AltWeeklies Wire
Wilco's Latest is Soulful and Gorgeousnew
Full of radiance and subtleties, Wilco (The Album) is an ambitious yet confident record from a band at its peak, an 11-song odyssey that trades skillfully between tension and elation.
Tucson Weekly |
Eric Swedlund |
07-02-2009 |
Reviews
The Church's New Album is an Indistinct Effortnew
Although Untitled #23 contains a couple of marvelous tracks and has received glowing reviews, it's mostly a return to the cluttered, swirling, noncommercial sound that The Church has long specialized in.
Tucson Weekly |
Jarret Keene |
07-02-2009 |
Reviews
Heaven and Hell Moves Into Mainstream Territorynew
Due to legal wrangling, a Ronnie James Dio-fronted Sabbath has to work under the name Heaven and Hell--which is exactly what the band delivers: awesomely heavy riffs (heaven), with all of them sounding similar (hell).
Tucson Weekly |
Jarret Keene |
06-25-2009 |
Reviews
Art Brut's Latest Is an Ode to Youthful Nostalgianew
Art Brut vs. Satan is an album not only worthy of praise, but demanding of it.
Tucson Weekly |
Michael Petitti |
06-25-2009 |
Reviews
Metric's Fourth Album Has Vitality and Charmnew
Built around guitar and keyboard riffs, Fantasies is densely layered, at times frantic and moody, but always with a bright, new-wave sheen.
Tucson Weekly |
Eric Swedlund |
06-25-2009 |
Reviews
Mirror Pal: The Band Who Would Be Kingnew
We Are confirms the indie rock group's spot at the top.
Orlando Weekly |
Justin Strout |
06-19-2009 |
Reviews
Dirty Projectors is as Obscure as Ever on 'Bitte Orca'new
Dirty Projectors auteur David Longstreth has made a career out of working on the far-right edge of pop music's pretension continuum -- toiling in that special place reserved for musicians who slave over the placement of every note and seed their stuff with enough clever obscurities to almost warrant an annotated guide.
Washington City Paper |
Mike Kanin |
06-18-2009 |
Reviews
Dinosaur Jr. Refines the Sound of its Heydaynew
The lackadaisical manner that characterized the band during the '80s hasn’t carried over to Farm. The songs are more expertly orchestrated, and to some extent, the tighter, more mature Dinosaur Jr. sounds strongly reminiscent of another lumbering grunge band of yore: Pearl Jam.
Washington City Paper |
Aaron Leitko |
06-18-2009 |
Reviews
Eels' Latest Brings a Fresh Perspectivenew
Hombre Lobo cuts its way out of painful heartache with lean guitar riffs, punchy lyrics and unbridled howls of pure, angry longing.
Tucson Weekly |
Sarah Jacoby |
06-17-2009 |
Reviews
St. Vincent's Hypnotic Second Album is a Rewarding Listennew
Actor is uniquely modern; noticeably heard are its combined influences of the genteel folk of Fairport Convention, the aural destructiveness of Sonic Youth, and the operatic gloss of movie scores (Disney in particular).
Tucson Weekly |
Michael Petitti |
06-17-2009 |
Reviews
The Horse's Ha's Latest Brings Comfortable Compatibilitynew
Janet Beveridge Bean found her own voice in her 2003 Dragging Wonder Lake; her fans have eagerly awaited a follow-up -- and Cathmawr Yards almost counts.
Tucson Weekly |
Linda Ray |
06-17-2009 |
Reviews
Conor Oberst's Latest Is Unfocused and Bloatednew
Conor Oberst is chasing a new muse, and while he and his Mystic Valley Band find some success along the way, Outer South mostly plays against his strengths.
Tucson Weekly |
Eric Swedlund |
06-11-2009 |
Reviews
Leonard Cohen Is a Balladeer for the End Timesnew
Leonard Cohen's new two-disc set, recorded in London in 2008 with a nine-member band, sounds as beautifully apocalyptic as anything he's ever done.
Tucson Weekly |
Jarret Keene |
06-11-2009 |
Reviews
Elvis Costello's Latest Offers a Lot to Likenew
The latest from the reliably prolific Cos (his 11th album this decade) is the T-Bone Burnett-produced Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, which can broadly be called his "country album" (though the same can be said, with just about as much accuracy, of 2004's The Delivery Man).
Andrew Oliver Impresses With 'Just 4 U'new
The Andrew Oliver Kora Band's debut is one of the better world-music releases to come out of the Northwest all year.
Seattle Weekly |
Jonathan Cunningham |
06-08-2009 |
Reviews
