»Album Reviews For Release Date: 12.07.11
by Joshua Krage

Black Keys produced by Danger Mouse with more of a Brothers sound. ’Nuff said. But there’s more too:

Ole Ask
Anton Barbeau

The Black Keys, El Camino – it’s best-of-both-worlds time, people. The Black Keys’ last album, Brothers, was a soulful, self-produced slice of stripped-back rhythm & blues-infused rock & roll. Their previous effort (2008’s Attack and Release) was a mystic genre-bender that meandered through the swamp with Danger Mouse at the helm. This album they keep their Brothers ethic and focus but bring Danger Mouse back to distort the edges in glorious psychedelic fashion. All but one song stay under four minutes, and it’s all muscle– Patrick’s drums thunder and roll, Dan’s guitar sears and swells, the vox are raw and reverb’d… even Danger Mouse’s swirling organs and production flourishes feel more focused this time around, keeping each track thick and meaty rather than oversaturated and runny. Overall not quite as lean and it’ll take time to see if as many of these tunes have the staying power of some of Brothers’ big numbers, but at first listen it’s a welcome expansion and a solid set in its own right.

Chevelle
Elvis Costello – huuuge box set
The Cure – live
Neil Diamond – best of
The Fall

Dia Frampton, Red – impossible for me to do an objective review of this, Dia (from Meg & Dia) Frampton’s first solo album, as I’m a Meg & Dia fan and she’s just adorable. Very different styles of music here than on Meg & Dia records, less emo-rock and more poppy (as expected), and if you became a fan from her appearances on NBC’s The Voice, you’ll enjoy the variety, and the high-power guest spots from Kid Cudi and Voice coach Blake Shelton.

Korn
Adam Lambert
Little Axe
Loka
The Maine
Paul McCartney
Merzbow
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Los Muppets
OST – Glee vol 7
OST – New Year’s Eve
Phish – live (surprise!)

The Roots – Undun – their How I Got Over album was on countless best-of lists last year, so expectations are high here, considering much of their “creative time” is competing with arranging for Fallon’s Late Night show. But either they had plenty ideas already in the bag before taking that gig, or they’re monster machines, because this album is chock FULL of high-concept shit. Guest spots from Big K.R.I.T., Bilal, Truck North, Greg Porn (yes that’s his name) and more add top-shelf variety, but it’s Black Thought’s lyrical wizardry and the band’s next-level interplay and mastery of groove that take center stage, transitioning from funk to gospel to laid-back soul and more with ease. The songs even tie together for a loosely-connected narrative concept album (the life of an inner-city construct named Redford Stephens), whose info can be further revealed with an accompanying app (!). Repeated listens will be needed, but in concept, this album is strikingly well-executed and the grooves can’t be denied.

Robin Thicke
T-Pain
VA – Now That’s What I Call Disney

Amy Winehouse, Lioness: Hidden Treasures – while basically a “leftovers” collection of unreleased material– some of which she was working on at the moment of her untimely demise and some of which were shelved product from previous sessions– the point of this collection is that it’s Amy Winehouse songs you haven’t heard, and she makes everything she sings her own. A few new compositions add original flavor here, but ace production from Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson makes every track an interesting journey, and Winehouse’s voice just lights up everything it tackles, from a questionable Tony Bennett duet to a heart-rending take on Carole King’s “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.” Not too strong as a standalone album, but in context, a bona fide treasure chest from a vocal talent that will be sorely missed.

Next week that We Bought a Zoo movie gets a soundtrack from Jonsí out of Sigur Ros (who are working on a 2012 LP)! Huzzah.

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To view past reviews, visit our archives.

»Album Reviews For Release Date: 10.11.11
by Joshua Krage

Ryan Adams – Ashes and Fire
Lauren Alaina
Scott H Biram
Andrew Bird – Norman OST

Bjork – Biophilia – listening to this album, I’m reminded of the world of Frank Herbert’s Dune, where society evolved to the point of rebelling against machines and progressing past them, incorporating technology into a new era of naturalism of sorts. This album in entirety is the equivalent of a naturopathic shaman with a bionic arm, ebbing and flowing woozily in ultra-organic fashion, only revealing its advanced technological underpinnings three tracks in (check the four-minute mark of “Crystalline” for a brain-asploding electro-breakbeat outro. Wow). But for all the serene minimalism and naturalism of the music, the real treasure in this work is the overall scope and iPad app development– the album is meant to be a “unique multimedia exploration of the universe and its physical forces – particularly those where music, nature, and technology meet” [cited site]. In this, it definitely succeeds, with each song itself having its own connected iPad app, developed in conjunction with myriad scientists, artists, instrument makers, writers, and other creatives in order to not only explore these relationships, but to create gateways for the listener to dive in and interact with different elements of them. Some apps are interactive sequences; one is a platform to create and record new sequences; some are new instruments or music construction and manipulation devices, and so on. Thus, while the music is relatively enjoyable as well– if somewhat reserved on the beat front (definitely a change from her Timbaland collab)– overall it’s a project difficult to appreciate in scope, but absolutely ingenious in execution.

