beaut of an album ends with the stellar title track "Cross of my Calling" a song which I felt to be a perfect fit for one my favorite records of the year from a truly astonishing band that has rocked our souls for nearly 10 years now.

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Chris Broach is most known to music enthusiasts as co-vocalist for trendsetters Braid alongside musician Robert Nanna.  Since their split in '99, the man has been keeping more than busy. Aside from the continued care for ongoing project The Firebird Band, Broach has also proceeded to record music through such pets as L'Spaerow, Life at Sea, and The Blakhivs not to mention maintaining his own label Lucid Records.

His latest reincarnation comes in the form of Del Corazon, a little ditty spoken of but not officially unleashed until now. Currently, their first released track Paranoid can be streamed here and will be available for free download on 12/01/08 courtesy of Hella Tight Records.

Expected an interview with Chris Broach here at A Week at the Most next month.

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So you have been looking and looking but just can't seem to find that high anticipated Envy/Jesu Split 12 inch record, right? Well look no further than Robotic Empire. Currently the album is only available in Japan and the UK, however, Robotic Empire has been kind enough to import a handful of copies from UK distro Conspiracy Records so all of us in the states can get our grove on. I have been fortuate enough to hear the Envy tracks and must say that fans will be blown away by the new ground Japan's finest uncovers here.

So stop sitting on your ass and make your way here for your very own copy now!

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Kanye West is Bob's brother from Bottle Rocket (Futureman). His new album, 808's & Heartbreak, is streaming over at Kanye's blog. Pretty effing good after first listen.

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If you have been following up on your Hawks and Doves fix, then you already know that Gared O'Donnell has recorded a few tunes with a full fledged band backing him up.

Tony Weinbender from No Idea Records has now informed me that they hope to bring Hawks and Doves into the studio to record their first full length sometime in January. If all goes well, fans can look for the record to drop as early as Spring '09.

To whet you appetite the Gainsville, Florida label has released the band's first release a 7" featuring the tracks "Hush Money" and the Springsteen cover "I'm on Fire". The record is currently available in a 'Fest 7' limited pressing while supplies last with an official release to hit the streets sometime in the coming month.

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