Providing the Atmosphere - Cloudberry Jam
Pop/Rock, review by Alex Abramovich
Now that the new Swedish record company North of No South, or NoNS, is
bracing itself for an all-out assault on our shores, it's a good time to
ask why Sweden has long been such an anomaly in the global music market
(01/07/98)
Adored - Day Behavior
Pop/Rock, review by Alex Abramovich
Now that the new Swedish record company North of No South, or NoNS, is
bracing itself for an all-out assault on our shores, it's a good time to
ask why Sweden has long been such an anomaly in the global music market
(01/07/98)
The Anthology of American Folk Music - Harry Smith
Folk, review by Alex Abramovich
Even today, 45 years after it's initial release, an entire generation of
musicians inspired by Harry Smith lapse into reverential, religious terms
when speaking of "The Anthology of American Folk Music" -- and record
stores are having a hard time keeping the Smithsonian's reissue in stock. (10/06/97)
Good Music - Ray Wonder
Pop/Rock, review by Alex Abramovich
Now that the new Swedish record company North of No South, or NoNS, is
bracing itself for an all-out assault on our shores, it's a good time to
ask why Sweden has long been such an anomaly in the global music market
(01/07/98)
Que Viva Mingus -
Mingus Big Band
Pop/rock, review by Michael J. Agovino
Mingus Big Band's latest offering, "Que Viva Mingus," is a collection of master
Mingus' Latin compositions
(04/02/98)
Chocolate Supa Highway - Spearhead
Hip-Hop/R&B, review by Donnell Alexander
Former Disposable Hero Michael Franti brings his adventurous spirit to
Spearhead's head-nodding hip-hop on "Chocolate Supa Highway." (04/24/97)
Butterfly - Mariah Carey
Pop/Rock, review by Gina Arnold
The woman may have a ruthless career plan, but Mariah Carey also has
genuine pipes, and, seemingly, her finger directly on the pulse of the
populace. Carey, now sure of her fanbase, divorced Mottola just in time for
the release of "Butterfly," her fifth and cheesiest LP yet. (09/30/97)
Tubthumpers - Chumbawamba
Pop/Rock review by Gina Arnold
If they could just learn a little restraint, Chumbawamba could be one of
the better lesson-bands of the decade
(12/01/97)
Isolation Party - Tommy Keene
Pop/Rock, review by Gina Arnold
You must buy this album now and indulge it as if was a big ol' box of
bad-for-you chocolate; as if you'd never heard the Beastie Boys, DJ Shadow
or Beck
(02/26/98)
Every Other Day at a Time, Something Special for the Kids Liquor Giants
Pop/Rock, review by Gina Arnold
Liquor Giant Ward Dotson's got one of those clever but twisted minds which
can make the dopeyist lyric sound poignant -- which is a great help when it
comes to imbuing Dusty Springfield covers with meaning (04/30/98)
Ray of Light - Madonna
Pop/rock, review by Gina Arnold
Madonna, despite all her innovations and subversions and gender
groundbreaking, is nothing more than a slightly rattled femme fatale, the
kind of woman who dresses too young for her age.
(03/06/98)
Yield - Pearl Jam
Pop/rock, review by Gina Arnold
Pearl Jam has always made an effort to take the road less travelled, and
this time, at least, that offbeat route is a distinctly pleasurable one
(01/29/98)
Decksanddrumsandrockandroll -
Propellerheads
Pop/Rock, review by Gina Arnold
The mainstream-sounding techno grooves on Propellerheads'
"Decksanddrumsandrockandroll" may make it the "Walk this Way" of
electronica.
(04/07/98)
Brand New - Salt-n-pepa
Pop/Rock review by Gina Arnold
Salt-n-Pepa is the more empowered, more thoughtful, and ultimately higher
artistic expression of the Spice Girls pop-like confectionary -- but to
knock either is to be on the wrong side of the argument.
(11/13/97)
Spice World - Spice Girls
Pop/Rock review by Gina Arnold
Salt-n-Pepa is the more empowered, more thoughtful, and ultimately higher
artistic expression of the Spice Girls pop-like confectionary -- but to
knock either is to be on the wrong side of the argument.
