Jennifer Lopez, Como Ama Una Mujer (Epic). Having worn out her welcome with the pop crowd, Jenny is hoping for support from residents of another musical block. Problem is, hubby/producer Marc Anthony’s classy settings are seldom much fun and require a great voice — and that’s one of the few…
When they say pride cometh before a fall, they usually mean hubris, a potentially fatal excess of pride. It was the undoing of Icarus, Narcissus and Dabney Coleman’s character in 9 to 5. It’s also what makes so many instrumental-rock bands unlistenable. Driven to abstraction by their Berklee pedigrees and…
Don’t dismiss Sunset Rubdown as a side project to Wolf Parade and Frog Eyes. Lead singer Spencer Krug’s other two bands are better known among the indie-rock cognoscenti, but if Shut Up I Am Dreaming, Sunset’s latest effort, is any indication, Krug thinks it should be the other way around…
“Sellout.” Ice Cube might as well have the word cast in gold so he can wear it as a pendant. But rather than curse the man who once claimed to be “AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted” for going Hollywood in the cheesiest way imaginable, why not salute him for the extraordinarily unlikely…
If the idea of an albino Muslim rapper sounds like the start of a bad and potentially offensive joke, you haven’t met Brother Ali, an MC with skills that render all biographical trivia irrelevant. Though the Minneapolis wordsmith’s introspective and occasionally self-loathing lyrics have much in common with the boohoo-hop…
With charming, carefully constructed songs, Games for May conjures the acid-damaged genius of Syd Barrett, Revolver-era Beatles and pre-1970s Kinks. But this is no nostalgia act simply reanimating the ghosts of Christmases past. Like the Apples in Stereo over a decade ago, Games for May has drawn inspiration from the…
I hear ABBA records to this day,” declares Bob Ferbrache, “and I can’t believe that human beings made those records. They sound just out-of-this world perfect — and they’re 25 years old.” Ferbrache and I are sitting in the basement of his mom’s house in Westminster, talking about the music…
Next to death, unrequited love is life’s cruelest invention. Few things are as euphoric as the rush of endorphins you feel the first time someone truly steals the breath from your lungs — or as soul-crushing as later realizing that the one you love doesn’t love you. For Ian Cooke,…
Although he’s only months from his eightieth birthday, Charlie Louvin is hipper than ever. Thanks to the release of Charlie Louvin, a new disc on Tompkins Square that’s chock-a-block with guest stars, he was invited to play this year’s South by Southwest confab, and he’s also booked for Tennessee’s annual…
For those just joining us, On the Download is a monthly feature in which we sort through the riffraff of the digital universe to provide you with links to the best in legitimate, artist-approved exclusives. It’s instant gratification at its finest, minus the spirit-crushing regret and premium price tag. Have…
John Scofield’s never been one to settle in any particular musical style. While he always comes back to bop in one way or another, the chameleonic guitarist is equally deft in soul-jazz, funk and fusion. Lately, when he hasn’t been on the road, he’s been working on bottleneck slide guitar…
Ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr knows a little something about dealing with strong-willed vocalists, so it’s no surprise that his contributions to the poppiest Modest Mouse record yet are solid. But it’s still a treat to hear how focused Isaac Brock and company are on the lushly arranged Ship, perhaps thanks…
Treated like rock gods in the U.K., the Kings are, unbelievably, still only the prince’s footmen at home — despite two phenomenal records. Unfortunately, their latest, Because of the Times, is a disappointment, a record full of wandering sonic sketches that never really coalesce. Tracks range from vapid (“Charmer,” “Camaro”)…
Distrakt is what you would call the complete package: a skilled MC and a brilliant producer who’s got his hustle down cold. On his latest effort, the Colorado Springs-based rapper puts all of these talents on full display. On cuts such as the DJ Premier-esque “Don’t Get Mad,” the off-key,…
George Inai’s latest boasts the most creative design of any local release in recent memory: a modified digipack with folk-art graphics from which the disc rises, pop-up style, when opened. The music inside would have to be mighty good to measure up, and it comes awfully close. This Foolish Music,…
Acute, Arms Around a Stranger (Help Records). Produced by Dave Trumfio, who worked wonders for My Morning Jacket and Wilco, this debut full-length is a solid step forward. Building on the eclectic songwriting Acute displayed on its 2006 EP, the act continues to craft catchy pop hooks that hit home…
Few songwriters these days can claim to have such undeniably hip credentials as Maria Taylor. After getting her start in the teenage pop band Little Red Rocket, which drew comparisons to Belly and Elastica, she and longtime friend Orenda Fink became touring members of Bright Eyes. In addition to adding…
Even though Stephen Marley has been producing and performing music since 1978, it wasn’t until last month that he dropped his debut album, Mind Control. In the same vein as his brother Damian’s last album, Welcome to Jamrock (which Stephen produced), Control is a mix of dancehall, hip-hop and classic…
Menomena’s music is supposedly synthetic in origin. The Portland trio reportedly composes many of its songs on looping software created by one of its members, multi-instrumentalist Brent Knopf. In reality, though, those songs sound far more organic than the average computer-driven drivel. Sure, after a few spins you can pick…
Justin Moyer has more musical personas than Lindsay Lohan has failed trips to rehab. He previously split his time between Supersystem, an electro-combo he led as crazy/cool rocker Justin Destroyer, and Edie Sedgwick, a bizarre solo project inspired by the Warhol-era “It” girl, whom he channeled while wearing makeup and…
A friend recently described Corinne Bailey Rae, who’s touring with John Legend, as a black musician being marketed to white people who don’t really like black music — and while this observation is as politically incorrect as it can be, it’s not entirely unfounded. Although “Put Your Records On,” the…
