AltWeeklies Wire
Ciara: Basic Instinctnew
Ciara is often a pale imitation of Janet Jackson, jiggling athletically in her underwear through a string of music videos. Ciara feels engineered to sell records to men; Janet felt engineered to sell records.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
01-10-2011 |
Reviews
Tags: Ciara
Robyn: Body Talknew
It's no coincidence that one of the first tracks on Body Talk is "Fembot," a song that comments on the recent vogue of pop starlets re-imagining themselves as cyborg provocateurs -- not by rejecting objectification, but by turning the whole metaphor on its head by overemphasizing it.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
12-30-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Robyn
Superchunk: Majesty Shreddingnew
Majesty Shredding breaks the band's nearly decade-long silence and marks a return to form; it could be a lost album from their Foolish period. The band's trademark blistering enthusiasm runs through every song.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
09-20-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Superchunk
Interpolnew
For a band that's brought a post-punk cognitive dissonance to DVD-piracy warnings and terrorism watch lists the world over, Interpol sure isn't surprising anyone these days.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
09-08-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Interpol
Sia: We Are Bornnew
In a just universe, our reigning queen of pop would be Sia Furler, not Lady Gaga.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
08-31-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Sia
Arcade Fire: The Suburbsnew
If you can find it in your heart not to begrudge the spinning of mythology out of suburban sprawl, then you're cleared to fall for The Suburbs.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
08-12-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Arcade Fire
M.I.A.: Mayanew
In 'Maya', M.I.A. is less of a rabble-rouser, and more of a dance-club diva-cum-punk high priestess.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
07-15-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: M.I.A.
MGMT's Second Album is Counterintuitivenew
On Congratulations, MGMT almost entirely avoids their debut's clubby enthusiasm, instead narrating a wistful psych-pop walking tour that's more synthesis than synth-pop.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
04-22-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Congratulations, MGMT
Erykah Badu the Myth Makernew
Erykah Badu is an incredible artist who has never put out a bad record--and this is one of her best.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
04-01-2010 |
Reviews
The Tradition of Essential Music That's as Mechanized as it is Carnalnew
I hate electronic music that's devoid of any humanity; the best electronica reframes human experience in a compelling way. Think Tricky's derelict spacecraft love ballads on 1995's Maxinquaye.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
03-17-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Causers of This, Toro Y Moi
Good Background Music: Efterklant's 'Magic Chairs'new
If Denmark exists primarily in the imagination of Hamlet's "unweeded garden" of "things rank and gross in nature," then Efterklang is here to put a shiny veneer over those dark currents.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
03-17-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Magic Chairs, Efterklang
Fluffy Fun: Vampire Weekend's 'Contra'new
The frenetic buzz surrounding the band — the blogosphere debates over the band's merits — has made them into the Jonathan Safran Foer of indie rock. On Contra, debates about Vampire Weekend will not be settled, only recycled. If anyone still cares.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
01-13-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Contra, Vampire Weekend
Cold Cave: 'Love Comes Close'new
On Cold Cave's debut, the music works as minimalist dance pop, but everything about the way it's contextualized is awful. The title song, essentially a morbid exaltation of love and death set to disco beats, nicely distills the band's lack of imagination.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
12-10-2009 |
Reviews
Yellow Fever's Retro Beach-Blanket Partynew
This little duo from Austin, Texas, is all about reviving the spirit of stripped-down, '60s California garage on their debut.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
12-02-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Yellow Fever
Undeniably Listenable Weezernew
Even if you've always found Weezer irksome, you can't deny the pleasures of Raditude.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
12-02-2009 |
Reviews
