February 2011 Archives

custom_header_560x60.png 20110301-austin-bands-MSN-560x225.jpg A large contingent of the music industry lands in Austin, Tex., every March. Hundreds upon hundreds of hopeful artists stand side-by-side with some of the biggest buzz bands and headliners in indie, rock, hip-hop and electronic. We spotlight just a few of the performers set to hit the “Live Music Capital of the World” in 2011 with the playlist below. Hear newcomers like Cults and Yuck alongside vets like Bright Eyes and Queens of the Stone Age.

Rhapsody Rocks Austin 2011

rhapsody_rocks_austin_2011.jpg Not to butter our own muffin or anything, but America's favorite digital music subscription service expects to throw one of the best parties in the fine and wonderfully quirky city of Austin, Tex., on March 18. There are two reasons for this: (1) our major-league party skills are as finely tuned and well-oiled as Tim Lincecum's mechanics, and (2) we truly outdid ourselves in terms of delivering killer entertainment to the Lone Star State. In fact, we're pretty damn hip this year, with a music line-up culled from the indie-world's most fertile terrain, including retro-garage, chillwave, post-punk and modern electro.

CLICK HERE to RSVP

Deerhunter
Origins: Atlanta, GA
Label: Kranky / 4AD
What's there to say, really? Setting up camp halfway between raw experimentalism and melancholic dream pop, Deerhunter has been one of indie rock's most consistently engaging groups over the last half decade. Front-dude Bradford Cox, lanky and deliciously unpredictable, is absolutely mesmerizing in the live setting.

Kurt Vile
Origins: Philadelphia, PA
Label: Matador
If underground America's current crop of lo-fi rockers has a father it just might be this Philly loner. Vile is vicious, unleashing a static-saturated wall of sound that throbs without mercy. But don't let all the sonic primitivism prevent you from appreciating his more subtle talents. Vile is also a crafty singer-songwriter, one with a firm understanding of vintage Americana.

Ty Segall
Origins: San Francisco, CA
Label: Goner
Ty Segall is like Kurt Vile's little bro; with no use for troubadours and acoustic guitars, all he wants to do is trash your house while vomiting a stream of incredibly depraved garage-rock jammers. Segall and his band carry around a sack full of vintage pop hooks painted in reverb. They're also manic, unhinged, noisy and well adept at hosting beer-stained dance parties. Think Paul Revere & The Raiders produced by The Jesus and Mary Chain's Reid brothers.

Small Black
Origins: Brooklyn, NY
Label: Jagjaguwar
The tag "chillwave" gets a lot of flack, yet the artists and music it encompasses are totally boss. To our ears the genre more or less sounds like old school new wave and dreamy synth-pop recorded on half-broken boomboxes of equal vintage. Buttressing their melancholic jangle 'n' croon with warbling drum machine dance-stutter, Small Black are one of chillwave's best. Awesome stuff.

Glasser
Origins: Brooklyn, NY
Label: True Panther Sounds
Glasser, born Cameron Mesirow, is a difficult artist to frame. At first blush, Björk and Bat for Lashes come to mind. But while those comparisons make a lot of sense, she ultimately lacks their impishness and irreverence. Glasser's subtly electro-tinged art pop feels distant, veiled and oblique. It also feels profoundly informed by modern classical and even the new-age pop of Enya (who is way overdue for hipster reassessment, mind you). Sure, that sounds strange, but strange is good!

It's going to be a party to remember, with a ton of great music. Trust us: everything from rowdy goon-dancing to sensitive inner-contemplation are going down underneath that blazing Texas sun. If you can, join us. If, however, you can't, then sign up for a free Rhapsody trial subscription, whereupon you may listen to all these acts and more, to your heart's content.

Here are the vitals -- tattoo them to your inner thigh ASAP:

When: Friday, March 18, Noon to 6PM
Where: Club De Ville (900 Red River, Austin, Tex.)
How much: FREE, subject to capacity (so get there early or you're gonna be assed out).

CLICK HERE to RSVP

Esperanza Spalding, Esperanza

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This bright, flowing and open-hearted sophomore set put Esperanza Spalding on the map as a breakout jazz artist of the 21st century. The bassist/vocalist/bandleader combines bop, Brazilian, soul and more into a unique style that brims over with unpredictable twists and turns. Still, Esperanza's contagious enthusiasm embraces mainstream audiences. Released in 2008, Esperanza had serious legs, charting numerous times as Spalding's career took off. — Nick Dedina

Hear It Now!

Video: Saigon Interview



Saigon and Sway compete to name the most pro wrestlers in this interview we did back in September at the 2010 VMAs. Click to watch and make sure to check out Saigon's new album The Greatest Story Never Told on Rhapsody.


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Watch Freddie Gibbs
Interview


Watch Black Milk
On the Record


Watch Skyzoo
On the Record


Watch Janelle Monae
On the Record

Phil Collins, No Jacket Required

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Blue-Eyed Soul numbers such as "Sussudio," "Don't Lose My Number," and the ballad "One More Night" gleaned Phil Collins a universal radio presence in 1985, and serve as three very good reasons why No Jacket Required won the Grammy for Album of the Year. This LP, one of Collins' best, stands as a must-have for fans. — Linda Ryan

Hear It Now!

Adele vs. the Box



You gave us your questions. We put them in a box. Watch Adele wax philosophic on baking, boyfriends and heartbreak. Also, be sure to listen to her new record 21 on Rhapsody.


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Watch The Box vs.
My Chemical Romance


Watch The Box vs.
Taylor Swift


Watch The Box vs.
Lady Gaga


Watch The Box vs.
Sara Bareilles

Latin Roundup

20110222-latin-RU-560x225.jpg Winter is typically kind of a cold, barren wasteland as far as albums go, but in the Latin music world — like much of Latin America — things often manage to stay fairly caliente. The last few months (and granted, we are reaching back to the very edges of winter) have seen a number of exciting new Latin releases that encompass everything from alt-rock to Garifuna pop, reggaeton (lots and lots of reggaeton) to Ricky Martin. Catch up on current Latin music with our roundup of recent albums, complete with nutshell reviews, don't-miss tracks and further listening suggestions.