James Blake – Enough Thunder EP – this Brit’s take on dubstep is pretty downtempo to begin with, so this EP is uniformly mellow, with Blake’s Jeff Buckley falsetto wafted on the breeze by extremely minimalist beats and ambience. Very pretty, late-night postclub fare.

Casiokids, Aabenbaringen Over Aaskammen – second full-length of gloriously danceable and midi-compatible keyboard blippage from Norwegian quartet, full of life and repurposed ’80s bliss.
Charred Walls
Damned
Leonard Cohen – box set
Crooked Fingers
Dean & Britta
Electric Six
Evanescence
Piers Faccini
Fishbone
Five Finger Death Punch
Ben Folds – best of
Future Islands

Peter Gabriel – New Blood – hand-selected set of his own songs performed with new, rather grand orchestral arrangements. Usually this kind of move is a re-tread; here it’s glorious and imaginative. Check his minimal, ambient re-work of “Don’t Give Up,” with Norway’s Ane Brun replacing Kate Bush’s serene pillar with her own brand of fragile resolve. Decent job here.

Graffiti6 – Free EP – incomparably soulful UK transplants who’ve been lighting up American clubs and TV screens with their self-described “psychedelic Northern soul” which draws Verve comparisons with deliberation. Frontman Jamie Scott’s ascendent tenor is electrifying, and their songs definitely bring the passion. Most of these tracks are “stripped” acoustic affairs but luckily they don’t skimp on the amazing harmony vox, elevating these performances to intoxicating levels.

John W Harding

Mayer Hawthorne – How Do You Do – unlikely retro-soul hero delivers second album with vintage feel, even more finely-honed voice and a full-on guest singing spot from Snoop Dogg. Srsly. Attention to production detail here is strong as ever, definitely maintaining the old-school Motown-era vibe.

Joe Henry
Jesu
Joey & Rory Xmas
Joe Jonas
Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers
Kids Bop Xmas
Ben Lee
Mannheim Steamroller – Xmas
Martina McBride
Murs
Nous Non Plus
Parlor Mob (free song on iTunes this week)
Penguin Prison – cool name, right?
Puscifer
Radiohead – King of Limbs remixes, also a free song on iTunes this week
The Ready Set
The Rifles
Rich Robinson
Rise to Remain
Shatner
Skeletonwitch
Britney Spears – remixes vol 2
Still Corners
Patrick Stump (FallOut Boy frontman’s solo “soul” album)
Teenage Fanclub
Third Day
Yann Tiersen
VA – Lost Highway 10th Anniversary
VA – ZZ Top tribute
Nat / Alex Wolff

Rachael Yamagata – Chesapeake – long-awaited third album from heady, heart-breaking songstress and piano balladeer, striking out in some lush sonic territory with big bonus strings and reuniting with producer John Alagia (her debut LP’s producer). They really outdo themselves with the flourishes here, such a gorgeously-arranged album.

That’ll last you, right? Break out those gift cards, Xmas is right around your corner/aisle.

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To view past reviews, visit our archives.

»Album Reviews For Release Date: 10.04.11
by Joshua Krage

DJ Shadow – The Less You Know
Erasure

Feist – Metals – Feist recordings are to other music what a homegrown, hand-prepared organic meal is to fast food– everything is richer, more vivid, prepared with exceptional skill and attention to detail. Leslie Feist has taken her sweet time with these tracks (four years) and whether or not she was preparing all of the songs the whole time, the payoff is worth it with a lovingly-arranged set of variety and passion. Expectations are understandably high (2007’s The Reminder was an all-around tour de force), and it’s too early to say whether this album matches her last, but the uncluttered, organic production and her amazingly cathartic voice are definitely back in full form. This work is gonna need time to be appreciated fully, but at first listen I’m enjoying this as much as I have her previous works, and that is immense.

Indigo Girls
Jack’s Mannequin
Lights – Siberia
Scott McCreery (AmIdol winner)

Modeselektor – Monkeytown – basically acerbic beat geniuses, enough to not only to win fandom from Thom Yorke but to also get him on a couple tracks here, alongside the likes of Antipop Consortium, Busdriver and more

Mute Math – Odd Soul – third album from frenetic Louisiana firebrands, still not quite equaling their debut overall but bringing incredible beatsmanship from drummer Darren King and some incendiary vocals from frontman/key-pounder Paul Meany. And their live show is still all fifth-gear mescaline, not to be equaled.

We Were Promised Jetpacks – In the Pit of the Stomach – strong second set from Scottish indie janglers, full of brogue and bounce, out on FatCat Records.
Scott Weiland, Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Hope that’s enough to fill your ears this week. Back with more in 168 hours or so.

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To view past reviews, visit our archives.

