It is really hard to come up with a review of a remix album considering that we have not had the pleasure of hearing the album that was the impetus for these remixes. Still, the tracks can be evaluated on the merit that they alone hold, which means that the opening track “World On Fire”, despite its extended time provides listeners with a solid beat and a compelling use of…
In 2009, Ben Sollee made headlines after looking at his trusted two-wheeler and sparking an idea. With some help from Oxfam America, Ben Sollee strapped his cello to the back of a bicycle and rode from his home in Lexington, Ky. to Bonnaroo, playing less familiar small towns along the way. He knew he was onto something, taking the idea one step further and exploring 500 miles of the East…
Chucho Valdés’ newest release, Chucho’s Steps, is as much of a discovery for the preeminent pianist as for his audience. In his first solo project since 2003’s New Conceptions, Valdés speaks through his distinctive and extraordinary compositions and arrangements, reflecting upon his own evolution throughout the previous years. Born in Quivicán, Cuba, in 1941, Chucho Valdés is one of Cuba’s most famous pianists, bandleaders, composers and arrangers. Having began his…
MC Homeless is an artist around the Northeast corner of Ohio. “Chamapgne Wishes” is the first track on the disc, and it starts off with Homeless flowing over a sample from The Smiths (How Soon is Now?). The sample really allows Homeless to shine brighter, as it pushes various phrases and fragments to the forefront while acting like a nest for the weaker sections of the rap. Continuing the delightful…
Climbing over a wire fence. Lying down at the bottom of a pool. Empty. Picturing the waves. On old-fashioned tiles. The Jeans Wilder/Best Coast split 7″ was just an introduction, a magical one. This new split is available now. On one side, MATHEMAGIC, children of the wave, Toronto’s beaches. On the other (side), the wild YOUNG PRISMS, from San Francisco, who’ve already released several magnetic tracks on Mexican Summer and…
New York’s Ursula 1000 sets his time machine towards primitive garage punk for his new E.P., “FUZZ!” Drenched in snarling fuzz guitars, savage drums and spooky organs, this new collection of tracks unleashes his technicolor take on this sound. A pinch of the old and a drop of the new, creating a brand new monster! Inspired by the classics like Count Five, The Sonics and the Nuggets and Back To…
The shouted-out vocals that start out “2,4,6,8” bode well for Clit 45. The style of punk music that hits listeners’ ears are quick and streetpunk influenced, with guitars that are influenced by the Bad Religion school of music. There are few times that individuals can breathe on this disc, and this is not because Clit 45 is obnoxious, but rather that the band kicks it into high gear whenever they…
Phish will launch its 2010 Fall Tour on October 10th with the first of three consecutive nights at the new 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, CO. In a first for the band, Phish will be giving ticket buyers free MP3 copies of each gig after it happens via http://LivePhish.com. After the Colorado concerts, Phish will head to the East Coast for a series of dates that will include with the band’s…
Coming out with “Ride the Rings”, Mazing Vids are a two-piece act from New York. However, that is pretty much all I can discern about the band, as this EP is really good at pounding the same general sound into my ears for nearly eighteen minutes. Throughout the entire disc, all instruments morph into one large mass that is virtually impossible to disassemble – including voice. Everything on the disc…
The Second Annual BROOKLYN SOUL FESTIVAL at the Bell House – 149 7th St., Brooklyn, NY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8 8:00pm doors/DJs 8:30pm Eli “Paperboy” Reed & The True Loves 9:30pm Don Gardner 10:30pm Vernon Garrett 11:30pm Barbara Lynn DJs until 4am SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9 11:00am-5:00pm Shakey’s Record Fair 8:00pm doors/DJs 8:30pm The Sweet Divines 9:30pm Renaldo Domino 10:30pm Harvey Scales 11:30pm Betty Harris * * * “It’s been a wild…
A leading light from the land of Nordic modernism, cinema and the Nobel Prize, DORENA evokes both captivating delight and sonic wonder through epic soundscapes and blissfully inventive, near-pop anthems. On their sophomore release, About Everything And More, they flawlessly fuse ice-tinged atmospherics, entrancing melodies and sparse vocals with limited quiet/loud mechanics to create music that doesn’t ask for your full attention…it claims it. The album transports the listener to…
Mazarin plays a brand of hygienic synth-pop that actually moves beyond the weaknesses exhibited with the genre and comes up with an intricate and compelling style through their tracks that simply forces people to listen in. Mazarin just does not like sticking in one specific style of music; “For Energy Infinite” moves back to the indie-rock style, replete with jangling guitars that was such a rage during the mid to…
Renowned producer Apollo Brown releases The Reset Instrumentals today. The smooth, soulful instrumentals allow listeners to get a cleaner listen to the work of Apollo Brown. There is little doubt that fans will use the tracks to create their own remixes and mash-ups using their favorite rappers’ acapellas. Even without vocals, The Reset Instrumentals have enough catchy hooks and head-nodding riffs to warrant being a stand-alone album. Tracks like “Seasons”…
L.A.-based rock band Carney have announced that they will perform a very special show at Piano’s in New York City, giving fans a chance to see the band before frontman Reeve Carney takes the stage as the lead in the upcoming Broadway production of SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark. The September 15th show will feature songs from Carney’s debut album Mr. Green, Vol. 1, which was released in May on…
I understand that this album is almost twenty years old and is also a demo, but one should make sure that they look at this disc before putting it on. I know that I was expecting something a little more formal and professional. However, after listening to the disc a few times, the demo is something that is absolutely essential for individuals to begin to get an idea of the…
On November 2, Destroyer will release the limited-edition 12-inch “Archer on the Beach” b/w “Grief Point.” This release is inspired by the music of Kranky recording artists Tim Hecker and Loscil and achieved through their full collaboration. Destroyer mastermind Dan Bejar says, “The reason why this has to be seen as a collaboration, rather than strictly a Destroyer release, is that, for the first time, I’m not responsible for any…
With a swirling mix of sea sounds, space ships, and a myriad of different settings on one’s sound machine, Maverick starts out their EP “Caught in the Negatives” in a very open sense, inviting all from a cold-winter’s night. The emo-rock of Maverick is a perfect extrapolation of the opening soundscape, “The Annexation”. Heavily influenced by Staind, Tool, and Queens of the Stone Age, the musicianship is beyond intense even…
On the heels of the release of his third studio album, Airtight’s Revenge, Bilal has confirmed dates for his 2010 North American tour. The Grammy-nominated crooner who has collaborated with superstars Beyonce, Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs will zigzag the continent bringing his signature sound to intimate venues. Tickets are now on sale at Ticketmaster.com. “I’m really excited to get on the road and share this new music with my…
Celebrated composer and multi instrumentalist Yann Tiersen has just signed to Anti-Records. Tiersen is a renowned and startlingly unique artist whose early albums merged cutting edge classical with flourishes of folk with the bristly energy of post punk. And while these works attracted a dedicated fan base, it was his soundtrack to the beloved indie film “Amelie” which introduced Tiersen to a far wider audience. Since then Tiersen has continued…
The first few seconds of “Mary” make Maven sound like a mixture of Nine Inch Nails and Stabbing Westward. The style of music that Maven plays on this extended single is something that took the world by storm about a decade ago, and the goal for Maven here is to try to give this style a whole fresh bit of paint. “The Candidate” starts out in a much more slinky…