Album Reviews

Dirty Dozen Brass Band: This Is The Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Timothy Stout June 6, 2005 No Comments

Unlike some

Def Leppard: Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection

Shane Handler June 3, 2005 No Comments

Sure, Def Leppard is synonymous with

Ash: Meltdown

Shane Handler June 2, 2005 No Comments

Radio flavored rock in the form of Jet, though with a little 80

Animal Liberation Orchestra : Fly Between Falls

Timothy Stout June 1, 2005 No Comments

Animal Liberation Orchestra (ALO) is one of the most promising jambands on the west coast – or any other coast– today. Their latest offering, Fly Between Falls, is chock-full of impossibly upbeat ditties and laidback groove-soaked mood lifters.

Eels: Blinking Lights and Other Revelations

Shane Handler June 1, 2005 No Comments

It seems artists with monikers reflect a prolific outburst of songs. Take Conor Oberst and Bright Eyes, Damon Gough and Badly Drawn Boy or Mark Oliver Everett, who performs slippery title of eels. Working under the eels name since 1995, Everett has been turning out songs to the indie underground and has even captured Tom Waits as a die hard fan. This time around, Everett, or “E” as he

Moby: Hotel

Ken Devine June 1, 2005 No Comments

With his stay at the Hotel, Moby returns to the varied styles and tempos found on Play. But he packs his bags a little lighter by eschewing his signature samples that were central choral elements in his previous two outings, opting to take the mic himself.

The String Cheese Incident: One Step Closer

Shane Handler May 31, 2005 No Comments

Following some growing pains, an apparent identity crisis, and an album with good intentions but questionable results, The String Cheese Incident release their fifth studio album, One Step Closer. But they inevitably sold themselves short on the title, ’cause this latest effort is far more than just a step – it’s more like leaps and bounds closer.

Acetate: This Band Makes Me Feel

Jamie Lee May 31, 2005 No Comments

Dave Schools is a rock and roll chameleon. While most recognized for his full-time job as virtuoso bassist for Widespread Panic, over the course of his career (and particularly in the past year while his band was on hiatus) his effortless, shape-shifting talents have bubbled freely from his fingers.

Nitty: Player’s Paradise

Dan Bliss May 26, 2005 No Comments

What Nitty has is a great party album for people to dance and get down to.

Mercury Rev: The Secret Migration

Shane Handler May 26, 2005 No Comments

Sure, Mercury Rev shares the same hot shot producer of The Flaming Lips,
on The Secret Migration. Sure, lead singer Jonathan Donahue was even once a roadie for the Flaming Lips. And sure, Donahue even sings in the same childish wonder of Wayne Coyne, while narrating like Bob Ross, with words of “swirling clouds” and “green forests.” But does that mean that Mercury Rev is a Flaming Lips clone? No way.