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The biggest-selling record of all time, Thriller marked a zenith in pop-music songwriting. With practically every song on here hitting the Top 5 at some point, the album was a sensation in the truest sense of the word, inspiring millions across the country to dress like one-gloved space captains. [Mike McGuirk]
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Four Tet’s third album continues in the vein of its predecessor, Pause, looping guitars and bell tones over fluid breaks and the incidental rhythms of found sounds. The largely acoustic palette gives the music a certain tenderness, but the rough-hewn drums are tougher and the sonic ideas more cryptic. Funk and folk bleed together against a suggestive, clattering backdrop, and free-jazz drum fills go up against intricate chiming patterns, like a particularly muscular version of musique mechanique, or a player piano set on fire and pushed down a hill. John Cage would approve. [Philip Sherburne]
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As Radiohead venture further into electronic experimentation, remixers find themselves utterly giddy with possibilities. TKOL RMX focuses on the band’s 2011 release, The King of Limbs, which was already quite the playground of bloops and loops wrapped around butter-smooth melodies and Thom Yorke’s phantom croons. Though the result here has a seemingly haphazard order, it generally keeps the fluid vibe of the original material, whether it’s sculpted with Caribou’s funky plops, Harmonic 313’s churchly robotics, Four Tet’s trippy drones, Objekt’s throbbing bass or SBTRKT’s moody beats. [Stephanie Benson]
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LateNightTales is a mixtape series that "invites the world's best artists to delve deep into their music collections to create the ultimate 'late night' selection." MGMT, Midlake, Belle & Sebastian, Snow Patrol, Jamiroquai, The Cinematic Orchestra and others have curated their own LateNightTales, featuring their favorite nocturnal aural pleasures. These compilations not only reveal the curators' influences, but also offer a wide range of candlelit gems with which to soothe and seduce.
Friday Mixtape: Late Night Tales.
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The daughter of the legendary Donny Hathaway, Lalah quietly released a number of fine albums and collaborations before earning a surprise No. 1 hit with the Luther Vandross tribute “For Ever, For Always, For Love.” A pioneer in the laid-back neo-soul movement, she remains one of the genre’s finest practitioners. Now on the reactivated Stax label, Hathaway triumphs with the single “Let Go” and digs even deeper with trippier cuts like “Naked Truth.” Helping out is Rahsaan Patterson, another superior neo-soulster who hasn’t received the mainstream attention he deserves. [Nick Dedina]
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Goapele Break of Dawn |
Whitney Houston Whitney |
Nobody says, "Sayonara, sucker!" quite like Kelly Clarkson, who said it with gusto in one of pop's greatest kiss-off anthems (and one of her own biggest hits), 2004's "Since U Been Gone." Fast-forward seven years, and America's favorite Idol is still kicking the players, losers and scrubs to the curb with her latest album. The just-released Stronger is packed to the brim with vulnerable confessionals, fierce survival anthems and, yes, more kiss-off classics in the making.
Clarkson's in good company: lead single "Mr. Know It All" and the biting "Einstein" ("Dumb plus dumb equals you"? Daaaaaang!) are just the latest in a long line of tunes to tell an ex to hit the road, Jack — and maybe remind him (or her) of just what they're missing on their way out the door. So in honor of all those chumps who didn't put a ring on it, we present this playlist of kiss-off anthems.Kiss-Off Classics
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Purple Haze takes the gangsta mindset to its hyper-masculine logical conclusion, inadvertently uprooting any connection the music may have to reality and placing it squarely in the realm of ghetto fantasy. Crack anthems such as "More Gangsta Music" and "The Dope Man" can't -- and shouldn't be -- taken too seriously, which makes them comfort food for laptop hustlas. [Sam Chennault]
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Yelawolf Hard White |
Group Home Livin' Proof |
Deep house never really goes out of fashion; somewhere, there'll always be someone playing jazzy chords over a disco beat. For whatever reason, though, the style is particularly hot right now, with artists from Los Angeles to the Ukraine sinking their teeth into the slower tempos and moody melodies of dance music at its most romantic.The New Deep House playlist. 
Only in its second year, Moogfest has quickly become one of the United States' more diverse and cutting-edge music festivals. It's also one of the country's most scenic. Taking place in Asheville, N.C., on Halloween weekend (October 28-30), the three-day event will be awash in the fiery reds and incandescent yellows that dot the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains in late autumn.The Mix's Guide to Moogfest 2011 playlist. 
