AltWeeklies Wire
Amadou & Mariam's 'Welcome to Mali'new
From start to finish, the mix of traditional instrumentation, classic rock sounds and forward-thinking clubby production on Welcome to Mali is seamless.
New Haven Advocate |
John Adamian |
04-21-2009 |
Reviews
No Repeats: Yeah Yeah Yeahs' 'It's Blitz!'new
On their third album, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have congealed into a true unit whose collective voice somehow grows louder through controlled, focused maturity.
Tucson Weekly |
Michael Petitti |
04-16-2009 |
Reviews
Leaving the Lights On: Cannibal Corpse's 'Evisceration Plague'new
If you're an extreme metalhead with any sense of history, Evisceration Plague likely sounds better than it is.
Tucson Weekly |
Jarret Keene |
04-16-2009 |
Reviews
Jim Jones: Jack of All Tradesnew
Dipset alum Jim Jones' many projects include an off-Broadway show, a workout DVD, a documentary and a mockumentary. Once in a while he actually puts out some music, and his major label solo debut Pray IV Reign is an often-decent, occasionally-excellent effort.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Ben Westhoff |
04-10-2009 |
Reviews
Sum Total: 'Black Moses'new
What matters most here is the music, two full discs of Hayes' unique cover tunes and sultry original raps.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
James Kelley |
04-10-2009 |
Reviews
Stripped: 'Naked Willie'new
On Naked Willie, tainted, schmaltzy tunes take on a whole new life, and the rediscovery of these gems is an aural epiphany.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
James Kelley |
04-10-2009 |
Reviews
Funky Punk: 'I'm Rick James'new
Much of Rick James' studio output isn't particularly memorable. Yet as a performer he's wholly original, making his new collection of live performances and videos, I'm Rick James: The Definitive DVD, more essential than his actual albums.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Ben Westhoff |
04-10-2009 |
Reviews
The Decemberists' Rock Operanew
The Decemberists' latest may be a variation on a theme, but it's a damn fine one.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
04-08-2009 |
Reviews
Wholly Viola: Anni Rossinew
Rockwell is so delightful in its oddness and sweet in its wordplay that we can easily forgive Anni Rossi her excesses.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
04-08-2009 |
Reviews
Warm and Fuzzy: It Hugs Backnew
Like kittens playing in yarn, It Hugs Back, from Kent, England, revels in soft cuteness.
Tucson Weekly |
Jarret Keene |
04-08-2009 |
Reviews
Jim Jones' 'Pray IV Reign'new
While many established rappers are being downsized from major-label deals to "independent" contracts, Harlem MC Jim Jones is climbing up the food chain.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs' 'It's Blitz!'new
Watching an act like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs realize their potential is the closest thing childless music nerds may have to watching a kid grow up, and though it may not be nearly as enriching, it's satisfying nonetheless.
Blind Pilot Makes Soft Music Out of Chatternew
Any duo who can cart around all of their equipment on bicycles obviously plays stripped-down music; Blind Pilot's sound is acoustic-guitar-focused folk-pop, with sparse, quiet drums. Their music is so essentially simple and so immediately loved by many because of that resonance of bareness.
Tucson Weekly |
Annie Holub |
04-02-2009 |
Reviews
Unconventional Alt-Countrynew
Hungry Bird is a quietly triumphant reintroduction for Clem Snide, the Brooklyn-turned-Nashville band that spun more than a decade of charms from the quirky and clever songwriting of Eef Barzelay.
Tucson Weekly |
Eric Swedlund |
04-02-2009 |
Reviews
The Decemberists Get Even More Ambitiousnew
The Decemberists' fifth full-length release is an intricate story about a forbidden romance, a meddling queen and a shape-shifting spectre.
Fast Forward Weekly |
Nathan Atnikov |
04-02-2009 |
Reviews
