AltWeeklies Wire
Sentiments Get Monochromaticnew
Though the writing is generally sharp, the sentiments get a little monochromatic over the course of the Monologue Bombs' Beverages + Ghosts.
Guild Cultivates Local Talentnew
The buttoned-down tenor of the CD won't be to everyone's tastes, but fans of the guitar guild will surely want to hear founder Mitch Weverka play Mauro Giuliani's Le Rossiniane, a series of six pieces by an early 19th-century Italian virtuoso based on arias from Rossini's operas.
Fort Worth Weekly |
Kristian Lin |
01-31-2008 |
Reviews
Cass McCombs' Album is Perfect Companion for Alone Timenew
While the overall mood is exceedingly pensive -- imagine a Posies or Ron Sexsmith album titled Songs for Brooding Lovers -- McCombs' tales have a comforting rather than wallow-in-it ambiance.
East Bay Express |
Mark Keresman |
01-30-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Cass McCombs, Dropping the Writ
Piano-less Plays Monk Shouldn't Be Taken Literallynew
The idea is to take everything that made Monk humorous and unpredictable -- the wrong notes, altered changes, train whistle sounds, syncopated rhythms, and autistic-looking dance moves -- and try to capture the groove, albeit with a completely different setup.
East Bay Express |
Rachel Swan |
01-30-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Plays Monk
It May Take a Few Listensnew
Even if this isn't wildly new territory, Distortion contains the same effortless range of songwriting styles and charmingly misanthropic lyrics for which the Fields are beloved.
East Bay Express |
Sean Bottai |
01-30-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Distortion, Magnetic Fields
Vampire Weekend's Debut is Solidnew
It's an impressive first outing on what should be a shaky premise at best: four pasty indie dudes taking a stab at Afro-pop.
Dig Boston |
John DiSalvo |
01-30-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Vampire Weekend
Together Againnew
Spawned from an initial one-off show last June at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, "The Hard Sell" has blossomed into a complete full-length album collaboration and extensive world tour that will be assaulting listeners with a seamless live mix constructed entirely from vinyl 45s.
Chicago Newcity |
Brad Knutson |
01-30-2008 |
Reviews
Meaty Rock and Funk Coming Your Waynew
Is there such a thing as cerebral rock that doesn't suck? Johnny Sketch and Co. may be proving so with its immodestly titled fourth album The Big Awesome, which flexes the band's conservatory chops on meaty rock and funk in a way that's smart but not snobby.
Asymmetrical Tapestry of Soundnew
As science-y sounding as the title, the album is sonically understated, yet complex. It plays like a collection of lost sounds naturally magnetizing to one another and then spinning off into the atmosphere.
Hot Gypsy Jazznew
The sextet definitely rocks the tunes with aplomb, particularly Pierre Pichon's sizzling acoustic guitar, which isn't as front-and-center as one might assume from the material. The full band is constantly in play, getting the most out of the earthy sophistication of the familiar style and arranging the tunes in a perfect balance to assert its own stamp on the material while paying homage to the near perfection of the original compositions.
Tags: Swingphonicity, VaVaVoom
The Maybe Happening Debut with Concept Albumnew
Recorded at Type Foundry by local troubadour Nick Jaina and loosely based on Martin Prechtel's modern epic The Toe Bone and the Tooth , Beyond the Bells tells the tale of an unnamed 17-year-old boy who sets off on a Joycean adventure across the city of Portland.
Willamette Week |
Michael Mannheimer |
01-30-2008 |
Reviews
Dress Me Up in Your Fuzznew
Stephin Merritt's newest love songs are all for The Jesus and Mary Chain.
Baltimore City Paper |
Jess Harvell |
01-29-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Distortion, Magnetic Fields
Jim Wurster's 'Hallelujah' is Darknew
Surveying a broad swath of iconic American musical forms -- folk, country, blues, and gospel -- the album has a bleak perspective that's as dark as its stark black cover.
New Times Broward-Palm Beach |
Lee Zimmerman |
01-29-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Hallelujah, Jim Wurster
Drive-By Truckers Create Dour Albumnew
Even devoted DBT fans may find the Alabama/Athens rockers' eighth album frustrating, or long-winded at the very least.
Houston Press |
Chris Gray |
01-29-2008 |
Reviews
'Creation's Dark' is 19 Songs' Worth of American Music Done Rightnew
The departure of a performer as strong as Jason Isbell, who went solo last year, would cripple most bands -- but not Drive-By Truckers.
