Rod Stewart blessedly has issued a cease-fire on his desecration of the Great American Songbook, but a peak into his “Great Rock Classics of Our Time,” due October 10, is nearly as distasteful. Granted, the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” is better suited to his rasping, ragged vocals, but even […]
Come September 19th Clay Aiken will have three albums under his belt. The singer’s latest effort, A Thousand Different Ways, will feature 10 cover songs plus four new songs.
“This is an album of love songs,” Aiken explains, “but they are about all different kinds of love. Romantic love, Friendship, Unconditional love. There are a […]
While Disney has successfully cornered the market for younger teens with its Disney Channel musicals, Step Up shows the company (through its Buena Vista subsidiary) addressing the older high-school set with equal flair. Directed and choreographed by Anne Fletcher (choreographer of the excellent Bring It On), the musical depicts a clash between kids representing […]
Back to Basics, Christina Aguilera’s first disc in four years, refines and clarifies the–let’s call it “sexy”–aura surrounding this platinum firebrand. Here, the best belter in a class that counts Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears on its roll call has turned her attention to love songs: the supercharged and ubiquitous first single “Ain’t No […]
This is the first greatest hits album by Belgian new age jazz pianist Jean-Francois Maljean. His album is at the core of the new age genre, which has such diverse musical artistry.
The album contains the best songs from his five hit albums, such as “Via Aurelia,” “Ocean Blue,” “Voyages,” and “Voie 12.”
“Via Aurelia” features a […]
When the guys in Slayer get into the studio, they do so with the intention of making a Slayer record, which is exactly what fans want. If you’re expecting even the slightest departure in the band’s sound, you simply don’t understand Slayer. What fans do expect, however, and have been waiting for patiently, is […]
Newcastle quintet Maxïmo Park have quite recently earned a reputation as being one of the most exciting live acts in the U.K. today. This, their debut album, takes in influences such as Buzzcocks, early-period XTC and the Jam and fuses them into something raw and appealing. The songs, which frontman Paul Smith sings in […]
Despite lead singer Sam Preston appearing on Channel 4’s Celebrity Big Brother, we can’t help liking this album. This is the follow-up to their brilliant debut album, Under the Counter Culture. This outing sees the band explore their ska/two-tone infatuation, with a cover version of Locomotive’s 1968 hit, “Rudy’s In Love”, and “Boys Will […]
Back in 2002, it looked like Eminem was going to do for Obie Trice what he’d already done for mother-son lawsuits and Christopher Reeve jokes. But then 50 Cent brought his bullet-riddled, nut-shrivelled muscles and chorus-ready charisma to Shady. Fiddy blew up and Obie’s disappointing debut was quickly forgotten. Some things have changed since […]
At last—an album that is as quintessentially English as Cheesy Wotsits or Tim Henman losing in the quarter finals at Wimbledon. From the artwork, down to the lyrics and the band’s working methods (this album was recorded in the open air, and, if you listen closely, you can hear chickens and church bells), there […]
Don’t be fooled by the title and presentation of this album. A double-LP entitled This Is Gangsta Rap — featuring the likes of Tupac, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Daz Dillinger and others — seems like a dream come true for anybody longing for that real 1994 gangsta shit. Sadly, this is merely a collection of forgettable B-sides […]
This is one of those albums that grows on the listener slowly and then takes a hold, refusing to let go. Currently poised to make it big Stateside, Editors have been compared by many to Joy Division. This, their debut album, certainly has elements of the Manchester quartet—singer Tom Smith’s stark vocals coupled with […]
Former Veruca Salt singer Nina Gordon dished out one of 2000’s most memorable songs with “Tonight and the Rest of My Life.” “Bleeding Heart Graffiti” has been a long time coming, with good reason. Apparently, the concept album about being alone, finding oneself and moving forward was a done deal in 2004, but Gordon […]
Where does klezmer meet American folk music and social activism? Thanks to the Klezmatics, we discover common ground on Brooklyn’s Mermaid Avenue, where Woody Guthrie lived in the late 1940s. Working with Guthrie’s daughter, Nora, to uncover some lesser-known gems from the pioneering balladeer, the band confounds expectations by tapping into a bluegrassy vibe […]
