Album Reviews Archives - Page 609 of 707

The Harlem Experiment: Various Artists

Eric Liebetrau November 12, 2007 No Comments

Producer Aaron Levinson and Ropeadope Records founder Andy Hurwitz return with another genre-bending musical tribute to a specific cultural breeding ground. But unlike Philadelphia Experiment and Detroit Experiment, this one spotlights a single neighborhood, Harlem, one of the most artistically fertile areas in the country. Structured as an imaginary AM radio transmission, “hosted” by Harlem DJ muMs—and featuring a talented house band—Harlem Experiment weaves an aural tapestry of funk, blues, jazz, salsa, hip-hop and beyond.

Ian Hunter: Shrunken Heads

Doug Collette November 12, 2007 No Comments

As leader of Mott the Hoople, Ian Hunter was as vulnerable as he was acerbic, seeing rock and roll as a metaphor for all facets of the human condition. The perpetually-shaded iconoclast has continued this work through a dozen post-Mott solo albums, the success of which has depended, as is the case with most literate songwriters, on the balance between musicianship/production and the material as means to a message.

Patton Oswalt: Werewolves & Lollipops

Jeffrey Greenblatt November 12, 2007 No Comments

Lollipops is the latest offering from alt.comedian Patton Oswalt. Hopefully you know Oswalt as the mastermind behind the brilliant Comedians of Comedy – it’s the antithesis of Dane Cook and Blue Collar Comedy, meaning smart and funny. Odds are though you recognize him from his stint on The King of Queens or from this past summer’s Ratatouille – so you may need to forget your G-rated perception of him before settling into stand-up act.

Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew: Spirit If…

Shane Handler November 9, 2007 No Comments

With a little more direction, Spirit If.. has the makings of a winner, instead it has too many B-sides mixed with the good stuff to award Drew higher status on the Broken Social Scene name chain.

Hanson: The Walk

Sarah Moore November 9, 2007 No Comments

Along with the changes in the Hanson brothers’ personal and professional lives, The Walk goes beyond the difficult first step into an introspective, worldly journey. Whether or not one likes mostly upbeat familial pop music has no bearing on the fact that these young gentlemen have their act together and possess tremendous songwriting and performing talent.

Lightspeed Champion: Galaxy of the Lost (EP)

Shawn Donohue November 8, 2007 No Comments

Dev Haynes has broke away from the worst named band in indie-pop’s history, Test Icicles, to come up with a new codename Lightspeed Champion. The dancey/pop/punk he recently played is also no more, replaced with operatic strings, acoustic guitars and a focus on Haynes voice. This teaser EP (the full length due to be released in February) contains one album track, a few b-sides and covers, ending up as a mixed bag.

Bob Dylan: Dylan (Legacy 3 CD Set)

Doug Collette November 6, 2007 No Comments

All four previous Bob Dylan collections, not counting The Bootleg Series, contained nuggets sufficiently rare to entice both the completists and the novice collector. The choice selections of the new three-cd compilation (also available in a single disc distillation as well as part of a deluxe collections box) counter claims it's redundant.

Ween : La Cucaracha

Shane Handler November 5, 2007 No Comments

La Cucaracha isn’t your Chocolate and Cheese or Mollusk Ween; it’s inconsistent, but never-the-less, it’s always been about those three or four Ween gems that keep you coming back.

Trio of Doom: Live

Eric Liebetrau November 2, 2007 No Comments

John McLaughlin, Jaco Pastorius, Tony Williams. Those three names on the same album are enough to make any jazz or fusion fan take notice. Incarnated here as Trio of Doom, the three virtuosos played a short but fiery set at the 1979 Havana Jam festival in Cuba, followed by a brief recording session in New York the following week.

Manu Chao: La Radiolina

Shawn Donohue November 1, 2007 No Comments

For a man who sings in 7 languages, one is surprised at how clearly his consistent passion comes alive. Manu Chao manages to instill all of his songs with a sense of purpose, whether extolling his far left politics, serenading a loved one in a back alley or pumping up the partying pogoing masses, the passion comes through to the listener, even if they do not comprehend the meaning of the words, they still comprehend.

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