So last month after the paycheck was deposited I made my way down to ye ol' Sonic Boom and picked up a few selctions that I had been wanting for a little while.

First and foremost is the Thrice's "The Alchemy Index Vol I & II: Fire and Water". I've been excited about this since I first heard about the idea. This is the first two of four EPs from Thrice themed around the elements Fire, Water, Earth and Wind. The Fire disc is full of intense and pretty heavy songs that could be expceted after their last release. It's full of crazy huge guitar, screaming and has some amazing beats and crazy timing. The Water EP is much more mellow and mostly has a techno vibe. It's very different but very good. The melodies and harmonies are incredible. I think the lyrics for both discs are some of Dustin Kensrue's best.

Next on the list, almost as anticipated, Jimmy Eat World's new album "Chase This Light." I was a little dissapointed because I was hoping for more of the sound that they had going on their EP that came out a while ago, but this album is a bit more like their last full length "Futures." I like Futures, and Iike this new CD too, but I think the EP might be some of their best music they've ever made (well... it's no Clarity... but almost). It's quite a bit lighter than Futures, it has a bit of a happier sound.

Finnaly, my Hip Hop selection was "Gutterfly" the newest album from the Lifesavas, a hip hop trio from Portland. It's a bit of a different style of hip hop for me and I'm still getting used to it (almost a month later...) but I like it. There's some very cool beats and it definitely goes deeper than surface level as far as lyrics go. I feel, as with all the hip hop albums I have, like with the sheer volume of words it will take me forever to learn them and understand them.

Since it's already almost December, I've already spent my November paycheck's music allotment on Iron and Wine's "The Shepherd's Dog", Aesop Rock's "None Shall Pass" and the "Nirvana Unplugged In New York" DVD (which I'm incredibly excited about). I'll write a review of them in the next couple weeks.