(11/13/97)
Hourly Daily -You Am I
Pop/rock review by Gina Arnold
If you have a penchant for '60s mod bands and a fondness for clever
wordplay, the bestselling Australian band You Am I will give you a severe
upward mood swing
(12/15/97)
The Pet Sound Sessions - The Beach Boys
Pop/Rock review by Mark Athitakis
The reworked music of "Pet Sounds" is so wondrously varied, so thrilling,
so listenenable in and of itself that it's a Beach Boys fanatic's dream
come true
(11/12/97)
Transaction de Novo - Bedhead
Pop/rock, review by Mark Athitakis
In a rock world that's built for speed, Bedhead are -- surprisingly,
elegantly -- the ones who are moving faster and seeing farther
(02/18/98)
Valley of Christmas - Andrei
Codrescu
Pop/rock review by Mark Athitakis
Bargain-priced and custom-built for every possible target market in
existence, you can rest assured that there's a "Silent Night" to fit every
musical taste, age, race, sexual preference and denomination
(12/19/97)
Zaireeka -Flaming Lips
Pop/rock review by Mark Athitakis
With the four-disc "Zaireeka," the Flaming Lips have completely fulfilled
their most insane dreams, creating a fantastically ambitious -- and
incredibly stupid -- record
(12/12/97)
Contemplating the Engine Room - Mike Watt
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
Contemplating the Engine Room" is, among other things, the story of what
Mike Watts discovered during his experiences with the Minutemen, the
band he started that helped define American independent rock in the 1980s.(10/31/97)
Being There - Wilco
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
Wilco's new double CD is a woozy and wondrous roots-rock sojourn.
Text-only version.(10/28/96)
Feelings - David Byrne
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
Working hip-hop, feedback-drenched rock and even country into his trademark
Latin themes, David Byrne has created his freest, most diverse and
optimistic post-Talking Heads work with "Feelings." Mark Athitakis talks to
Byrne about "surviving through change." (06/30/97)
Playback Swingers -
Damon and Naomi
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
"It's the turn of the century -- which way you going to go?" Damon and
Naomi ask on "Playback Swingers." Straight to bed for a good, long mope,
the album's nine weary, lazy songs suggest.
(04/13/98)
Evergreen - Echo and the Bunnymen
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
For all of the drab middle-of-the-road pop "Evergreen" proffers, none of it
erases any of the impact and power of what Echo and the Bunnymen
accomplished back in the days of "The Cutter" and "The Killing Moon" -- but
it does make it look that much more like distant history.
(08/04/97)
All the Pain Money Can Buy Fastball
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
If Fastball's "All the Pain Money Can Buy" sounds like a Revolver-esque
throwback, it's worth noting that sounding like a throwback in this day and
age is an act of bravery (04/24/98)
Nimrod- Green Day
Pop/Rock review by Mark Athitakis
Scruffy punkers Green Day are just going through the motions on "Nimrod";
all that's different this time around is that they've discovered a few more
motions to go through.(11/04/97)
It Had to Happen - James McMurtry
Country/Folk, review by Mark Athitakis
On James McMurtry's fourth album, "It Had to Happen," the same world-weary
characters appear again -- but this time the son of novelist Larry McMurtry
has run out of compelling ways to tell their stories. (06/25/97)
Four Great Points - June of 44
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
One of the finest bands to spin off from the Louisville-Chicago math rock
axis, June of 44 is moving the math rock sound forward in new ways that are
both intense and eloquent
(01/21/98)
Generations 1 - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
"Generations I": Do-gooder punks (2/24/96)
The King's Record Collection Vols. I and II - Various Artists
Pop/rock, review by Mark Athitakis
The "King's Record Collection" doesn't clear up any of the enigmas that
surrounded Presley's life, but it does uncover a small bit of what the
young Elvis wanted to accomplish as a musician
(03/27/98)
Eat/Kiss - John Cale
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
Like some of John Cale's more experimental solo records (like "Fear" or
"Music For a New Society"), "Eat" and "Kiss" conjure up a sense of both
forboding and joy -- and often blurs the line between the two. (06/19/97)
Fantasma -
Cornelius
Pop/rock, review by Mark Athitakis
Cornelius -- the moniker for Japanese one-man-band Keigo Oyamada -- really
is big in Japan, having already sold half a million copies of
"Fantasma," his third album, in his homeland(04/03/98)
Mag Earwhig! - Guided By Voices
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
GBV's Robert Pollard has always had a real talent for using tiny details
that turn a song from passable to great, but with "Mag Earwhig!" he's
hitting the bullseye instead of raiding the cutting room floor. (05/16/97)
The Lateness Of The Hour - Eric Matthews
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
Now that time and various reissues have saved Brian Wilson et al from the
dustbin of history, the world is Eric Matthews' for the taking. But on "The
Lateness of the Hour," it becomes clear that no matter how hard he's
trying, he's not quite worthy of that '60s pantheon.
