#10 – The Black Keys, El Camino: I just reviewed this so read the review for more thoughts, but the bottom line here is that if your butt isn’t wiggling 30 seconds into the first track, you should check for a pulse. #9 – Rich Aucoin, We’re All Dying to […]
#20 – Bright Eyes, The People’s Key: A voice pondering creation myths and possible alien ancestors starts The People’s Key and pops up throughout, not surprising on an album so concerned with spiritual matters – to the exten that Conor Oberts sees a parallel with Haile Selassie (the god […]
#30 – Korallreven, An Album by Korallreven: Another one of the electronic bands I learned about this year, this is lush, clear pop. It starts with the sound of rain falling and that perfectly captures the mood this album creates. Vocal loops, handclaps, rising and falling electronic flourishes – it […]
#40 – The Raveonettes, Raven in the Grave: This duo of transplanted Danes pulls together a lot of disparate influences – British noise rock, ‘80s synth pop, and a 1950s and 1960s melodic sense – into a coherent and unique whole. Moody and dark, with an often drone-like quality. #39 […]
#50 – Arctic Monkeys, Suck It and See: You’ve got to like a band with a little swagger. Arctic Monkeys have enough for a dozen bands. They’re certainly one of the few bands (and Alex Turner is one of the few singers) who could pull off a line like “She’s […]
Sometimes it takes me awhile to warm up to an album. In extreme cases, it can take years. Then there’s El Camino by The Black Keys, out today. I went […]
With a name like Los Campesinos!, you might Latin American fusion or politicized Sandinista-era Clash. But aside from a strong similarity in tone between vocalist Gareth (they’ve all kept their […]
The hype machine was in high gear for this album: ads, articles, social media. I couldn’t visit more than ten webpages without seeing something about it. So I figured I’d […]
At the end of “Chicago,” the sax-driven “brawler” that opens Bad As Me,Tom Waits starts screaming “all aboard” like a slightly demented old-time train conductor. In the song, he’s inviting […]
NOTE: Unlike “First Impressions,” which are full reviews based on a minimum three listens, “New Listens” are quick reviews based on one or two listens at most. Keep that in […]