AltWeeklies Wire
Gnarls Barkley Forges an Identitynew
There's a big gap between accepting Gnarls masterminds Cee-Lo Green and Brian Burton and understanding who they are, or what it is, exactly, they're doing.
C-Ville Weekly |
Brendan Fitzgerald |
05-14-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Gnarls Barkley, the odd couple
Death Cab for Cutie Already Made This Albumnew
Narrow Stairs sounds just like Plans, right down to the obvious production, weepy lyrics and inoffensive guitar, continuing Death Cab's tradition of aping Morrissey lyrics without Moz's counterintuitive turns of phrase or dark jokes.
Elvis Wakes Up from His Napnew
Shorn of too-good-to-rock novelties (string-quartet yawns, N'awlins nods, Bacharach blues, etc.) and absent the trying-too-hard missteps, Costello hasn't sounded so refreshed, relaxed, engaged or enraged in years.
Dallas Observer |
Robert Wilonsky |
05-12-2008 |
Reviews
The Beginning of a No Agenew
Simply put, the best punk album of the 21st century.
L.A. Weekly |
Randall Roberts |
05-09-2008 |
Reviews
Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano Show Soulnew
That the mariachi genre has become associated with a tourist brochure image of Mexico is unfortunate.
Shepherd Express |
David Luhrssen |
05-09-2008 |
Reviews
Dizzee Rascal Makes a Hard Climb Toward Mass Appealnew
A flop as a British MC, Dizzee Rascal tries to become an American one.
Washington City Paper |
Brent Burton |
05-09-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Dizzee Rascal, Maths + English
Santogold's Debut Sticks to Pop Basicsnew
The first two released songs portrayed Santogold as a hip-grinding purveyor of ambitious mutant-pop, somebody who could adeptly splice hip-hop with club rhythms and dub echoes. In other words, an M.I.A. who could sing. So it's a little shocking that Santogold is so sugary.
Washington City Paper |
Aaron Leitko |
05-09-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Santogold
Minimalism and Experimentationnew
Reviews of Rhys Chatham's Guitar Trio Is My Life and The Black Keys' Attack & Release.
Jackson Free Press |
Zach Thompson and Lindey Maddox |
05-08-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Attack & Release, The Black Keys
Kaki King's Sound is Crisp and Cleannew
Dreaming of Revenge has a certain airiness, like the sound of a wide-open space.
Tucson Weekly |
Annie Holub |
05-07-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Kaki King, Dreaming of Revenge
Mark Eitzel Pours His Heart into Every Tracknew
The Golden Age offers more of the same fatalistic and beautiful songwriting that has made Eitzel the Gen X answer to Leonard Cohen.
Tucson Weekly |
Jarret Keene |
05-07-2008 |
Reviews
'Warpaint' Seems to Be an Artistic Fork in the Road for the Black Crowesnew
Now that they have established their return, they can either go back to hiding an album of fluff behind a couple of quality songs, or they can try to one-up themselves and reach for their potential to put out a great album.
Jackson Free Press |
Rob Hamilton |
05-07-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: The Black Crowes, Warpaint
Leona Lewis is Like Whitney Houston for 2008new
On the plus side, she seems like a nice, self-effacing person who hasn't yet learned to browbeat her associates for handing her a lukewarm Red Bull. Her exotic features play well on VH1, but as a singer, she's strictly a cut-rate generic brand.
San Antonio Current |
Gilbert Garcia |
05-07-2008 |
Reviews
Miles Bonny is the Innate Sounds Crew's 'Alpha' Malenew
Miles is all about the positive these days. The storied local DJ, hip-hop producer, jazz trumpeter and soul singer who has released solo material overseas has a new day job: as a case manager for troubled teens in Wyandotte County.
'One Hell of a Ride' Encapsulates Willie Nelson in Five Hoursnew
For a recording career that began more than a half-century ago in the studios of Pleasanton radio station KBOP, where Nelson recorded "When I've Sung My Last Hillbilly Song," his body of work acquits itself quite well in today's post-album digital age.
Houston Press |
Chris Gray |
05-07-2008 |
Reviews
'Hard Candy' is a Good Dance Record, but is it a Good Madonna Record?new
Ray of Light, Music, Confessions on a Dance Floor, Erotica -- these are Grade A Madonna, pop music for the thinking woman. But this time around, while there's no shortage of beats, it seems that Madonna let somebody else do the thinking for her.
C-Ville Weekly |
Cathy Harding |
05-07-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Hard Candy, Madonna
