Archive for November, 2008

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Murs - Murs for President

November 25th, 2008 by Jake Crates


Murs
Murs for President

Rating: 7.3/10.0
Recommended Tracks: 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9
RiYL: Living Legends, Zion I, EL- P (Anything Def Jux) for his earlier material, Little Brother, Jake One, Grouch, Q-Tip

When people think of West Coast rappers many people think of N.W.A.(Dr. Dre, Easy E, Ice Cube), Ice T, Snoop, the Game, E-4… Oh yeah, and that one guy named Tupac Shakur. Needless to say these are tough acts to follow out West, and while many fans of the west coast style of hip hop are eagerly waiting for Dr. Dre’s new Detox album, underground legend Murs seems to give these fans of the left something to bob their head to in the meantime. Murs’ new release on Warner Brothers, entitled Murs for President, continues where his previous solo successes left off and solidifies his spot in the mainstream picture as one of the most talented West Coast rappers today. (more…)

Posted in Album Reviews, Hip Hop | 3 Comments »

Elliott Smith - Elliott Smith

November 24th, 2008 by Joe Tucker


Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith

Rating: 10.0/10.0
Recommended Tracks: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
RiYL: Acoustic magic, poetic suicide, the Mountain Goats, Earlimart

The first time I heard Elliott Smith, Ritchie Tenenbaum was killing himself on my TV screen to the opening track of his self-titled sophomore album. I didn’t realize it at the time, but Ritchie’s almost-suicide was the ultimate introduction into Elliott Smith’s fractured world. Like all of my favorite musicians, I found Smith’s music post-mortem. This, I think, is the best way to approach him: not as a living, breathing being, but as a legend. Elliott Smith was known for his all-or-nothing live shows. Sometimes, he played like a listless fool; other times, he electrified his crowds with melodies and harmonies that sent shivers through their bones. (more…)

Posted in Album Reviews, Better Late Than Never, Favorite Albums | No Comments »

Albert Hammond, Jr. - ¿Como te Llama?

November 20th, 2008 by Blake Farha


Albert Hammond, Jr.
¿Como Te Llama?

Rating: 7.3/10.0
Recommended Tracks: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8
RiYL: The Strokes

The creative juices of former Strokes guitarist, Albert Hammond Jr. have certainly not run dry in spite of his previous band’s unofficial hiatus, as is evidenced by his latest solo album, ¿Como Te Llama? After three albums as a member of The Strokes, he has just released his second solo work and is still running strong. Obviously, much of the music is very similar to something one would hear on a Strokes album, with the majority of the songs heavily driven by guitars played on the highest frets with no shortage of crunchy distortion. However, Hammond manages to stray just far enough away from his Strokes ties to keep things interesting, but not so far as to miss the mark. Put simply, the album rocks from start to finish. (more…)

Posted in Album Reviews | 1 Comment »

Desolation Wilderness - White Light Strobing

November 19th, 2008 by Stuart McAfee


Desolation Wilderness
White Light Strobing

Rating: 7.9/10.0
Recommended Tracks: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10
RiYL: Engineers, French Kicks, Atlas Sound, Galaxie 500

As Dr. Dow mentioned in his lecture on grunge(y) music, the Olympia, WA based record label was built from the ground up by Calvin Johnson and a handful of other artists that didn’t know quite what they were doing with their instruments. The charm of opening an album by the Beat Happening (or any of the early K productions) was that the approach was very much against-the-grain, but the music was so noticeably handcrafted that, given the proper chance, it was difficult not to identify with. K quickly became an outlet for many amateurish musicians, and created a cozy space in the alternative music industry. (more…)

Posted in Album Reviews, Favorite Albums | 4 Comments »

That Ghost - Young Fridays

November 19th, 2008 by Blake Farha


That Ghost
Young Fridays

Rating: 5.9/10.0
Recommended Tracks: 2, 9
RiYL: Sad kids in Basements

There isn’t much to say about Ryan Schmale’s (A.K.A. That Ghost) album Young Fridays. It’s a completely mediocre record. I don’t mean that in a bad way, because the music isn’t necessarily bad, it’s just empty; there isn’t much to it. Each song consists of a guitar, a drum machine, and some vocals, with some piano work occasionally thrown in. Now, the lack of instrumentation isn’t what makes the songs empty. Many musicians have written amazing music using even fewer instruments than That Ghost. Rather, the general lack of musicianship creates an amateur sound which quite simply becomes boring, even annoying, rather quickly. (more…)

Posted in Album Reviews | 1 Comment »

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