Hipster eyebrows were raised when Brooklyn experimentalists TV on the Radio traded up from Touch & Go to Interscope, but luckily their sophomore album is no less wonderfully weird than their acclaimed indie releases. Yep, that’s David Bowie emitting vocal harmonies on the sublime “Province.” But TVOTR keeps it real via the horn-inflected “I […]
After the huge success of his 2003 album “Romance of the Violin,” affable violinist Bell returns with a second disc of beloved classical melodies arranged for violin and orchestra. This time the focus is on operatic and vocal selections, including Rachmaninoff’s “Vocalise,” Tchaikovsky’s “None but the Lonely Heart” and Strauss’ “Morgen,” the last of […]
Although the good-time, high-energy playing of New Orleans pianists Professor Longhair and Henry Butler seems worlds apart from the plaintive, prototypical New Age style perfected by George Winston in the ’80s, those artists have long been a formative influence on the Windham Hill veteran. In tribute to the Katrina-ravaged Crescent City, Winston salutes Longhair, […]
La Quinta Estacion is a dichotomy. The Spanish group, which developed and broke in Mexico, boasts a contemporary look and sound. But its sensibility is definitely grounded in the tradition of big Latin ballads and big voices. Lead singer Natalia, who boasts a powerful, emotional instrument that evokes the likes of Rocio Durcal, can […]
Tastemakers know the voice; it’s the stuff dreams are made of. Incredibly cool, yet oh-so-warm, it is like no other. The voice belongs to Skye Edwards. As the former lead singer of British act Morcheeba, Edwards helped usher in the trip-hop movement of the mid-’90s. After waving goodbye to that group, she ushers in […]
Audioslave’s previous two records have borne the unmistakable signs of a band swinging for the fences but whiffing more than it should, so “Revelations” finds them shuffling their offensive strategy. The rhythm section takes lead duties from the acidic melodies of Chris Cornell, which have never been as insistent as they might be, though […]
Pat Green is the kind of accessible artist who can open for Kenny Chesney one night and Dave Matthews Band the next, and he serves up plenty of likeable country rock on his fourth major-label effort. The title cut is Mellencamp-styled Americana that Green’s fans just eat up, and there’s more of the same […]
Junior Boys’ newest effort is a winner if solely thanks to the bittersweet, catchy, funky and tastefully melodic “In the Morning,” a collaboration with Mouse on Mars’ Andi Toma. The duo’s sophomore set, “So This Is Goodbye,” is yet another exercise in cold, understated dance music, populated with Jeremy Greenspan’s sexy murmur and minimal […]
Blowoff is comprised of two musically disparate individuals: rocker Bob Mould and house music head Richard Morel. Together they make rock music you can dance to and 4 a.m. dance/electronic music that rocks. On “Blowoff,” Mould and Morel flip-flop behind the microphone, guitar and keyboards. On “Get Inside With Me,” Mould’s vocals are all […]
There’s nothing new under the sun, and that often goes double for hip-hop. On his fifth solo disc, Wu-Tang cleanup hitter Method Man has been forced into damage control following a few misadventures in sitcoms and deodorant commercials. As such, he spends this CD blandly obsessed with haters, his own influence and the fact […]
Sao Paulo native Ceu (Maria do Ceu Whitaker Pocas) makes her U.S. debut with a tasty blend of tradition, samba cool and discreet electronica. The self-titled album’s 15 tracks offer a variety of sonic textures. “10 Contados” is a languid number, aglow with twinkling synth embellishments and a pensive bass line. “Roda” lays down […]
Beyonce’s “Deja Vu” had that event-single aroma about it — a throwaway song that is guaranteed airplay because it launches a new project. The second release from her imminent “B’Day” is memorable, but hardly a home run. The video for “Ring the Alarm” is highly entertaining with Beyonce’s stacked hair and flailing finger-pointing, but still, […]
Pearl Jam has roared back to life at rock radio this year with “World Wide Suicide” and “Life Wasted,” the first two hard-rocking singles from its self-titled J debut. Whether programmers are fully back in the band’s camp will be revealed by the response to “Gone,” a midtempo track with solemn, slow-building verses contrasted by […]
It’s been three years since Sarah McLachlan’s “Afterglow,” which took six years following 1997’s “Surfacing.” For upcoming holiday album, “Wintersong,” the introspective songstress again proves worth the wait. The new set primarily reinterprets an eclectic blend of classics, including first single “River,” from Joni Mitchell’s 1971 “Blue” album. It may feel odd to hear about […]
