AltWeeklies Wire
Mates of State Satisfy with More Catchy Cutsnew
For the most part brushing aside the experimental flourishes that informed some of their earlier work, here the two instead focus on what they do best, setting oft-devastating lyrics to electric-organ- and drum-based tunes.
Girl Named Kyle Needs Some More Buildingnew
No, the world hasn't been waiting for another folkish band fronted by a precocious, big-voiced singer, and the familiar nature of the strummier material on Let's Build doesn't help separate Girl Named Kyle from the pack.
Silver Jews Pair Simple Melodies with Complex Lyricsnew
Even after trading chemical dependency for religion, David Berman remains a deadpan wit of charm and skill, as he demonstrates on Lookout, the first Silver Jews record made without assistance from Berman's longtime cohort, Pavement leader Stephen Malkmus.
Ashanti Proves She's Out of Step on 'The Declaration'new
Hip-hop and R & B merged years ago, but Ashanti's still playing catch-up.
Chicago Reader |
Noah Berlatsky |
06-16-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Ashanti, The Declaration
Heartbreak Brings Out the Best of Fishnew
At age 50 and sounding as wise and weathered as Peter Gabriel, Fish has been on a creative roll of late, releasing five albums of new studio and live material since 2004.
Shepherd Express |
Michael Popke |
06-13-2008 |
Reviews
Islands' Sophomore Album Sounds Like Unificationnew
Arm's Way is Islands' first album as a real, tour-hardened band rather than a loosely organized studio project, and the solidified sextet sounds more comfortable and confident than ever.
The Portland Mercury |
Eric Grandy |
06-13-2008 |
Reviews
Des Ark Create a Modern Folk Masterpiecenew
You can debate the use of the f-word, but the nine songs of this handmade, spraypaint-and-magic marker EP are irrefutable folk gems -- authentic, real, and so of a time and place that they often sound like 2008 companion pieces to Harry Smith's old-time anthologies.
Sergio Mendes Revisits His Roots on 'Encanto'new
The new album was mostly recorded in Bahia, Brazil, and Mendes' hometown of Rio de Janeiro, and it includes a duet with original Brasil '66 vocalist Lani Hall on the soft-jazz love song "Dreamer," which also features Mendes on vocals, Rhodes electric piano, and acoustic piano.
Washington City Paper |
Alfredo Flores |
06-13-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Sergio Mendes, Encanto
The Patterned Lyricism of School of Languagenew
Somewhere between Elf Power or Sparklehorse and the jukebox in the Mos Eisley Cantina is an adequate reference point for School of Language.
Tucson Weekly |
Linda Ray |
06-11-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: School of Language, Sea From Shore
Al Green Unleashes His Best Material in Decadesnew
Although he reunited with famed producer Willie Mitchell for his previous two albums, legendary R&B singer Green has delved into the world of neo-soul to create his latest CD, and the resulting songs sound both classic and contemporary at the same time.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
06-11-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Al Green, Lay It Down
The World Is Dead. Long Live the World.new
The only negative thing about Nick Cave's latest opus is the vulgar excess of punctuation in the title.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
06-11-2008 |
Reviews
The Long Blondes' Shopping-Mall Agit-Popnew
It's consistent with the post-postmodern moment that everything on the latest Long Blondes album reminds one of something else.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
06-11-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: couples, The Long Blondes
The Sound of Autopilot is Weezer's 'Red Album'new
Weezer is bafflingly awful: Cuomo and his crew have made an album completely devoid of charm, wit, and originality.
San Antonio Current |
Chuck Kerr |
06-11-2008 |
Reviews
Mates of State Record a Perfect, Timely Albumnew
It must be summer if the orgasmic pop of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel is once again beaming its bikini-a-go-go from the ocean paradise of ... Stratford, Conn.
Orlando Weekly |
Justin Strout |
06-05-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Mates of State, Re-Arrange Us
A Sudanese Refugee Finds Solace in Hip-Hopnew
It's difficult to remember that there was a time when rap carried weight as an eye-opening glimpse into a marginalized existence. Rising Sudanese rapper Emmanuel Jal is ushering in a return of this edge in a more global and urgent way than ever.
Orlando Weekly |
Bao Le-Huu |
06-05-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Emmanuel Jal, Warchild
