AltWeeklies Wire
Brakhage Homagenew
Recorded at a memorial benefit for experimental filmmaker Stan Brakhage, this is Sonic Youth at its best -- lost in its own hazy head space somewhere along the sonic journey from strings to pedals to amps to the ether.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Chad Radford |
01-05-2006 |
Reviews
Mostly Unswervingnew
This fifth full-length emerges after three years in the void, with a competent and slightly darker hue, balancing atmospheric subtleties with mammoth crescendos and chest-pounding passion.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Chad Radford |
01-05-2006 |
Reviews
Tags: Milemarker, Ominosity
Anything Left To Say?new
On First Impressions of Earth, the Strokes sound like a band determined to shed the one-trick-pony tag.
Boston Phoenix |
Will Spitz |
01-05-2006 |
Reviews
Grave Diggin'new
By the time most rappers drop their fourth album, either everybody’s paying attention or nobody is, but for Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, the truth may be somewhere in between.
Boston Phoenix |
Chris Nelson |
01-05-2006 |
Reviews
Luscious Lists, Part Twonew
In the exciting conclusion of a two-part series, our critics recap 2005 faves -- just because they can.
Tucson Weekly |
Curtis McCrary, Linda Ray and Stephen Seigel |
01-05-2006 |
Reviews
Tags: yearinreview2005
Skewering Musical Absurditiesnew
This Los Angeles duo serves up super-geeky and utterly engaging musical parodies of soft rock ballads, cheesy Latin pop and patriotic mainstream country.
Houston Press |
John Nova Lomax |
01-03-2006 |
Reviews
Slanted Enchantmentnew
A jazz quartet's tribute to Pavement is, inexplicably, a roaring success.
Houston Press |
Rob Harvilla |
01-03-2006 |
Reviews
Who Says Long-Distance Relationships Never Work?new
Despite being separated by some 8,000 miles, Isobel Campbell, of Glasgow, and Mark Lanegan, of Los Angeles, have brought us Ramblin' Man, a four-song collaboration that wouldn’t have been possible without the Internet.
Illinois Times |
Rene Spencer Saller |
01-03-2006 |
Reviews
Year-End, Best-Of Music Lists Suck... Except For This Onenew
Tsar, Dropkick Murphys, and Straylight Run garnered top honors in this year-end, best-of music list.
Boulder Weekly |
Vince Darcangelo |
12-30-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: yearinreview2005
Luscious Listsnew
Tucson Weekly music critics join the rest of the universe in recapping their 2005 faves.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong and Annie Holub |
12-29-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: yearinreview2005
A Pack of Muttsnew
The mongrels and strays are the very albums one writer loves -- the ones that are too artsy and meandering for No Depression, too rootsy and plainspoken for Pitchfork and too concise for the hippies at Relix.
Dallas Observer |
John Nova Lomax |
12-29-2005 |
Reviews
Pop Rocksnew
In 2005, pop music was rock music. Even the biggest top-40 starlets liked their guitars cranked up to a sassy 11. Here are the shiniest and catchiest of 2005's snap and fizz.
Dallas Observer |
Annie Zaleski |
12-29-2005 |
Reviews
A Blissful Soundnew
Mi and L'au are an ex-model and a composer/multiinstrumentalist who fell in love in Paris. Between sessions of what was no doubt mutually satisfying and respectful lovemaking, they wrote these 14 spare, gentle, steadfastly pretty songs.
Illinois Times |
Rene Spencer Saller |
12-28-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: folk, Mi and L'au
A Godless Liberal Christmasnew
One music reviewer offers Bill O'Reilly the gift of Christmas carols and tries to make peace.
Illinois Times |
Rene Spencer Saller |
12-28-2005 |
Reviews
Verve Jazz for the Youngnew
Hip international beatmakers are invited to have their way with material from the jazz giant’s vault.
Boston Phoenix |
Mikael Wood |
12-27-2005 |
Reviews
