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CD Reviews

Baroness | Blue Record

Relapse (2009)
For a band of ultra-prosaic album titlers, Baroness are big thinkers when it comes to their music.

By MIKAEL WOOD | October 14, 2009

Fueled By Ramen (2009)
If you haven’t spent time in a rock-and-roll band, you’ll probably never understand how every outfit, no matter how united in appearance, is made up of supremely self-conscious individuals continually teetering on the brink of a meltdown.

By DANIEL BROCKMAN | October 14, 2009

Full speed ahead

Riding high with the Sea Captains
The Sea Captains don't take themselves particularly seriously.

By SAM PFEIFLE | October 14, 2009

Space cowboys

Sidecar Radio's fiery Dreadnaught Cosmonaut
Sidecar Radio's EP Wave Principal was released in April 2008 and I've pretty much been listening to "Easy Gets So Hard" ever since.

By SAM PFEIFLE | October 07, 2009

Air | Love 2

Warner Bros. (2009)
The French duo of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel captured the imagination of a subset of the listening public at the turn of the millennium with their playfully patient soundtrack music.

By DANIEL BROCKMAN | October 05, 2009

The Black Heart Procession | Six

Temporary Residence (2009)
Formed in sunny San Diego, the Black Heart Procession write the kind of gloomy, downcast dirges you'd expect from less hospitable climates.

By MICHAEL PATRICK BRADY | October 06, 2009

The Raveonettes | In and Out of Control

Vice (2009)
Jesus and Mary Chain comparisons aside, this Danish duo established their sound eight years ago by patching together an aural quilt of retro-rock roots — from garage to surf to wall of sound — and haven't wavered since.

By ANNE VICKMAN | October 05, 2009

Headstart at the beginning?

A is for attitude, antipathy, and fighting the good fight
Headstart have only been around for about five years, but especially with frontman Kevin Kennie's long history in the scene, begun with Shufflin' Tremble/Loud Neighbor, they are now decidedly mid-career artists.

By SAM PFEIFLE | September 30, 2009

Linda Oh Trio | Entry

Linda Oh Trio (2009)
Chinese-Australian bassist Linda Oh (now living in NYC) favors a spare setting on this debut: trumpet, bass, and drums.

By JON GARELICK | September 28, 2009

Kurt Vile | Childish Prodigy

Matador (2009)
Kurt Vile's punny name, as well as the title of his latest full-length album, bespeaks low-art subversion.

By ZETH LUNDY | September 28, 2009

Young love

Marie Moreshead proves she's the permanent kind
For a girl with such a professed affinity for monogamy, Marie Moreshead is a bit of a tease.

By SAM PFEIFLE | September 23, 2009

Well, cello there

Kieran McManus flies to the moon (and the Far East)
It can be a bad sign when your story threatens to be more interesting than your album, but Kieran McManus is probably safe.

By SAM PFEIFLE | September 23, 2009

Falling fast

Let's get things started right away
As almost always seems to be the case, I have to start the "fall preview" by detailing this upcoming weekend, which promises to be one of the most active of the year.

By SAM PFEIFLE | September 16, 2009

Review: The Stone Roses | The Stone Roses (Legacy Edition)

Silvertone/Legacy (2009)
The Stone Roses' 1989 debut LP has been deified by such dubious tastemakers as the NME and Oasis's Noel Gallagher — and the rest of us really like it too.

By ZETH LUNDY | September 15, 2009

Review: Brand New | Daisy

DGC/Interscope (2009)
Defiance and punk used to go hand in hand, like peanut butter and jelly, or S&M leather wear and pogoing.

By LEOR GALIL | September 15, 2009

Gus Gus | 24-7

Kompact (2009)
Letting the music take control is a primary tenet of the dance-floor ethos — but that's only because dance music is by nature submissive. Even at its most sonically rich, dance music remains a utility, and even when it demands your attention, it does so in service to your good times.

By MICHAEL BRODEUR | September 15, 2009

Pain makes you beautiful

Dead Season find the middle ground between life and death
With all the success Dead Season have had, perhaps their greatest talent lies in their unflappable honesty, their unwavering self-confidence. At times, their songs, full of introspection and naked emotion, are like being forced to stare at the sun. The instinct to blink is strong.

By SAM PFEIFLE | September 09, 2009