"I got my toes in the water/ Ass in the sand/ Not a worry in the world/ A cold beer in my hand," begins Zac Brown Band's mega-hit "Toes." That Brown finishes his ode to dropping out with a serene "life is good today" makes it all the more appealing — pure escapism in these tough economic times. And judging by his sales, millions have been willing to buy into that philosophy and escape for a while, even if just for the hour-plus it takes for Brown's second studio album, You Get What You Give, to play from start to finish.Source Material: Zac Brown Band, You Get What You Give
The singer-songwriter movement is generally depicted as an outgrowth of the 1960s folk revival. Near decade's end, as the story goes, denim-clad bards and feathery songbirds such as James Taylor, Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne shifted folk music's gaze off the world outside, including all its myriad political and social crises, and cast it upon humanity's inner realms (i.e. questions addressing emotional and psychic health, existential inquiry, love, relationships, even faith). Though these artists pushed folk into an orbit closer to pop's sonic palette, their music remained predominantly acoustic, centering around the solo performer as well.Cheat Sheet: The Singer-Songwriter Beyond Folk Music playlist. 
A few notable trends in this latest Metal Roundup: (1) More loud rock you might actually hear on the radio than usual, including a couple albums with songs you might even be able to dance to, other than moshing and banging your noggin even, if you were so inclined. (2) A few bands dead-set on reviving the speed-thrash of the '80s — and they all come from the U.S.A., of all places. (3) A few instances of screamo masquerading as anything but. (4) Two albums (by Saviours and Danava) that end with songs about walking into death's tunnel of light. And finally, and perhaps most intriguingly: (5) Releases from three-count-'em-three bands with the word "Earth" in their names. Talk about your global movements! Are heavy metal bands ecologically minded or what? Or maybe they just like that "Earth" was Black Sabbath's original name.Metal Roundup, Late October 2011 playlist.
1. Saviours
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Sensing loud rock's '90s direction, Warrant leapt into eccentric heaviness on this 1992 set. Still, none of it sounds especially "grunge." The dystopian nuclear sci-fi of "April 2031" is more Sabbath-meets-Bowie, "The Hole in My Wall" all curdling Zep swing and talkbox paranoia. The speedy sleaze of "Inside Out" imbibes '70s Nugent; "Hollywood" rides a Jane's Addiction "Been Caught Stealing" groove. Much of the rest is basically early '80s Sammy Hagar muscle-rock, but weirdness like the kiddie chorus in celebrity assassination nightmare "Andy Warhol Was Right" would've been way out of Sam's league. [Chuck Eddy]
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It's been a few months since we've done a roundup of new R&B albums. The summer was quiet, save for urban pop efforts from Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Lloyd and others. But the end of the year is usually prime time for soul artists, so the genre's output has increased. Perhaps the approaching winter months are to thank, inviting us to cuddle with our loved ones; more cynically, the perception that soul listeners skew older and stick to the classics may result in fewer new releases than most other genres enjoy. No matter the reason for the delay, I'm glad to finally hear some new soul music.October 2011 Hot R&B Singles playlist.
1. Etta James
Looking for your new favorite song? Your favorite pop star's got you covered, kid. The last couple weeks have seen a clutch of killer new singles dropping (apparently like it's hot, according to Alexandra Stan) from a dizzying range of pop-friendly artistes. Dive in and find your favorite with our latest edition of single-phile, which breaks down the latest and greatest singles with quickie reviews and hit-potential predictions. To hear everything featured here at once, try my Single-Phile: Fall 2011 playlist.
Artist: Alexandra Stan
Over the last decade or so, many Latin artists have carved out a new style by stitching indie rock, hip-hop, electronic and pop together with folk and traditional music to create a sonic tapestry that's at once comfortably familiar and chicly cutting-edge. New York outfit Pistolera call their indie-rocking brand "alt-folklorico." But fashionable innovators have sketched out similar models in a diverse range of genres, from the urban-regional movement in Latin hip-hop to the folk electronico crafted by knob-twiddlers like Mexican Institute of Sound.
