Reviews

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Written by Sarah Boslaugh Monday, 02 May 2011 09:31

I didn't understand one word of it (I think the lyrics are in Punjabi), but I really don't care—the sound by itself is enough to keep me listening.

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Written by Jenn Metzler Monday, 02 May 2011 08:59

Yelle takes those signature elements soaring to a much higher level—one that’s more mature, but upon first listen nowhere near as fun.

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Written by Ashley White Thursday, 28 April 2011 08:30

I initially underestimated her talent based on her punkish appearance, but Jessie J has completely surprised me with her vocals, production, and song composition.

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Written by Alex Schreiber Thursday, 28 April 2011 08:11

With nearly 30 people singing, it’s hard not to believe them that not only will everything be alright; with some effort, it’ll be extraordinary.

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Written by Tony Van Zeyl Wednesday, 20 April 2011 11:14

Here Before is a consistent little postcard from the early ‘80s that sounds a lot like early R.E.M. because early R.E.M. sounded a lot like the Feelies.

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Written by Brett Berliner Wednesday, 20 April 2011 10:06

Angles has been highly anticipated, facing huge expectations—and so the fact that it’s merely solid is slightly disappointing.

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Written by Christopher Sewell Wednesday, 13 April 2011 12:23

Mosshart’s stint in The Dead Weather has rubbed off on her songwriting—this is a record bathed in a much darker light than previous Kills albums.

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Written by Pete Timmermann Wednesday, 13 April 2011 09:18

Not only is it begging to be included on your next road trip playlist, it’s also one of the album’s surest portrayals of Callahan’s resonant lyrics.

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Written by Alex Schreiber Monday, 11 April 2011 21:13

James Blake has put together a unique album full of rollicking rumbles, fuzzy waves, and silent moments that make the former two all the more shattering.

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Written by Ashley White Monday, 11 April 2011 08:32

With an even balance of sexual confidence and emotioal love songs, this album showcases the uniqueness of Brown’s talent.

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Written by Brett Berliner Tuesday, 05 April 2011 16:38

Saigon destroys all expectations by growing into a much more diverse artist, one capable of carrying an album.

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Written by Ashley White Tuesday, 05 April 2011 16:34

She lacks vocal variety and expansion; there’s nothing unique about her songs.

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Written by Mike Rengel Tuesday, 05 April 2011 16:28

It’s easy to imagine Li as the Swedish version of Lisa Bonet in High Fidelity, recently spurned but still on the prowl.

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Written by Jason Neubauer Thursday, 17 March 2011 08:11

They play these songs as though they are brand-new masterpieces of rock ‘n’ roll, with all the excitement and fury that made them great in the first place.

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Written by Ashley White Wednesday, 09 March 2011 21:11

Avril laces the album with a variety of emotions ranging from pain, to excitement, to relief, to finally appreciating and loving yourself through it all.

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Written by Braden Abbott Wednesday, 09 March 2011 11:47

There’s a bit of St. Vincent, some Jenny Lewis, some Kate Bush, yet her voice is a bit wobbly, a bit unsure.

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Written by Nicole Madden Wednesday, 02 March 2011 22:46

One of Gainesville's best known punk bands is all grown up.

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Written by Jenn Metzler Wednesday, 02 March 2011 18:54

While fairly distinguishable from 2010’s Causers of This (and the inauguration of chillwave as yet another sub-sub-sub genre), Underneath the Pine is certainly an album one can “chill” to.

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Written by Jason Neubauer Wednesday, 02 March 2011 18:50

Some of his earliest recordings paint a picture of the soul sickness so instrumental in forming his classic hits.

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Written by Matthew Treon Wednesday, 23 February 2011 16:38

The album is laced with DeVotchKa’s signature Eastern European and Latin flourishes. But 100 Lovers has a greater sonic expansiveness than previous DeVotchKa albums and covers more territory than the band ever has before.

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Written by Jason Green Wednesday, 23 February 2011 16:38

The album finds the band celebrating their twentieth anniversary by returning to more familiar territory, getting in the occasional political dig while concentrating most of their energy on telling stories from the streets of New York City with their patented mix of traditional Irish music and American rock n’ roll.

