San Diego CityBeat | Music | Reviews | AAN.org

Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip are as Screwy as They Soundnew

Before this album arrived on my doorstep, what little I'd heard through tinny laptop speakers sounded like a nitrous-oxide Streets.

San Diego CityBeat | David Tow | 09-24-2008 | Reviews

Tags: Angles, Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip

Modey Lemon Drops 'Season of Sweets' After an Extended Breaknew

Three years have passed since Pittsburgh's spaced-out, punk-blues trio last released a proper studio album. It's a startling drought for a band that released its first three albums in a span of four years. But singer/guitarist Phil Boyd says the sabbatical was exactly what Modey Lemon needed.

San Diego CityBeat | Scott McDonald | 06-25-2008 | Reviews

Tags: rock, blues rock, Modey Lemon, Season of Sweets

Roots Album Taps the Sound of Angernew

Incisive lyrics, assertive vocals, ear-grabbing hooks and pummeling beats are the hallmarks of Rising Down.

San Diego CityBeat | Alan Sculley | 06-04-2008 | Reviews

Tags: Erykah Badu, The Roots, ?uestlove, concerts, Rising Down

New Album Good Start to Busy Year for Joseph Arthurnew

Joseph Arthur has no problem being prolific, and this EP is the first of four that will precede the August release of the full-length All You Need is Nothing.

San Diego CityBeat | Richie Lauridsen | 03-26-2008 | Reviews

Tags: Could We Survive, Joseph Arthur

The Matches' New Album Lacks Focusnew

By including ingredients from every corner of the musical spectrum, it seems as if too many ideas turned this from a prospective masterpiece into a collection of leftovers.

San Diego CityBeat | Richie Lauridsen | 03-26-2008 | Reviews

Tags: A Band in Hope, The Matches

BYOP's Latest Focuses on Driving Rhythmsnew

While Be Your Own Pet's first album had enough guitar freak-outs and general strangeness to explain Thurston Moore's interest, Get Awkward strips down a lot of the art-rock frills and focuses on driving rhythms, hooks and Jemina Pearl's vocals.

San Diego CityBeat | Cullen Hendrix | 03-26-2008 | Reviews

Tags: Be Your Own Pet, get awkward

What Happened to the Presidents of Yesterday?new

Amid the clamor of primary politicking, The Presidents of the United States of America are staying true to tradition by releasing yet another album in an election year. Impressive for a band that claims this is all just a coincidence and its name is actually an ironic commentary on its lack of political stands (which is totally, like, this huge political stand, right?).

San Diego CityBeat | Kyle Andrews | 03-26-2008 | Reviews

Tags: Presidents of the United States of America, These are the Good Times People

LCD Soundsystem Releases its Nike Mixnew

For better and worse, this CD version of the 2006 iTunes-only release contains new bonus tracks that puts the total disc length way over 45:33, denying you the experience of actually seeing it displayed on your Discman.

San Diego CityBeat | Adam Gimbel | 11-14-2007 | Reviews

Tags: LCD Soundsystem, 45:33

Nick Drake Bears More 'Fruit'new

The box set Fruit Tree will be reissued by UME/Fontana in a limited edition with a new 108-page booklet. It also contains a DVD of a new documentary, Jeroen Berkvens' A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake.

San Diego CityBeat | Kirk Silsbee | 10-03-2007 | Reviews

Tags: Fruit Tree, Nick Drake

Joan as Police Woman Plays Ominous Indie-jazznew

Real Life puts Joan Wasser somewhere between Norah Jones and Feist -- and somewhere, there in the middle, are a few million album sales and a parcel of indie cred.

San Diego CityBeat | Troy Johnson | 09-05-2007 | Reviews

Tags: Joan as Police Woman, Real Life

How Twee Is Too Twee?new

If you listen to "Stereo (mono mono)," the second song on The Brunettes' new album, Structure and Cosmetics, you may have your answer.

San Diego CityBeat | Dryw Keltz | 09-05-2007 | Reviews

Tags: Structure and Cosmetics, The Brunettes

Okkervil River Trots Out More Song-novelsnew

What especially salvages Stage Names is that frontman Will Schef doesn't pretend he can't be bought or is unwilling to let the machine take control from time to time.

San Diego CityBeat | Troy Johnson | 08-22-2007 | Reviews

Tags: Okkervil River, The Stage Names