AltWeeklies Wire
The Life of Grime
Two recent compilations offer not only snapshots of the dark-horse scenes of U.K. grime and the Southern rap that's more old-school funk than crunk, but also rare examples of the cash-strapped hiphop lyricist.
Washington City Paper |
David Dunlap Jr. |
12-23-2005 |
Reviews
Tough All Over
Gary Allan shows that he's at his best at when dealing with the hard stuff.
Washington City Paper |
Rachel Beckman |
12-09-2005 |
Reviews
St. Marxmen
This album could be your last chance to catch Danze and Fame before a stuttering cry of "G-g-g-g" replaces their trademark "Salute!"
Washington City Paper |
Sarah Godfrey |
12-09-2005 |
Reviews
Nobody's Fault but Mine
Max Ochs doesn't care that it's taken 35 years for people to notice his music. After all, the same thing happened to Mississippi John Hurt.
Washington City Paper |
Mike Keefe-Feldman |
12-09-2005 |
Profiles & Interviews
Ex Nihilo Vibes
It's more accessible than previous NNCK albums, but Qvaris still contains plenty that would unsettle most latte sippers.
Washington City Paper |
Brent Burton |
12-09-2005 |
Reviews
The Heart of the Clatter
Hole is listenable enough. It's even easy on the ears, as it were--which may or may not be the sole innovation that this latest generation of noisemakers has to offer. Of course, if that's the case, then what in the name of Merzbow is the point?
Washington City Paper |
Brent Burton |
12-09-2005 |
Reviews
Age Before Beauty
Fiery Furnaces' new Rehearsing My Choir begins to grow on a critic after she listens to it roughly 23 times. Of course, spending nearly a day of your life with someone else's art-rock quasi-oral history won't appeal to just anybody.
Washington City Paper |
Anne Marson |
12-02-2005 |
Reviews
Under the Shinfluence
Oakland, Calif.'s, Rogue Wave is a perfect example of the new Sub Pop signee. Its music is mellow, catchy, and rooted in indie-rock tradition. It's not as blue-collar brutal as, say, Tad or Soundgarden, but it's not wholly without aggression or grandiosity, either.
Washington City Paper |
David Dunlap Jr. |
12-02-2005 |
Reviews
Gimme Trouble
Adult. is consciously trying to escape the dance floor.
Washington City Paper |
Justin Moyer |
11-11-2005 |
Reviews
Give Blood
The quartet does a few cool things and does them as well as anybody with a U.K. address.
Washington City Paper |
Joe Warminsky |
11-11-2005 |
Reviews
Rec-Room Rambler
Hobart Smith knew that these sessions proved one thing: He shouldn't have waited so long to commit that banjo to tape.
Washington City Paper |
Jason Cherkis |
11-10-2005 |
Reviews
You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having
Sincerity is Atmosphere's strong point, so it makes sense that the Minnesota hip-hop duo named its fifth disc You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having. And, uh, no we can't.
Washington City Paper |
Joe Warminsky |
11-04-2005 |
Reviews
International Pop Overthrow
Given the U.S. music press's penchant for pithy descriptors, The Earlies' publicist must have had a tough time putting into bullet points just what, exactly, this bunch of wacked-out weirdoes is up to.
Washington City Paper |
Shannon Zimmerman |
10-27-2005 |
Reviews
Tender Buttons
As a band known for spending too much time in the studio, Broadcast was always just a few tweaks away from delivering a completely bland recording. The group's latest, Tender Buttons, finally fulfills that lack of promise.
Washington City Paper |
Mike Kanin |
10-20-2005 |
Reviews
The Magic Numbers
Whether you like hype-bedecked London popsters Magic Numbers may depend on whether you liked Ken Jennings, The Jeopardy! champ.
Washington City Paper |
Pamela Murray Winters |
10-20-2005 |
Reviews
