Since 1992’s “Check Your Head,” the Beastie Boys have made a habit of sneaking little instrumental nuggets into their hip-hop records, and given the Boys’ genetic inability to stay in one place for too long, it was probably only a matter of time before they indulged those proclivities on a full album of new […]
Adams’ latest creation most closely resembles 2005’s double-disc “Cold Roses” featuring the Cardinals, only with a sharper band and more concise songs. Producer Jamie Candiloro maintains a fairly hands-off approach with these raw, country-tinged tracks and pushes Adams’ howls, falsettos and murmurs to the front of the mix. This is mostly for the best, […]
As one of the pioneering bands of the ’80s hardcore scene, Bad Brains built their reputation on fusing angst-ridden punk with reggae. With their original lineup back in order and Beastie Boy Adam Yauch in the producer’s chair, the group gives it a go again after a long studio hiatus on “Build a Nation.” […]
Pegi Young has been harmonizing in husband Neil’s band for decades, but this self-titled release, which takes its cues from the gentler, more countrified corners of his oeuvre, is the first of her career. These 12 songs (six of which are originals) all travel in well-trodden love and heartache territory, but only really get […]
Twenty-seven years ago, the J. Geils Band proclaimed “Love Stinks.” But fellow Bostonians in the Click Five apparently never got the word. Despite a few buoyant moments, the quintet’s sophomore album is an emotional wasteland of broken hearts, unrequited affection, tortured souls, confused minds and such flip-floppy revelations as “It we stay together/It could […]
Can there be more of an antithesis to Bob Dylan than Bryan Ferry, at least when it comes to singing? Ferry’s mellifluous tenor and predilection toward smooth, moody arrangements sits far afield from Dylan’s craggy vocals and raw stylings. And that, of course, is what makes the Roxy Music frontman such an intriguing interpreter […]
Bassist Ron Carter offers a tribute here to Miles Davis, in whose quintet he played on such crucial albums as “Miles Smiles” and “Live at the Plugged Nickel.” Carter’s got a quartet going for “Dear Miles,” featuring pianist Stephen Scott, drummer Payton Crossley and percussionist Roger Squitero. The 10 tracks are a mix of […]
A decade into their career, Jack and Meg White remain at the top of their game. And on their seventh studio album as the White Stripes, no one seems more surprised by this than them — they open the record with a bemused declaration of “Who’da thunk?” on the burning, riff-heavy title track. During […]
An album in which three Atlanta car-shop kids score a big moshing, novelty hip-hop hit, “Party Like a Rockstar,” a fantasy that primarily concerns golfing with Ozzy and repeatedly chanting “t-t-t-totally dude!” like Jeff Spicoli. Their debut album, seemingly too tossed-off to ever lose its Field Mob-style sense of fun, features plenty of gratifyingly […]
On its third album, this “choral rock” collective is as outsize and bombastic as ever — and that’s what we love about it. If the 24-member Spree’s stock in trade is unapologetic overkill that would make Jeff Lynne and Todd Rundgren blush, the troupe’s real virtues are buoyant melodies, dramatic arrangements and a conceptual […]
In an industry that often promotes talentless pop stars over true artistry, Chrisette Michele — the singer-songwriter who wrote and belted the vintage-style hooks on Jay-Z’s “Lost Ones” and Nas’ “Can’t Forget About You” — stands apart. More adult contemporary than poppy R&B, her classy debut lets her warm, scratchy vocals run the show. […]
There’s an episode of “The Simpsons” in which Lisa can be seen thumbing through a copy of “Non-Threatening Boys” magazine. This more or less describes Lifehouse during the early 2000s, when its single “Hanging by a Moment” became the anthem that could be at once ubiquitous and anonymous. “Who We Are” may spawn another […]
Savath & Savalas’ Scott Herren, the same man behind electronica/hip-hop mishmash Prefuse 73, continues to pay homage to his Latin roots with his fourth album under the moniker. Herren is armed with loads of guitars and a variety of other stringed instruments, percussion and multiple layers of dreamy vocals, forming the basis for an […]
After four studio albums and a Christmas release, Paisley and longtime producer Frank Rogers have it down: Mix a big dose of Paisley’s quirky humor with his wicked guitar playing, throw in a few introspective ballads, and you’ve got a smash album. That’s not to say Paisley’s albums are formulaic. Rather, he knows the […]
