AltWeeklies Wire
Jason Isbell's Latest is a Bold Concept with Problematic Executionnew
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit is a bold step forward for him. He sets out to expand his sound on the album, dipping his toes into different sounds and genres of music. The results are as problematic as the idea.
Jackson Free Press |
Rob Hamilton |
02-13-2009 |
Reviews
Signs of Life in the Dead of the Grammys Pressroomnew
No wonder print is on the ropes. We reporters are bores. A dying industry covering another dying industry, like a bunch of telegraph operators sending missives about a carburetor convention.
L.A. Weekly |
Randall Roberts |
02-13-2009 |
Music
Slank's 'Anthem for the Broken Hearted'new
They've sold 15 million records in their native Indonesia, and now the five members of Slank invade America with their first English-language album. Far from a reference to the lovelorn, the title refers to the inhabitants of a homeland riddled with strife and corruption.
Shepherd Express |
Michael Popke |
02-13-2009 |
Reviews
Tiny Notes: Philip Glass, In Burstsnew
Small man on the stage. Hunched over a bit. High, squeaky voice, hanging face. Series of pieces, he says, from 1988. Notes repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat and veer slightly and repeat and repeat and repeat.
North Bay Bohemian |
Gabe Meline |
02-12-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Simpleminded Musings: Ben Lee's 'The Rebirth of Venus'new
Aussie Ben Lee has abandoned his trademark catchy guitar-pop songs to make an odd, quasi-concept album that irks more than it inspires.
Tucson Weekly |
Kristine Peashock |
02-12-2009 |
Reviews
Andrew Bird's Dissertation Worthy 'Noble Beast'new
As a composition, Andrew Bird's latest is as complex and gorgeous as a George Eliot novel.
Tucson Weekly |
Annie Holub |
02-12-2009 |
Reviews
Canadian Singer-Songwriter on Her First Headlining U.S. Tournew
Canada's Serena Ryder brings a brand-new album on her first headlining U.S. tour.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
02-12-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Deathgrind Group Shows Lots of Love to Animals and Lots of Scorn for the Human Racenew
Extreme-metal bands are not exactly known for being sensitive to animal issues. But Cattle Decapitation is far from your average deathgrind act.
Tucson Weekly |
Jarret Keene |
02-12-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Zach Condon Double-Teams Himselfnew
Zach Condon's two musical personalities get equal billing on his new double-EP.
Fast Forward Weekly |
Mark Hamilton |
02-12-2009 |
Reviews
Repetitive Strain: Vetiver's 'Tight Knit'new
If any band benefits from Robert Christgau’s rule that an album should always get a minimum of three listens, it’s the San Francisco–based folk band Vetiver.
Washington City Paper |
David Dunlap Jr. |
02-12-2009 |
Reviews
Axe to Grind: Heavy Metal in New Orleansnew
Internationally known New Orleans metal bands power what's still a locally underground scene.
Gambit |
Alison Fensterstock |
02-11-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Jazmine Sullivan Makes the Jump from Black Lily Prodigy to Grammy Phenomenonnew
Sullivan's voice is a window-frame-shaking, drawn-from-the-depths alto she still manages to bend and tease with ease, splashing across tracks like a smooth stone across a still pond.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Drew Lazor |
02-10-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Josh Wink: Stay Out All Nightnew
Josh Wink, who came up in the Philly rave scene in the 1990s, is still chewing the pacifiers on his new LP When a Banana Was Just a Banana.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Patrick Rapa |
02-10-2009 |
Reviews
What Makes Cornbreadd Runnew
If Cornbreadd didn't already exist, some MTV programming executive would have had to make him up. On record, he can be as grimy and ghetto as they come, but he delivers even his harshest rhymes with the kind of charisma that elicits a chuckle instead of a gasp.
Houston Press |
Chris Gray |
02-10-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Fucked Up Pushes Punk Into the Future by Understanding the Pastnew
Instead of sticking to the standard punk template that far too many contemporary practitioners continue to employ, FU's members regularly stretch and twist their songs into intriguing new shapes, often with the help of some unlikely assistants.
Westword |
Michael Roberts |
02-10-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
