Tolerance, appreciation required for all types of music
If music be the food of love, play on/Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting/The appetite may sicken, and so die.” Though written nearly 400 years ago, Shakespeare’s famous lines…
Poetic lyrics take center stage on Destroyer’s latest album
Sometimes, what’s left unsaid is more powerful than stumbling on words. Daniel Bejar, Destroyer’s singer and frontman, understands this better than anyone. “A woman by another name is not a…
R.E.M. adds to impressive resume with new album ‘Accelerate’
Michael Stipe shouts like an apocalyptic gospel on “Living Well is the Best Revenge:” “It’s only when your poison spins / Into the life you’d hoped to live / And…
B-52’s still strong with new album 30 years after debut
It’s hard to believe that after 30 years the B-52’s can still kick it like they did in 1979. Don’t believe me? Take “Pump” for a spin, the surfer/disco romp…
The Raconteurs rock out with new release
If reality had a say, The Raconteurs should have crumbled in 2006 with their glam-pop debut, “Broken Boy Soldiers.” Think about it. Garage rock bluesy master Jack White joining forces…
Gnarls Barkley back on the scene with ‘addicting’ new album
When “Crazy” hit airwaves during the summer of 2006, audiences were entranced by its smooth vibes and self-destructive lyrics just as they were by Gnarls Barkley, the eccentric duo who…
Eccentric, bizarre lyrics central to Be Your Own Pet’s sophomore album, ‘Get Awkward’
For a brief moment, Be Your Own Pet’s deepest song, “Creepy Crawl,” resembles Charlotte Perkins’ famous short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Desperation, loneliness and insecurity are abundant as Jemina Pearl,…
‘Genuine’ 4th album from Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
When indie rock heroes Pavement broke up in 1999, fans and critics alike took it to heart. As one of the most prominent acts in the 1990s, the split left…
The Raveonettes’ dark, pop style evident on latest album
The Raveonettes are like a midnight alley in a pale moonlight: it’s frightening, it’s cold and probably dangerous. Yet, there’s a mystery which draws you to explore it again and…
Drive-By Truckers’ new album breaks typical country mold
Let it be known that modern country is not my favorite type of music. Too often it sticks to stale formulas, afraid of its own shadow and of actually coming…