Ricky Martin
Musica + Alma + Sexo
In a Nutshell: Ricky Martin sounds like he's walking on air on his ninth album, his first since proudly coming out as gay in 2010. Nothing here is mind-blowing, but Martin sounds self-assured, sexy and positively liberated, working a buoyant, balanced strut through easygoing dance pop and sweeping slow jams.
Don't Miss: The high dance pop drama of "Te Vas."
For Those Who Like: Shaking their bon bon. Living la vida loca. Reformed boy banders. Lance Bass. Enrique Iglesias. Jon Secada. (Boys who like) cute boys. Thalia. Jennifer Lopez.


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Everybody's favorite sleuthing medical misanthrope gets an above average soundtrack. Massive Attack's "Teardrop" actually sounds like a TV theme, Elvis Costello's witty English wordplay fits Hugh Laurie's humor snuggly and Josh Rouse's "God, Please Let Me Go Back" mirrors House's tortured soul. You also get "Feelin' Alright," Joe Cocker's timeless Traffic cover. "Feelin' Alright" is featured in every movie and TV show that is not playing Iggy Pop's "Lust For Life." — Nick Dedina

Hear It Now!

Soulful White Girls

20110222-soulful-white-girls-560x225.jpg Much of soul history has been dominated by powerhouse African American singers — rightly so. Soul is often couched in the pain and joy, trials and tribulations of African American experiences. Every so often, however, along comes a white girl who has the blues — or manages to sing like she does, belting her way through one soul style or another with a big voice and bigger heart. Adele's recently dropped sophomore album is a perfect example: with richly nuanced vocals and a stylistic maturity that belies her youth, 21 is soul, through and through. Take a listen to the sweetly crooned pleasures and pathos of Adele and other soulful white girls like Nikka Costa, Dusty Springfield, Teena Marie, Amy Winehouse and more.

play-button.jpgListen to the full playlist here: Soulful White Girls
cheat_sheet_top_header_560x62.jpg 20110222-folk-rock-CS-560x225.jpg Time to travel back to the mythical mid-1960s, when the folk revival stumbled into the British Invasion and Phil Spector's wall-of-sound pop, resulting in a three-way collision that produced the now-legendary folk-rock boom.

In addition to collecting the movement's landmark albums — from Bob Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home and The Byrds' Mr. Tambourine Man to The Mamas and The Papas' If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears and Simon & Garfunkel's Sounds of Silence — I've rounded up a short list of artists who exerted a profound influence on the folk-rock sound despite never rising above cult status. I'm referring to under-appreciated visionaries like Fred Neil, Richard & Mimi Fariña, Love, and The Beau Brummels, a quartet from San Francisco who nailed West Coast folk-rock's blend of jangly guitars and tight harmonies in late 1964. That was months before The Byrds entered the studio to record the great "Mr. Tambourine Man" single, the release of which is generally considered folk-rock's birth.

20110222-whitney-houston-560x225.jpg People who were not around may not know — and even many of us who were around often forget — the power with which Whitney Houston exploded on the American consciousness when her self-titled debut came out in 1985. For one thing, her elegant beauty was downright shocking, but her voice was something people had, well, literally never heard.

As a 15-year-old more interested in how The Wall was clearly written for and about me, even I was astonished by the deep soul of "You Give Good Love." For the next decade, she was the undisputed champion of popular music, leveling any and all competition with a Mike Tyson-like gulf between her talents and those of her peers. Sure, Madonna had the eyes of the world glued to her every move, but Whitney was the real singer. Just her pedigree put her in a class by herself — the daughter of '70s soul and gospel singer Cissy Houston, cousin to Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick, and godchild of none other than Aretha Franklin — talk about lineage.

Journey, Escape

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Highlighted by "Don't Stop Believin'" and the sweaty-palmed, dry-hump masterpiece "Open Arms," Escape was so popular that a Journey-themed arcade game was designed in its honor. The record may have spawned Pop Metal but it's also the sort of rock music that just doesn't exist anymore: orgiastically loud and utterly unselfconscious. — Mike McGuirk

Hear It Now!

Oscar Party Platter


It's Oscar time again and Rhapsody is here with all the Academy Award-nominated scores and songs to keep you ahead of the game at any Hollywood-crazed viewing party. Along with the nominees, we dig into some of the highlights from years past with a retrospective of the great music from James Bond films as well as a radio station that captures all of the best movie music and score from years’ past. So, bust out the popcorn and enjoy!



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The songs that were nominated this year, as well as the ones
that should have been.
Play!
20 greatest Oscar winning songs


Listen to the 20 greatest Oscar winning songs of
all time.
Play!
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Get a run-down of all this years' nominees.
Play!



Check out the
history of James Bond theme
songs.
Play!
Cinema radio


Listen to non-stop movie scores on our Cinema radio station.
Play!



Rediscover your favorite movie
music on Soundtracks
Radio
.
Play!

Celebrating Black History Month


February is Black History Month, and Rhapsody would like to recognize and honor the immensely rich cultural contributions of African Americans musicians. From Louis Armstrong to Kanye West, African Americans have helped define popular music in this country. Click below for an overview of those accomplishments, great playlists and in-depth discussions on the political roots of Dance Pop in black music; the role of the "outsider" in African American music culture; and the influence of African Americans on Country music. We also have playlists highlighting the music of New Orleans as well as a selection of civil rights anthems.






From Sly to Outkast, listen to all the classics.
Play!
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Get your cheat sheet for the top black
music innovators
.
Play!
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Discover the influence of African Americans on Country music.
Play!
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The Roots of
dance pop
: Where Gaga got her style from.
Play!
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Discover the role of the black "outsider" in popular music.
Play!
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Black Dialogue: History through Blues and Modern Soul music.
Play!

Black Outsiders

20110222-black-outsiders-560x225.jpg Before we get started, it bears remembering that the black community is not monolithic. There are various segments within it just like any other. Just as there is a pop mainstream, there is a black equivalent, too. Historically speaking, black radio programmers can be more conservative than their white counterparts. Stars have long complained of being unable to crack black radio playlists, from Bob Marley to Public Enemy, who recorded "Bring the Noise" in response to black stations' boycott of hardcore rap music.