One of the genre's founding mothers is Lila Downs, who has made a career of digging into her Mexican heritage to create nueva ranchera, neo-norteño and other kinds of rich, rootsy pop. Her latest album, Pecados y Milagros, is redolent with the homey accordions, sweeping strings, warm brass and dramatic vocals of regional Mexican music — but with indie-pop twists. Dig into the new roots Downs and other artists are putting down with our alt-folklorico playlist.Alt-Folklorico y Mas
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What better way to celebrate Alan Jackson's 20 years in the music business, and his whopping 34 No. 1 hits, than with a career retrospective? Beloved songs such as "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)," "Here in the Real World" and "Remember When" sit alongside upbeat gems like "Who's Cheatin' Who," "Little Bitty" and "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere." Three new songs are included on this masterpiece: "As She's Walking Away" (his hit with The Zac Brown Band), plus "Look at Me" and "Ring of Fire," an updated, swinging version of the Cash classic. Perfection. [Linda Ryan]
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On his first album in four years, L.A.'s Aloe Blacc travels further from his hip-hop roots. Years ago, he was a rapper in the indie group Emanon and a sometime vocalist; on Good Things, he's working over arrangements from retro-soul combo Truth & Soul with heartfelt emotion. Unlike most rappers-turned-singers, Aloe Blacc has a great voice, which he uses to striking effect on "Take Me Back" and "Mama Hold My Hand." The excellent Good Things teems with highlights, particularly the viral hit "I Need a Dollar," where he impersonates a homeless drunk to offer commentary on the great recession. [Mosi Reeves]
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With a title cribbed from a Van Gogh letter and a song produced by Babyface, Infinity on High suggests that Fall Out Boy are starting to take themselves seriously. They're not. Smartass lyrics and all-ages rock club riots are still the order of the day. Nothing here dethrones their pop-punk creative zenith, the 2005 smash "Sugar, We're Going Down," but "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" -- with its clomping beat and call-and-response breakdown ("Sing until your lungs give out!") -- is a blast. The Boys could have managed a risk or two here, but play it safe instead. [Garrett Kamps]
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Skeletonwitch plunder Ohio graveyards, but in a blindfold test you might guess their beast-grunted devil-metal came from someplace bitter and Scandinavian. While the drummer is usually not super-distinctive, now and then he forgoes blast-beats for a near-power-rock bottom. But the real saving grace is the two guitarists, who open the album almost placidly folk-strumming, then solo in commendably exploratory ways in cuts like "Reduced to the Failure of Prayer." Most magnificent climax comes in "Cleaver of Souls," which is also simultaneously the most harmonized and Celtic Frost-like track. [Chuck Eddy]
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The power of one woman with a mic and a guitar is a force to be reckoned with. Now double that. Thao Nguyen (of The Get Down Stay Down) and singer-songwriter Mirah do just that on their debut, adding tUnE-yArDs' Merrill Garbus as producer for a trifecta of Bay Area female fierceness. The quirkier spots point to Garbus, like the clickety-clackety punch of opener "Eleven"; her eccentric touches balance beautifully with Thao's subtle grit and Mirah's softer inclinations. Whether they try on waltzing folk, sun-kissed acoustic, loopy pop or big-band jazz, it all fits like a glove. [Stephanie Benson]
To the uninitiated, Nashville means one thing: country music. They imagine a town filled with honkytonks and cowboy boot-wearing, pickup-drivin' good old boys. You can certainly find those things, mostly down on Lower Broadway where the tourists tend to hang. Venture a few blocks in any direction, though, and you'll discover that country makes up just a small part of the thriving Nashville music scene.
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Ryan Adams has finally mellowed. After a decade of absurd prolificacy and uncouth behavior, alt-country's most volatile son sits pleasantly behind the whisper-quiet shuffle of Ashes & Fire, a soothing blanket of gentle guitars, bright organ, delicate piano. His lyrics are philosophical and apologetic: "Do I want to say the things I say/ When I know they're wrong?" "What am I doing here?" "Am I really who I was?" Perhaps it dips too often into David Gray soft rock, but oh well. Norah Jones guests throughout, tip-toeing and deferential; "Save Me" marks Adams as worthy of redemption. [Rob Harvilla]
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"Heavy psych." Just the words themselves sound cool. When someone says a band plays heavy psych, you immediately at least have an idea of what you're in for. Specifically, super loud guitars, howling feedback and long floating sections that sound like you're docking your space craft on, um, Uranus. Or maybe Saturn. Anyway, fun, fun, fun.
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The album that launched Prince into the mainstream on a catapult wire. He stripped down some of his trademark funk's heavier overtones, and dressed it back up with infectious pop hooks and heavy metal guitar licks. At once organic and ornate, this revolutionary album proved more successful than the film of the same name. [Nick Dedina]
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Joe Jonas Fastlife |
Adele 21 |
In the early 1970s, decades before sexuality and gender in high school life became a CNN news bite, a music trend came along that slyly packaged these issues inside a lot of killer rock 'n' roll. I'm talking about glam — or, as that legendary arbiter of pop fad Dick Clark disturbingly called it back in 1973, the "fag-drag crazy transsexual rock scene."Senior Year, 1973: Yesterday a Quarterback, Today a Glam Queen playlist. 
