AltWeeklies Wire
If Full-Length Albums are Dead, Why Do So Many People Still Want Them?new
Rather than a dying format, the album is perhaps more like the novel or feature-length film -- a good idea that has weathered and will continue to weather technological trends. It's already survived numerous physical products: the vinyl LP, the 8-track, the cassette tape, and the compact disc. Who's to say that it won't survive the digital download?
Washington City Paper |
Brent Burton |
01-08-2009 |
Music
Evaluating Leonard Cohen's 16-Year-Old Predictionnew
Cohen's "The Future" celebrated its 16th birthday on November 24. And though it's not entirely fair to judge how accurately Cohen predicted the spirit of our age -- for all its prognostications, the song is really about the Cohen's fear of present-day America -- it's almost eerie how much of it he got right.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Geoff Carter |
01-08-2009 |
Music
How Al Lucchesi Built the Biggest Incubator in Bay Area Musicnew
Over the course of twenty-plus years, Lucchesi's Soundwave Studio and its predecessors have been home to virtually all of the East Bay's biggest names in music.
East Bay Express |
Rachel Swan |
01-07-2009 |
Music
Country Music Rediscovers Its Whiskied Small-Town Rootsnew
Taylor Swift's recent album, Fearless, is such a triumph, both artistically and commercially, that you'd think it would be the answer to all of country music's problems. But it's not -- because it's not really a country record.
Baltimore City Paper |
Geoffrey Himes |
01-06-2009 |
Music
Many Musicians Died This Year, but Not Nearly Enoughnew
The Western male now lives on average to about 78. Think about that. And then think of Phil Collins, Elvis Costello and Chris Martin -- and weep.
Philadelphia Weekly |
Steven Wells |
01-05-2009 |
Music
Can We Save the Music Industry? Do We Want To?new
If you are the type of person who cares passionately about the future of music in America, this is one of the most exciting and frightening decades in modern history.
Boulder Weekly |
Dale Bridges |
01-05-2009 |
Music
Music's Wild Ride in 2008new
Campaign songs defined the year: Will.i.am's "Yes We Can," the McCain Girls' "It's Raining McCain," the crazy Laverne & Shirley theme song updated for Hillary Clinton and the Amigos de Obama's mariachi call to Texas voters, "Viva Obama."
North Bay Bohemian |
Gabe Meline |
12-30-2008 |
Music
R&B Hasn't Only Gone Soft, It's Become Downright Bullshitnew
The watering-down of the genre is one reason R&B has been disparaged as "Rap & Bullshit" by everyone from RZA of Wu-Tang Clan to rap bloggers at Cocaine Blunts to the now-defunct music site Stylus. Another is because it's artistically moribund.
Seattle Weekly |
Ben Westhoff |
12-29-2008 |
Music
Video Game-Influenced Music Isn't Just Playing Aroundnew
Bands like Minibosses and California's The Advantage have found a nice little niche playing covers of classic game music. Other acts are drawing inspiration from the sounds of the eight-bit world to create chiptune soundscapes that are among the most interesting electronic music out there right now.
Phoenix New Times |
Martin Cizmar |
12-23-2008 |
Music
David Lineal Reaches Out to Illinois' Beleaguered Governor in Songnew
The frontman of the local pysch-pop band Bird Names recorded For the Love of Rod, a bizarre song cycle celebrating the governor, in 2005. He gave CD-Rs to a few friends, but the music never saw a proper release. Within hours of Blagojevich's arrest, though, he'd posted it as a free download on the Bird Names site.
Chicago Reader |
Liam Warfield |
12-22-2008 |
Music
Navigating the Host of Holiday Music Releasesnew
From New Kids on the Block to Jim Jones & Skull Gang, we break down some notable holiday releases.
Tags: holiday music, holiday albums
Why I Still Make Tapesnew
I still make tapes because I have always made tapes, and I tend to continue to do things that I have always done.
North Bay Bohemian |
Gabe Meline |
12-19-2008 |
Music
Expressing Oneself Through Music Torture Programmingnew
Music as torture makes intuitive sense to us. In milder incarnations, we've been subjected to it, and practicing it, for years. In the context of genuine warfare, however, what role should music and other forms of pop culture play?
Las Vegas Weekly |
Greg Beato |
12-19-2008 |
Music
Grammy Got Run Over ...
Oh my gawd, did you guys see the Grammy nominations show last Wednesday? What a spectacle! So many stars, and so much great music! I'm so excited for the Grammys now! The music industry is saved, I tell ya! But seriously, yuck. What a mess.
Tags: Kanye West, awards, CBS, Lil Wayne, Al Green, Coldplay, Grammys, Mariah Carey, Foo Fighters, Recording Academy, Robert Plant
Who Is Jonathan Richman?new
Richman's wisdom is that he knows it can be very difficult to restore the original visceral reaction we had to a piece of music after we've unceremoniously critiqued and torn it apart. It's a philosophy that seems right for a man who's dedicated to living in the moment, to having experiences rather than discussing them.
Seattle Weekly |
Sara Brickner |
12-15-2008 |
Music