What makes an outsider, anyway? Some innovators, like Betty Davis, drew a negative response from audiences in general. Others — like Shuggie Otis, Fishbone, N.E.R.D. and Blackalicious — have a following that is mostly white. Conversely, even radio-approved black stars can attract the ire of black fans, such as Whitney Houston, who was famously booed at the 1990 Soul Train Awards for allegedly being a pop sellout. In other words, take this list with a grain of salt.


cheat_sheet_top_header_560x62.jpg 20110222-black-innovators-560x225.jpg It's impossible to summarize the contributions of black musicians to our cultural history with a few random albums. Some of the innovators we could not fit into this short list include Prince, Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Max Roach, Jimi Hendrix, Chic, Sam Cooke, The O'Jays, Lauryn Hill, the Supremes, Big Mama Thornton, Salt-n-Pepa and Ella Fitzgerald.

Just because it is relatively easy to pay tribute during Black History Month does not mean it's unnecessary. Whether you support or oppose President Obama, consider yourself part of the progressive wing or the conservative movement, it would be hard to deny that racial and class conflicts have steadily increased during the past few years. The recent controversy over a dearth of rap and R&B winners in major categories at the 2011 Grammy Awards, mostly waged at the expense of Arcade Fire's surprising and commendable win for Album of the Year, is just one relatively superficial example of how balkanized and oppositional our country has become.

Oscar Soundtracks 2011

20110222-oscars-nominees-560x225.jpg Boy, I already knew that I was behind on seeing movies from the past year, but when the list of Oscar nominations came out I discovered that I was really behind.

 Twenty-ten was one of those years. It's not always my fault — I have heard great things about 127 Hours, for instance, but I could not get anybody to go see it with me because it involves the hero cutting off his own arm. The movie ended up getting six Oscar nods: all the major ones (Director, Picture, Script, Actor), plus one for Best Song and another for Best Score, which of course, are what really concerns us here at Rhapsody.

I listened to the soundtrack and I would agree that it is very good on all counts — kind of an electro-acoustic psych-folk vibe. Now I really want to see the movie on the big screen.


White Stripes, White Blood Cells

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The third proper White Stripes LP catches Jack and Meg at their finest -- not yet bored with the simple alchemy that brought them international acclaim, but mature enough to make the most of it. Starting with "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground," the record opens with five of Jack White's most fully conceived tunes, the best being the seductive "I'm Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman." Aside from the downright ungentlemanly snarl of "I Think I Smell a Rat," there's hardly a miss. — Nate Cavalieri

Hear It Now!

Sade, Love Deluxe

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On this multi-platinum smash Sade mixes in even more of a dark emotional pallet with the band's deceptively glossy chill music. The celebratory "Kiss of Life" arrives like aural Prozac but the albums highlights include its bleakest moments: "Bullet Proof Soul" and "Pearls" which tackle the ravages of love and politics with the same clear-eyed stare. — Nick Dedina

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Loretta Lynn, Van Lear Rose

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As the producer, Jack White makes Lynn's album sound like countrified White Stripes with better drumming, but that's just fine. This is the first time Lynn has recorded all her own songs on one record, and her music proves to be more haunting than any Nashville producer could have imagined. Oh, and the kids will dig it. — Eric Shea

Hear It Now!
20110215-michael-w-smith-SM-560x225.jpg Michael W. Smith had already secured his place as Christian music's leading man and had penned several classic tunes for himself and other artists when he released his sixth studio album in 1990. Go West Young Man was still clearly a Christian release (see tracks like "Seed to Sow" and "Agnus Dei"), though it was also making a bid for mainstream attention.

Smith's good looks would later land him on People's "Most Beautiful" list, but for most outside the church this was their first look at his perfectly tousled mullet and sexy Miami Vice stubble. The public liked what it saw — and heard — and propelled the new disc onto the Billboard charts and platinum sales. The single "Place in This World" peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and videos for this track and "For You" became VH1 staples. Go West Young Man  would net Smith a Dove Award and a Grammy nod while laying the groundwork for the even more successful 1992 release Change Your World.

But no one creates in a vacuum. Here are some of the artists and albums that helped shape Michael W. and Go West Young Man.


Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III

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lil-wayne-tha-carter-iii.jpg On the conclusion to Wayne's Carter trilogy, clouds of incoherence give way to the occasional beams of lucidity. For the latter, nonsense transforms into catharsis, and Wayne sounds like a modern-day, word-drunk Screamin' Jay Hawkins, angry and defiant as he stares in the mirror. Other times, Wayne simply sounds drunk, sputtering limp jokes and railing against imaginary haters. The album's highs ("Mr. Carter," "Dr. Carter") are stunning, but they sink beneath generic pop-hop ("Mrs. Officer") and mixtape material ("You Ain't Got Nottin'"). It's singular, but that's not always a compliment. — Sam Chennault

Hear It Now!
20110215-singlephile-560x225.jpg In case you hadn't heard, a little Lady we like to call Gaga dropped the Huge! New! First! Single! off her upcoming Huge! Sophomore! Album! Yes, the buzz around this one has been deafening — and rightly so. Gaga has proven herself a trendsetter. In a very short amount of time, she dance-popified the charts. Now, as she puts her money where her mouth is by paying homage to her legions of gay fans, she is also clearly hoisting her own freak flag (think of "Born This Way" as the Little Monsters Creed, in other words). And once again, her fellow pop stars are right there with her. The pop world right now is full of songs and artists clearly invested in acts of rebellion, freakishness and monsterdom. So on this edition of single-phile, we take a walk on the wild side of the charts, analyzing the countercultural tendencies of your favorite mainstream pop stars.

Artist: Lady Gaga
Song: "Born This Way"
Album:
From her upcoming and wildly anticipated second album
In 25 Words or Less: Monster Queen boils it down in modern-day "We Are Family": it's (dance-pop) DNA, dummy. Human decency=good (minus message-marring "Orient"). Think Scissor Sisters rather than Madonna.
Freak, Monster or Rebel? She's all three and then some, baby.
Countercultural Quotient: Think the Castro in the '70s, an avant-garde cross-dressing performance-art club in Berlin and maybe one of those strange-to-Westerners-but-wildly-popular-in-Japan-sex-trends (like those body pillow girlfriends, maybe?) all rolled up into one neighborhood block still mainstream enough to be on Sesame Street (or at least next door to it).

Country Roundup

20110215-country-RU-560x225.jpg As most of the country digs out from under snow and ice, things are heating up here at Rhapsody. New releases on labels big and small are starting to flow with some regularity. Isn't it great that with Rhapsody, you can listen to the latest offerings while ensconced on your own sofa? But where to start?

