On the Record
A funk-infused, wah-drenched guitar riff surrenders to a prog-rock progression as lead vocalist/guitarist Thomas Erak screams, "I f*ing hate myself." With unmitigated audacity, the power trio of Erak, drummer Andrew Forsman, and bassist Frank Ene, …
Great band name. Great CD title. Great Consequence of Sound report of TNL shut down by the NYPD for rocking so loud it was disrupting the concentration of neighboring CMJ Festival performers (if John Cage …
Sean Ardoin, heir to the Zydeco throne of Bois Sec Ardoin, calls this the first Christian Zydeco album, and indeed (at least) I can't think of any others. As one of the several rappers dropping …
Lisa Hannigan, best known for her work with Irish folk-rocker Damien Rice, presents a quirky solo debut In Sea Sew. Well orchestrated, the music is a blend of Irish folk and indie pop. Clever lyrics …
Listening to Tortoise used to be a jazzy dreamscape of complex percussion, layered strings, and otherworldly electronic loops and licks. Their new album, Beacons of Ancestorship, shows a departure from that form into one that …
John Mayer’s fourth studio set is mix of mid-tempo soul-pop, melancholy blues, and romantic serenades that combine to provide a genuinely satisfying experience. Taylor Swift joins Mayer on the poppy "Half of My Heart" that …
Garage-rock duo the King Khan & BBQ Show ignite a blast from the past with their new In The Red Records disc Invisible Girl. The collection taps doo-wop, retro garage, and bold punk for a …
After three years of silence, Wolmother returns with their sophomore effort, Cosmic Egg. Singer-songwriter Andrew Stockdale channels his inner Robert Plant for track after track of in-your-face 1970s hard rock. Larger-than-life riffs, extended guitar solos, …
The Feelies’ second album was released in 1986, six years after their Crazy Rhythms debut, a gap mystifying a lot of people but not bandleaders Glenn Mercer and Bill Million, who said, long story short, …
The Feelies sure look like geeks against the ocean-blue on their debut album cover (yes, Weezer ripped it off), and Glenn Mercer’s lightly clogged intonation suggests Jonathan Richman’s taking the lonely boy in the corner …
Gotta love a group claiming Don Knotts as a member. Gotta listen beyond "The Stadium Moves," which sounds like other disillusioned musicians...but these reference T. Rex and the Merseys, so leave the CD in the …
For his seventh studio session, homegrown rock star Jon Foreman reaches into his bag of tricks, pulls out all the hooks, and assembles them in a strategic fashion beneath an arsenal of lyrical bombs that …
Young Mass brought together San Diego’s hip-hop standouts on his new compilation The Best of Daygo City. Mass takes you on a trip around Daygo City's diverse hip-hop scene with 22 tracks showing off the …
A throwback to '70s arena-rock with '80s synth-pop dropped in for good measure, this melodic, angsty, and ultimately upbeat solo debut from Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas manages to find its modern sound. At points, one …
Feel free to judge Taintstick's debut 6lbs. of Sound by its track list. Much like Spinal Tap and Tenacious D before them, the quartet line up the clichés of rock, slip them a Mickey, and …