AltWeeklies Wire
Simple Pleasuresnew
The year's best CDs demonstrated craft and brains, whether it's the immaculate, melodic pop of Ron Sexsmith's Revolver or Van Hunt's nuanced take on love and lust. With the war and election as a cultural backdrop, warmth and intelligence were far more personally useful than jagged, new wave by Franz Ferdinand and the like.
Americana Pie: Best Roots Music of 2004new
Sales-wise, at least, Nashville got its groove back in 2004. Cause to celebrate is the fact that the city has managed to anoint a couple of new stars.
Miami New Times |
John Nova Lomax |
12-28-2004 |
Music
Rating the Year's Hits With Mom and Dadnew
A reviewer plays this year's most popular music to her classical-music-oriented parents, who find Usher's Yeah! pleasant and Ashlee Simpson's Pieces of Me uninteresting.
Dallas Observer |
Sarah Hepola |
12-27-2004 |
Reviews
Up From the Underworldnew
This year, blood-soaked extreme metal took its rightful place in the world of heavy music.
Ten Discs With Indie Spiritnew
Look here for alternative albums of 2004 that whump and rock yer face off.
A Dark Year for America Was Great for Musicnew
The last 12 months saw Bush and the GOP continuing to roll back progressive causes. That kind of sucked. But there's nothing like a tidal wave of conservatism to motivate musicians to get off their asses.
Season's Bleatingsnew
Plenty of celebrities are looking to pad their bank accounts via Christmas recordings, and few appear to have broken a sweat while making them.
Trick Daddy Puréenew
A reviewer slices and dices a veritable buffet of new albums in a few sentences each.
Legendary Artists' Works Come Out Againnew
With the holiday spirit in mind, we offer a sampling of some of the more interesting sonic and visual treats that are hitting the racks this year.
Boston Phoenix |
Matt Ashare |
12-10-2004 |
Reviews
Tags: Various Artists, Various Titles, Crooked Rain Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus Another State of Mind, Join the Dots: B-sides and Rarities The Clash, London Calling Pavement, Matador at Fifteen Old Enough to Know Better: 15 Years of Merge Records Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection The Cure
Boxing the Rocknew
A music reviewer names six of the year’s best multi-disc sets, and one of the worst.
Houston Press |
John Nova Lomax |
11-30-2004 |
Reviews
Become Your Own Saviornew
Johnston's life and body of work speak to the restorative power of hope. A 43-year-old with chronic manic depression, he lives with his parents in Waller, Texas. For the past 25 years, he's written hundreds of songs that plumb the darkest caverns of the soul and suffuse them with sunlight.
Illinois Times |
Rene Spencer Saller |
11-18-2004 |
Reviews
Album Pays Tribute to a Pioneer of American Musicnew
In a market flooded with tribute albums varying in quality from terrible to tremendous, Bloodshot Records manages to hit the higher end of the scale with a fairly well-balanced tribute to the first lady of rockabilly, Wanda Jackson.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
James Kelly |
11-18-2004 |
Reviews
This is Popnew
A new Trojan Records box set reframes the history of reggae.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Jeff Chang |
11-10-2004 |
Reviews
Fashionable Retro Rock Has Jumped the Sharknew
Interpol is like the older brother to Killers, Scissor Sisters and Franz Ferdinand, the one who tipped his siblings off to "cool music."
Dallas Observer |
Garrett Kamps |
11-02-2004 |
Music
Rockin' in the Free World: Soundtracks for Election Night Shindigsnew
Just as you can't have a Red State Mix Tape without Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA," neither can you have a Blue State tape without Springsteen's "Born in the USA."
Houston Press |
John Nova Lomax |
11-02-2004 |
Music