How 'bout checking out "lost" tracks from country legend George Jones? Or how about something new, like the self-titled debut album from newcomers Thompson Square? Here are a handful of new releases we think country music lovers will appreciate, even while freezing.

George Jones
The Great Lost Hits

Throughout his career, the legendary George Jones has made an indelible mark on country music. These "lost" hits come from Jones' days at Musicor, the label he left for Epic in 1971, and they weren't lost so much as hung up in legal limbo for years. The production quality varies from song to song, and there are some pops and hisses, as though the songs were mastered from vinyl, but that doesn't diminish some of Jones' brightest gems: "Love Bug," "Walk Through This World with Me" and "A Good Year for the Roses" are simply fantastic. And what a thrill to discover original recordings of songs such as "Beneath Still Waters," which Emmylou Harris took to the top of the country charts, or "Your Angel Steps Out of Heaven" which both Elvis Costello and The Flying Burrito Brothers (among others) covered. The Great Lost Hits is a rarity in that it's the perfect bookend to your record collection, and also a fine place for newcomers to start. — Linda Ryan


Indie Roundup

20110215-alt-RU-560x225.jpg Don't know what to listen to? Rhapsody's here to help with a roundup of releases spotlighting the latest in indie music. Read about and listen to new albums from vets like PJ Harvey, Bright Eyes and Mogwai and newcomers Yuck, James Blake and Cloud Nothings. Hear a few tracks from each of the albums mentioned below on this playlist.

PJ Harvey
Let England Shake (Vagrant)

There's something magnetically haunting in PJ Harvey's music; it's intangible but always there, like a heart beating under the floorboards. Her eighth album pumps restlessly with this eerie substance. "England you leave a taste, a bitter one," Harvey croaks with a girly innocence — but she's not ungrateful, just observant in her poetic tales of wars and woes. Some of the most visceral moments are strikingly upbeat: the pint-clanking bounce of "The Words That Maketh Murder" or the reggae nod on "Written on the Forehead," where Harvey, both ominously and jubilantly, declares "let it burn." — Stephanie Benson


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For three decades Social Distortion has been raking roots-rock over punk's hot coals. The band (along with The Replacements) foresaw the rise of The Hold Steady and other 21-century indie bands digging Springsteen's America. Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes is another solid entry in Social D's discography. Full of scratchy guitars and boisterous twang, it's their most country-flavored effort since 1992's Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell. Main man Mike Ness' love for the catharsis of flight never seems to wane: "We can run to the far side of nowhere/ We're gonna run until the days are gone." — Justin Farrar

Hear It Now!
20110215-cratedigger-gary-moore-560x225.jpg Welcome to another edition of Classic Rock Crate Digger, a column wherein Rhapsody nerd Justin Farrar wanders the never-ending maze that is our catalog in search of classic rock's forgotten gems. If you're new 'round these parts, then also check out the Crate Digger's archives.

Classic rock lost a top-shelf shredder when a heart attack claimed the life of Gary Moore on February 6. The Irish fret wizard never had the caché of Slowhand or Jimmy Page, but he made some vital contributions to hard rock, particularly in the 1976-to-1986 zone.

Moore's greatest claim to fame is the time he served in Thin Lizzy, one of the Crate Digger's top five best hard-rock bands of the 1970s.* Logging time with the band on no less than three separate occasions, he actually didn't record all that much with them, though he can be heard on 1979's Black Rose: A Rock Legend, Thin Lizzy's last truly classic album. In fact, Moore just might be the main reason why the record succeeded; Thin Lizzy, by the end of the decade, was falling apart. As with so many rock bands, hardcore drug abuse was the chief culprit. The guitarist, who had known Phil Lynott since their days in the Dublin-based band Skid Row in the late 1960s, stepped in and helped realize his old friend's vision. In fact, the record has Moore's fingerprints all over it, particularly in terms of its wild stylistic variety. If you want to hear rock guitar at its most sublime and brilliant, head straight to "Roisin Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend," an epic suite made of radical reworkings of four traditional Irish folk ballads. Moore's melodic runs soar like seagulls high above the jagged Irish coast.

cheat_sheet_top_header_560x62.jpg 20110215-metal-covers-560x225.jpg Heavy metal is, in many ways, a music of tradition — it has by now accumulated more than 40 years of baggage, after all. So artists and fans alike have always been eager to pay homage to giants and dinosaurs who trod the earth in days of yore. In recent years, bands from all geographic and stylistic corners of the metal universe have taken to recording albums consisting entirely or primarily of cover versions, presumably as a way to highlight their inspirations — i.e., artists whose vinyl they wore holes through before becoming stars themselves. It's also an easy way to get new product on the streets, without having to bother writing new songs. So here's a stack of such albums — many with selections that may well surprise you.

Steely Dan, Aja

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One of the defining albums of the late 1970s, Aja combines jazz fusion sophistication with sadly cynical observations on modern life. "Peg" was the hit single but "Deacon Blues" gave aging disco hustlers and suburban burnouts "a name when they lose." — Nick Dedina

Hear It Now!
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This 1989 debut would set the stage for an industrial revolution. Drawing from the metallic menace of bands like Skinny Puppy and Ministry, as well as the post-punk paranoia of Joy Division, Trent Reznor created a masterpiece, a well-oiled machine run on keyboards, drum machines, guitars and samples that, somewhat ironically, released a beast of raw emotion. The only things to remind us a human is behind this madness are those feverish howls and those lyrics of existential dread, all fed straight from the self-loathing depths of Reznor's boiling psyche. — Stephanie Benson

Hear It Now!

Adele x Lauryn Hill



On the Record is a video series where rock stars gush about their favorite records -- in exactly 45 seconds. Click above to watch Adele talk about her favorite album.

Rhapsody subscribers can listen to 19 and millions of other albums whenever and however they want. Click here to sign up for a free Rhapsody trial subscription and see what we're all about.


