There’s something very likable about “Ultra Payloaded,” maybe nothing more so than the fact that it’s not trying to be cool. In some sense, frontman Perry Farrell dispensed with any perceived notions of “cool” when he formed the band with former Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, who adds tempered crunch, pretty atmospherics and slinky […]
Whereas most country acts that have recorded gospel projects lately have covered classic hymns, Howard and David Bellamy serve up a collection of new songs that are heartfelt yet infused with the wit and wry humor that has propelled their 30-year career. “Lord Help Me Be the Kind of Person (My Dog Thinks I […]
In the late ’60s and early ’70s, before there were a half-dozen Latin charts and twice as many subgenres, the essence of Latin music, at least on the East Coast, was salsa. With musicians and ideas traveling back and forth on a kind of San Juan/New York shuttle, the heart of salsa was Spanish […]
It’s always suspect when a multiplatinum rapper subjects his fans to his friend’s lyrics. And even worse when the first single, “White Girl,” which mentions Christina Aguilera and selling cocaine, hits radio so soon after Imus-gate. And though the cut probably won’t get its full radio run because of the subject matter, it’s still […]
“The Lost Tracks of Danzig” is a dark holy grail for followers of the lone-wolf icon who was spooking parents when Marilyn Mason was just a pup. Listening to the romantic whispers and minimal guitar in a newly found track like “Bound by Blood,” you hear the bloodline pulsing through other in-love-with-death acts like Type […]
Prog is taking a long road to making a comeback; kind of fitting for a style that’s home to half-hour songs. Dream Theater, the genre’s poster child, is in full jam mode for “Systematic Chaos,” making this a true journey album. It’s not concerned with catchy hooks but crunches out a few on “The […]
Richard Thompson on acoustic guitar is a treat. On electric guitar, he’s sublime. That’s why we’re excited about “Sweet Warrior,” a mostly plugged-in return after the acoustic discourse of 2005’s “Front Parlour Ballads” and the soundtrack to the
Werner Herzog film “Grizzly Man.” The 14 tracks find Thompson in typical tasteful form, playing with understated […]
Aside from radio-pumped singles “I’m a Flirt Remix” and “Same Girl,” it’s a very sexually explicit R. Kelly who greets fans on this outing. Opening with the short posturing track “The Champ” (”I’ve been through hell in the belly of the beast/You can hate me, I don’t care”), Kelly isn’t shy about quickly getting […]
For a powerful singer like Osborne, having “One of Us” be your one career hit must really stink. The 1995 single placed her squarely in the bland, folky Lilith Fair category. She’s tried to correct that perception since then, ably covering Aretha Franklin, touring with
Phil Lesh and performing in the award-winning documentary “Standing in […]
Funeral for a Friend vaults over its post-hardcore foundation and lands smack into driving pop/rock on “Tales Don’t Tell Themselves,” completely clearing the emo boundary marker. This has fans already twittering online that the band has gone radio-friendly. The concept record of a fisherman lost at sea offers metaphors aplenty (longing, loss, fear, passing […]
Jason Aldean and producer Michael Knox set the bar high on Aldean’s self-titled, platinum 2005 debut. Thankfully, Aldean’s second album delivers as well. “Relentless” will never be confused with a sparse singer-songwriter album — every cut features full, guitar-driven production. The first single, the attitude-laden “Johnny Cash,” is already a hit, sitting at No. […]
Unlike rock/electronic- or DJ-branded artists, dance music artists — those singers of songs — rarely get the mainstream respect they deserve. Ultra Nate may reverse this with “Grime, Silk and Thunder.” Working with an armful of producers and artists, including StoneBridge and Chris Willis, Nate manages to temper her rhythms of the night […]
Pambo is part of Mexico’s new generation of singer-songwriters. On her debut album, produced by Aureo Baqueiro (of Sin Bandera and Reik fame), she contributes poppy, radio-friendly tracks with rock edges, reminiscent of
Avril Lavigne and decidedly youth-friendly. Pambo, who co-wrote most of the tracks here and penned all the lyrics, isn’t attempting to […]
Launch single “Lost” from Faith Hill’s upcoming “The Hits” is as vintage a ballad as the long-lived songstress has ever served. As melodically entrancing as “Breathe,” as mesmerizing a vocal as “Let Me Let Go” and as tailor-made for Hill as “It Matters to Me,” she delivers a clever, consummate message of steadfast devotion: “You […]
