AltWeeklies Wire
Become Your Own Saviornew
Johnston's life and body of work speak to the restorative power of hope. A 43-year-old with chronic manic depression, he lives with his parents in Waller, Texas. For the past 25 years, he's written hundreds of songs that plumb the darkest caverns of the soul and suffuse them with sunlight.
Illinois Times |
Rene Spencer Saller |
11-18-2004 |
Reviews
Rockdudes Don the Bard Mantlenew
Strange Bird is every bit as smart as it is ambitious, and, more important, it rocks pretty good, too. Also reviewed is Elliott Smith's
From a Basement on the Hill.
Illinois Times |
Rene Spencer Saller |
11-05-2004 |
Reviews
An Enigma's Enigmatic New Albumnew
Voices are manipulated to the point of unrecognizability, sometimes sounding like machine guns; sometimes like animals; sometimes like trumpets, theremins, Jew's harps, and asthmatic robot monkeys. Yet Medulla is the most beautiful CD in the singer's catalog.
Illinois Times |
René Spencer Saller |
10-29-2004 |
Reviews
The World's on Firenew
Real Gone is a distorted, disorienting blur of noise that approximates the sound of a rusty runaway lawnmower chewing up a gravel road -- loud and mean and kerosene-caustic. Also reviewed is Nora O'Connor's Til the Dawn.
Illinois Times |
Rene Spencer Saller |
10-22-2004 |
Reviews
Costello Deliversnew
The Delivery Man is Costello's first album for Lost Highway and his first with the Imposters. He's joined by two first-time guests: Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams. But as with all his releases, the real power resides not in novelty but in the songwriting.
Illinois Times |
Rene Spencer Saller |
10-18-2004 |
Reviews
Being All Things to All Peoplenew
The St. Louis rapper releases his third and fourth albums at the same time, each revealing a distinct side of him. Sweat is for the kids and Suit for the over-25 set.
Illinois Times |
René Spencer Saller |
10-08-2004 |
Reviews
Cognitive Dissonancenew
Sick unto death of so-called security moms and their effect on the upcoming election? Are women the new white men? The latest solo CD by Mekons singer Sally Timms seems spookily relevant. Also reviewed is Canadian singer/songwriter Julie Doiron's Goodnight Nobody.
Illinois Times |
René Spencer Saller |
10-08-2004 |
Reviews
One Soul LP, Hold the Soulnew
Fante's is a sanitized, smiley-faced soul with none of the guts or grandeur of his musical forefathers. Perhaps with time and experience he'll join their ranks; for now, he's a pleasant-enough accompaniment to a Frappucino. Also reviewed is Martina Topley-Bird's Anything.
Illinois Times |
René Spencer Saller |
09-23-2004 |
Reviews
Tags: Rewind, Ricky Fante
Pity the GOP Hipsternew
Even Republicans -- if they could get over the fact that 100 percent of sales proceeds go to godless, tree-hugging, wealth-redistributing deviants -- might actually like this CD. Also reviewed is Keren Ann's Not Going Anywhere.
Illinois Times |
René Spencer Saller |
09-23-2004 |
Reviews
A Compilation More Safe Than Sorrynew
If anyone deserves a tribute album, it's the criminally underappreciated Escovedo, whose idiosyncratic songwriting -- a deeply personal amalgam of ragged roots-rock, haunted chamber-folk, righteous Tejano, corrosive country-punk, and countless other genres that haven't been identified yet -- is in a class of its own.
Illinois Times |
René Spencer Saller |
08-26-2004 |
Reviews
Singer-Songwriter Anna Padgett Finds the Laugh in Heartbreaknew
Like the Naysayer's previous records, Kitten Time is a study in sparseness, a strange miniature built around droll observations and sly, minimalist guitar figures. Also reviewed is The Hungry Mind Review's self-titled album.
Illinois Times |
René Spencer Saller |
08-19-2004 |
Reviews
Americana Beautynew
On this album, Jolie Holland doesn't just doll up hissy old 78s for the digital age; she taps into their timeless passions and creates something fresh and arresting, something that's hard and pure and anything but quaint. Also reviewed is Nina Nastasia's Dogs.
Illinois Times |
René Spencer Saller |
08-12-2004 |
Reviews
Tipping Ever So Slightly to the Centernew
Even though Tipping is weaker that The Roots' last album, Phrenology, it still smacks the pants off most commercial-rap-radio fare.
Illinois Times |
René Spencer Saller |
08-05-2004 |
Reviews
Songs That Demand to Be Hummednew
A honeycomb tangle of bright, sticky hooks and tart counterpoint, this disc teems with ideas. Also reviewed is Petracovich's Blue Cotton Skin.
Illinois Times |
René Spencer Saller |
07-22-2004 |
Reviews
Tags: A.C. Newman, The Slow Wonder
The More Things Change...new
The sound of !!! is goofily anarchic, a jumble of scabrous funk, brittle postpunk, and pockmarked disco, a clanging, clattering, sample-studded din that suddenly opens up to reveal disquieting spaces. Also reviewed is Eleni Mandelli's Afternoon.
Illinois Times |
René Spencer Saller |
07-15-2004 |
Reviews
Tags: !!!, Louden Up Now
