Jon Brion is certainly best known these days as a producer, having helmed classic albums for the likes of Fiona Apple, and collaborating with Kanye West on Late Registration, providing the sonic direction for just about all the rest of his releases to date. What more casual fans of Brion don’t know is that he’s an artist himself-and has had a recording career since he was a teenager. As a member of The Bats, he released the critically acclaimed How […]
Album Reviews
bLISTerd Presents: Jesse’s Top 11 Albums of 2011
Hey there! How ya doin’? It’s the end of the year, and we’re starting to put up lists of the best albums of the year. Mike Doughty? He’s on Jesse’s list. Why don’t ya click and see who else made the cut?
Spin Cycle: The Good Natured’s “Skeleton”
Part Florence & The Machine. Part Client. Part Ladytron. All awesome. That’s The Good Natured in a nutshell. I came across them while researching a completely different genre band. Saw them on the EMI homepage and thought they looked cool (yeah, I’m admitting that). I checked out “Skeleton” the song and was intrigued by the blend of new wave and modern-day electro pop. Then I purchased Skeleton the EP and fell in love. From the minute “Your Body Is a Machine” opens up […]
Spin Cycle: Robin Thicke’s “Love After War”
Robin Thicke has to be the most unlikely R&B star of all time. His mom is a former soap star. His dad is Jason Fucking Seaver. Irregardless of his stardom, what’s proven a bit more interesting to me is how someone who seemed to be bringing a quirky, fresh attitude to pop ‘n b turned so conventional over the course of his career. I was what you might call an “early adopter” of Robin. Back in the summer of 2002, […]
Spin Cycle: David Mead’s “Dudes”
For at least a few years, David Mead’s been on my “must check-out” list: I’d just never been in the right situation to give him a chance. I remember first hearing about him via my friend Paul, who described David as the cooler alternative to John Mayer, who I love. Actually, that might have been the reason I held off on checking his music out. When you take down one of my favorites to big up someone else, I tend […]
Spin Cycle: Amy Winehouse’s “Lioness: Hidden Treasures”
One thing that can’t be denied was that Amy Winehouse was a unique talent, and as it turns out, quite influential. Despite Adele’s tremendous talent, it was Amy that paved the way for the renaissance of full-voiced British soul vocalists with a throwback sound. She was truly taken from us too soon, and the world will never know if she would have been able to come up with an album that matched the genius that was Back To Black. Despite […]
Spin Cycle: The Roots’ “Undun”
The Roots are back with a concept album called “Undun” and Drew has the scoop.
Spin Cycle: Korn’s “The Path Of Totality”
Limp Bizkit did it right. They came back after a long hiatus, original line up in tact, and put out an album that was as offensive as ever and stuck smack dab in the middle of ’90’s nu-metal. I’ll give Korn credit for always pushing the envelope albeit with mostly mixed results and barely resembling the band they used to be. 2007’s Korn was ok. The Unplugged record was weird but credit them for trying. 2010’s III was the kicker […]
Spin Cycle: The Black Keys’ “El Camino”
The Black Keys follow up their breakthrough, “Brothers”, with a new album called “El Camino.” Does this album reaffirm Dan & Patrick’s superstar status?
Spin Cycle: Chevelle’s “Hats Off To The Bull”
I am of the mind that band’s should continue to evolve from album to album. That said, I don’t feel Chevelle have done anything extraordinary since Wonder What’s Next. While I would never want them to make the same album twice, it just seems to me that they’ve done nothing to top what is, in my mind, the ultimate Chevelle record. There’s nothing particularly wrong with Chevelle’s latest, Hats Off To The Bull. In fact, there are some really great […]
Metal Monday Volume 47 (12.5.11)
The second half of Jesse’s Top 11 metal albums of 2011 is in. Will Haven has one of the albums featured–see what else made the cut.