ARTIST:
Adele

RECORD:
Lauryn Hill



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Watch Janelle Monae
On the Record


Watch Sara Bareilles
On the Record


Watch Natasha
On The Record


Watch The Script
On the Record
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Written by Roald Dahl, You Only Live Twice may just be the single greatest Bond film of all time (it's also famous for the scene where a bevy of Japanese agents are mesmerized by Sean Connery's manly chest-mane. Yes, a hot tub is involved). John Barry's work is superlative as always, including the Nancy Sinatra-sung theme song. Barry and other Bond composers would reuse the instrumental motif to this number every time James Bond came across an island oasis or female-strewn beach scene. — Nick Dedina

Hear It Now!

The The, Soul Mining

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The The's Matt Johnson had been tooling around for years, trying to get his career off the ground, when he released Soul Mining in 1983. Highlighted by the near-perfect should've-been-huge single "This Is the Day," this album features the work of an original voice that married the introspective singer-songwriter tradition with crowd-pleasing synth-pop and a dusting of the avant-garde. Over a career, Johnson's nonstop navel-gazing can grow tiring, but there is often a lightness to the music here that balances out his moody lyrics. The all-star guests include Jools Holland, who offers superb piano work on "Uncertain Smile," which joins "Perfect" and "This Is the Day" as the LP's best cuts. — Nick Dedina

Hear It Now!
20110208-r-kelly-SM-560x225.jpg Released in late 1993, 12 Play isn't R. Kelly's best album, or even his most successful one. But it may be his most important work. All of the hallmarks of the eventual and unquestioned king of R&B are here, from the smooth bump-in-the-night bass rhythms to the brazenly hardcore come-ons. Unlike Teddy Riley, who often appropriated hip-hop trends at the expense of soul traditions, Kelly remained faithful to the legacies of the Isley Brothers, Stevie Wonder, and other pioneers. He merged the oft-conflicting worlds of quiet storm balladry and New Jack Swing, innovating a contemporary R&B style that has lasted to the present day (or at least until Timbaland reinvented the genre all over again a few years later).

Despite all that, 12 Play is a transitional work. Kelly began his career as a singing and rapping hybrid, first as part of the unheralded group MGM, and then as leader of Public Announcement, who released the platinum debut Born into the 90s in 1991. He offered five pop-rap tunes on 12 Play, some better than others. But even the relatively successful "Homie Lover Friend" and "Back to the Hood of Things" pale in comparison to classic Kelly ballads like "Your Body's Callin'." Pop-rap, exemplified by smooth lover men like Heavy D and LL Cool J, was still a viable commercial genre in 1993, but even then it was clear that Kelly was much better as a vocalist and songwriter.

Source Material: James Blake

20110208-james-blake-SM-560x225.jpg Dubstep has been crossing over into pop music for a while now, but in all the potential ways the genre could have developed, perhaps the most unexpected line of flight is traced by James Blake, who started out sculpting idiosyncratic, atmospheric tracks in Burial's mold and now delivers a debut album that establishes him as a very different kind of musician. Largely leaving dubstep behind, James Blake finds the producer forging a more personal sound out of scraps of club music, ambient and R&B.

Blake's supple, expressive voice carries the day, multitracked into gospel-influenced harmonies or Auto-Tuned into a surreal warble. As a producer, he makes do with the bare minimum, running pitter-pat drum programming in loose rings around solemn piano chords. Between the album's naked emotion and guarded sound design, the contradictions only reinforce its uniqueness.

Rock Roundup

20110208-rock-RU-560x225.jpg With consumers tightening their financial belts in the wake of the splurge-fest known as the holidays, the first couple months of the year aren't known as a hot time for high-profile rock releases. Those don't arrive until spring, really. That said, 2011 has already produced a few real gems, including Mission Bell, from singer-songwriter Amos Lee, and The Party Ain't Over, Wanda Jackson's wonderful retro-rockabilly collaboration with the officially ex-White Stripe Jack White.

The most notable releases to date are reissues, and there are many. To all the Trent Reznor freaks out there: definitely dig into the newly remastered Pretty Hate Machine. It's even louder. (Let the compression debates begin!) At the opposite end of the sonic spectrum, fans of "those oldies but goodies" have a lot of exploring to do. In fact, most of their time will be spent with The Early Years 1959-1966, an absolutely exhaustive six-disc boxed set covering The Shadows, one of the great ensembles in the history of instrumental and surf rock.


20110208-dance-pop-560x225.jpg It's fairly apparent that the contemporary dance-pop that currently has its robo-hand (like Beyonce's, get it?) wrapped around the charts in a vice grip is a style that's rooted in, well, roots — or, more specifically, in retro aesthetics. The four-on-the-floor beats of disco, the synth-obsessed sleekness of the '80s, the big beats of '90s club music, even the cyborg fascinations and post-apocalyptic anxieties of old-school sci-fi are all omnipresent in the nostalgia-steeped neo-futuristic world of today's pop.

When we talk about the past this style evokes, however, we typically focus on predominantly white histories: Euro-disco, icy Scandinavian dance-pop, '80s mall divas and New Wavers, '90s big-beat icons. But as is the case over the course of much of popular music, there are other histories, other pedigrees, other currents of influence that are all too often overlooked or left out of the picture. The clubby beats and smooth synths of contemporary dance-pop, for instance, have also been significantly influenced by African American artists across several decades and genres.

In honor of Black History Month, we've compiled this relatively short, not exceptionally comprehensive introductory cheat sheet to the African American roots of contemporary dance-pop: a guide to the black artists who helped pave the way for the likes of today's Gagas, Robyns, Black Eyed Peas, Rihannas, La Rouxs and more.


Natasha Bedingfield, Unwritten

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"Single" and "These Words" are unabashedly compulsive radio tracks, and when Natasha Bedingfield is upbeat, she's unstoppable. However, Unwritten also features one or two more considered numbers ("I Bruise Easily"), which merely serve to take the sheen off an otherwise toothsome debut pop package. — Jamie Dolling

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Valentines Day Music
If you're like us, you have a love/hate relationship with Valentine's Day. It's great when you're in a stable and strong relationship, but pure hell when you're alone or things are on the rocks. That's why Rhapsody is celebrating Valentine's Day with a little something for the lovers and the haters. If you're snuggling up with something warm this year, check out the list of Country's Greatest Romances. If you're flying solo, plug into Love Bites: The Anti-Valentine's Playlist, where you'll get your fill of disillusionment, bitterness and romantic recrimination. Elsewhere, we have playlists about chocolate, lovers in need of a restraining order, wedding songs, a Valentine's Day radio station and everything else you might want, whether you love or hate Cupid's day.