(09/04/97)
Ixnay on the Hombre - The Offspring
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
Kenny Loggins in a Germs T-shirt. (2/10/97)
Omnipop - Sam Phillips
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
Songstress Sam Phillips proves that "pop" is not (necessarily) a dirty word. (8/19/96)
Live at the Warfield, S.F. - Pavement
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
Kicking off their sold-out "Brighten the Corners" tour, Pavement loses some
(not all) of the cynicism, and inspires newfound faith. Salon contributor
Mark Athitakis reports from the Warfield in San Francisco. (04/19/97)
II - Presidents of the USA
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
A case for term limits. (11/5/96)
OK Computer - Radiohead
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
With "OK Computer," Radiohead has finally hit their stride, crafting a
dense, dizzying album that smartly welds their modern ennui to complex,
intriguing -- and sometimes genuinely frightening -- pop music.
(07/17/97)
The Sugar Hill Records Story - Various Artists
Hip-Hop/R&B, review by Mark Athitakis
Grandmaster Flash, the Sugarhill Gang and other classic rap (3/14/97)
Winter Pageant - The Softies
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
Cuddly punk torch songs (3/7/97)
Where Have All the Flowers Gone: The Songs of Pete Seeger - Various Artists
Pop/rock, review by Mark Athitakis
The famous and not-so-famous rock and folk musicians who try their hand at
the Seeger catalogue are talented, talented, so talented, they
mostly wind up
subverting the lovely simplicity that is Seeger's trademark
(03/16/98)
All over the map - Wilco
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
Wilco's new double CD is a woozy and wondrous roots-rock sojourn.
Text-only version.(10/28/96)
I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One - Yo La Tengo
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
Still experimenting after 10 years, Yo La Tengo broadens their
reconnaissance on "I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One," where folk,
electronic, and latin music all find their way into the mix. (04/28/97)
Straightaways - Son Volt
Pop/Rock, review by Jay W. Babcock
Great records come from living life, not from driving by it, and as Son Volt's "Straightaways" suggests, the road and its rigors may be the artistic kiss of death for a band perpetually on tour. (05/12/97)
Braver Newer World - Jimmy Dale Gilmore
Country, review by Kevin Berger
Zen country singer Jimmie Dale Gilmore's music is "therapy for the world." (7/1/96)
Looking For The Ghost of Tom Joad - Bruce Springsteen
Pop/Rock, review by Adam Block
Baby, the Boss was born to slum. (12/30/95)
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil -Various Artists
Soundtrack review by Stanley Booth
-- called simply The Book in
Savannah -- is now The Movie. And the accompanying soundtrack will make
Johnny Mercer spin in his grave
(11/21/97)
Stakes Is High - De La Soul
Hip-Hop/R&B, review by Zev Borow
De La Soul's new "Stakes Is High" returns to the high cross-over ground of the rap group's breakthrough first album, "Three Feet High and Rising." (7/8/96)
Wu-Tang Forever - Wu-Tang Clan
Hip-Hop/R&B, review by Zev Borow
It was starting to look like hip-hop, for all its vigor, emotion, and sheer
dope style, was on the verge of buckling under it's own weight -- but now,
finally, from off in the distance comes the Wu-Tang Clan with their latest
"Wu-Tang Forever." (06/17/97)
Time Out Of Mind - Bob Dylan
Pop/Rock, review by David Bowman
It's now been seven long, lackluster years since Bob Dylan's "Oh Mercy" --
can producer Daniel Lanois fire up the Bard a second time? Amateur
Dylanologist David Bowman takes on the long-awaited "Time Out of Mind."
(09/19/97)
Perfect Night- Lou Reed
Pop/Rock, review by David Bowman
It's too late for Lou Reed to go Martha Stewart on us now. Although we
welcome a temporary "Perfect Night" -- 15 songs perfomred live at London's
Royal Albert Hall -- Reed will always be the perfect companion for a
proverbial Dark Night of the Soul. (05/01/98)
Static and Silence - The Sundays
Pop/Rock, review by Gina Arnold
Remarkably similar in sound and texture to their previous albums, the
Sundays' new LP "Static & Silence" is as lush and as wistful as a college
freshmen's diary, carefully timed to blare out of dorm rooms all autumn.
