Following 2006’s jazz-inflected “Duper Sessions,” Norwegian singer-songwriter Lerche and his band the Faces Down crank up the volume and intensity on “Phantom Punch.” Most of the songs are aggressive, edgy power-pop, at times supplemented with punk flair (”Face the Blood”), Brazilian dance beats (the title track) and even hints of ska (”The Tape”). Lerche’s […]
Sharpay Evans, the character she plays in the Disney phenomenon “High School Musical,” was not an artist of great range, and neither, really, is Ashley Tisdale. On her debut release, the 21-year-old singer hews straight to the contemporary school of fellow Mouse products Britney Spears and first-album Christina Aguilera — lots of synthesizer-laden, beat-heavy, […]
Forget MySpace, viral nude pics, emo and eyeliner — Fall Out Boy has grander ambitions. With “Infinity on High,” a shamelessly melodic, wild and powerful pop record, the Chicago outfit has reinvented itself as the world’s biggest boy band. The set, which opens with an intro by Jay-Z, wraps catchy emo hooks around epic […]
Patty Griffin’s latest release has it all: great production, catchy tunes, strong vocals, a killer backup band and an original mix of rock, soul, country, folk and blues. The Boston-based singer-songwriter has stepped out of her comfort zone of sparse, midtempo tunes (of which there are still a few) and crafted something emotionally diverse, […]
A companion to his new book of road recollections and observations, “Bonfire of Roadmaps,” Joe Ely’s latest album serves as a reminder of just how fine a storyteller he is. Whether it’s the tale of the common man (”Hard Luck Saint”) or outlaws — “Miss Bonnie and Mister Clyde” is an update of his signature […]
For this 17-track collection, Yoko Ono collaborated with an eclectic bunch of artists who each selected one of her past recordings to reinterpret, re-produce, remix. In each case, a brand-new track has been crafted, but some work better than others. In his reworking of “Shiranakatta (I Didn’t Know),” Craig Armstrong lovingly surrounds Ono’s voice […]
Outside the States, Italy reigns as the world’s hotbed of jazz, with a full cast of imaginative artists, including veteran trumpeter Enrico Rava, whose bands serve as the spawning ground for new leaders. One of his proteges, pianist Stefano Bollani, makes his ECM debut with this 16-track jewel that displays his prowess at shifting […]
Armed with a portfolio of infectiously melodic cookers, multihued soundscapes flecked with psychedelia, short lyrical interludes that serve as suite segues and even a ’70s-sounding vocoder, the Apples in Stereo triumphantly return after five years on the sidelines with “New Magnetic Wonder.” This bona fide marvel of indie-rocking gusto, the first release on actor […]
San Francisco’s Tommy Castro is known as a major blues player. But there’s always been a good deal of soul and rock in his blues, and some of the top tunes on “Painkiller” show those influences in the best possible light. “It’s That Time Again” is a beautiful bit of soul music — a […]
Given her usual beer mug-clinking output, “Come to Bed” is a surprising first single from Wilson’s third album. The lyric spools images from a real-life scenario about a domestic dispute, as she sings, “We’re both screamin’ and nobody’s listenin’.” Soaked with the mournful accompaniment of a slide guitar and solid background vocals from fellow […]
The third single from Dixie Chicks’ Grammy Award-nominated “Taking the Long Way” will be a fascinating study in the trio’s future on country radio. Previous singles were shunned by the format because of the trio’s anti-Bush views and instead embraced by adult top 40. But “The Long Way Around” is unadulterated twang and a […]
Lily Allen topped the U.K. single charts last July with “Smile,” a song that sounds on the surface like a happy reggae-splashed ditty — but lyrically it’s about the guilty pleasure of seeing her cheating ex suffer (”When you left me, I was wanting more/But you were f***ing that girl next door/When I see […]
The third single from the Fray’s double-platinum “How to Save a Life” offers a moody power ballad outfitted with a humble hook and tasteful strings. Over spare piano chards, singer/pianist Isaac Slade shares his vows, sounding bruised and broken, his grainy vocals a soulful touch of gray in the bright optimistic world of pop. […]
Teen California-based female trio LAX’s call for fame is a promising bid to return unadulterated pop to homogenous top 40 radio. Launch single “Forget You” sounds strikingly similar to JoJo — an act that shares an executive producer with LAX. With its urban-lite production and super-duper singalong hook, what’s not to love? As hip-hop’s relevancy […]