Romance is in the air as Rhapsody looks at pop's Best Wedding Day Songs
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Listen to songs that will satisfy your sweet tooth with Chocolate: The Playlist
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Songs of Marraige and Divorce


For Better and Worse: Songs of Marriage and Divorce
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Country Love: Country Musicians Talk About Their Greatest Romances
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Songs of Marraige and Divorce


Love Bites: The Anti-Valentine's Playlist
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Obsess Much? Valentine's Day radio station
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La Musica del Amor: Latin Pop Love Songs
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Christian Love songs
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Black Country History

20110208-black-country-560x225.jpg The past few years have been better than average in terms of African Americans scoring in country music. First there was Cowboy Troy, the six-foot hick-hop rapper who put out a couple albums after first showing up as a sideshow under Big & Rich's big top in the mid-'00s, and Rissi Palmer, whose 2007 hit "Country Girl" was the first country-charting single by a black woman in two decades. A year later, ex-Blowfisher Darius Rucker put out his first country album, which exploded; he's had four No. 1 country singles so far, making him easily country's most commercially successful black artist since the career of ex-Negro League baseball player Charley Pride started falling off in the early '80s. When you've accounted for Ray Charles — who played in a hillbilly band known as the Florida Playboys before he was a star, and whose 1962 Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music topped Billboard's album chart for 14 weeks — you've probably covered the extent of what most music fans knows about black people in country. But actually, the story goes back further than the genre itself. And all along, country and black American music (blues, jazz, gospel, soul) have never stopped interbreeding.

The Cool Side of Disney

20110208-disney-jazz-560x225.jpg When Rhapsody learned that Disney was about to release a tribute album of modern jazz gems from their celebrated songbook, we jumped at the chance of having a pre-release listening party. That was before our jazz editor, yours truly, actually heard that album and got really excited. This svelte set is  a whole lot of fun.

With Everybody Wants to Be a Cat (Vol. 1 in their jazz series), instead of playing it safe Disney went with the most exciting newer names around and anchored them with a legend — Dave Brubeck, who was a mere tyke of 90 at recording time. So, before reading on, I suggest you start playing this surprisingly suave jazz collection immediately. This is that rare project that should delight parents, kids and blissfully untethered jazz cats of all ages.

Elton John, Honky Chateau

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Honky Chateau delivered Elton John from singer-songwriter status to pop star, thanks to songs such as "Honky Cat" and "Rocket Man." This is one of Elton's best albums; both he and Bernie Taupin have hit their stride. Casual listeners may opt for any of his Greatest Hits albums, but Honky Chateau should be in every fan's music collection. — Linda Ryan

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On the Record is a video series where rock stars gush about their favorite records -- in exactly 45 seconds. Click above to watch Thompson Square talk about their favorite album.

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ARTIST:
Thompson Square

RECORD:
Seven Year Itch



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Raphael Saadiq, The Way I See It

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If Sharon Jones adapts Stax's grungy soul, and Amy Winehouse makes it palatable for the Sunset Blvd. set, then Raphael Saadiq effectively photo-copies the stately swing of Motown's golden era. The best moments here ("Oh Girl" and "Love that Girl," among others) recall early Temptations, and Raphael obviously feels an affinity to the tight grooves and cooing harmonies of Eddie Hendricks and Co. Yes, this does feel a bit gimmicky, but Saadiq's ability to so accurately mimic a sound thought lost is admirable. — Sam Chennault

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Keren Ann's first solo album is also her best. Arranger/producer/co-writer Benjamin Biolay enhances her deceptively fragile melodies and increases her harmonic range with washes of Beatles-style psych pop and downtempo backgrounds that beam light into the wintry songs. Every track is a low-key wonder, though "Seule" and "Sur le Fil" are standouts. — Nick Dedina

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Neil Young, Decade

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Between 1966-1976 Neil Young recorded some of the most important songs of his career. This '77 release compiles 35 of those songs, including a few recorded with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Not only is this perfect for beginners, but also for fans still pining for the release of Young's box set. — Eric Shea

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More a comedy/bromance than an action/mystery flick, Sherlock Holmes sported two stellar lead performances and Zimmer's gloriously eccentric score, which often builds on Holmes' plucked violin. A real talent, Zimmer proves that not all blockbuster scores have to sound alike. This is how the Oscars are supposed to work: just because Holmes wasn't Best Picture material doesn't mean that Zimmer should be ignored for his work in it. Now give Jude Law a Supporting Actor nod and just hand Robert Downey, Jr., a statue for every performance he's ever done. No matter if any movie he's in is good or bad — Downey is always fun to watch. — Nick Dedina

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Simian Mobile Disco, Delicacies

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Simian Mobile Disco mark the definitive break with their indie dance roots on Delicacies. Following on the coiled techno intensity of their Is Fixed mix album, the instrumental Delicacies avoids obvious hooks in favor of dark, rave-inspired synth riffing and hell-bent machine rhythms. The sound itself is exquisite, owing to the duo's analog gear as well as their expert knob-twiddling: For all the evil intent of their tritones, there's plenty of love in these immaculately crafted odes to the dark side of dance music. — Philip Sherbure

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20110201-out-of-the-closet-560x225.jpg Last year, Ricky Martin ended years of speculation with one rather calm and graceful statement. "I proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am," he announced on his website; he had decided to come out while writing his memoirs. This year, he's following up that elegant exit from the closet with said memoir and his first album in five years, this week's Música + Alma + Sexo (Music + Soul + Sex). Beyond the titular summation of his life as an out-and-proud artist, the album showcases a self-assured and (as always) sexy Martin, who shimmies his bonbon through well-balanced dance cuts and dramatic Latin-pop slow jams. In short, he sounds positively liberated to be freeing himself from the closet.
20110201-little-feat-560x225.jpg Welcome to another edition of Classic Rock Crate Digger, a column wherein Rhapsody nerd Justin Farrar wanders the never-ending maze that is our catalog in search of classic rock's forgotten gems. If you're new 'round these parts, then also check out the Crate Digger's archives.

