AltWeeklies Wire
Deerhoof: Deerhoof vs. Evilnew
Calling the members of Deerhoof musical dilettantes is disingenuous. The San Francisco group's lengthy career may be cultivated on a healthy musical curiosity, but there is nothing superficial or casual about the band's methods or products.
Tucson Weekly |
Michael Petitti |
02-24-2011 |
Reviews
Tags: Deerhoof
Hercules and Love Affair: Blue Songsnew
Hercules and Love Affair's Blue Songs is the flowering of the word discothèque, the stringing of it across 57 minutes.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
02-23-2011 |
Reviews
Tags: Hercules and Love Affair
Ciara: Basic Instinctnew
Ciara is often a pale imitation of Janet Jackson, jiggling athletically in her underwear through a string of music videos. Ciara feels engineered to sell records to men; Janet felt engineered to sell records.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
01-10-2011 |
Reviews
Tags: Ciara
The Autumn Defense: Once Aroundnew
Wilco's John Stirratt and Pat Sansone get to stretch out as multi-instrumentalists in The Autumn Defense, but the band seems to function mostly as a vehicle for expression as songwriters.
Tucson Weekly |
Eric Swedlund |
12-30-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Wilco, The Autumn Defense
Robyn: Body Talknew
It's no coincidence that one of the first tracks on Body Talk is "Fembot," a song that comments on the recent vogue of pop starlets re-imagining themselves as cyborg provocateurs -- not by rejecting objectification, but by turning the whole metaphor on its head by overemphasizing it.
Tucson Weekly |
Sean Bottai |
12-30-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Robyn
Freebass: It's a Beautiful Lifenew
Even before the release of this album, the high-concept supergroup behind it had already disbanded.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
12-30-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Freebass
Avey Tare: Down Therenew
The hypnotic, icy and alien Down There is the first solo album by Animal Collective's Dave Portner.
Tucson Weekly |
Michael Petitti |
12-27-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Avey Tare
The 1900's: Return of the Centurynew
Chicago up-and-comers The 1900s dangle two lures for the listener: gentle, male-female harmonies, and a sweetly bouncing pop groove.
Tucson Weekly |
Eric Swedlund |
12-23-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: 1900's
Bryan Ferry: Olympianew
From its first track, it's clear that with his latest disc, Bryan Ferry is intent on re-creating the intoxicating sound and love-hangover mood of his last studio album.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
12-20-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Bryan Ferry
Cee Lo Green: The Lady Killernew
Cee Lo Green delivers a solo triumph on The Lady Killer, an instant classic of neo-soul--funky, catchy, dance-y and, above all, an eccentric and brilliant batch of songs.
Tucson Weekly |
Eric Swedlund |
12-16-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Cee-Lo, Lady Killer
Robert Wyatt/Gilad Atzmon/Ros Stephen: For the Ghosts Withinnew
Initial descriptions of For the Ghosts Within focused on the fact that revered British art-rock musician, singer and composer Robert Wyatt was taking on jazz standards, a move that sounded intriguing enough.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
12-09-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Robert Wyatt
Winelord: Winelord IIInew
My latest musical crush is on the all-female punk trio Winelord, although I've yet to even lay eyes upon them.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
12-09-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Winelord
Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasynew
It seems abundantly clear that Kanye West is an ass. It is also amply clear, with the release of his gnarly, brilliant My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, that no one in hip-hop has mastered the role of the self-hating villain as well as West.
Tucson Weekly |
Michael Petitti |
12-08-2010 |
Reviews
Bob Dylan: The Bootleg Series Vol. 9 -- The Witmark Demosnew
In the first official release of Bob Dylan's legendary publishing demos (47 songs, 15 of which have never before been released), it's stunning to see how early the talent, the power and even Dylan's chameleon-like instincts for transformation were in evidence.
Tucson Weekly |
Eric Swedlund |
12-03-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Bob Dylan
Van Gogh Rescue: From the Top of Your Lungsnew
The foursome Van Gogh Rescue has been playing out for a little more than a year and now unleashes its debut album, which contains catchy songs, some quality hooks, an impassioned attack and zooming, complex arrangements. You just have to give it a couple of extra spins.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
12-02-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Van Gogh Rescue