»Album Reviews For Release Date: 09.06.11
by Joshua Krage

Less wordage this week, mostly because next week is… well, it’s huge. I won’t get into it. But this week has some bright spots. Here they are:

AM / Shawn Lee, Celestial Electric – everything Shawn Lee touches turns to multi-instrumental gold and this collaboration with melodic LA singer/songwriter AM yields a distinctly coastal flavor of that gold. I’ve been following AM since the MySpace era, and his smooth, breezy voice and songs are a perfect fit for the shades of Laurel and Malibu Canyons that UK super-producer Lee brings to these recordings, channeling the psychedelic beach bonfires of the late ’60s and early ’70s to the point where you can feel the sea breeze as the sun sets over the waves somewhere in the background. Feeling almost effortless in their ability to blend, this collab is quite a yield from two distinctly able artists.

Lindsey Buckingham
Hank III

The Horrible Crowes, Elsie – side project from the Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon, who fills this album with the same workingman’s rock ethic he gives to his day job but dials down the intensity a bit to let the words breathe. Blue collar cred is scored by giving GLA guitar tech Ian Perkins the guitar & bass slot on these recordings.

HTRK – Work (Work, Work) – pronounced “HateRock,” surprisingly sparse and spartan electronic dance-rock, out on the Ghostly, Intl. label.

Grace Jones

Hugh Laurie, Let Them Talk – solid chunk of blues from TV’s Dr. House, who often displays his musical prowess in episodes of his show. The British savant pretty much sticks to traditional downhome piano-based slices of the old South (Jelly Roll Morton and JB Lenoir are touchstones) and only lets his accent show in the extreme corners of his scruffy tenor. Produced with unadorned expertise by Joe Henry.

OST – True Blood vol. 3 – great collection of sinister ambient cuts, really well-suited to the subject matter of the show in all its rather unique shades. Featuring killer re-working of the Zombies’ “She’s Not There” by Nick Cave & Neko Case, alongside PJ Harvey, The Heavy, Cary Ann Hearst, and many, many others, and of course, Jace Everett’s swampy show-opener “Bad Things.” Every track here slays, and yes, I say that ironically.

Peter Wolf Crier
The Rapture
Samiam
Saviours
George Strait
Throwing Muses – Anthology

TV On the Radio, World Cafe Live – five-song set from the NY art-dance savants, recorded at NPR studios just after bassist Gerard Smith’s passing but full of life and funk.

So yeah, next week… um, let’s just say all the music reviewers will have their hands full. This is the big indie push to get everything out before summer officially ends and the retailers and labels start thinking “Holiday!!” So get ready to invest. Meanwhile, enjoy what you find here, and see you next week.

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To view past reviews, visit our archives.

»Album Reviews For Release Date: 08.02.11
by Joshua Krage

Not a lot I feel like writing about this week, but a couple decent surprises, especially the voice on that kid who stole Gaga’s piano’d “Paparazzi” song. Read on…

Trace Adkins
Arcade Fire – The Suburbs deluxe ed
Archers of Loaf
Rick Braun
Richard Buckner
Butcherettes

Greyson Chance, Hold On ‘Til the Night – the piano kid who covered Gaga’s acoustic “Paparazzi” cover and got on Ellen. His voice is actually amazing, and since Interscope Records is behind him some of these songs are decent pop tunes.

Dir en Grey
Drive-By Truckers – best of

The Ettes, Wicked Will – garage-rocking, female-fronted (and bassed) trio who waste no time going for the grease and the grime on this fourth LP. Kind of like Vivian Girls from Detroit, but they’re New Yorkers from LA living in Nashville, the drummer’s a dude, and the scuzz on the edges actually belongs there. It’s 14 tracks in just over 30 minutes, no filler and all killer.

Fountains of Wayne
Fruitbats
John Hiatt

Mat Kearney, Young Love – with his third album, this well-chilled pop singer/songwriter finally gets the right mix of pop, hip-hop, and adult contemporary styles, striking the perfect balance between Jason Mraz and Coldplay. Better production than the last LP as well, accentuating the ample beats and lush keyboard textures shimmering in the background. Kearney wisely brings back the rap verses, just in time to remain relevant.

Keb Mo
Manraze (feat. Def Leppard’s Phil Collen)

Mariachi El Bronx/The Bronx, Mariachi El Bronx – fourth LP of their discography and second album spawned from the genius side-project of Brooklyn’s The Bronx, an ace punk band which decided to do something, erm, different. Result: authentic mariachi and norteño sounds with full horns and strings, sung and performed by a New York hardcore punk band. I’ll say it again: geniusNekromantix.

O.A.R.
OST – Phineas & Ferb 2
OST – The Voice (highlights)
Ximena Sariñana Rivera
Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Summer is a slow release season, evidently, but that’s fine by me since I’m all up in this huge treasure trove of bands I’ll be seeing in a couple weeks at Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco: Little Dragon, tUnE-yArDs, The Joy Formidable, The Vaccines, Deadmau5, not to mention big names like Arcade Fire, Muse, The Shins and more. I’m pumped.