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Written by Glen Elkins Wednesday, 23 February 2011 16:28

The album, on this song in particular, sounds very much like Beam's recent live performances and creates a sense of "jammy" collaboration that's a logical extension of the previous record.

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Written by Mike Rengel Wednesday, 23 February 2011 16:24

Instead, what Zonoscope recalls most is the engrossing, expansive, longform progressive house and dance pop New Order and Pet Shop Boys ruled the world with in the late '80s.

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Written by Brett Berliner Wednesday, 23 February 2011 16:18

One thing I’ve realized is that it’s incredibly difficult to make music that is stimulating without it requiring complete attention at the same time. Sonic Youth has successfully achieved that here.

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Written by Laura Hamlett Thursday, 17 February 2011 21:39

Ritual reveals a band more self-possessed and self-aware.

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Written by Braden Abbott Wednesday, 16 February 2011 21:07

So, not only has Keely penned one of the best hard rock albums ever, he’s introduced the sweaty twenty-somethings to Campbell’s massive theory of Myth.

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Written by Ashley White Wednesday, 16 February 2011 21:00

Kweli’s rhymes are enjoyable, but his repetitive delivery makes the album so blah.

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Written by Ashley White Wednesday, 16 February 2011 20:51

You can really feel the struggle she’s going through with the progression of her vocals as well as the intensity of the piano accompanying her brilliantly on this track.

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Written by Mary Beth Hascall Wednesday, 16 February 2011 20:46

Eve builds on the band’s love of complex pop melodies, horn and strings rhythm and funky percussion all squeezed into a tight, radio-friendly three to four-minute format.

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Written by John Shepherd Wednesday, 16 February 2011 20:42

But, unfortunately, on their own Ottewell’s songs blend together, and what seems remarkable as part of a larger musical canvas ends up being disappointingly tedious.

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Written by Mary Beth Hascall Wednesday, 16 February 2011 20:31

Fortunately, Ottewell’s music shines brightly through the harsh stage lights. Shapes & Shadows combines his forceful tenor with passionate songwriting.

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Written by Laura Hamlett Wednesday, 09 February 2011 23:25

George Michael has got quite the ear for pop music.

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Written by Jenn Metzler Tuesday, 08 February 2011 15:05

Ventriloquizzing puts you in a dimly lit room having what you thought was a just a friendly chat, except that your friend is telling you more than you ever wanted to hear.

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Written by Ashley White Tuesday, 08 February 2011 14:58

It’s safe to say that his collaborations with artists who are also set to dominate in 2011 foreshadow an amazing year in music. 

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Written by Nicole Madden Wednesday, 02 February 2011 20:28

Motorhead releases their 20th studio album, meticulously following the guidelines set by the previous nineteen.

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Written by Ashley White Tuesday, 01 February 2011 19:43

No Boys Allowed is an ode to those men who have decided to put away their boyish games and treat their women with respect and appreciation.

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Written by John Shepherd Tuesday, 01 February 2011 00:00

The King Is Dead finds Meloy and company stepping out of the cold darkness of that fantasy world into the warm sunshine of a country field.

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Written by Alex Schreiber Tuesday, 25 January 2011 14:39

“Tithe” could have been great if it didn’t sound like Pryor was singing through the back of a fan.

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Written by Eva Connors Tuesday, 25 January 2011 13:04

The raw, unpolished vocals of Matthew Shultz and slinky, dance-floor rhythms are a huge departure from the band’s debut sound.

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Written by Eva Connors Tuesday, 25 January 2011 12:51

Working with kids must have gotten to him, because Hi-Five Soup! seems to cross the line from all-ages party music into full-fledged kids album.

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Written by Kavahn Mansouri Tuesday, 25 January 2011 01:18

Down and dirty, this Israeli’s voice will kick your ear buds to the curb from track one straight through track ten.

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Written by Jennifer Manjarez Tuesday, 25 January 2011 01:12

The amazing thing about Cake is their ability to put together songs that are predominantly pessimistic, but still leave their fans dancing.

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Written by Jason Neubauer Tuesday, 25 January 2011 00:58

“I’ve been to hell and back, I ain’t fallin’ off this track / From the back to the front page, from the gutter to the stage / I’m still alive and I will survive.”