(09/22/97)
Live On Tour - John Prine
Folk/Country, review by Mike Britten
In a world where even John Prine can be found on the Information
Superhighway, a disc like the good-natured and laid-back "Live on Tour" may
be just the thing to calm you down. (04/23/97)
Little Head - John Hiatt
Pop/Rock, review by Sean Callahan
John Hiatt's tell-tale fingerprints are all over his fourteenth album
"Little Head" -- it's his heart that's hard to find. (07/09/97)
11,000 Virgins (Chants for the feast of St. Ursula) -Anonymous 4
Pop/rock review by Brett Campbell
The upsurge in the popularity of medieval and early Renaissance music has
produced dozens of albums, but none as compelling as these recordings of
the music of German abbess Hildegard von Bingen
(12/18/97)
Rapunzel - Lou Harrison
Classical, review by Brett Campbell
Composer Lou Harrison said he chose the text of poet William Morris'
reinterpretation of "Rapunzel" in part as a vehicle to help him work
through his own emotional upheavals. And this music, with its simple yet
powerful lyricism, reflects his attempt to soothe inner demons.
(05/15/97)
O Jerusalem -Sequentia
Pop/rock review by Brett Campbell
The upsurge in the popularity of medieval and early Renaissance music has
produced dozens of albums, but none as compelling as these recordings of
the music of German abbess Hildegard von Bingen
(12/18/97)
Celestial Light (music of Hildegard of Bingen and Robert Kyr) -Tapestry
Pop/rock review by Brett Campbell
The upsurge in the popularity of medieval and early Renaissance music has
produced dozens of albums, but none as compelling as these recordings of
the music of German abbess Hildegard von Bingen
(12/18/97)
Indoor Living - Superchunk
Pop/Rock, review by John Cook
Superchunk isn't just run-of-the-mill college band stuff anymore, as they
prove on the more polished and produced "Indoor Living."
(09/11/97)
The concert for the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Lisa Crovo
The concert for the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame showcases rock's wide-ranging family.
Text-only version. (9/2/96)
Inna Heights - Buju Banton
Pop/rock, review by Rosalind Cummins-Yates
Buju Banton's newest release reinforces his rare ability to showcase many
of reggae's variations -- dancehall, roots and vintage ska -- on one
cohesive album.
(03/12/98)
Volcano Songs - Meredith Monk
Jazz/World, review by Matthew Daines
With punchy good tunes, "Volcano Songs" resurrects a more primal element of
the eccentric singer/composer's best music from the 1980s. (05/07/97)
City Life - Steve Reich
Classical, review by Matthew Daines
Collaborating with conductor Paul Hillier, New York composer Steve Reich
embodies both the old and new of his best minimalist works on the colorful
"City Life." (04/14/97)
New York Legends: Recitals With Principals From The New York Philharmonic - Joseph Alessi, Principal Trombone
Classical, review by Matthew Daines
'Bone up: NY Philharmonic's trombone master shines. (3/5/97)
Caught in a Trap and I Can't Back Out Because I Love You Too Much, Baby - Mark Eitzel
Pop/Rock, review by Jerry Dannemiller
The gloomy-Gus-with-open-wounds role has always suited Mark Eitzel, and on
"Caught In A Trap," he seems all too eager to carry a few more sad
sacks on his back
(01/15/98)
Fly - The Dixie Chicks
and Ruff Ryder's First Lady - Eve
Pop/Rock, review by Jon Dolan
Thug rapper Eve's assertive female raps would sound even more radical at the top of the charts if the countrified Dixie Chicks weren't telling the exact same stories. (10/04/99)
Baby One More Time - Britney Spears
Pop/Rock, review by Jon Dolan
Teen queen Britney Spears invites you to hit her with your best shot. (08/27/99)
Never to Be Forgotten - The Bobby Fuller Four
Pop/rock, review by Dawn Eden
"Never to Be Forgotten," Del-Fi's new Bobby Fuller Four box, doesn't
explain how Fuller died, but it does show why his music has survived
(03/10/98)
Farewells & Fantasies - Phil Ochs
Pop/Rock, review by Dawn Eden
While many of his fellow Vietnam-era activists believed that the country
was rotten to the core, Phil Ochs, like his idol Woody Guthrie, had an
almost Capra-like faith in the American people's essential goodness.Rhino's
long-overdue triple-CD Ochs box, "Farewells & Fantasies," attempts to place
his music within a historical context.
