After the dissolution of The Time when Morris Day left, Prince built a new band in 1985 consisting of former Time members Jellybean Johnson, Jerome Benton and Paul Peterson, plus saxophonist extraordinaire Eric Leeds and vocalist (and twin sister of the Revolution’s Wendy) Susannah Melvoin. Peterson was rechristened St. Paul and established as the front man of the group, named The Family, sharing lead vocals with Melvoin. 26 years after its release, their self titled debut remains one of the […]
Album Reviews
Spin Cycle: Murs’ “Love & Rockets, Vol. 1”
“Dope beats, dope rhymes, what more do y’all want?” Phonte once asked, and the question remains a potent one: hip-hop, particularly of the underground variety, turned a more experimental corner around the time of the millennium, and for many, the art of the simply-constructed, plainspoken hip-hop LP fell by the wayside. The loose-limbed, live-band feel of the Roots; the lush soundscapes and penetrating self-excavation of Kanye West; these are the things that we’ve been conditioned to value in hip-hop. Some […]
Spin Cycle: Johnny Gill’s “Still Winning”
If you were born around the time Johnny Gill last released a solo album, you might be thisclose to starting driver’s ed classes. It’s been fifteen years since the soul singer released Let’s Get the Mood Right, which is a ridiculously long time to go between albums. Not to say JG has been sitting around letting the grass grow under him. He’s toured the country and released an album as 1/5 of New Edition, released another two albums with his […]
Spin Cycle: Jane’s Addiction’s “The Great Escape Artist”
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I had no expectations going into Jane’s Addictions latest, The Great Escape Artist. I thought 2003’s Strays was okay but other than a few standout tracks (“Just Because”, “True Nature”), the album didn’t really do too much to add to the legacy of JA. Cut to eight years later and we have their 4th album which is wholeheartedly the epitome of Jane’s Addiction in the 21st Century. It’s spiritual and mystical with a unique sound that stands above the rest. […]
Spin Cycle: Mayer Hawthorne’s “How Do You Do?”
It’s a very tricky thing when an acclaimed artist makes the jump from an indie label to a major. Will they retain that spark that drew you in to begin with? Will they be forced to make stylistic compromises to appease the suits and mass audiences? Will they end up as the soundtrack to commercials for Target and get in house play at your local Starbucks? Without delving into a diatribe about the corporate music industry, I’ll simply say that […]
Spin Cycle: Electric Six’s “Heartbeats And Brainwaves”
Since 2005’s sophomore album Senor Smoke, Detroit’s Electric Six have delivered a new album every year for their adoring masses. Some have been great, some not so great. On Heartbeats And Brainwaves, the band’s eighth album, they’re leaning heavily in the former. From the get go, Heartbeats And Brainwaves showcases a very refreshed sounding Electric Six brandishing a reinvigorated swagger. H & B boasts a return to the electro a la previous floor bangers “Dance Commander” , “Down At McDonnelzz” […]
Spin Cycle: Meat Loaf’s “Hell in a Handbasket”
Are we at a place, culturally, where we can unanimously agree that Meat Loaf’s 1977 debut, Bat Out Of Hell, is unequivocally awesome? Sure, it’s theatrical. It’s bombastic. And, perhaps most damningly, it’s awfully cheesy; Meat oversings every ballad, Jim Steinman writes pretentious multi-song suites about his inability to get girls as a teenager, and at first listen, Meat and Steinman seem to be taking everything really, really seriously. But it’s cheese of the most glorious variety; its sincerity (tempered, […]
Spin Cycle: Bjork’s “Biophilia”
By way of a disclaimer, this review doesn’t come from the point of view of a Bjork fan. That’s important to note, as it seems that the Icelandic pixie’s records are uniquely suited for those familiar with her style, those attuned to her peccadilloes. Unlike most Bjork records, however, Biophilia has been anticipated more for its incorporation of multimedia and technology than for the direction of its music. Its song suites are, supposedly, enhanced by their interactions with corresponding iPad apps, […]
Spin Cycle: Ryan Adams’ “Ashes & Fire”
So it’s October 2011, and Ryan Adams has returned from what seems like an eternity to the casual listener. I, however, am not that casual listener and was quite satiated last year by the Cardinals double-album III/IV and a release by R.A.’s heavy metal side project, Orion. Ashes & Fire is a return to form for Ryan Adams, the solo artist, though. 11 new tracks soaked in coffee, cigarettes, a few late night beers and a whole lot of 70’s rock […]
Spin Cycle: Erasure’s “Tomorrow’s World”
To dismiss Erasure as mere “synthpop pioneers” seems like it’d be erroneous; it’s true, the duo of Vince Clark and Andy Bell built a career from the ground up, dolling up their sound with more canned drumbeats and squelching keyboards than you could shake a Yaz at. But any pop connoisseur knows the real deal: peel away the layers, and what remained under that distinctly-80’s veneer were, simply, a series of excellent pop songs. Melodically, next to nothing can compete with […]