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Written by Alex Schreiber Thursday, 20 January 2011 13:18

Along with the drumbeat are crashing cymbals and unintelligible yet angelic chants that make for an uplifting song—so uplifting that it feels like you’re being blasted into space. 

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Written by Laura Hamlett Tuesday, 18 January 2011 17:38

Most of the songs here would fit well on alternative rock radio alongside anything the major labels have to offer.

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Written by Glen Elkins Thursday, 30 December 2010 15:48

Strange whirls, ominous reverberations and scathing screeches collide in what can only be described as an orchestral orgy.

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Written by Laura Hamlett Friday, 17 December 2010 21:25

Singer/songwriter Paddy McAloon is a man with a sincere and deeply rooted love of music.

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Written by Laura Hamlett Sunday, 12 December 2010 00:01

The singer brings a bit of himself to “Blue Christmas,” slowing it down to an instrumental ballad which perfectly fits his voice.

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Written by Laura Hamlett Saturday, 11 December 2010 23:53

I’m not sure who David Foster is, but it’s virtually impossible to deliver a “Carol of the Bells” that doesn’t dazzle.

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Written by Stephen Fairbanks Friday, 10 December 2010 09:51

Though the genre pops up as "rap" when you open the album in iTunes, this is an album that defies categorization, which is high praise in my book.

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Written by Stephen Fairbanks Thursday, 09 December 2010 17:53

One gets the feeling that these latter songs were intended to be played in front of a rowdy mosh pit, as is only fitting for a band with their pedigree.

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Written by Mike Rengel Wednesday, 08 December 2010 13:42

It’s ‘hit the back button the second it ends to hear it again’ outstanding, which is what the entire record aspires to but only intermittently achieves.

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Written by Matthew Treon Wednesday, 08 December 2010 13:36

Its pulsing instrumentation, reverb-drenched vocals and unapologetic length perfectly set the tone for the rest of the album.

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Written by Mary Beth Hascall Wednesday, 08 December 2010 13:17

Together, this quintet creates delicious American electro-pop by the spoonfuls.

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Written by Brett Berliner Wednesday, 08 December 2010 13:06

Frankly, if West feeds off of his ego to create masterpieces like his latest album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, we should be heaping even more praise in his direction.

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Written by Laura Hamlett Tuesday, 07 December 2010 22:33

The one song responsible for the sales of this album is as good as you remembered.

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Written by Laura Hamlett Monday, 06 December 2010 23:18

I’m convinced more than ever that this band isn’t for me.

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Written by Matthew Treon Thursday, 02 December 2010 02:04

Dust Lane communicates nearly every aspect of being human in just under an hour.

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Written by Laura Hamlett Saturday, 27 November 2010 22:45

husband&wife seems to be the bastard child of Toad the Wet Sprocket, Uncle Tupelo and Minus the Bear.

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Written by Kelly Glueck Tuesday, 23 November 2010 22:45

He was able to achieve an innovative sound reinforced by his reflective lyrics—despite using nearly 500 first person pronouns on this 13-track album.

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Written by Braden Abbott Tuesday, 23 November 2010 22:38

Somehow, he has used the most banal artistic methods to produce works that are, quite honestly, shallow but immensely thrilling. And yes, at points he finds the sublime.

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Written by Mike Rengel Monday, 22 November 2010 13:29

Think of it as an ode to love as a chemical, the loss of it as withdrawal and rock’n’roll as the corresponding dose of methadone.

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Written by Laura Hamlett Friday, 19 November 2010 22:39

Let’s face it: Tim Kasher has lost his edge.

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Written by Jim Dunn Thursday, 18 November 2010 09:48

Ferry has vocally aged very well, if anything his expressive weariness sounds better now than it ever has.

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Written by Jacob Snyder Wednesday, 17 November 2010 09:17

Resignation Day riffs 36 minutes of nonstop chant-along punk rock without succumbing to the cliché of throwing a sappy ballad in.

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Written by Courtney Rau Wednesday, 17 November 2010 02:09

I’m not sure they’ve created this year’s must-have holiday release, but they have given us a collection of ear- and crowd-pleasing songs.