The first time a friend exposed me to Little Feat I didn't get it. A lazy Sunday afternoon in the fall of 2000: I'm sharing a six pack with a couple pals, Mike McGuirk and Will York, both of whom write for Rhapsody. Mike and I hog the stereo for about an hour, cranking highlights from the Stones' mid-'70s studio albums: Goats Head Soup, It's Only Rock & Roll and Black and Blue. By the time Mike requests "Memory Motel," one of the group's most sickly sentimental ballads, Will is squirming about his chair. Though he loves the Stones, he's not a fan of the era. He can't wrap his head around the fact that Mike and I actually enjoy all the sappy soft-rock emanating from the speakers.

After a while Will seizes the stereo, slipping on Little Feat, the group's debut album from 1971. Mike and I have never heard the thing. And if these two jokers like mid -'70s Stones, Will reasons, they'll totally fall for the Feats' blend of boogie, funk and country-rock. Well, we don't. Not only that, we ridicule the record the entire time it's on. Will gets all pissy, and for good reason: Little Feat is AWESOME, and Mike and I simply aren't prepared for that AWESOMENESS.

20110201-nine-inch-nails-SM-560x225.jpg play-button.jpgHear the monumental album and the seeds from which it grew with our NIN's Pretty Hate Machine & Its Influences playlist.

Nowadays Trent Reznor is suiting up and hobnobbing with A-list celebs as a newly cemented Oscar nominee for his outstanding work with Atticus Ross on the score for The Social Network. But over two decades ago he was just a prickly little synth geek living in Cleveland, hobnobbing with not much else than tools and cleaning supplies as a janitor for Right Track Studio. That studio is where he began to develop the sound of Nine Inch Nails. The rest is history.

Nine Inch Nails' 1989 debut would set the stage for an industrial revolution. Aside from help behind the boards, the creation of Pretty Hate Machine was mostly a one-man operation. And Trent Reznor made quite a masterpiece, a well-oiled machine run on keyboards, drum machines, guitars and samples that, somewhat ironically, released a beast of raw emotion. The only things to remind us a human is behind this madness are those feverish howls and those lyrics of existential dread, all fed straight from the self-loathing depths of Reznor's boiling psyche.

The album, however, is not without its myriad influences. The birth of industrial came well before Pretty Hate Machine. Reznor drew from the metallic menace of bands like Skinny Puppy, Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire and Ministry, whose rigid clinks and clanks of synths were distant and dehumanizing, the music so frigid it seemed it could give off steam upon human touch — making it that much more compelling to the human ear.

Christian Roundup: Ready to Rock

20110201-xtian-new-releases-560x225.jpg Christian music continues to morph and change, but one thing that remains constant is the plentiful supply of faith-infused rock releases, including fresh sounds from promising newcomers. This winter is no different. New music from established artists and newcomers alike has our stereo speakers humming and throbbing. Here are a few of our current favorites.


I Am Empire
Kings

These promising California newcomers wave the rock flag proudly and were creating buzz long before their full-length debut became available in early 2011. They've been part of the Bay Area music scene since forming in 2008, honing their skills with dates alongside acts like Flyleaf, Sublime, Deftones and Silversun Pickups. A pair of charting singles ("You're a Fake" and "The Elevator") and notice from San Francisco's LIVE105 radio station helped the band continue to build a name. Whether they will become a true rock empire remains to be seen, but the fractured upbringing of frontman Austin Lyons makes for a strong thematic foundation on Kings, and don't-miss tracks like "Brain Damage" and "Foxhole" deliver on the hype.


20110201-overlooked-hip-hop-RU-560x225.jpg The world of rap music can be expansive and reductive at once. We tend to talk about the same handful of artists and albums, swapping out names according to their buzz at the moment. But the fact is that hundreds of rap albums get released during a calendar year. Some deserve to get ignored, but many undeservedly fall through the cracks.

This is a good time to collect last year's overlooked albums before 2011 kicks into high gear. Even this post is missing a few titles due to space considerations, including Fabolous' There Is No Competition 2: The Grieving Music Mixtape, Rakaa's Crown of Thorns, and Celph Titled and Buckwild's Nineteen Ninety Now. While it's unlikely we'll get another shot at 2010 — this year has already delivered Talib Kweli's Gutter Rainbows and will bring new albums from Beans, Rye Rye and others in the next few weeks — this roundup proves that rap music has plenty of undocumented territory worth exploring.


David Banner & 9th Wonder
Death of a Popstar

David Banner has always straddled the line between delivering social criticism from a Dirty South perspective and indulging in country decadence. The difference with Death of a Popstar is that he jettisons the pimp talk, and when he talks about women on the lush single "Be With You," it's with sincerity and respect. On tracks like "Strange" and "Something Is Wrong," Banner sounds concerned, as if the state of black people moved him to deliver insistently political rhymes, pop markets be damned. Meanwhile, 9th Wonder lends his typical blend of deeply soulful beats, and even spits a nice rhyme for "Silly."


Gucci Mane
Burrrprint 2 [HD]

Burrrprint 2 opened with "Intro Live from Fulton County Jail," with Gucci Mane rapping over the phone while serving one of his many prison sentences. On this retail mixtape, he reaffirms his ghetto celebrity, while Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Yo Gotti and others lend support. Some will claim that Burrrprint 2 is the "real Gucci Mane," while studio albums like The Appeal, released later in 2010, are just his fitful attempts to launch a mainstream career. And indeed, Gucci seems comfortable amidst the "Coca Coca" talk and hard Dirty South beats. However, a few Burrrprint 2 moments, such as Ludacris rapping about guns on "Atlanta Zoo," sound wildly implausible.


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Inspired by breakups and A.A., this debut feels like a triumphant rebirth, and it is: Frontman Alex Ebert didn't just undergo the above, he was also the singer from Ima Robot, the innocuous (at best) L.A. snide-rockers. But he has transformed himself here. He sings rapturously about a fictional character named Edward Sharpe as an 11-piece band whistles and hoots behind him, including Ebert's sweetheart, Jade Castrinos, who duets with him on the ridiculously catchy "Home." Everything else is fun and carefree -- think Free Design by way of the Polyphonic Spree pretending to be homeless. — Garrett Kamps

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Music of Egypt

20110201-egypt-560x225.jpg All eyes are on Egypt as the citizens of that country have risen up to demand a regime change and a government that will justly meet the needs of the people. As the world watches with bated breath to see what will become of the days of protests, we're also learning a great deal about the rich and complicated cultural history of that country. That history includes a diverse musical culture, the influence of which extends across the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Ranging from classical Arabic traditions to Bedouin and Sa'idi folk music, from Nubian oud master Hamza El Din to quintessential pop diva Oum Kalthoum, Egyptian music is as vibrant, fascinating and prolific as the Egyptian people and their courageous decision to take their country's future into their own hands.