This year's major-label rap seems to lack ambition. From potentially groundbreaking Internet stars forced into awkward compromises (J Cole and Big Sean) and classic mixtapes gutted and truncated for retail release (Big K.R.I.T.'s R4 the Prequel) to imitations of past glories (see Jay-Z and Kanye West), the 2011 slate has been underwhelming so far. Perhaps that's why I've spent more time listening to indie rap records — or at least what's nominally considered "indie" — and mixtapes. They may not necessarily be better, but at least they don't have the burden of living up to marketing hype.October 2011 Rap Albums Sampler
1. J Cole
The Smiths may just be one of the greatest indie rock bands of all time. They've certainly influenced a wealth of artists since their '80s heyday. The proof is in the enduring quality of their songbook and in the legions of new fans they continue to win all over the world.
This is a band that can play a mix of 1950s rockabilly, '60s folk-rock, stark post-punk, lush orchestral pop and stately piano ballads. They had a punk rock drummer and a funk bassist, and Morrissey and Johnny Marr were one of the great songwriting partnerships. Marr was riding such a creative peak with The Smiths that he can't even remember what he did to come up with some of the guitar sounds he made. Likewise, Morrissey's game-changing lyrics are thought of as bookish and self-pitying, but they can be full of ribald, street-smart humor, brutal violence and moral complexity. For all the talk of heartache, the lyrics are often biting and witty.Cheat Sheet: The Smiths
Paul Simon Graceland |
Although Halloween as we know it in the United States isn't celebrated to the same degree in the rest of the world, the holiday is starting to gain ground in Latin America, with kids dressing up and trick-or-treating everywhere from Colombia to Mexico. And why not? A strong foundation for the holiday already exists. First and foremost, there's Dia de los Muertos, in which families and friends gather to commemorate departed loved ones with eating, drinking, music and general fiesta-making. It's a joyous occasion, of course, but still one in which the ghosts or souls of the departed are said to walk the earth again.Vampiros, Chupacabras and Fantasmas: A Latin American Halloween
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After 10 years and five exceptional albums, Guru and Premier hit off the fans with a quadruple-vinyl treat. Thirty-three tracks chronicle their ongoing legacy of top-quality Brooklyn hip-hop; Full Clip contains almost all of their singles, as well as a few choice remixes. "Mass Appeal," "Ex Girl To The Next Girl," and "DWYCK" are all included. Essential jams.
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The mixtape-to-majors trajectory, and the implicit challenges of converting underground acclaim into a sustainable career, has become part of the modern rap narrative. But it's not the only path. We've all seen how Drake, Kid Cudi and B.o.B rocketed from free downloads to hit albums like Thank Me Later, Man on the Moon: The End of Day, and The Adventures of Bobby Ray, respectively; we've also mocked Wale when he followed his widely acclaimed 2008 mixtape, the Seinfeld-inspired The Mixtape About Nothing, with a disappointing major-label debut, the following year's Attention Deficit. (He'll get another chance when Ambition drops next month.)From Mixtape to Majors
"Hipster metal" is not so much a style of music as a state of mind. And we're not necessarily talking about the minds of the musicians themselves, who in most cases will deny the classification entirely. The phrase has probably been around for only a few years, and like similar accusations in other genres ("hipster rap," for instance), it's at least partially a pejorative — implying, as it does, that these aren't Real Metal Bands Listened to by Genuine Honest-to-Satan Metalheads, but rather acts marketed to (and, in some cases, at least tentatively embraced by) theoretically gullible indie rock twerps. Who'll fall for anything, after all, right? And even if they don't, taking an end-run shortcut around metal's troo fan base seems rather unseemly. Or at least, that's what some metal magazines would say — though, to be honest, if those mags weren't at least a wee bit hip themselves, they might not know of such bands at all.Cheat Sheet: Hipster Metal
With this installment of Rhapsody's Senior Year series, I attempt to construct an alternative to Dazed & Confused's depiction of mid-'70s America. Imagine this: while all of Lee High's jocks, stoners and make-the-scene wannabes partied in the woods to the sounds of Foghat and Aerosmith, the school's introverted smarty-pants types — many of whom tutored all them lunkheads in shoulder pads during the school year — retreated to their parents' basements. There, they spent the night tinkering with their Radio Shack 150-in-One Electronic Project Kits while exploring rock's outer limits: art rock, ambient music, the more cerebral end of glam, fusion and Krautrock.
