AltWeeklies Wire
Digital Leather Prove Synth-pop's Not Deadnew
Its latest release, Sorcerer, succeeds thanks to its ability to mix up tempos and styles, and the band injects each song with hooks more infectious than the airborne Reaper virus.
Washington City Paper |
David Dunlap Jr. |
07-18-2008 |
Reviews
Socio-Economic Anxiety Never Rocked as Hard as it Does on the Hold Steady's Latestnew
Though the Hold Steady's musical style has always been of the lunchpail-swingin' bar-rock variety, Craig Finn's lyrics have usually been less about the rundown poor than the burned-out party kids. That changes on Stay Positive: Finn more directly addresses working-class themes, spinning tales of slightly older characters who are actually sweating their way through the drudgery.
Washington City Paper |
David Dunlap Jr. |
07-10-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: The Hold Steady, Stay Positive
Hercules and Love Affair Offer a New Take on '70s House and Garagenew
Hercules and Love Affair's Andrew Butler is entirely serious about disco. His band's self-titled debut is a loving homage to the dance music of the late '70s that doesn't require a pair of platform shoes or an ironic leisure suit -- really, you just need an appreciation of New York garage and Chicago house.
Washington City Paper |
Aaron Leitko |
07-03-2008 |
Reviews
Nachtmystium Unsettles Black-Metal Formulas on its New Albumnew
In the same way that no one thinks of Ride the Lightning as just a thrash album or Remission as just a metalcore album, on Assassins the riffs are so fierce and the choruses so memorable that it doesn't matter what flavor of metal it is. It's just metal.
Washington City Paper |
Brent Burton |
06-26-2008 |
Reviews
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
Rhythm and Jews: How a Cache of Classic Soul Got Made in the Promised Landnew
The extraordinary story of a group of Black Hebrew expats, whose music is collected on Soul Messages From Dimona, can stand alongside any of the classic myths of funk and soul. And amazingly, the music itself -- a mix of soul, funk, psych, gospel, and Hebrew traditionals -- can match the drama of the musicians' lives.
Washington City Paper |
David Dunlap Jr. |
05-30-2008 |
Reviews
Bassist Avishai Cohen Takes a Lead Role on His New Trio Albumnew
Jazz "neocons" -- those who maintain that if it isn't blues-based, it isn't jazz -- will surely reject Gently Disturbed. There's not a 12-bar or a blue note to be found, because the disc is too subversive, and too damn good, to bother with such rigid constraints.
Washington City Paper |
Michael J. West |
05-23-2008 |
Reviews
Unrest's Bridget Cross Recalls Her Old Bandmates for New Projectnew
Cross now lives in Alaska, but for most of the tracks on Maybe It's Reno's self-titled debut, she reunites with her former Unrest mates, Mark Robinson and drummer Phil Krauth, to deliver an agreeably familiar mix of dreamy guitar and gawky grooves.
Washington City Paper |
Casey Rae-Hunter |
05-23-2008 |
Reviews
BORIS' Latest Has a Familiar Tingenew
If Smile is any indication, the Japanese metal trio has settled the debate on what BORIS is actually supposed to sound like -- and apparently the consensus is "loud."
Washington City Paper |
Aaron Leitko |
05-15-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Smile
'Nouns' is Rousing Without Coming Off as Calculatednew
No Age's biggest contribution to the world is deleting cynicism, contempt, and any ideas of starfuckery from the Los Angeles vocabulary.
Washington City Paper |
Jason Cherkis |
05-15-2008 |
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
MC Slug Drops the Introspection on Atmosphere's Latestnew
Without the bangers or the confessionals, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold doesn't have an immediate payoff. But give it time: There's lots to like in the duo's different yet still considered and craft-conscious work.
Washington City Paper |
Ben Westhoff |
04-24-2008 |
Reviews
Nick Cave Has Gone to Seedinessnew
On his first album in four years with the Bad Seeds, the carnal and cadaverous Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!, Cave ditches the script of the piano-heavy Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus and embraces the sound of his recent side project Grinderman -- itself driven by primitive electric guitars that recalled his '80s post-punk act the Birthday Party.
Washington City Paper |
Casey Rae-Hunter |
04-10-2008 |
Reviews
Howlin Rain Finds the Link Between Punk and Bluesnew
At some point, trend-chasing music fans -- like those who embrace Vampire Weekend's self-described "Upper West Side Soweto" -- are going to have to struggle with albums like Magnificent Fiend and come to terms with exactly what makes the blues seem so frozen in pre-punk amber.
Washington City Paper |
Brent Burton |
03-27-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Howlin Rain, Magnificent Fiend
