Usually, when a highly regarded artist like Cat Power releases an album of covers, any reasonable analysis will load up on derisive quips and cheeky one-liners referencing bar bands, karaoke or Axl Rose impersonators.
Usually, when a highly regarded artist like Cat Power releases an album of covers, any reasonable analysis will load up on derisive quips and cheeky one-liners referencing bar bands, karaoke or Axl Rose impersonators.
Stephin Merritt, the mastermind behind the New York lo-fi outfit Magnetic Fields, is attempting to be the new plastic surgeon of indie rock.
I'm not here to argue with you.
"Hey, nice pants, faggot!"
Releasing a digital-only EP the day after New Year's, and thus neglecting the cash windfall of stocking-stuffer season, proves a curious move for any established artist, but downright shocking for a man as notoriously money grubbing as Billy Corgan.
Lupe Fiasco may have established himself as a skateboarding geek on his debut, "Food & Liquor," but on his brooding sophomore set, "The Cool," he shows why he is one of the most clever storytellers in music.
If you're wondering what to get your music-savvy friends for the holidays, consider buying them these releases to add to their record collections. Ha, just kidding - who actually pays for music anymore? Anyway, I couldn't mention only 10, so here's my baker's dozen of top picks for the albums of 2007.
We all have one to shop for - the friend who happens to be an über-finicky music fan. Here are five holiday gift ideas for the snob who wants a more in-depth present than the hottest Soulja Boy single on iTunes:
Wu-Tang Clan - "8 Diagrams"
Alicia Keys has carried a piano prodigy stigma throughout her career, yet her two studio albums and Unplugged album were punctuated with a hip-hop edge indicative of her Harlem upbringing. But with her latest, "As I Am," Keys' sound matures, often reaching adult contemporary. It's her most mellow, most boring album, but it's still pretty good.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Holiday shopping season is rapidly nearing, and you know what that means: prime time for fossilized rock stars to release self-prostituting "best-of" compilations that collect and reorganize all the songs you already have.
Jay-Z may have left the Brooklyn underworld more than a decade ago to establish himself as one of the most successful figures in the music industry, but that didn't stop him from revisiting his dark past on "American Gangster," his 10th studio album in 12 years. Inspired by the Ridley Scott film of the same name, Jay-Z weaves tales of a young drug dealer over 70s soul beats to mixed, but mostly positive, results.
Talking to Bob Wootton is almost like communicating with a ghost.
Recording and releasing albums is no longer just for bigwigs in the music industry. Gainesville bands are also heading to the studios in order to give fans souvenirs, to get their songs heard and of course, to make some extra money.
If it seems as though there are a lot more bearded, PBR-chugging 20-somethings in tight jeans roaming Gainesville today than usual, it's not your imagination.
Little Brother - GetBack
Solutions by The State News