A massive prog fan (and once a teenage nerd himself), Vincent Gallo touched on this definition in his review of King Crimson's The ConstruKction of Light album: "When I started listening to King Crimson and some of the better progressive rock bands then, it really felt like the ideas, sensibilities, aesthetics and certainly the music were complex and very new and had a real relationship with the most interesting younger people of the time ... The friends who I went to see King Crimson, Yes and Genesis concerts with were the same friends who were hip enough to go with me to see The Ramones' first gig in Buffalo, and the same friends who later dug 'Spoony G.'"Senior Year, 1975: My Physics Tutor the Prog Nerd playlist right now.
Newsboys God's Not Dead |
Michael Jackson Thriller |
Well, it's been an interesting month or so, pop fans. If the albums we've selected as October's Top 10 are any indication, it's been a time of risk-taking, new endeavors and career revitalizations. We've got artists from high-profile groups branching out on their own for the first time (hi, Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy and Joe Jonas of ... well, you know). We've got buzzy underground acts targeting the mainstream with major-label debuts (hey there, J Cole and Mayer Hawthorne). We've got an exciting debut from Mindless Behavior and sophomore slump-beaters from Jason DeRulo and Allstar Weekend. And most exciting of all, we've got a few of our favorite young divas returning to the spotlight, including Ms. Demi Lovato and Evanescence's Amy Lee. Tune in and catch up on pop's latest and greatest!Pop Roundup October-November 2011
1. Demi Lovato
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Sanz provided the husky presence on Shakira's hit song "Tortura," but the guy is a star in his own right, and with El Tren he's released a shambling, jazzy, funky solo record that trades in easy pop hooks for a messy charm that cannibalizes pop and rock music and spits out surprise after surprise. He references jazz with subtle piano and acoustic guitar shadings, breaks into rock guitar solos and even name-checks American funk -- while a flamenco flame sears his raspy voice. Shakira shines through on the dusky "Te Lo Agrodezco, Pero No," but the funky "La Peleita" and excellent "Donde Convergemos" deserve just as much attention. [Sarah Bardeen]
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Nashville's reigning hot mom works both sides of that fence on her 11th pop-country opus, lamenting the perils of parenthood on "Teenage Daughters" and moaning white-soul PG come-ons like "You Can Get Your Lovin' Right Here." She sells an impressive range of emotions here, from the jaunty, horn-jolted lovey-dovey elation of "Broken Umbrella" to the tear-jerking pathos of the expertly crafted living-with-cancer ballad "I'm Gonna Love You Through It." Pat Monahan (aka the dude from Train) duets on "Marry Me" to sweet effect, but it's Martina's show, and she's clearly got it goin' on. [Rob Harvilla]
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Miranda Lambert always comes out with guns blazing. Here, that's exactly how she and her fellow Pistol Annies -- Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley -- roll. Backed by a slow beat and twangin' guitar, "Hell on Heels" is a delightfully sinister song that has the three sirens triumphing over their men. Elsewhere, the girls drink, smoke and take pills; go off the deep end ("Housewife's Prayer"); and lament marriage in various ways ("Trailer for Rent," "The Hunter's Wife"). And while the circumstances are less than ideal, there's plenty of cleverly written one-liners to lighten things up. [Linda Ryan]
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The Wu's quadruple-LP follow-up Forever is decidedly less raw than their debut, though it's still pretty amazing. Their lyrics have evolved, with many songs addressing society's various ills. Some fans thought the Wu were getting too ambitious, while the group accused critics of wanting easily digestible "baby food." Features "Triumph," "Reunited," and "The M.G.M."