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To view past reviews, visit our archives.

»Album Reviews For Release Date: 02.15.11
by Joshua Krage

Damn this week is fulfilling. Lots of shoegaze stuff of all shapes and sizes, some new Shawn Lee funk, Bright Eyes picking up the electric guitar the right way, and even a bunch of elephants making music. Great stuff.

Asobi Seksu, Flourescence – Mostly gone is the sound which drew me into these kids, the innocent angel tones of singer Yuki Chikudate hovering over huge, shimmering shoegaze guitar textures. Blessedly stepping away from the acoustic direction of their last couple efforts, the new textures here are mostly ’80s/’90s keyboards and synths, which get a hot beat injection from some solid drum dynamics and epic pacing. Much better than their recent efforts, but different overall– some good, some not so good.

Justin Bieber – remix

Bright Eyes, The People’s Key – Revving it up a bit from his Mystic Valley Band roots-rock, this album is probably the most concise modern rock record Conor Oberst has released. Less lyrically cohesive than some other albums, Oberst drifts a bit through some spirituality, but doesn’t couch his narratives in history-sized bombast, keeping it low-key and more broadly palatable throughout.

Bullet For My Valentine
Hayes Carll
Chixdiggit!
Stacy Clark
Cowboy Junkies
The Dears
Tina Dico
Dom

Drive-By Truckers, Go-Go Boots – One of the best working-man’s rock bands in business lays it back a bit and breaks out some acoustics alongside their requisite southern grooves and slide guitars. Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood’s slightly slack-jawed narratives still tell stories, equal parts inspiring and incriminating, with vocalist Shonna Tucker stepping into the spotlight on one track as well. Less hard-edged but still strong with the songwriting and the pocket rock grooves.

East River Pipe
Eddie Spaghetti
Elephant Man
Tommy Emmanuel
The Famine
The Forms

Gay For Johnny Depp, What Doesn’t Kill You, Eventually Kills You – Haven’t even heard their music, just love that name and album title. Sure to sell lots of records to old 21 Jump Street fans…

Ginuwine
PJ Harvey

Hillsong United, Aftermath – One of the few bands that consistently give me hope for contemporary Christian music, using modern rock production and guitar textures, top-level musicianship, lyrically complex songwriting (far too rare in the faith-based realm) and a variety of singers and songwriters to make their live-recorded albums excellent, time and time again.

Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra, World of Funk – England’s Shawn Lee is already the funkiest of deep-funk junkies, so when he puts the word in the title, expect the bar to be raised. However, the operative word in this title is “world,” with Lee employing a wide variety of globe-spanning instrumentation across the album. Steel drums, sitars, castanets, balaphones and more pepper these groove-heavy tracks with a unique layer of culture. Bonus guest-spots from keyboard spinster Clutchy Hopkins, Mid-East vocal phenom Natacha Atlas, and Dengue Fever vocalist Chhom Nimol among others.

Lemmy – DVD

Mogwai, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will – Scottish post-rockers get back with their Young Team producer for more post-rock wizardry. Not much new on this one, still lots of droning guitars and some teeth here.

Mr. Big
The 1900s
OST – Pretty Little Liars

Radiohead, The King of Limbs – If you haven’t heard, the UK kings of frigid, alternative nonchalance are dropping their new album digitally this Friday (2/18/11, or 18/2/11 across the pond). Get your copy at thekingoflimbs.com.

Rev Theory
Runner Runner
Stockholm Syndrome

Telekinesis, 12 Desperate Straight Lines – LP #2 from Seattle-based indie tunesmith Miles Benjamin Lerner, produced by Death Cab’s Chris Walla. Some serious guitar muscle and dance-ready beats lurking here, but mostly Lerner’s heart-addled reverb coos the story along with a bouncing tempo.

Thai Elephant Orchestra, Water Music – Exactly like it sounds, this is music scientist David Soldier providing a group of Thailand elephants with different rhythmic instruments and recording the results. It’s more melodic than you’d imagine; elephants are smart, creative creatures. Not really Top 40 material but fascinating, nonetheless.

Shugo Tokumaru, Port Entrophy – Eclectic and playful Japanese savant keeps it indie and wide-eyed with the optimistic melodies.

The Twilight Singers, Dynamite Steps – Shadowy rock statesman Greg Dulli pulls in a tasty grip of talented help for this fifth LP under the Twilight Singers moniker. Turns from Ani DiFranco, Carina Round, Joseph Arthur, Petra Haden, fellow Gutter Twin Mark Lanegan and more help to add color to these dark, atmospheric odes, driven by Dulli’s gravelly Nick Cave tenor and a slight sense of despair just beneath the surface.

Yuck, Yuck – Dumb name, but awesome and enthralling uptempo shoegaze with guitars to spare, appropriately so for a band of young kids whose primary songwriters are guitarists with plenty of atmosphere. Like a teenage J Mascis fronting Mogwai or My Bloody Valentine.

