AltWeeklies Wire
'End Times' is Eels' Bleakest Work Yetnew
If you’re not in the mood to hear a guy falling apart on tape, this album most definitely isn’t for you. But if raw, heart-on-sleeve expression is your bag, and it’s a rainy Sunday morning, you’ll find a lot to love about this relationship apocalypse tale.
Gil Scott-Heron's Remarkable New Record, 'I'm New Here'new
Gil Scott-Heron is the gruff-voiced griot and spoken-word poet who laid a good chunk of the foundation for what we know today as rapping. I'm New Here is his unremitting self-portrait of a man who's had years to catalogue and now capture his paranoia, thrills and agitations.
After 40 years, The Residents Ditch the Scriptnew
Even if they had closed up shop 15 years ago, the Residents would go down as some of rock's most prolific pranksters. They aped the Beatles on their 1974 debut, Meet the Residents. In 1979, they almost snagged a Grammy for a record of fake Eskimo folk tales.
Boston Phoenix |
Matt Parish |
02-02-2010 |
Reviews
'Transference,' 'Songs for Chris Knox,' 'Contra'new
Spoon might just be the most reliable franchise in indie rock. Transference is just like the previous seven albums: clean-cut but ballsy, uptempo but not even a little bit aggro. Guitar, bass, drums, keys, singer Britt Daniel's fine rasp — everybody's on the same page, synched up, interlocking.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Patrick Rapa |
02-02-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Transference, Spoon
Warning Lights' Latest Offering is a Tranquil Listening Experiencenew
Drew Haddon's follow-up to '07s Eternity Drones embraces the guerilla approach to loud, lo-fi and open-ended drone music that was once stifled by the academic imperialism of Karlheinz Stockhausen, Lamonte Young and the likes.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Chad Radford |
01-26-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Further On, Warning Light
'In Search of Stoney Jackson' is a Return to True-School Rhythm and Soulnew
Stoney features a procession of newcomer MCs and old-school voices rhyming over backdrops of ghetto psychedelia. The resulting texture weaves samples from the '80s, '90s and now into an unrelenting groove that peppers classic cuts.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Chad Radford |
01-26-2010 |
Reviews
Fahrenheit is An Accessible Yet Exploratory Brand of Crossover Jazz-Rocknew
Fahrenheit is Dan Nettles' strongest offering yet, loose and swinging while exhibiting all the modern, rock-influenced flourishes one might expect from a record by one of Nettles' better-known compatriots.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Gabe Vodicka |
01-26-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Kenosha Kid, Fahrenheit
Misconceptions Abound: Vampire Weekend's 'Contra'new
There are two rampant misconceptions about Vampire Weekend. One is that the group's music is Afro-pop, or has pretentions to be Afro-pop. The second is that it sucks. Neither is true.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Ben Westhoff |
01-26-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Contra, Vampire Weekend
The Honest Mistakes: 'Break Up'new
These are break-up songs, not particularly sad or mopey by any genre's standards, but the Honest Mistakes are soaking you in a whole lot of this: "Find a picture of your favorite friend, tonight/ take a look at it, as long as you can/ it might be the only thing you have left of them."
Baltimore City Paper |
Michael Byrne |
01-26-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Break Up, The Honest Mistakes
For the Other Definition of Success as a Band, Look Up Glossarynew
Success in music can be broadly defined. On one hand, there's the quantifiable success of hit records, sold-out stadiums, cocaine and hookers — the gold standard, rock-star version of success.
Nashville Scene |
Sean L. Maloney |
01-22-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Feral Fire, Glossary
Dessa Ventures Toward Experimental Pop With 'A Badly Broken Code'new
For many in the local scene, the mention of Dessa's name conjures up a few well-tread facts: She's a literary agent, commended in the same breath for her talents in writing and rapping; she's the only woman in a rap crew of nine, and something of a team leader for the business model behind Doomtree.
City Pages (Twin Cities) |
Andrea Swensson |
01-20-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: A Badly Broken Code, Dessa
Afro-Beat Evolution in 'Black Man’s Cry: The Inspiration of Fela Kuti'new
Compilation features artists who both inspired and were inspired by Nigeria’s most famous musician. Fela Kuti died of AIDS in 1997. Before that he was Nigeria’s most famous musician, pioneering Afro-beat.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Ben Westhoff |
01-19-2010 |
Reviews
Same Song: The Goner Fest 4 DVD/CDnew
The DVD dutifully documents Memphis, Tenn.'s annual garage-punk marathon from 2007 with clean, nonintrusive camera work, but after a while it all starts to look and sound the same.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Chad Radford |
01-19-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Goner Fest 4
More Money, More Problems: 'We Are Young Money'new
Young Money has been on a roll recently. An imprint of Cash Money helmed by Lil Wayne, it is home to two of 2009's biggest breakout stars, Drake and Nicki Minaj. Indeed, it's hard to turn on the radio recently without hearing a Young Money song, particularly the cutesy bubblegum-rap track "Bedrock."
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Ben Westhoff |
01-19-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: We Are Young Money, Young Money
'Fire In My Bones': Post-World War II African-American Gospelnew
Fire in My Bones functions like an unofficial sequel to Dust-to-Digital's inaugural collection of pre-WWII African-American gospel music, Goodbye, Babylon – albeit far less grandiose in its presentation.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Chad Radford |
01-19-2010 |
Reviews