(09/03/97)
Second Sight - Kate St. John
Pop/rock, review by Dawn Eden
Like all great chanteuses, Kate St. John is a master of the torch song, and
on "Second Sight," her voice captures the wistfulness of one who knows her
lover will never return
(02/05/98)
Lounge-a-palooza - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Dawn Eden
With acts like Ben Folds Five, James Taylor Quartet and Esquivel,
"Lounge-a-Palooza" -- the first major label compilation to cash in on the
lounge music revival -- makes a grand attempt to attract both trendies and
true believers. (10/01/97)
Zombie Heaven - The Zombies
Pop/Rock, review by Dawn Eden
There are 119 tracks on "Zombie Heaven" to highlight Colin Blunstone's
incredible, Nina Simone-like voice, Rod Argent's legendary organ skills and
a tight-as-Beatle-boots groove -- and not one of them is superfluous
(01/08/98)
The Complete Columbia
Studio Recordings - The Miles Davis Quintet
Jazz, review by Geoff Edgers
The Miles Davis Quintet: The reissue market has become jazz music's saving grace, but no player,
dead or alive, has been given a star turn like Miles Davis
(03/23/98)
Gimcracks and Gewgaws - Mose Allison
Pop/rock, review by Geoff Edgers
Mose Allison's cool, smoky growl
(02/12/98)
An Anthology: The Elektra Years" - The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Pop/rock, review by Geoff Edgers
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band: Sad deaths, the fire of youth and a brotherhood born of the blues
(02/17/98)
Richard D. James - Aphex Twin
Pop/Rock, review by Hans Eisenbeis
Is it sound or is it music? Aphex Twin's terrific techno-trance tunes. (01/27/97)
Nico By Blind Melon
Pop/Rock, review by Hans Eisenbeis
Blind Melon's passionate farewell (12/5/96)
Life is Peachy - Korn
Pop/Rock, review by Hans Eisenbeis
Canned Korn: Just a little too psychotic to be believed. (12/18/96)
Becoming X - Sneaker Pimps
Pop/Rock, review by Hans Eisenbeis
The trip-hop trio's debut stays true to the po-mo brew (2/27/96)
Soundtrack to "The Saint" - Various Artists
Soundtracks, review by Hans Eisenbeis
Just when you thought you'd heard enough about the next big thing,
Hollywood gets hold of it and swings it by the tail 'til it's dead -- this
time, it's "The Saint's" electronica soundtrack. (06/02/97)
Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, The Ballad of Easy Rider, The Notorious Byrd Brothers - The Byrds
Pop/Rock, review by Sean Elder
Columbia's reissue of four album's from the Byrds' own "Blue Period"
(1967-1970) harkens back to a time before lite rock, when the band's
distinctly Southern California sound projected an optimism and sense of
possibility that perfectly captured the mood of the times. (04/10/97)
Bridges to Babylon- Rolling Stones
Pop/Rock review by Sean Elder
Maybe it's comforting to know that rock 'n' roll's elder statesmen can
still crank out rock riffs and boozy ballads in their sleep -- but it's too
bad they have to take that judgment literally. Sean Elder makes an arhument
for early retirement.(11/05/97)
The Big Picture- Elton John
Pop/Rock review by Sean Elder
Maybe it's comforting to know that rock 'n' roll's elder statesmen can
still crank out rock riffs and boozy ballads in their sleep -- but it's too
bad they have to take that judgment literally. Sean Elder makes an arhument
for early retirement.(11/05/97)
Calling All Stations- Genesis
Pop/Rock review by Sean Elder
Maybe it's comforting to know that rock 'n' roll's elder statesmen can
still crank out rock riffs and boozy ballads in their sleep -- but it's too
bad they have to take that judgment literally. Sean Elder makes an arhument
for early retirement.(11/05/97)
In Memoriam: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Jazz/World, review by Banning Eyre
With a voice that could move a crowd like no other, qawwal Nusrat Fateh Ali
Khan was a national treasure to his native Pakistan and a world-reknowned
singer. Banning Eyre remembers the experience of seeing Nusrat, who died of
a heart attack in London on August 16, live for the last time.
(08/22/97)
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