Gang of Four: Return The Gift
The Marxist funk is back. Not quite as funky, though. In fact, the
newly re-grouped Gang Of Four sounds a lot more garage these days.
deSol: deSol
deSol, a band of seven musicians from New York and New Jersey with strong Latin bloodlines, are standing atop the fence that runs somewhere between the salsa flavor of Ozomatli and the Texican blues of Los Lonely Boys.
Teenage Fanclub: Man-Made
The high level of consistency is another asset Teenage Fanclub is known for, and the stellar
Groundtruther: Charlie Hunter / Bobby Previte / DJ Logic: Longitude
In their second collaboration, 8-string guitar maestro Charlie Hunter and drummer Bobby Previte reinvent their eclectic mix of sounds as a more aggressive trio on Longitude.
Sound Tribe Sector 9: Artifact: Perspectives
In the five years separating the recently released Artifact from their previous studio effort, STS9 has toured and performed with Tortoise, drum & bass guru LTJ Bukem and beat alchemists like Telefon Tel Aviv and Karsh Kale among others, and they
Calexico/Iron & Wine : In The Reins
In the first of what we can only hope will become a series of collaborations between Calexico and Iron & Wine, this seven song effort features the minimalist Sam Beam approach floating on neo-folk and country-western waters.
Maria Muldaur: Sweet Lovin
Maria Muldaur is one of those artists who have defied classification. Since her 1973 debut she has dabbled with everything from pop, country, boogie, gospel, and Memphis jug.
back and to the left: Obsolete
The idea of passing up the simple but commercially effective strategy of retrofitting 80s New Wave for mass consumption by the pierced-face audiences of today may be a tough thing for goal-oriented techno bands to consider, but Backandtotheleft appears content to keep the musical company of such EBM purists as Cesium 137 and Angels+Agony.
My Morning Jacket: Z
As the opening minutes of Z pass by with nary a crashing cymbal or a ringing chord, impossible doubts seep in through the membrane of denial: Has My Morning Jacket become a keyboard band? Did the departed Johnny Quaid and Danny Cash rip the backbeating heart from My Morning Jacket
Otis Taylor: Below the Fold
Otis Taylor pays his mortgage by dealing antiques in Boulder, Colorado. It
Les Paul : Les Paul & Friends
Les Paul, famous for his jazz guitar stylings, his invention of the solid body Les Paul electric guitar, and his technological advancements in multi-track recording (a technique that today dominates the recording industry), sits down on Les Paul & Friends with a long list of rock n’ roll kings like Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Buddy Guy, Sting, Sam Cooke, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Joe Perry, SteveMiller and more. The possibilities here should be promising.
Richard Thompson: Front Parlour Ballads
Richard Thompson has released several albums over the years, so it’s puzzling that this record is a first. However, this enjoyable, folksy, laidback effort is Thompson