Green Day Awesome As Fuck Reprise Records By Ellen Eldridge So Green Day’s gone and released a live album. But, much to the chagrin of those who think a live album just means the band ran out of money, here is a true treat for some of the would-be concert goers who are just too […]
The Submarines Love Notes/Letter Bombs Nettwerk By Al Kaufman At first glance, The Submarines are bubble gum pop. They are popsicles and lemonade in the summertime. They are perky blonde Blake Hazard’s girlish vocals. But while their songs may taste like candy, they are actually quite good for you.
Peter Bjorn and John Gimme Some Almost Gold Gimme Some is perhaps one of the sunniest records of the year, but Swedish trio Peter Bjorn and John took a strange, twisty road to get here. This, the band’s sixth LP, is a far cry from the weird hollowness and intimately narrative lyrics found on their […]
White Mystery Blood & Venom By Al Kaufman White Mystery is the band that White Stripes aspired to be. And maybe they could have done it if Meg White was more interesting, and if Meg and Jack White both had burning red hair.
Joan as Police Woman The Deep Field PIAS America By David Courtright Joan Wasser has been on or behind the indie scene for a very long time now. Before adopting her current moniker Joan as Police Woman in 2002, she was involved with such indie stars as Antony and the Johnsons and Rufus Wainwright. She […]
Low C’mon Sub Pop By Ellen Eldridge Seeking a sound that hangs low? Low’s new release, C’mon, hits like a thunderstorm’s rain breaks through a hot day’s humidity. The feeling of pregnant clouds expanding to release comes across in the vocals starting with the first track, “Try To Sleep.” To say this album shines would […]
Riley Etheridge Jr. Powder Keg Rock Ridge Music By Al Kaufman Riley Etheridge Jr is one of those man’s man type of guys. One can picture him behind the wheel of a Chevy pick-up, or raking his yard. He doesn’t seem like a leaf blower type of guy. He rakes, gets calluses, then goes in […]
Daddy A Go Go Grandkid Rock Boyd’s Tone Records By Al Kaufman Here’s why Atlanta’s John Boydston, AKA Daddy A Go Go, is important for America. While the tinny tunes of Kindermuusik and The Wiggles prepare our little ones for the sexed up, but equally soulless, Rebecca Black or Justin Bieber, Daddy A Go Go […]
The Kills Blood Pressures Domino By Al Kaufman The White Stripes started a movement. A lot of duos are coming out now featuring anvil-heavy blues guitar licks over a passionate voice. But few are doing it as well as The Kills. And that would make sense, since lead singer Allison Mosshart tackled the vocal chores for Jack […]
LB Collective Waiting for Enchantment LB Collective By Eric Chavez In the words, the vocals, the production of LB Collective’s latest effort Waiting for Enchantment, there lies a bit of a step back in time when female singer-songwriters reigned supreme. It wasn’t too long ago that the likes of Paula Cole, Sarah McLachlan, Fiona Apple, […]
Vivian Girls Share the Joy Polyvinyl By Al Kaufman Finally, the world gets to find out what it would sound like if Beach Boy Brian Wilson and the late Joey Ramone had three daughters. For their first two CDs, Vivian Girls showed that they were a pretty good garage-rock band. More passion than talent, the […]
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Here We Rest Lightning Rod Records By Eric Chavez For many artists, the studio is where are the magic happens. Productions are created, lyrics are written, and classics are made. Singer-songwriter Jason Isbell took another road, writing and recording a majority of the material for his latest effort Here […]
Little Tybee Humorous to Bees Paper Garden Records By Al Kaufman Little Tybee is more of a music collective than a band. They are a group of friends on the Georgia coast who enjoyed making music together. They brought their act to Atlanta, where anywhere from five to 10 of them can perform at any […]
R.E.M. Collapse Into Now Warner Brothers By Al Kaufman If R.E.M. came out with Collapse Into Now on the heels of 1994’s Monster, it would have been their biggest seller.It’s got all the power and passion that has been missing from the boys from Athens since Bill Berry left the band. But, alas, Collapse comes out […]
Lykke Li Wounded Rhymes Atlantic By Al Kaufman Sweden’s Lykke Li’s first CD, 2008’s Youth Novels, was nothing more than sugary girl pop. Some of that remains on Wounded Rhymes (“Rich Kid Blues” springs immediately to mind). But Li has done a bit of growing up since then. Wounded Rhymes is full of want, desperation and […]
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