AltWeeklies Wire
Atlanta Punk Trio Channels Every Ounce of Self-Loathing it Cannew
Honest Man tears open the first single from Atlanta punk trio Predator with a lo-fi whiz and bang that cuts right to the chase. The group channels every ounce of self-loathing it can muster into these three songs driven by three buzz-saw chords.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Chad Radford |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Predator 7-inch EP, Predator
Glory Days: 'Glitter and Doom Live' From Tom Waitsnew
rom the first strangulated “aaargh” to its final, rumbling growl 16 songs and 73 minutes later, Tom Waits’ first official live album since 1988’s Big Time captures every oblique aspect of the singer/songwriter’s funhouse mirror persona.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Hal Horowitz |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Glitter and Doom Live, Tom Waits
Indie Rock Darlings Real Estate Charm Blog Worldnew
Real Estate is the latest of the delightfully fey and arty indie-rock darlings to charm the pants off of the blog world — and with good reason. The self-titled, debut full-length from these New Jersey newcomers is rife with instant nostalgia that colors the wilting melodies of such songs as “Pool Swimmers,” “Atlantic City” and “Beach Comber.”
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Chad Radford |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: real estate
Amazing Grace: Cartel's 'Cycles' a One-Star Experiencenew
The Conyers quintet’s third album rings out with the grace of a leaf blower. The only thing that separates the group from the Avril Lavignes and Ashlee Simpsons of the world is gender.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Chad Radford |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
White Denim's 'Fits' Brims with Rhythmic Dexteritynew
By design, nothing stays in one place for too long. Radio Milk How Can You Stand It opens with a wash of noise that bursts into rhythms snaking through funk, psychedelia and art-rock terrain. The music careens wildly, crashing against the noise-damaged, Tex-Mex spaz of El Hard Attack Dcwyw and the spaced-out dub of Sex Prayer.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Chad Radford |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Fits, White Denim
Spacing Out: Blockhead's 'The Music Scene'new
Manhattan beatmaker Blockhead has quietly been releasing consistently strong solo albums in the last half-decade. His tracks for other artists tend to be more in the hard-hitting, slicing-and-dicing, traditional hip-hop vein, but albums such as his latest, 'The Music Scene,' give him an opportunity to be more atmospheric and experimental.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Ben Westhoff |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Blockhead, The Music Scene
Great Minds Think Alike: 'Live' by Duet For Theremin and Lap Steelnew
Duet for Theremin and Lap Steel's latest offering captures two sprawling masses of improvised drones too harmonious to be called avant-garde and too experimental for stuffy modern classical terms. These sounds are the product of two minds sharing a single headspace and letting the music drive – which is typical of the Atlanta duo.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Chad Radford |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs: 'El Arte de la Elegancia de LFC'new
A compilation of rerecorded and reinterpreted B-side tracks, this album follows the same pattern that has propelled the band to revered status among the Rock en Español faithful: Every few years, they’re able to rerelease old material that suddenly catches fire.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Alejandro Leal |
01-12-2010 |
Reviews
Daryl Hall and John Oates Get the Box Set Tribute They Deservenew
Four discs, packed with 74 tracks -- including 16 previously unreleased rarities, about half of them live -- and a glossy 60-page book with track-specific information, details Hall & Oates' crossover appeal, longevity and somewhat unexpected resurgence in recent years.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Hal Horowitz |
11-10-2009 |
Reviews
Fuck Buttons Makes an Impressive Shift Without Sacrificing the Experimental Gritnew
Even as the buzz and mutant cut-ups on "Rough Steez" morph into obtuse beats, there's a soothing quality to the clutter that reaches in through your brain, grabs ahold of your guts and tugs you along ever so subtly.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Chad Radford |
11-10-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Tarot Sport, Fuck Buttons
Nirvana's 'Bleach' is a Ramshackle Work of Perfectionnew
Before there was grunge, there was Bleach, Nirvana's harsh, '89 debut that dragged punk's contemptuous sneer through the mud to churn out one damn fine album.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Chad Radford |
11-10-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Bleach Deluxe Edition, Nirvana
U2's 'Unforgettable Fire' Documents an Early Shift in the Band's Soundnew
Best considered as a warm-up for U2's next album, the classic The Joshua Tree, 1984's The Unforgettable Fire finds the quartet retreating from the overt commerciality of War and, with the help of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, gradually shifting to a more ambient sound.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Hal Horowitz |
11-10-2009 |
Reviews
Smokey Robinson's First CD in Three Years is Well-Timed but Misses the Marknew
Though Robinson's name is practically synonymous with Motown, its signature soul and pop sounds are nowhere to be found on this work, which skews toward contemporary R&B and smooth jazz.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Ben Westhoff |
09-22-2009 |
Reviews
Slaughterhouse's Four MCs Display Pure, Old-School One-Upmanshipnew
Composed of critically respected but commercially unheralded underground MCs Joell Ortiz, Royce da 5'9", Crooked I and Joe Budden, the group's self-titled debut serves mainly as a platform for each man to attempt to one-up the others through punchlines, dexterity and flat-out velocity.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Ben Westhoff |
09-22-2009 |
Reviews
Dan Sartain Wonders into Darker Terrain With His Latest Releasenew
On the A-side, "Bohemian Grove" glows with skeletal, moonlit arrangements. Adam Renshaw lays down drums over a minimal and motorik piano plod courtesy of Jack White. There's a devil-as-crooner quality to it all, and what really gives the song girth is White's glassy production.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Chad Radford |
09-22-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Dan Sartain, Bohemian Grove
