AltWeeklies Wire
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
Listen to Thesenew
It's time to make some lists of the best albums of 2008.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong, Annie Holub and Linda Ray |
01-02-2009 |
Music
Tags: Year in Review, Best Albums
Can't Stop Listening to 2008's Best Albumsnew
We start off 2009 with more lists of our favorite albums from 2008.
Tucson Weekly |
Jarret Keene, Curtis McCrary and Stephen Seigel |
01-02-2009 |
Music
Tags: Year in Review, Best Albums
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
2008: The Year South Florida Hip-Hop Went Globalnew
Rappers from the region stepped up their game exponentially, and the entire country responded.
New Times Broward-Palm Beach |
Jonathan Cunningham |
12-30-2008 |
Music
The 10 Most Preposterous Rap Songs of 2008new
Busted rhymes from Rick Ross to Fat Joe and back again.
Miami New Times |
Ben Westhoff |
12-30-2008 |
Music
Tags: hip-hop, Year in Review
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
The Best Christmas Album of 2008 is ... Metal?new
With the ever-optimistic attitude of a kid setting out milk and cookies for Santa, we set out to find a few 2008 holiday albums that don't suck, and -- praise the Lord -- we actually found a few.
Houston Press |
Chris Gray |
12-23-2008 |
Music
Tags: holiday music, christmas albums
Polyphonic Spree's Holiday Extravaganza Haunted by Tripping Daisynew
Even amidst the spectacle of the Polyphonic Spree's annual holiday extravaganza show, reminders of Tripping Daisy abound.
Dallas Observer |
Pete Freedman |
12-22-2008 |
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