Zoey Van Goey, Propeller Versus Wings – This sounds a lot like Zooey Deschanel’s band from that Yes, Man movie, only more light-hearted (no “whore no more” songs) and more electronic. Pretty upbeat and springy, and with songtitles like “You Told the Drunks I Knew Karate” and “Robot Tyrannosaur,” you can be assured they don’t take themselves too seriously.

Haven’t heard the new Radiohead yet, but that Shawn Lee is tasty, and the guest spots are major league on the world spectrum. Even the elephants made good music this week.

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To view past reviews, visit our archives.

»Album Reviews For Release Date: 10.26.10 – 11.02.10
by Joshua Krage

If you didn’t know, my day job is TV news & programming. This is election season. Thus, these last 2 weeks are truncated into this one post and not reviewed much on account of all time evaporating into the vast, shady world of politics and political news coverage. My apologies, but you’ll still find plenty of excellent artists below. Check it out:

10/26:

Andrew Bird – Useless Creatures
Avey Tare – Down There
Michael Buble – Hollywood EP
Ray Charles – previously undiscovered tracks, including a recently-discovered track with Johnny Cash!
Juliette Commagere
Daath
The Derailers – live
Joe Diffie
Easy Star All-Stars
Elizabeth and the Catapult – The Other Side of Zero
Mike Farris
Bryan Ferry – Olympia
Nelly Furtado – Mi Plan
Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger – Acoustic Sessions – new project from Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl
Ghostland Observatory
Buddy Guy
hed (pe)
Ill Nino
K. C. Accidental – Captured Anthems for an Empty Bathtub / Anthems for the Could’ve Bin Pills
King’s X – live
Lyrics Born
Monster Magnet
Juice Newton
OST – Jackass 3D
OST – Treme
Overkill
Prefab Sprout
R.E.M. – live from Austin, TX
Kermit Ruffins
Mark Salling – Pipe Dreams
Shadows Fall – live from Manila
Swedish House Mafia
Taylor Swift
Telekinesis – Parallel Conspiracies
Twista
Twisted Sister – live
The War On Drugs
Warpaint
Keller Williams
Wolf and Cub

11/2:

The 1900s
Afrocubism
Jason Aldean
The Autumn Defense
Black Dub
Bleu
Mariah Carey – Xmas
Paul Carrack
Phil Collins – live
Elvis Costello
Neil Diamond – Dreams – covers & 1 new song
Diplo
Brian Eno – Small Craft
Escape the Fate
Good Charlotte
INXS
Huey Lewis – soul covers
Steve Lukather
Matt & Kim – Sidewalks
Paul McCartney – Band on the Run remastered
Mini Mansions
N.E.R.D.
Neville Brothers – live bootleg
OST – 30 Rock
Brad Paisley – live
Pitbull
Slayer – live
Elliot Smith
Weezer – Pinkerton Deluxe, rarities comp Death to False Metal feat. 10 unreleased tracks, one of which is a full-on cover of Toni Braxton’s “Unbreak My Heart.” For realz

I’ll be back next week with a Christmas Tuneage taster, since we already have 3 top contenders for best non-traditional holiday album in the running.

»Album Reviews For Release Date: 10.05.10
by Joshua Krage

I’m still on vacay, bitches, but I love new music too much to put it down for a week. This is a shorter week, and the Christmas/holiday releases are starting in full force. Get your fill, find your thrill, drop your bills and take your pills, this batch is brewed to spill all through your gills.

David Archuleta
David Arkenstone – Xmas
Athlete – best of
Avett Brothers – Live vol 3 CD/DVD (when did they get so popular? Good job, pop culture!)
Martina T Bird
Bruno Mars
Chiodos
Clinic
Dark Dark Dark
Faith Evans
Finger Eleven
Fistful of Mercy
Donovan Frankenreiter
Guster
Fran Healy (Travis frontman)

Jars of Clay, The Shelter – CCM alt/rock vets still making some of the best concept-driven music of their careers.

Alain Johannes, Spark – this guy has been behind some of the best rock music of the past two decades, ably aiding in projects like Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal, Them Crooked Vultures, Desert Sessions (anything Josh Homme-related, really), No Doubt, Chris Cornell and more, and, with his late wife Natasha Shneider, made reliably edgy albums in under-noticed alt. group Eleven, and his skills both behind the production boards and on his six string are undeniable. This solo project is acoustic-based but by no means mellow– rather these eight tracks are shadowy and startlingly dynamic with inventive percussion and lush slide and atmospheric guitar layers creeping in from all sides. Most surprising is Johannes’ reedy, rather capable tenor, delivering brash urgency and raw emotion as ably as any of the A-list artists he has backed. A satisfying surprise and hopefully not his last foray into the spotlight.