Listen and learn to love this fascinating musical culture: The Music of Egypt.


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The Cure's Disintegration was an artistic coup and a popular smash. The 1989 album earned group leader Robert Smith a mainstream American fan base even as it actively delighted his die-hard fans who pined for the heavy gloom of Faith or Pornography instead of such brilliantly effervescent singles as "The Lovecats" and "Just Like Heaven."

Of course, the fact that The Cure can put out albums that please the downbeat faithful while catching the ears of soccer moms with songs like "Friday I'm In Love" is a testament to Robert Smith's talents as both a songwriter and a curator of sound. It means something to have a steady stream of songs populating radio dials while building an adoring (make that morosely adoring) audience that considers itself outside the mainstream. To compare, go directly to the Cocteau Twins, a wonderful band that created not only its own world of sound but also its own language. My '80s teenhood was spent listening to both bands, but I can only bring up a few Cocteau Twins tidbits while I can still sing dozens of Cure tunes.

Robert Smith (nicknamed Fat Bob in the U.K., for his well-hidden heft) has used his band as a vehicle to explore the two things all the great bands have: a sound and songs. You can have one or the other, but if you are talented and savvy enough to have both you will join The Immortals. Smith had the songwriting chops from the beginning, best heard on The Cure's reworked American debut, Boys Don't Cry. From this New Wave beginning, The Cure quickly branched off into spacier post-punk (twin masterpieces Faith and Pornography) before getting very psychedelic with The Top and the "I can do anything I damn well please" opus Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me.

Cheat Sheet: Doom Metal

cheat_sheet_top_header_560x62.jpg 20110201-doom-metal-CS-560x225.jpg Heavy metal, descended as it was from the deep and dark despair of mid-'60s garage-verging-on-psych bands like The Yardbirds, initially sounded doomy more often than not. Since Black Sabbath only had a couple of fast songs, and since so many of the genre's great early '70s bands (Uriah Heep, Sir Lord Baltimore, etc.) were more or less variations on the Sabbath template, there wasn't much need to distinguish "doom metal" in the old days. But as tempos picked up and thrashed out (say, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple to Ted Nugent and Aerosmith to Van Halen and Motörhead to Metallica and Slayer), slowness went out of style; by the '80s, doom-ridden bands like Saint Vitus, Trouble, and Pentagram were unfashionable anomalies and needed a genre designation of their own. Hence, doom metal, which has since subdivided on its own into substyles as varied as stoner rock (meat-eating bands who worship green herbs and wish they were born in the '70s so they could get played in Camaros) and dark metal (bands from the coldest corners of Europe who get depressed a lot and dream of being Joy Division or the Swans), not to mention countless other shades of sludge, drone and ambient dirge. Herewith, a rundown of some representative and recommended albums from all corners of the frown-soaked doom universe.


Agalloch
Ashes Against the Grain

This third full-length from dark ambient quartet Agalloch embarks on a meandering journey layered with crystalline guitars, rolling crescendos, serene and entrancing melodies, raspy black-metal vocals and understated, clean singing. More focused on electric instruments than previous acoustic-based recordings, Ashes Against the Grain is in no way lacking atmospherics, as tracks like "Falling Snow" and "Fire Above, Ice Below" feature moody, neo-folk doom alongside majestic imagery. It's a mix only a post-metal coven at one with nature could achieve. — Jen Guyre


20110201-dolly-parton-560x225.jpg Since the late 1960s, Dolly Parton has been charming people with her sweet Tennessee voice — not to mention her bubbly personality and straight talk. The '70s saw her stand on her own, allowing us the opportunity to get to know her a little bit better. By the time the '80s rolled around, Parton was a music phenomenon, crossing over into charts with such regularity, she made it look downright easy. The '90s saw her retrace her country roots, where she has comfortably spent the first ten years of the new millennium.

With 40-plus years in the music business behind her, Parton has truly become a country and pop music icon. Describe her in three words? How about: Larger. Than. Life. Whether you are talking about her voice, her personality, her success, her recorded output — and yes, her hair and her figure — the words larger than life seem to fit.

January 19 marked Dolly Parton's 65th birthday, so what better time to look back at some of the icon's biggest hits and most endearing songs.

"The Last Thing on My Mind"
This was Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton's first single, and for many, the song served as their first introduction to Parton. She was hired to replace the recently departed Norma Jean, and it took a while for Wagoner's audience to warm up to Parton. This single was released in late 1967, and by January 1968 had reached the Top 10 in the country music charts. It was an auspicious beginning to what would become one of the most successful duos in country music.

"Mule Skinner Blues"
By the time 1970 rolled around, Parton had a number of hits as part of the Wagoner/Parton duo, but success as a solo artist eluded her. Eventually, she tried her hand at the twanging Jimmie Rodgers classic "Mule Skinner Blues (Blue Yodel No. 8)" and finally broke through. Was it her yodel? Was it the railroad-like chugging rhythms? Was it the wild fiddle? Whatever it was, the song peaked at No. 3 on the charts.

"Joshua"
"Joshua" was Parton's first No. 1 song, and the chart-topping victory was made even sweeter by the fact that Parton penned the ditty herself. With a strong sonic resemblance to Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue," "Joshua" tells the tale of an orphan girl who falls in love with a misunderstood loner named Joshua. The song is colored with vivid imagery of a rundown shack by the railroad tracks, and one can't help but think this backdrop was lifted from Parton's real life, where 12 children were raised in the tiny house her sharecropper father and mother called home in Locust Ridge, Tenn.

Amos Lee, Mission Bell

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Amos Lee has only grown stronger with each release, quietly and successfully selling his entire catalog year-after-year and earning new fans through his stirring concert appearances. Here, Lee keeps his soul-folk style intact while branching out into the kind of expansive bluesy rock music that Dave Matthews and Ray LaMontagne do so well. Completely sincere, Lee shows off his talents through pointed "good people in peril" lyrics and knowing exactly when to let the full power of his majestic voice loose. — Nick Dedina

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