AltWeeklies Wire
Risky Business: James Singer Tim Booth Embarks on a Solo Careernew
You’d figure that promoting a new solo record on the back of a song that’s more than 10 years old — being conscious all the while that it’s his sole US hit — might rankle Booth a little.
Boston Phoenix |
Mac Randall |
02-03-2005 |
Profiles & Interviews
Independent Spiritsnew
Getting to the roots of Ani DiFranco's Knuckle Down: the strong-willed singer-songwriter talks about relinquishing a bit of independence.
Boston Phoenix |
Matt Ashare |
02-03-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Ani DiFranco, Knuckle Down
Taking His Leave: Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst Finds Life Elsewherenew
If you’ve ever been to Omaha, you understand why Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst has spent the last 10 years being so damn depressed.
Boston Phoenix |
Camille Dodero |
01-21-2005 |
Reviews
G-Spotsnew
For those who regularly cruise at two miles per hour through the shimmering mean streets of Top 40 hip-hop, the new releases by Ludacris and Xzibit are as distinctive as the cities that made them stars.
Boston Phoenix |
Franklin Soults |
01-06-2005 |
Reviews
From the Political to the Personalnew
Politics and music mixed this year in a way that reviewer Matt Ashare hasn't seen since he bought Let Them Eat Jellybeans (Alternative Tentacles) during the Reagan presidency and sang along to "Jesus Entering from the Rear." And against his better judgment, it made him care about the world beyond his iPod headphones in a way that he hasn’t in some time.
Boston Phoenix |
Matt Ashare |
12-29-2004 |
Reviews
Beyond Morphinenew
Sandbox reveals just how much there was to Mark Sandman -- the full experience included everything from the minimal instrumentation of Morphine to his larger configurations with a full horn section, guitar, four-string bass, and keyboards.
Boston Phoenix |
Matt Ashare |
12-10-2004 |
Reviews
Tags: Mark Sandman, Sandbox
A Tale of Two Saintsnew
Boxed CD sets compile the works of two influential trailblazers who died young: jazz-saxophonist Albert Ayler and hipster comic Lenny Bruce.
Boston Phoenix |
Jon Garelick |
12-10-2004 |
Reviews
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
Nirvana-Shaped Boxnew
With the Lights Out gets at the music behind the myth. Not merely a greatest-hits package or retrospective, the new box set is a revealing look inside the musical mess that was Nirvana.
Boston Phoenix |
Matt Ashare |
12-03-2004 |
Music
Tags: Nirvana, With the Lights Out
After Elevation, Vertigonew
Even after 25 years, there's still no rock band like U2.
Boston Phoenix |
Jeffrey Gantz |
11-29-2004 |
Reviews
Black is Backnew
The Pixies' leader talks about the break-up, the reunion, and the band's return to Boston.
Boston Phoenix |
Matt Ashare |
11-29-2004 |
Profiles & Interviews
Big Nothingsnew
If bleakness blankets singer-songwriter Elliott Smith's posthumously released CD, that doesn't mark a major change in tone from his previous albums.
Boston Phoenix |
Matt Ashare |
11-22-2004 |
Music
Nashville Royaltynew
Tim McGraw and Alan Jackson, vying to be kings of country, gear up for the Country Music Awards.
Boston Phoenix |
Sean Richardson |
11-05-2004 |
Music
The Faces Get Properly Boxed on Five Guys Walk Into a Barnew
A new, exhaustively researched and lovingly compiled four-disc box set teems with treats culled from the group's relatively brief but offhandedly brilliant history.
Boston Phoenix |
Jonathan Perry |
10-28-2004 |
Reviews
The Sun Shines on R.E.M.new
Michael Stipe talks about how R.E.M. regained its footing as the enigmatic yet accessible pop band that made the journey from indie-rockdom to major-label stardom.
Boston Phoenix |
Matt Ashare |
10-28-2004 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: r.e.m., Around the Sun
