In lieu of the litany of great female groups who've emerged since Sleater-Kinney's demise–Vivian Girls, Dum Dum Girls, Lights, Brilliant Colors, Pussy Riot, even Wild Flag featuring former members Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss arguably speaking–none can truly match the unbridled intensity that made the Olympia trio's decade in rock so memorable.
Carefully compiled and co-produced by chief archivist David Lemieux (who contributes an essay of fond remembrance), So Glad You Made It displays the same impeccable logic as its companion piece culled from 2011’s Europe '72: The Complete Recordings.
It is extremely rare for a band to achieve a creative advance simultaneous to its breakthrough to a mainstream audience. But that's exactly what R.E.M accomplished with the ever so appropriately titled Document. Accordingly, more so than perhaps any other of its anniversary reissues (except perhaps the two CDs of the Fables of the Reconstruction box), this landmark album deserves the deluxe treatment it receives.
Virtually impossible, but with Beyond, Farm and now I Bet On Sky, Dinosaur Jr. has perhaps matched their initial famous trio of Dinosaur, You’re Living All Over Me and Bug.
The Mountain Goats’ latest release, Transcendental Youth comes complete with something new and shiny. No, it’s not the lyrics or subject matter. Rest assured, longtime listeners, John Darnielle is still eloquently mining the depths of the fragile human psyche for some of his best material, dropping lines like “Long black night/Morning frost/I’m still here/But all is lost” with aplomb throughout the album’s twelve tracks. However, this time around, the songs are buoyed by a rousing and sometimes even uplifting horn section, expertly arranged by the emerging and proficient musical jack-of-all-trades Matthew E. White
The North divulges the intense heartfelt-ness of this band, that is the cornerstone of exactly what Stars as a group is– sometimes excessive, but never without sincerity, profundity and the type of passionate enthusiasm that few bands possess.
In a photo on the inside liner of his thirty-fifth album Tempest, Bob Dylan stands in the middle of his decidedly-roguish looking band, assuming the body language and facial expression of a musician knowing he’s produced something memorable and daring those about to listen to think otherwise.
Centipede Hz is a step forward for Animal Collective while not really coloring to riskily outside the lines.
The Chris Robinson Brotherhood’s chemistry informs their material as much as their musicianship.
It seems that though The xx’s distinctness had put them on the map, it might also be the very reason that held them back in Coexist, as there was only slight evolution from their debut album, leaving us wanting more in the end. The question remains whether they’re up for the challenge of adding a unique and fresh sound in the future.