Phil Keaggy – Xmas
Toby Keith
Kidz Bop – Xmas
John Lennon – 70th Birthday remasters
Raul Malo
Emily Osment
OST – Life As We Know It
Point of Grace – Xmas

Puppini Sisters, Christmas with the Puppini Sisters – anything this modern-day classic vocal group touches immediately overflows with moxy, and these holiday classics such as “Here Comes Santa Claus” and “White Christmas” are filled with old-timey Andrews Sisters flavor, while they mold modern-day fare like Wham’s “Last Christmas” and Elton John’s “Step Into Christmas” into their delightful, candy-cane-coated style, all three-part harmonies and pin-up sass.

Joe Satriani, Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards – new batch of barn burners from the current Chickenfoot axeman and master of the instrumental shredfest.

Brian Setzer – Xmas

Marnie Stern, Marnie Stern – triumphant third LP out on Kill Rock Stars from a genre-busting and fret-shredding singer/guitarist who is the most unlikely guitar hero you could ever imagine. Epic/impossible metalfests and strange, cerebral imagery get blasted through the speakers like a Warhol painting through a meat grinder, and Stern’s high banshee wail kicks the psychedelia up to 11. Verrry interesting, and a true delight for guitar fans.

Take 6 – Xmas
33Miles

Tricky, Mixed Race – the foundationeer of trip-hop gets less atmospheric and more gangsta on this new LP, shortening up the tracks for a sharper punch and getting ace help from Rachid Taha beatsman Hakim Hamadouche and Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie. Less chill, more kill, all mad decent.

Corin Tucker Band, 1000 Years – after a few low-key in-between years raising some kids, the poster-woman for Zep-sized indie-grrl intensity returns with a rhythm section capable of handling her huge walls of guitar and crowd-destroying wail.

KT Tunstall, Tiger Suit – this Scottish songstress left most of the lo-fi acoustic sound behind her on her last LP, but luckily she has not succumbed an inch towards mainstream, watered-down popster filler, and most all of these new tracks bristle with hill-sized adventuring, taking strange and unexpected routes through their arrangements and subject matter. Great surprise from an artist who, by the rules, should’ve played it a lot safer this go-round, but didn’t and made a much better record for it.

Twista
Waka Flocka Flame
Matthew West

Great shill for your grill. OK, enough rhyming. This music is all over the map and gloriously speckled with unexpected bonuses. I hope you have as much fun hearing it as I did writing about it– more, even!

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To view past reviews, visit our archives.

»Album Reviews For Release Date: 09.28.10
by Joshua Krage

The last week of September is traditionally packed with random releases while record companies far and wide purge their fringe rosters in preparation for big holiday-time launches from major artists and Christmas albums. So this week’s list is rather large, but surprisingly lacking in big news. Plenty of choice tuneage in the trenches, though, so read on and find something tasty:

Abe Vigoda
Aloe Blacc
Bad Religion
Luka Bloom
Lincoln Brewster
The Brother Kite
Kasey Chambers
Kenny Chesney

Eric Clapton – Clapton – coming off a few years of triumphantly revisiting elements of his illustrious career in artistically and commercially viable form, this album of new compositions is full and leisurely, implying full artistic motivation instead of commercial consideration. Laid-back but smoldering blues numbers abound, and ol’ Slowhand gets guest help from a varied roster including Wynton Marsalis, Sheryl Crow, Allen Toussaint, Derek Trucks, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band & more. A meaty helping of classic-image blues and rhythm & blues, with top-shelf performances on every track all-around.

Phil Collins – Going Back – take a look at him now. This is PC covering the classic songs which started him in the direction of a burgeoning rock legend, mostly from the Motown camp of the likes of Holland/Dozier/Holland, Stevie Wonder and Carole King. Serious attention is paid to the original groove of these compositions, with Collins going so far as to find three of the original Funk Brothers to back him up and lend fidelity to the source material. The result is a true vintage sound, basically almost amounting to Phil Collins singing Motown karaoke, so ultimately if you’re a fan of both these songs and PC’s voice, this album will be a big win for you.

Alice Cooper – live 2009 at Hammersmith
Deerhunter
Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca Deluxe ed.
Doobie Brothers
The 88
Ben Folds / Nick Hornby
Peter Gabriel – reissues
Gin Blossoms
Gucci Mane
Buddy Guy
Halford
Jesse Harris
Ice Cube
Jeremih

Jimmy Eat World – Invented – new long-player from invariably older and wiser group of modern emo statesmen. A bit less anthemic and more introspective, the Arizona forefathers of the teenage pop sound of the ’00s have definitely grown up a bit, but Jim Adkins’ voice is in top form and still asking the yearning questions of a generation (that generation being now out of high school and working for a living). String arrangements pop up here and there and more ballads dot the landscape– this album is about at pace with the menial age of their core audience, who has grown up and through a lot of the same struggles and landed at the same metaphorical crossroads Adkins addresses on many of these songs. It’s both a comfort and a conundrum, but the issue is addressed with enough guitars to make the pondering enjoyable.