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Mockingbird Time is a reunion record for Jayhawks fans, featuring both Mark Olson and Gary Louris, who split after the near-breakthrough of 1995's Tomorrow the Green Grass. The album comes with the trademarks of the Jayhawks' sound: reedy harmonies, aching mid-tempo rockers and gritty Americana imagery. The first time around, this formula kick-started the early '90s alt country movement. Fifteen years later, Mockingbird doesn't have the artistic urgency, but sounds older, wiser and more reserved. The band's strength is displayed in spades on the chiming "She Walks in So Many Ways." [Nate Cavalieri]
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Singing and a deep, analytic appreciation for it has always been a part of my life. The child of two music teachers, I grew up singing in choirs, taking voice lessons and participating in super-nerdy, incredibly embarrassing, overly harmonized family sing-alongs (Seriously. When my extended family is around, even "Happy Birthday" is usually done in about 12-part harmony). When I went to college, I tried to avoid my destiny for a while but I ended up getting a degree in voice performance anyway. Which is a ridiculously useless degree if you don't want to be an opera singer or, you know, a performer at all, which I quickly discovered I didn't. Nowadays, my own personal vocal performances are pretty much limited to the shower and the occasional drunken karaoke turn. But as a music critic, what I've done with all that singing is channel it into a deep, analytical appreciation for singers. Friday Mixtape: Shiver-Inducing Singers
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It's easy to lob bombs at Terence Trent D'Arby. His pompous androgynous android funk clearly tears a page from Prince's playbook, he claimed that his debut was the best album since Sgt. Pepper's and his subsequent releases were underwhelming studies in studious pretentiousness. But for a few months in 1987 -- following the overwhelming one-two punch of "Sign Your Name" and "Wishing Well" -- D'Arby was the hottest name in R&B, and deservedly so. The spidery drum machine soul of "Wishing Well" remains addictive, and "Sign Your Name" sounds like Polynesian Goth played by runny-nosed romantics. [Sam Chennault]
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With so many country musicians still advocating the tear-in-beer formula for the tried-and-true tones of twangy songwriting, it's refreshing to hear this uplifting and inspired celebration of life and love. Even his cover of Sir Elton John's "Country Comfort" is a glass-raising ode to country living. [Eric Shea]
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This, the October installment of our Rock Roundup series, is packed with so much music it's really quite obnoxious. But how does one not err on the side of unchecked inclusivity when Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, Nirvana, Lindsey Buckingham, Wilco, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead and Pearl Jam all release what amounts to a tidal wave of new joints, anthologies, remastered classics, archival releases and albums never before available on Rhapsody?Rock Roundup, October 2011 playlist.
When Beirut burst (OK, shuffled quietly) onto the scene in 2006, Zachary Condon's rotating crew wowed fans and critics alike with both his precocious songwriting and the globe-trotting, youth-belying range of stylistic sources he employed. As the legend goes, the New Mexico native dropped out of school as a teenager and went bumming around Europe, where he discovered and thoroughly absorbed folk and pop music traditions from French musette to Balkan brass to (especially) Roma/Gypsy folk. Back home, he wove his sonic discoveries into the tapestry of his debut album, along with bits and pieces of other influences, like the mariachi music he often heard while growing up in Santa Fe, the inclinations of his fellow globally inclined American singer-songwriters, and, of course, a lot of indie rock and pop. Then he filtered it all through a sweet, pensive haze that constituted both a gesture toward Roma music's palpable sense of yearning and his own take on the tradition.Source Material: Beirut, Gulag Orkestar.
Veteran Christian rockers Downhere released a new album, On the Altar of Love, a few weeks ago, so it's not surprising that the Juno- and Dove Award-winning band is getting some attention. What is surprising is that much of that attention is thanks to a YouTube video of guitarist and vocalist Marc Martel channeling late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.
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Loveless took years to complete and almost brought its parent label (Creation) down with it. The struggle was worth it though, because the end result is miraculous -- a blend of blistering sound and angelic melody brought to life through Kevin Shields' fervent attention to studio detail and hazy guitar pyrotechnics. "Soon" is the standout club track of the entire shoegazer scene, but the whole of Loveless is a near perfect fever dream of a guitar pop record. [Jon Pruett]
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Watch Me Dance Toddla T |
Notorious B.I.G. Ready To Die |
Evanescence Evanescence |
Bjork Debut |
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Evanescence Evanescence |
Shudder to Think Pony Express Record |
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Evanescence Evanescence |
KISS Destroyer |
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Evanescence Evanescence |
Motley Crue Shout At The Devil |
Back in 1997, the coffeehouse music scene managed to thrive despite the incessant barrage of grunge that was still going strong some six years after the release of Nirvana's Nevermind. Modern singer-songwriters such as Jewel, Duncan Sheik and Fiona Apple were introducing themselves to new fans by playing in coffeehouses across America — and the exposure they got on television shows such as Beverly Hills, 90210 and Ally McBeal and Buffy the Vampire Slayer didn't hurt either.Senior Year, 1997: Hanging Out At the Coffee Shop.
Electronic dance music has been enjoying an unusual amount of exposure lately, reflecting the music's rising stateside popularity. The bulk of the spotlight, though, tends to fall on the crossover sensations — your Skrillexes and Swedish House Mafias and Afrojacks.Electronic Essentials: October 2011 playlist.
