AltWeeklies Wire
Son Volt's Brand-New Album Gets Back to the Basicsnew
With American Central Dust, Jay Farrar returns to familiar musical territory -- pedal-steel moans and shimmers, fiddle flights and trills, percussion passing time or skipping a beat, all surrounding Farrar's guitar in his signature melange of folk, country, blues and ballad pop.
Tucson Weekly |
Linda Ray |
07-08-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Wilco's Latest is Soulful and Gorgeousnew
Full of radiance and subtleties, Wilco (The Album) is an ambitious yet confident record from a band at its peak, an 11-song odyssey that trades skillfully between tension and elation.
Tucson Weekly |
Eric Swedlund |
07-02-2009 |
Reviews
The Church's New Album is an Indistinct Effortnew
Although Untitled #23 contains a couple of marvelous tracks and has received glowing reviews, it's mostly a return to the cluttered, swirling, noncommercial sound that The Church has long specialized in.
Tucson Weekly |
Jarret Keene |
07-02-2009 |
Reviews
Atlanta's The Coathangers Simply Want to Dress Up Like Themselvesnew
For the four girls in the Coathangers, starting a band wasn't about paying homage to any sort of musical deity, nor was it about some kind of artistic/musical vision. It was just about doing something with friends that sounded fun.
Tucson Weekly |
Annie Holub |
07-02-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Heaven and Hell Moves Into Mainstream Territorynew
Due to legal wrangling, a Ronnie James Dio-fronted Sabbath has to work under the name Heaven and Hell--which is exactly what the band delivers: awesomely heavy riffs (heaven), with all of them sounding similar (hell).
Tucson Weekly |
Jarret Keene |
06-25-2009 |
Reviews
Art Brut's Latest Is an Ode to Youthful Nostalgianew
Art Brut vs. Satan is an album not only worthy of praise, but demanding of it.
Tucson Weekly |
Michael Petitti |
06-25-2009 |
Reviews
Metric's Fourth Album Has Vitality and Charmnew
Built around guitar and keyboard riffs, Fantasies is densely layered, at times frantic and moody, but always with a bright, new-wave sheen.
Tucson Weekly |
Eric Swedlund |
06-25-2009 |
Reviews
Arizonan Bandstand: Sergio Mendoza y la Orkestanew
Sergio Mendoza y la Orkesta, a Latin-jazz big band now just reaching the age of six months, has already grown to become an increasingly popular draw in Tucson nightclubs and around the Southwest.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
06-25-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Eels' Latest Brings a Fresh Perspectivenew
Hombre Lobo cuts its way out of painful heartache with lean guitar riffs, punchy lyrics and unbridled howls of pure, angry longing.
Tucson Weekly |
Sarah Jacoby |
06-17-2009 |
Reviews
St. Vincent's Hypnotic Second Album is a Rewarding Listennew
Actor is uniquely modern; noticeably heard are its combined influences of the genteel folk of Fairport Convention, the aural destructiveness of Sonic Youth, and the operatic gloss of movie scores (Disney in particular).
Tucson Weekly |
Michael Petitti |
06-17-2009 |
Reviews
The Horse's Ha's Latest Brings Comfortable Compatibilitynew
Janet Beveridge Bean found her own voice in her 2003 Dragging Wonder Lake; her fans have eagerly awaited a follow-up -- and Cathmawr Yards almost counts.
Tucson Weekly |
Linda Ray |
06-17-2009 |
Reviews
The Occidental Brothers Share Their Love of West African Musicnew
To say the Occidental Brothers Dance Band International plays African music is accurate, but rather vague. Considering that Africa is the world's second-largest continent and contains dozens of countries and countless musical styles, that's a broad generalization.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
06-17-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Conor Oberst's Latest Is Unfocused and Bloatednew
Conor Oberst is chasing a new muse, and while he and his Mystic Valley Band find some success along the way, Outer South mostly plays against his strengths.
Tucson Weekly |
Eric Swedlund |
06-11-2009 |
Reviews
Leonard Cohen Is a Balladeer for the End Timesnew
Leonard Cohen's new two-disc set, recorded in London in 2008 with a nine-member band, sounds as beautifully apocalyptic as anything he's ever done.
Tucson Weekly |
Jarret Keene |
06-11-2009 |
Reviews
Bela Fleck Honors the Banjo's African Originsnew
Ever since banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck discovered many years ago that his instrument has origins in Africa, he has longed to make an album of traditional African folk music.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
06-11-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