Juke Kartel
James LaBrie (vocalist from Dream Theater)
Lecrae
Lil’ Boosie
Los Lonely Boys – acoustic
Nellie McKay
Liza Minelli
Mushroomhead
Mute Math – Armistice live
Neon Indian
No Age
OMD

Steven Page – Page One – incomparable primary voice of the BareNaked Ladies for two decades, this is the official solo debut of the “newly single” Steven Page, and if you’re familiar with BNL’s propensity for big pop hooks, you’ll feel right at home on this album. Mercifully absent are any of his former band’s obnoxious rhyme-fest mini-raps and the huge melodies crop up at every turn. Decent debut from a voice in top form.

Owen Pallett
The Posies

Powerglove – Saturday Morning Apocalypse – glorious, glorious heavy metal instrumental renderings of some of the best Saturday morning cartoons of the last four decades, bringing serious crunch to themes from the Flintstones, X-Men, Batman, the Simpsons and many more. Very “Trans-Siberian Orchestra”-esque. Bonus props for making the obvious but oft-overlooked connection between Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King” and the theme from Inspector Gadget.

Joshua Radin – The Rock and The Tide – still feels weird to hear Radin’s soft, poetic tenor with drums behind it, but ultimately this third proper album is founded on strong, melodic, and personal songwriting, and each well-crafted composition is expertly and emotively conveyed by a voice which is still singularly unique in the modern pop landscape. Expect to hear more of these songs on major-network dramas very, very soon.

Marc Ribot

Mark Ronson – Record Collection – superstar DJ’s 2007 release Version was one of my favorite LPs that year and that was mostly random DJ re-interpretations of pop hits with A-list vocalists thrown in for big-name appeal. This go-round the bar is raised to the tenth floor by keeping a consistent group of collaborators on retainer for most of the tracks (credited as “The Business Int’l”, and including Boy George, Phantom Planet’s Alex Greenwald, abstract poet Q-Tip, MNDR’s Amanda Warner and more). All either original compositions or ace DJ sound-collages (with generous amount of David Axelrod sound-foundation, making Q-Tip’s presence even more appropriate), these tracks have less the feel of a superstar side-project and more the air of a complete work by a fully-formed collective, riffing off each other and inspiring greater heights with every note/word/flourish. Even the inevitable big-name guest vocalists like Simon LeBon or soul recluse D’Angelo’s contributions come off more like parts of a greater whole than tacked-on celebrity muscle-flexing. Great overall work, and great followup to the promise Ronson has been displaying since his debut as producer/artist so many years back.

Rush – 2112/Moving Pictures DVD reissue

Seal- 6: Commitment – wisely following up his last collection of soul covers with an LP of original compositions hearkening to the sound which defined his place in the sonic spectrum, Seal’s Commitment is to his warm, soul-irradiated pop sound, stepping back from the cold club-sheen of previous LP System and towards the warm sound of his early albums. Longtime fans will be satisfied, and anyone who came on board for the soul covers will find these originals warmly gratifying.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band – live
Slipknot

Soundgarden – Telephantasm (best of) – like their “A-Sides” collection released back when they broke up, this is a best-of set with a new track thrown in, appropriately assembled for their mostly-anticipated reunion shows. For me, it still all comes down to two words: “Man” and “Spoon”, not in that order. FEEL THE RHYTHM WITH YOUR HAAAAAANND!!!

Adam H Stephens
Spock’s Beard
David Sylvian
Three Mile Pilot
Tom Tom Club
UNKLE
VA – Matador at 21 (very large box set)
Tony Joe White
Widespread Panic – live

Ronnie Wood – I Feel Like Playing – stalwart Stones six-stringer pulls in aces like Flea, Slash, Eddie Vedder, Kris Kristofferson, and Billy Gibbons for an uplifting outing into territory to which he is mightily accustomed – good times with good friends. This record has some vintage tones all over, both in the playing and in Ronnie’s well-worn vox, and each track has a vibe like a big wide grin.

Yaz – live
Dwight Yoakam
Pete Yorn
Young Jeezy

Neil Young – Le Noise – an odd and fascinating juxtaposition. It’s acoustic-style composition performed mostly on unaccompanied, fuzzed-out electric guitar, a mix that might not work for any other artist other than Neil Young, who is accustomed to ping-ponging between lonely solo acoustic outings and full-blown arena-destroying rock band mayhem. Anyone familiar with his soundtrack for Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man film will find familiar sonic territory here, with vocals this time around!

All right suckas, I’m going on vacation. Next week is mostly devoid of noteworthy releases anyway, so if I have anything at all it won’t be much. Peace!

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To view past reviews, visit our archives.

