Patchwork Quilt contradicts its title. Far from feeling scattershot, the disc is infinitely more consistent than its predecessor, RV Livin’. Yet it retains a lot of the lunacy that made the earlier album so likable. Musically, the theme is blues rock, with the Lewis boys — guitarist Pete, bassist Phil…
Joseph Arthur & the Lonely Astronauts, Let’s Just Be (Lonely Astronaut Records). Either Arthur has just discovered hallucinogens or he’s found a non-pharmaceutical way of temporarily losing his mind. Let’s Just Be is easily his most unhinged disc — a thoroughly enjoyable retro freakout replete with glittery glam (“Diamond Ring,”…
Clutch, From Beale Street to Oblivion (DRT Entertainment). If bands were represented by mythological characters, Clutch would easily take on the role of shape-shifter. Changing directions so often that its sound draws deserved comparisons to almost every style imaginable, including metal, doom and jazz fusion, Clutch stays reliably on course…
Lesbian, Power Hör (Holy Mountain). Probably the worst band name ever, but this dense slab of psychedelic, relentlessly heavy metal redeems the Seattle quartet. With just four tracks spanning over an hour, Power Hör ranks with classics like the Melvins’ Lysol and Sleep’s Jerusalem as a hefty, ambitious and complex…
Billy Martin & John Medeski, Mago (Amulet). These guys have been meaning to make a duet record since they first jammed nearly twenty years ago. Aside from a few free jams and a hipster-tinged bossa nova cut, Medeski and Martin don’t stray too far the from the same kind of…
MC Frontalot, Secrets From the Future (Level Up Records). Borrowing production values from Eminem and utilizing a lyrical style reminiscent of Biz Markie, MC Frontalot is poised to become the harbinger of the next generation of chemically imbalanced rappers. On his sophomore release, Front’s self-proclaimed nerd-core style sounds fully developed…
Of God and Science, The Songs (Detach Records). Every town has a band like Of God and Science: clever, sincere and entertaining, but too much like your buddy Dave from vo-tech: medium height, medium build, no distinguishing features. Great personality, but no edge. The record’s blend of kitschy pop and…
Jennifer Lopez, Como Ama Una Mujer (Epic). Having worn out her welcome with the pop crowd, Jenny is hoping for support from residents of another musical block. Problem is, hubby/producer Marc Anthony’s classy settings are seldom much fun and require a great voice — and that’s one of the few…
When they say pride cometh before a fall, they usually mean hubris, a potentially fatal excess of pride. It was the undoing of Icarus, Narcissus and Dabney Coleman’s character in 9 to 5. It’s also what makes so many instrumental-rock bands unlistenable. Driven to abstraction by their Berklee pedigrees and…
Don’t dismiss Sunset Rubdown as a side project to Wolf Parade and Frog Eyes. Lead singer Spencer Krug’s other two bands are better known among the indie-rock cognoscenti, but if Shut Up I Am Dreaming, Sunset’s latest effort, is any indication, Krug thinks it should be the other way around…
“Sellout.” Ice Cube might as well have the word cast in gold so he can wear it as a pendant. But rather than curse the man who once claimed to be “AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted” for going Hollywood in the cheesiest way imaginable, why not salute him for the extraordinarily unlikely…
If the idea of an albino Muslim rapper sounds like the start of a bad and potentially offensive joke, you haven’t met Brother Ali, an MC with skills that render all biographical trivia irrelevant. Though the Minneapolis wordsmith’s introspective and occasionally self-loathing lyrics have much in common with the boohoo-hop…
With charming, carefully constructed songs, Games for May conjures the acid-damaged genius of Syd Barrett, Revolver-era Beatles and pre-1970s Kinks. But this is no nostalgia act simply reanimating the ghosts of Christmases past. Like the Apples in Stereo over a decade ago, Games for May has drawn inspiration from the…
I hear ABBA records to this day,” declares Bob Ferbrache, “and I can’t believe that human beings made those records. They sound just out-of-this world perfect — and they’re 25 years old.” Ferbrache and I are sitting in the basement of his mom’s house in Westminster, talking about the music…
Next to death, unrequited love is life’s cruelest invention. Few things are as euphoric as the rush of endorphins you feel the first time someone truly steals the breath from your lungs — or as soul-crushing as later realizing that the one you love doesn’t love you. For Ian Cooke,…
Although he’s only months from his eightieth birthday, Charlie Louvin is hipper than ever. Thanks to the release of Charlie Louvin, a new disc on Tompkins Square that’s chock-a-block with guest stars, he was invited to play this year’s South by Southwest confab, and he’s also booked for Tennessee’s annual…
For those just joining us, On the Download is a monthly feature in which we sort through the riffraff of the digital universe to provide you with links to the best in legitimate, artist-approved exclusives. It’s instant gratification at its finest, minus the spirit-crushing regret and premium price tag. Have…
John Scofield’s never been one to settle in any particular musical style. While he always comes back to bop in one way or another, the chameleonic guitarist is equally deft in soul-jazz, funk and fusion. Lately, when he hasn’t been on the road, he’s been working on bottleneck slide guitar…
Ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr knows a little something about dealing with strong-willed vocalists, so it’s no surprise that his contributions to the poppiest Modest Mouse record yet are solid. But it’s still a treat to hear how focused Isaac Brock and company are on the lushly arranged Ship, perhaps thanks…
Treated like rock gods in the U.K., the Kings are, unbelievably, still only the prince’s footmen at home — despite two phenomenal records. Unfortunately, their latest, Because of the Times, is a disappointment, a record full of wandering sonic sketches that never really coalesce. Tracks range from vapid (“Charmer,” “Camaro”)…
Distrakt is what you would call the complete package: a skilled MC and a brilliant producer who’s got his hustle down cold. On his latest effort, the Colorado Springs-based rapper puts all of these talents on full display. On cuts such as the DJ Premier-esque “Don’t Get Mad,” the off-key,…
George Inai’s latest boasts the most creative design of any local release in recent memory: a modified digipack with folk-art graphics from which the disc rises, pop-up style, when opened. The music inside would have to be mighty good to measure up, and it comes awfully close. This Foolish Music,…