For this month's Indie Roundup, we highlight a couple dozen new releases. We include big names like Björk, Feist, Ryan Adams and Wilco, but we also put the spotlight on several underground greats like '90s revivalists Big Troubles, minimalist dream-poppers Gem Club, manic garage-rocker Mikal Cronin, bedroom-pop lamenter Youth Lagoon, and Swedish electro-shoegazers I Break Horses. Discover some great new music here!Indie Roundup, October 2011
1. Feist
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Listen to an entire stack of Bert Jansch records, and you'll notice the legendary Brit ain't one for variety. Rather he explores subtle permutations of a formula that was established in full form on his 1965 debut. Rosemary Lane is no different. It's a combination of traditional and modern folk, spotlighting Jansch's pioneering guitar work and moody croon. The one notable difference is just how sparse the music is: Rosemary Lane feels like a Victorian parlor stripped to the bare essentials. [Justin Farrar]
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Possibly the coldest music ever committed to tape, Animals is a negative trip with unbelievably cool guitars (four minutes into "Dogs" and all of "Sheep"), brain-shattering synthesizers (animal sounds continually turn into coded messages from the Grim Reaper) and songs longer than should be legally allowed. Still, it's near perfect. [Mike McGuirk]
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The Time Has Come might be an uneven listen, but it's an absolutely necessary (and possibly even initial) bridge between '60s soul and the psych-funk revolution that exploded the following decade. Because of this, the album is divided between earthbound fare ("People Get Ready," "In the Midnight Hour") and serious acid vibes, the most significant of which is the 11-minute "Time Has Come Today." The importance of this track cannot be overstated; the band released it in 1967, two years before Sly & The Family Stone's Stand! and three before Funkadelic's debut. Now that's prescience, people. [Justin Farrar]
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The fourth album from Queensbridge representatives Havoc and Prodigy, Murda Muzik is a perfect follow-up to their East Coast thug-rap classics The Infamous and Hell on Earth. Grim samples and rugged beats back more bloodthirsty lyricism from the diabolical duo. Also features excellent guest spots from Nas, Cormega, and Kool G Rap. [Brolin Winning]
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I've made a personalized mixtape every month for the last five years, combining au courant new hits, old favorites, random stuff overheard in convenience stores, Songs of Personal Emotional Relevance (the one from August 2008 mostly involves my wedding, which explains, for example, "Billie Jean"), ambient stuff that relaxes me in airports (very popular genre), etc. etc. As an example, I thought I'd share the January 2008 volume, which I think hangs together pretty well, considering. Friday Mixtape: My Own Personal January 2008
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Get all the hits this once-obscure metal band never had in one easy place. From their signature "Metal on Metal" to the unintentionally hilarious song title "Thumbhang," it's tough to decide if Anvil are actually good, or if it's just nice to know Spinal Tap actually exists. Uncannily, the drummer's name is Robb Reiner! Despite the unshakeable sense of ironic appreciation, one cannot ignore the fact that Anvil have played by their own rules for decades. [Mike McGuirk]
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With their second album, Girls' production values may have gone up, but it doesn't mean they're any happier. It could be a fun drinking game to count the number of coy loves tumbling out of Christopher Owens' mouth, but then you'll miss the band's exceptionally nimble moves here. These range from the surf-rock of "Honey Bunny" to the stoner-rock stomp of "Die," the slow-burn lamenting of "My Ma" and "Forgiveness" to the prog folk (with flute!) of "Just a Song," the soul-gospel swing of "Love Like a River" to highlight "Vomit," which acts as the magnet pulling all those elements together. [Stephanie Benson]
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"Living in the Shadows" is a deep cut from 1995's When the Circus Comes to Town, one of the very best records of Bert Jansch's long (and at time tumultuous) career, which ended on October 5th, the day lung cancer claimed his life. Augmented by a muted rhythm section and Mark Ramsden's vaporous saxophone, Jansch's thick Scottish accent, all moody and temperamental, garbles most of the lyrics, save cutting little phrases such as "for the whole damn world to see" and "you got to run through the city with your head down, don't be seen." 
Even though the guitars in "Time" are among Pink Floyd's best and the first 30 seconds of "Money" remain one of the coolest openings ever, we've all heard Dark Side of the Moon a thousand million jillion times too many. Wish You Were Here is the other album classic rock radio has played into the ground. The Best Pink Floyd Songs They Never Play on the Radio.