»Album Reviews For Release Date: 09.21.10
by Joshua Krage

Having a real job is hard work, don’t let anyone mislead you otherwise. Thankfully I have many rewarding diversions to help me unwind after my “paying” job gets too stressful. Here’s my take on this week’s diversions:

Marc Antoine
Natacha Atlas
Zac Brown Band
Paula Cole
Matt Costa
Billy Currington
Michael Franti
Selena Gomez
Randy Houser
Imagination Movers

John Legend & The Roots – Wake Up! – John Legend has proven his worth as a neo-soul singer/songwriter and The Roots have proven they can pretty much get down on any joint they please (both through their albums and as Jimmy Fallon’s house band), so you know this album will be some degree of legit. The result of this collab is some solid, dynamite soul songs re-rendered through a modern lens, with a deliberate message threaded throughout. Legend’s voice handles less than obvious classics like Donny Hathaway’s “Little Ghetto Boy” and Roberta Flack’s “Compared to What.” The band apply their seasoned chops with admirable restraint and end up with a sepia-toned sound that is well-suited to the socially-conscious subject matter, reaching and achieving the sound some four decades old and re-upping its message for a new generation.

Mac Dre – still puttin’ out albums from da grave. Thizz iz it!

Mackintosh Braun – Where We Are – Starts with a deceptively simple synth-dance sound, akin to Daft Punk or Dirty Vegas, but this Portland duo are doing something similar to what another relatively recent favorite of mine, Midnight Juggernauts, are doing: making danceable indie music that’s dense and melodically diverse with swirling layers of fuzz and majestic guitars floating in and out of the atmosphere.

Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s

Maroon 5 – Hands All Over – This band definitely has a certain sound (that of beds shaking and hearts breaking) and this album continues that sound with more hip-moving bedroom soul/funk aplenty. More overtly pop in places, but some more laid-back moments in between all the bump’n'grind, give the LP some depth. With a surprise live cover of Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You,” closes the album with surprise solidarity. Not a bad third album.

Johnny Mathis – Let It Be Me: Mathis in Nashville – Butterscotch-voiced crooner goes country, does well by home on range.

Maximum Balloon – Maximum Balloon – TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek grew the tracks for this side-project out of the influence of mixes made while driving up and down the Golden State. Each cut is delivered with different vocalists ranging from A-listers like Karen O, David Byrne, and TVOTR voxmen Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone, as well as up-and-comers like Holly Miranda, Little Dragon and Aku (from Dragons of Zynth). Plenty of Sitek’s signature city-infused synth work (and of course some songs end up sounding like his day job with different vocalists) is here, but the sunshine of sunny California seeps into the expansiveness of some of these tracks. A great diversion, and meaty production flourishes delight upon repeat listens.

Michael McDonald
Methods of Mayhem

Jane Monheit – Home – Sultry and stunning tenth album from one of the smoothest voices in modern jazz, celebrating standards by the players and composers who influenced her style and produced fully by Jane herself for extra-personal measure.

Opeth

OST – Bored to Death – Since the HBO series stars Jason Schwartzman, you know Coconut Records will represent (and they do, with the theme song, natch) and the rest of the music will be requisite, hipster-approved, eyebrow-raising indie fare (it very much is, natch squared). Decent and mellow amalgam of recent and not-so-recent stuff from the likes of Freelance Whales, Andrew Bird, Young Marble Giants and more. Decent stuff you’ve likely not heard, so give it a spin and find something interesting.

OST – Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps – Score from the new sequel with Michael Douglas and Shia theBeef, mostly composed by David Byrne and Brian Eno (with small additions from Craig Armstrong).

Santana – Guitar Heaven: the Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time – just what it says, but with different A-list vocalists helping every track in true millennial Santana fashion. It’s a transparently commercial and calculated album, but it’s hard to mess up something this easy, and you know at least the guitar will be tasty most of the time. Some of these tracks miss the mark (Chester Bennington’s monster voice tamed down for “Riders On the Storm” is a big let-down), but for the most part, every match-up is incendiary.

Shit Robot – From the Cradle to the Rave – Out on James Murphy’s DFA label (so you know right off it’s dance-friendly), this Irish NY transplant DJ and Murphy collaborator has been weaving his rave/house remix creations in and out of New York’s club scene for the past four years, and this grip of booty-shaking dancefloor fare is a decent amalgamation of post-hipster electro-minimalism, with some appropriately over-the-top club vocals thrown in for effect.

Shontelle
Slum Village
Swans
Serj Tankian

Thievery Corp. – It Takes a Thief – Mmmm, it’s nice to have this brand of trip-dub back on CD store shelves. DJs/producers Rob Garza and Eric Hilton always bring the best chilled-out world beats on which to stack their flavorful late-night dance collages. This group of brand-new cuts is the perfect soundtrack to your next 2 a.m. endeavor (whatever that might be).

Torche – Songs for Singles – Performing as a trio after guitarist Juan Montoya’s departure, the huge, metallic thud of this “indie doom metal” band hasn’t lessened in the slightest. Fewer layers and harmonies on the landscape this go-round, but the unit cranks out these speed-metal sprints with focused, visceral force, and frontman/guitarist Steve Brooks’ guitar playing is possessed of an ominous low-end crunch most metal bands would sacrifice many virgins to obtain.

Sharon Van Etten
Rhonda Vincent

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To view past reviews, visit our archives.