Label: Barracuda Sound Released: August 11, 2007 It seems odd that a band would mix something as generic as hard rock with something as unconventional as post-hardcore. Still, that’s just what Towers of Hanoi do on their latest release, Paranoia for the New Year. While most bands that dabble in the avant-garde seem embarrassed by any association to the formulas… Read more »
Label: WolfGang Records Released: September 3, 2007 There really are far too many bands still lingering around from the hair band heyday of the late 80s. It seems like every time I turn around, there’s another one releasing an album that tries to recapture the days when they were more popular than they ever deserved to be or touring to… Read more »
Label: Epic/Legacy Released: 1970 (reissued August 28, 2007) Released in 1970 to fill the gap between Stand! and There’s a Riot Goin’ On, Sly and the Family Stone’s Greatest Hits compiles many of the top tracks from the band’s early years. While every song on this album is also contained on the later Anthology release along with selections from their… Read more »
Label: Sandbar Music Released: May 2006 According to Mars Hill’s Myspace page, they are “one of the most original and finest bands of the 21st century” and they are “genre-defying.” The former is beyond a stretch. No offense, but they aren’t even close. The latter, however, is pretty accurate. The list of genres touched significantly by Mars Hill is longer… Read more »
Label: Hands on Deck Released: 2007 Desperation and salvation often have a parallel existence as evidenced by the role of religion in in the worst of times. Perhaps it is the hope of a better life to come, that light at the end of the tunnel, that allows people to hold on in these dire times. More likely it seems,… Read more »
Label: Columbia Records Released: September 4, 2007 Patti Scialfa will always find herself in the unenviable position of begging the question, “Would anyone care if she wasn’t married to Springsteen?” Certainly, her marriage has proven to be a fine career move and she has an unfair shot at getting her music out compared to singers who aren’t married to the… Read more »
Label: Foodchain Records Released: September 25, 2007 Not every copy is a bad thing. There are times when a band can ingest a variety of influences and spit them back as something fresh even if it isn’t entirely new. Supagroup is not such a band. On Fire for Hire, Supagroup manages to steal from a whole host of 70s and… Read more »
Label: American Recordings Released: October 16, 2007 If you enjoyed Dan Wilson’s band, Semisonic, than you’ll enjoy his solo work as well. You’ll also have to explain to all your friends why you like music that sucks, but that’s beside the point. If you had the good sense to hate Semisonic than you’ll likely hate this also…mostly. Dan Wilson takes… Read more »
Label: Birdnote Records (distributed by Morphius Records (US) / Cargo Records (Europe) Released: March 13, 2007 Thrushes claim to venerate Phil Spector and to some extent that’s clear, but their wall of sound is quite a bit different than his. While Spector focused on straightforward pop perfection, Thrushes takes an alternate route to the same destination. From the opening track… Read more »
Label: Arclight Records Released: June 12, 2007 Most stoner rock bands love Black Sabbath and Tia Carrera is no different in that respect. What sets them apart, aside from sheer technical prowess and experimental intuition, is that Black Sabbath isn’t the primary trick in their bag. They meld Sabbath’s heaviness with Hendrix’s psychedelic grooves and Greg Ginn’s free jazz punk…. Read more »