Label: Free News Projects Released: November 18, 2008 Having grown up in the 80s, the current indie pop obsession with Casiotone pop is more annoying than charming. Of course, some bands pull it off and some don’t. Master Slash Slave is, overall, the former, but not without keeping at least a foot in the latter. The 80s pop-tronics of the… Read more »
Label: Velvet Ear Records Released: September 16, 2008 I saw Punchline a couple years ago and they really stood out. Maybe it was just that they were on a bill full of horribly sappy emo or maybe they were just better live than in the studio, but their albums never lived up to that show. Until now. Just Say Yes… Read more »
Label: Kranky Released: November 10, 2008 This CD took me back to a sunny spring afternoon in high school, when the promise of summer vacation filled the air with excitement. I was driving down a little side street in Albuquerque when my friend Dave put on Poland by Tangerine Dream. I immediately made fun of Dave and his pretentious music,… Read more »
Label: Manhattan Records Released: August 5, 2008 Carrie Rodriguez’s voice is beautiful. It’s dynamic and full and she can be sultry, powerful and breathy at will. It is, as it should be, the centerpiece and strength of this album. She has the kind of voice that could lead her down any musical road she might choose and it seems more… Read more »
Label: Shout! Factory Released: August 26, 2008 Matthew Sweet had a good run in the early to mid 90s, releasing three very good albums in a row. Since that time, he’s been erratic at best, including the appropriate but lackluster covers collaboration with Susanna Hoffs. Granted, Sweet’s music has been lite, but his best efforts manage to meld sweet pop… Read more »
Label: Faux Pas Records (buy it at the band’s site) Released: May 2008 If you have any doubt that Radiohead has been tremendously influential on today’s rock scene, take a look at all the bands that have inherited Thom, Johnny and company’s particular take on Brian Eno. It’s everywhere from indie rock to post-metal and Omni is no exception. While… Read more »
Label: Breaking Records Released: November 20, 2007 With a name like Demolition String Band, there’s bound to be some preconceptions. The mention of “string band” certainly creates an expectation of a 30s/40s pre-electric country and bluegrass revival. “Demolition,” on the other hand, implies breaking down barriers or rejecting rules. In the end though, Demolition String Band isn’t really what their… Read more »
Label: Sony Legacy Released: July 8, 2008 Billy Joel is a top-notch songwriter, but there’s always been something that I just didn’t like. Maybe it’s the showtune quality of many of his songs, maybe it’s that many are geared toward adults, maybe it’s because he often tells the stories of characters I just can’t bring myself to care about. Anyway… Read more »
Label: Longhair Illuminati Released: June 17, 2008 Ride the Boogie’s self-titled debut is a dark, trippy album. It dabbles in stoner elements, but often avoids that genre’s heaviness, giving the music a core, but also the freedom to move around that core and not get stuck in the usual ruts. From the Baroque pop psych of the opening track, it’s… Read more »
Label: Hear Music Released: July 15, 2008 By many, John Mellencamp has long been thought of as kind of a heartland Springsteen and Life Death Love and Freedom won’t do much to dispel that notion. However, Mellencamp exercises a grittiness that has long been absent from Springsteen’s work. Where the Boss has more than once attempted to recreated the raw… Read more »