REVIEW ROUNDUP: TRAVIE MCCOY, SHINEDOWN, LA ROUX, JUSTIN NOZUKA, 3OH!3, LADY GAGA, KE$HA
3OH!3 – My First Kiss (feat. Ke$ha)From copying Uffie to concocting pop music recalling the cringe-worthy influx of “pop punk” circa 2001 combines 3OH!3 and Ke$ha. Just like back then, ignore the lyrics; it makes swallowing this pill so good those commercialized side effects that hit
MADJO AND PUGGY TAKES ON LUCY, THE SKY, AND DIAMONDS
Paris-based singer/songstress Madjo will be releasing her debut album later in the year, following up her stunningly elegant EP released late last year. She visited Taratata to help out the fellows of Puggy for an uplifting, rambunctious romp of a cover of The Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with
REVIEW ROUNDUP: B.O.B., MUSE, JACK JOHNSON, DROWNING POOL, WE ARE THE FALLEN, THE BLACK KEYS, KATY PERRY, BLACK SUNSHINE
The Black Keys – Tighten UpAccelerating into the song akin to Spoon, the dirty blues rock duo returns with a Rubber Factorysounding single. Patrick Carney’s drumming tugs you in like Hugo and a black mysterious chord before Dan Auerbach’s grunge-tinged blues seizes you from behi
REVIEW: CLARA PLUME – MES FILS D’ENCRE (2010)
Concurrent with Dessa Darling up in the Land of 10,000 Lakes mixing poetry with rhymes, across the ocean you have Clara Plume illuminating the City of Light. The two are quite similar in blending styles around verses, often in a rapid-fire delivery, but while one can get quite vi
REVIEW ROUNDUP: MGMT, KORN, COHEED & CAMBRIA, CIVIL TWILIGHT, PAPER TONGUES, GREEN DAY
Civil Twilight – Letters from the SkyThe way Andrew McKellar’s voice strains recalls classic Bono, just with a touch of Chris Martin. It is ambitious, beginning with a punctuated piano just dolling out heavy note after note weighed down by a driving-yet not overwhelming-drumming toward
REVIEW: DEFTONES – DIAMOND EYES (2010)
Trauma has a peculiar way of turning up at the worst moments. Scotland Yard Gospel Choir underwent a horrific traffic accident that led Elia Einhorn into a neck brace to heal an injured spine…not mentioning the rest of the band that folioed Elia and rolled over five times. Or in the Deftone‘
MIXTAPES TO HOLD BACK THE TIDE: F. STOKES AND ASTRONAUTALIS
Back a few weeks in my alternate life at Radio Free Chicago covering gigs across this land, F. Stokesand Astronautalis opened for Doomtree’s Dessa and P.O.S.. The most well-rounded show of the year thus far with talent across the wooden floor boards. Chicago’s F. Stokes released a free m
REVIEW: SOPHIE HUNGER – 1983 (2010)
Monday’s Ghost carved out a deep precedent for the Zurich-born singer/songwriter who intricately and expertly borrows facets of jazz and folk to chip and shape her unique sound. First discovered at the Montreaux Jazz Festival, I had the chance to attend one of five consecutive performanc
REVIEW: NUMÉRO# – SPORT DE COMBAT (2009)
In the tradition of French electro-pop comes yet another duo making sure those symbols get the spotlight, Numéro#. However they ain’t from Paris, but across our border in Montreal. Sport de Combat skews towards dance in taking queues from Simian Mobile Disco more than fel