"Latin crossover" has meant many things over the years, from pop songs featuring Spanish lyrics to Latino artists who cracked the predominantly white mainstream charts. It's a vague, loaded and problematic term. But underneath that confusing umbrella, talented artists of Hispanic heritage have added rich musical, stylistic and sometimes linguistic strains to the tapestry of American pop music. That's what we're celebrating with this Cheat Sheet on Latin Crossover Artists, compiled in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, which is observed September 15 to October 15.Cheat Sheet: Latin Crossover Greats
Shakira
Ahhhh. Fall has arrived, and with it comes some blessed relief from the heat. But don't worry — there are plenty of hot country releases to keep you warm and cozy. In the month or so since we last checked in, there have been a number of excellent releases, many of which could end up on those pesky "best of" lists come year's end. From multiplatinum stars like Lady Antebellum to alt country mainstays like The Jayhawks to heritage artists like Glen Campbell, we've put the spotlight on all sorts of new country releases. Hit play to get caught up!Country Roundup, October 2011.
1. Various Artists
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Crunk may be nearly dead, but Toby Love's much-(self-)vaunted hybrid "crunkchata" finally seems to have solidified into a genre of its own. Well, maybe not crunkchata so much as R&Bachata. Sure, in spots, the "blend" is little more than an English-language, hip-hop-infused bridge. But on cuts like "Eres Tu" and "Corazon," Love's weave is so seamless you'd swear R&B was born with that sexy stutter. It's Love's vocals that seal the deal, balancing a Michael Jackson-esque fragility with a bold, seductive confidence (that doesn't need quite so many self-aggrandizing shout-outs). [Rachel Devitt]
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This new Pink Floyd reissue bug bit me hard. Nearly every record between The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and The Wall has been in heavy rotation for days now. Last weekend I even drove to Barnes & Noble (Meddle served as my in-car soundtrack), and spent time in the café reading the Mojo and Rolling Stone cover stories.
A pair of Technics turntable decks will cost you around $800 — maybe cheaper if you can get them used (or if you opt for a lesser brand like Numark). A DJ mixer will set you back another $300. A copy of the Turntablist's Super Duck Breaks costs around $10, and you'll need two copies. But the ability to scratch like DJ Q-Bert? That would be priceless.Senior Year, 1998: Time 4 Skratch Practice.
With Halloween fast approaching, it's hugely appropriate that Rocktober opens with a veritable harvest of scary new metal releases — by big names (Opeth, Mastodon, Alice Cooper, Anthrax) alongside bands you've probably never heard of; by veterans like Anvil taking stock of their hard-luck careers and coagulated upstarts like Elks trying to chart heavy new directions; by proggers and doom goths and boogie dogs and death worshippers and Satanic sailors and ironic cutters-and-pasters; by Swedes and Norwegians and Greeks and Italians and Poles and Canadians and Americans and even some old dudes from Ohio who were their own kind of alt-metal way back in the mid-'70s, when punk was still glam. If you can't find an album to pump your fist to among this high-decibel 15, you might just need a new fist.Metal Roundup, October 2011 playlist. 
1. Opeth
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Just when it seemed The Cure had become as widely accepted as possible with Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, they released this album in 1989. Disintegration brought the band into arenas on the strength of the tracks "Pictures of You" and "Lovesong." It showed what long-time fans already knew -- Robert Smith was a fantastic guitarist who wrote beautiful songs. [Jon Pruett]
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In 2002, Cody Chesnutt beguiled listeners with The Headphone Masterpiece, a 36-song debut of first-take demos and a few gems like "Looking Good in Leather," "Boylife in America" and "Seed," the last of which he re-recorded with The Roots for the neo-soul hit "The Seed 2.0." The L.A. rocker depends too much on sexist riffs like "Serve This Royalty," but reflective numbers such as "My Women, My Guitars" seem to justify the hype. Unfortunately, Chesnutt's promising start went unfulfilled: After this, he didn't issue another recording for eight years. [Mosi Reeves]
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Usher has apparently been sitting on a goldmine of great songs. This addendum to the already jam-packed Raymond v Raymond is also almost entirely filler-free fabulousness, albeit of a slightly different variety. Where Raymond was all graceful, emotionally complicated pop symphonies, Versus focuses more on good times and great beats ("Hot Tottie" takes the prize in that department). Highlights include the creepy/sexy "Get in My Car," "Somebody to Love" (with Justin Bieber's newly changed voice!) and Pitbull-featuring dance cut "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love." [Rachel Devitt]
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Tumbleweed Connection is a loose concept album about the Old West, and as hokey as that sounds, the album is actually quite good, thanks mostly to the pointed lyrics of Bernie Taupin and Elton's acute sense of expression. In fact, these songs rely on Elton's emotive voice rather than the pop melodies and showmanship for which he'd later become known. [Linda Ryan]
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