REVIEW: KANYE WEST – 808S & HEARTBREAK (2008)
From the university and parties of 2007’s Graduation, Kanye reigns in a distinct dark departure leaving heart and love in the spotlight. West will alienate many listeners much in the way Beck did with Sea Change in 2002 with this album, especially those seeking follow-ups to the&nbs
Review: Mumford & Sons – Love Your Ground EP (2008)
Up until recent, Mumford & Sons has been that still, crystal clear water. After their recent touring stints, people have taken to the band so that they’re starting to take their course into the currents of music. The London-based folk and bluegrass outfit, briefly, is on the heels of
REVIEW: YELLE – POP-UP (2007)
With a recent tour of the United States, aptly titled C’est l’Amérique Tour, in addition to introducing the Season 4 finale of Entourage, Yelle is on the forefront of French musicians making the jump over the pond to enrapture audiences with enticing electro pop. Yelle first
Review: Lindi Ortega – The Drifter EP (2008)
After watching the Toronto-based country-folk singer-songwriter perform before Noah and the Whale in Chicago, I sought out an EP online. The Drifter E.P. (Cherrytree Records, 2008) is a short, simple sampling of her live show with a couple gems (one polished, one rough) amongst t
REVIEW: THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES – TAIL SWALLOWER AND DOVE (2008)
Lead Beater, the eighth track on Tail Swallower and Dove (Suicide Squeeze Records, 2008) lands with such a foreboding bass it’s difficult to distinguish whether speakers are trembling because of the music, or the sheer calculated viciousness These Arms Are Snakes’ approach on their lat
Review: Zaho – Dima (2008)
As an American, French music tended towards the side of the listenability spectrum that was frankly bland. The chanson genre is a French specialty that just didn’t cross borders as well as other imports like-in cinema-Amélie or l’Auberge Espagnol. It seemed too comfortable and sentimental. Rece
Review: Laura Marling – My Manic And I EP
This year’s Mercury Prize in the UK was given to Elbow‘s The Seldom Seen Kid (Geffen Records, 2008). While it is a fine album who’s flourishes grow subtly over time, it failed to immerse the listener as the melodious music of Laura Marling does. Laura is a young folk singer-songwriter f
REVIEW: MURDER BY DEATH – RED OF TOOTH AND CLAW (2008)
Murder By Death takes a more narrative route towards their music. The spaghetti western influence has always been evident (a tribute to Ennio Morricone) with Adam Turla’s deep, darkened voice telling tales over campfire flames of Sarah Balliet’s cello and Dagan Thogerson’s nearby rai
REVIEW: SIGUR RÓS – MEÐ SUÐ Í EYRUM VIÐ SPILUM ENDALAUST (2008)
When the track details emerged with an English song included, the latest artistic endeavor from Sigur Rós ratcheted expectations after 2005’s Takk…and 2007’s Heima film (one of the most visually stunning cinematic films of recent memory). Með Suð Í Eyrum Við