Like Los Lobos, Ozomatli was born and raised in Los Angeles and their music reflects the essence of the city, blending the city's multi-cultural flavor. Where Los Lobos used the traditional sounds of Mexican folk and fused them with the rock ‘n’ roll, Ozomatli brings together hip-hop, ska, rock, and the Latin flavors that are so prevalent in their home city.
When it is over, The Else has left you with a total listening experience, different then TMBG past offerings but still satisfying.
Mago is not about MMW minus the W, it is a chance for two old friends to try on some different hats, as they provide a tasty treat until the next Medeski, Martin, & Wood album.
Most engaged couples spend their time gearing up for the big day by auditioning wedding singers, tasting cakes, and picking out the right invitations. Wolf Parade guitarist Dan Boeckner and poet-fiancée Alexei Perry, however found the time to write a stark, moody album with little more than a guitar, a drum machine, and their combined imaginations.
As complex as the songs get at times, intertwining string arrangements with electronic beats, guitar and various percussion, at its core, the music is all about Havnevik sitting at the piano, pouring her heart out.
The John Butler Trio is Australia’s answer to the Dave Matthews Band, and that is not meant as a jab at the fingerpickin’ Australian and his crew. The trio's music is reminiscent of Dave Matthews’s early feel-good-rootsy-rock (before they took a turn into the overproduced and overdone).
Dissonant vocal harmonies and moog undertones characterize the rockabilly outfit Southern Culture on the Skids’ release, Countrypolitan Favorites.
Before Nick Drake’s Pink Moon was used to sell Volkswagens and before Zach Braff thought "One of These Things First" was a song Drake’s heart wrote for his movie Garden State, and before reissues of the Nick Drake canon were released, fans of the suicidal acoustic musician would make a pilgrimage to the Drake family home in England just to see where talent and tragedy were created.
This album ranks high along with the band's late 80's and early 90's efforts, bolstered by the producing efforts of Steve Lillywhite and the guitar of Johnny Marr on several tracks.
Memory Man has its heightened moments, however the majority of the 11 tracks simply feel like they are muffled under water. Breakout hits “Something to Believe In” and “Outside” are what keeps Memory Man alive.
