I am pretty embarrassed that I don’t know VNV Nation’s catalog as well as I should, especially after hearing their latest, Automatic. I know the band. I know I have some of their older records. I just couldn’t name you a single before now and I am sorry for that. Thankfully, albums like Automatic come along and give me a renewed interest in VNV Nation. If I couldn’t name you a single before now, then Automatic does a good job […]
Album Reviews
Spin Cycle: Nickelback’s “Here & Now”
I have nothing against Nickelback. I find them perfectly inoffensive in much the same way Bush was perfectly inoffensive in the Nineties and…I don’t know, 38 Special and Foreigner were in the Eighties. Do I appreciate their music the same way I appreciate…oh, I don’t know…OK, let me change tack. You’re never gonna see me running to a record store or dropping ten bucks online to buy a Nickelback record, but if I’m in a bar and a song of […]
Spin Cycle: “My Life 2: The Journey Continues” by Mary J. Blige
Is “My Life 2” a worthy successor to Mary J. Blige’s breakthrough 1994 album? Read Blerd’s review and find out.
Spin Cycle: Snow Patrol’s “Fallen Empires”
Any time a band declares they’re going in a new direction and practically begs their fans to give it a chance, I get leery. That usually means something really amazing or truly awful is about to go down with their next album. For a band like Snow Patrol, who has excelled at fairly middle of the road, melodic indie pop/rock since their 2003 breakthrough Final Straw, I feared it would be the latter. Snow Patrol falls into that category of […]
Spin Cycle: Rihanna’s “Talk That Talk”
It’s almost impossible to imagine now, but barely five years ago, Rihanna was basically the female version of Sean Kingston. These days, Kingston isn’t much more than a Justin Bieber accessory and Rihanna…well, she’s arguably the biggest female pop star around these days. She’s racked up an impressive 11 #1 hits on the pop singles chart, sidling up against the likes of Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson in the blink of an eye. She’s one of the more unique-sounding […]
Spin Cycle: Michael Jackson’s “Immortal”
Cirque Du Soleil and the Estate of Michael Jackson have collaborated to produce the show “MJ Immortal”. Mike D. takes a listen to the soundtrack, which features some clever reimagining of the King of Pop’s biggest hits.
Spin Cycle: Rob Potylo’s “How Do You Feel In June?”
Album Reviews / Indie Rock / music / New Releases / pop culture / Pop Music / rock music / Spin Cycle
Rob Potylo’s just released the final installment in a trilogy of albums AND he’s playing Boston tonight. Check out our review of the album and hit the show up if you’re local!
Spin Cycle: Drake’s “Take Care”
Does Drake successfully avoid the sophomore slump with his new album “Take Care”? Andrew Ratliff reviews the new work by the Canadian singer/rapper/actor.
Spin Cycle: “The Front Bottoms”
It’s very rare in this day and age that bands still come out and manage to sound like no one else. The Front Bottoms are that kind of a band. A duo like no other of their contemporaries, they create stories within each one of their songs. At times blink 182-ish without the brattiness (Maybe if Tom Delonge took Angels & Airwaves in a more acoustic direction without the air of pretension…), The Front Bottoms do so much with so little. With such lush arrangements on […]
Spin Cycle: Betty Wright & The Roots’ “Betty Wright: The Movie”
Ms. Betty Wright and the legendary Roots crew have joined forces for a soul triumph. Check out our review.