Label: self-released Released: May 24, 2008 I had the chance to catch the Niki Barr Band open for the Cult a few months back and they were an outstanding live band. They played with the confidence and intensity of a headliner, not the caution and tentativeness of a local band opening for an international act. However, when I heard their… Read more »
Label: Mute Released: April 15, 2008 Saturdays = Youth is promising when it opens with “You, Appearing.” The piano is as warm and embracing as a fireplace on a cold winter day, and it seems to be laying the groundwork for an incredibly rich album. When the vocals finally kick in, they’re slightly urgent and desperate but pleasant and intriguing;… Read more »
Label: Mute Released: April 1, 2008 It’s strange when a deep artist makes a shallow album. Is its shallowness actually well-disguised depth? Is it ironic? Is it a philosophical statement of the lack of substance in our culture? Or is it simply what it is, a musical treat with no goals other than to be a sugary snack? Moby is… Read more »
Label: 13th Planet Records Released: April 1, 2008 I’m not much of a Ministry fan. Sure, Land of Rape and Honey was a very good album, particularly for its time, but otherwise they’ve never grabbed me. Nonetheless, when I saw Al (or Alien as he’s listed in the conspiracy-themed liner notes) Jourgensen and friends were releasing an album full of… Read more »
Label: Malamute Records Released: March 4, 2008 Crooked Paths is an album that is seldom just good. Instead, it sometimes struggles just short of good and at other times pushes fantastic. Without question, Star Anna’s voice is wonderful. It’s dynamic and has really good movement that can be both subtle and bold. The problem is she doesn’t let it loose… Read more »
Label: self-released Released: June 3, 2008 When most people think of the Bangles, they think of “Walk Like an Egyptian” or “If She Knew What She Wants,” but before they caved into commercialism, they were an edgy band making garage rock with a great 60s girl group flair. THe BAcksliders aren’t playing an entirely different game from the pre-Different Light… Read more »
Label: Voice Music Released: 2007 The 70s seem to be a bottomless well of influence, particularly in the realm of hard rock and metal. Cavalar don’t break any barriers on As a Metal of Fact, but they do a good job rehashing a slightly different past. Twitch nails his take on Ozzy, but unlike so many bands, the primary influence… Read more »
Label: self-released (only available at shows) Released: 2007 Seven Singles seethes with insanity. It reaches the outer limits of craziness without completely losing control. As such, it isn’t for everyone, but if you can get past poor production and near chaos, there’s something here in which to lose yourself. The drums are so loose that they’re all over the place…. Read more »
Label: Shout! Factory Released: April 1, 2008 While covers are a common thing, they are also tricky. Most artists end up falling into one of two traps: They either cover the best known rendition of the song rather than just the song itself or they lose all real sense of the song’s true nature. It’s a tough game making the… Read more »
Label: Lost Highway Released: April 1, 2008 Van Morrison has done some of his best work over the last decade or so. The old curmudgeon has shown that he still knows how to put his entire soul into song, whether he’s making an album that concentrates on folk or soul or even skiffle. That makes Keep It Simple kind of… Read more »