Jenny and Johnny I’m Having Fun Now Warner Brothers By Al Kaufman Those who complain that Rilo Kiley does not have enough Jenny Lewis will have the same problem with Jenny and Johnny. Jenny and her flame, Johnathan Rice, basically trade songs on their coming out disc, relegating the other person to back-up harmonies and […]
Darker My Love Alive As You Are Dangerbird Records By Al Kaufman Darker My Love fans who have come to expect reverb-filled psychedelia are going to be grossly disappointed in Alive As You Are, their third release. However, those who mourn the pleasing harmonies and jangly guitars of the now defunct Americana darlings, The Jayhawks, […]
Arcade Fire The Suburbs Merge By Al Kaufman Arcade Fire is the most popular band on the planet right now. They didn’t get there by being subtle. Their wildly popular Neon Bible was their grandiose statement concerning the political climate circa 2006 (hint: they didn’t like it). Funeral, well let’s just say it was rather […]
Marah Life Is a Problem Valley Farm Songs By Al Kaufman Marah like to market themselves as “The Last Rock N’ Roll Band.” While clearly not true, it is easy to see why they would feel that way. Rock music is about attitude (an attitude that may include boasting that you’re the last rock band […]
Colour Revolt The Cradle New Fear/Dualtone By Al Kaufman For all intents and purposes, Colour Revolt should no longer be a band. In the last year they lost their recording contract with Fat Possum, then lost their guitarist, bass player and drummer. But Jesse Coppenbarger and Sean Kirkpatrick, (both vocalists, guitarists and keyboardists) soldiered on. […]
Jay Brannan In Living Cover Great Depression Records By Al Kaufman Jan Brannan is not a happy guy. He is a self-described “antisocial misanthrope.” His Christmas song is titled “Christmas Really Sucks.” His record company is called Great Depression Records. He hates dogs, Air Canada, and the Best Buy on 23rd and 6th in Manhattan. […]
Moreland and Arbuckle Flood Telarc By Al Kaufman Aaron Moreland and Dustin Arbuckle are doing everything they can to keep to blues alive. Arbuckle tears apart his harp every time he brings it to his lips. His voice is rich and just rough enough to sound like he’s lived about which he sings. He sounds […]
Steve Miller Band Bingo! Roadrunner By Al Kaufman Steve Miller has sold exactly 1.6 gazillion copies of the Steve Miller Band Greatest Hits 1974-78. In the ’80s, every single person in the United States either owned a copy or knew a person who owned a copy. For college freshmen, the album came in the orientation […]
Will Kimbrough Wings Daphne By Al Kaufman Like his musical friends Tommy Womack, Rodney Crowell, and, to a lesser degree, Todd Snider, Will Kimbrough has comfortably settled into middle age. On his fifth solo CD (he has released at least five others as part of various bands and produced a few others) Nashville/Americana stalwart Kimbrough […]
Laurie Anderson Homeland Nonesuch By Al Kaufman Laurie Anderson began putting together the pieces of Homeland when W was in the midst of his presidency. The CD deals with the Iraq War, the bank bailouts, global warming, and our consumer culture, sometimes all in one song. “Only An Expert” is the clear stand out. With […]
Back Row Baptists Broken Hearts & Bad Decisions Vintage Earth Music By Al Kaufman As the name implies, The Back Row Baptists are a group that carry a Bible in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other. They want to be good but, well, there are just so many fun evil things […]
The Cure Disintegration (Deluxe Edition) Elektra/Rhino By Al Kaufman By the time The Cure released Disintegration in 1989, they were bonafide superstars. Their 1987 release, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, led by the singles “Just Like Heaven” and “Why Can’t I Be You,” propelled them from the favorite band of the lost and disenfranchised […]
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Mojo Reprise By Al Kaufman Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are, first and foremost, a bar band. The fact is, they are one of the best bar bands working. Put any type of American music in front of them and they will play the hell out of it. Yes, sometimes […]
Devo Something for Everybody Warner Brothers By Al Kaufman “What we do/Is what we do/It’s all the same/There’s nothing new” sings Devo on their first album of new material in 20 years. And they are correct. Something for Everybody sounds like it’s been only 20 months since Freedom of Choice, Devo’s high watermark. And while […]
Hot Hot Heat Future Breeds Dangerbird Records By Al Kaufman After an ill-advised foray into pop on their 2007 release, Happiness Ltd., Canada’s Hot Hot Heat have returned to the hard-edged, dance-punk sound that they made them a sensation in 2003 with Make Up the Breakdown, and its single, “Bandages.” Future Breeds is full of […]
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