A grisly, retro-fitted, blood-spattered, cinematic Tarantino pastiche for music nerds and hip-hop heads everywhere, Ghostface Killah’s enthralling Twelve Reasons to Die isn’t merely the emcee’s finest hour since 2006’s career-high Fishscale; it’s also, assuming it gets the respect it deserves, poised to be hip-hop’s most prominent excursion into the grindhouse, and the true breakthrough of producer Adrian Younge. Or perhaps “composer” is the better word. Twelve Reasons to Die is the result of a miraculous and rare synergy between sound […]
Posts tagged "album review"
Iron & Wine, Ghost on Ghost: Album Review
It’s interesting that being a fan of Iron & Wine isn’t necessarily a prerequisite for enjoying (or not enjoying, for that matter) Sam Beam’s latest album, Ghost on Ghost. Artistic evolution (and devolution) happens all the time — how different could Ghost on Ghost be? Well, for longtime fans of the hirsute folkie, the answer is: very. Beam — who performs as Iron & Wine — made his reputation on a host of recordings that caused the rock-crit elite to […]
Dido, Girl Who Got Away: Spin Cycle
As a massive fan of her brother Rollo’s band Faithless, I was well aware of Dido a few years before she enjoyed incredible success as a solo artist. Starting with their 1997 release Reverence, Dido handled lead vocals on at least one song of every Faithless album until the electronic legends called it quits in 2010. After obtaining a pre-release sampler of her solo music in 1999, my anticipation for Dido’s No Angel was probably as high as anyone in […]
Lil’ Wayne, I Am Not A Human Being II: Spin Cycle
Introduction: Lil’ Wayne is almost cool. For a few brief, shining moments, Lil’ Wayne’s latest album flirts with being cool. Like, legitimately cool from a musical standpoint, not merely cool in the sense that Lil’ Wayne fans tend to cling to that ludicrous period of time where people were calling him the greatest rapper alive. “IANAHB” opens the record with a flurry of ominous piano chords; it seems as though it’s setting the stage for a dark, piano-laced beat, but […]
Walk Off the Earth, R.E.V.O.: Spin Cycle
Album Reviews / Indie Rock / music / New Releases / pop culture / Pop Music / rock music / Spin Cycle
In several ways, the scrappy members of Walk Off the Earth are bucking the stereotypes. Consider that if this band name rings a bell, it’s likely for one of two reasons: 1. You saw that viral video of Walk Off the Earth covering “Somebody That I Used To Know” on a single guitar, or 2. You are a member of Walk Off the Earth. That video’s their claim to popular fame, and yet there’s no accusing them of being a […]
Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience: Spin Cycle
OK, so how good is “The 20/20 Experience?” I mean, really?
Spin Cycle: Jim James, Regions of Light and Sound of God
At first listen, Jim James’ first proper solo album might sound a bit alien to fans of his daytime gig, My Morning Jacket. It’s an intangible thing to pin down — vocally, James sounds as dynamic and distinctive as he ever has on record, and musically, Regions of Light and Sound of God bears a few particularly distinctive earmarks of his other band’s inimitable style. The vast, canyon-scaling vocals, the slow-burn funk that seeps into ambient soundscapes… it’s all there. It’s […]
Spin Cycle: Matt Pond, The Lives Inside The Lines In Your Hand
Mike A. reviews the new solo album from Matt Pond, The Lives Inside The Lines In Your Hand.
Spin Cycle: Frightened Rabbit, Pedestrian Verse
Scottish indie-rockers Frightened Rabbit are back with “Pedestrian Verse”, and just as self-deprecating as ever. Popblerd has the review!
2012 Christmas Album Roundup: Spin Cycle
Album Reviews / Indie Rock / music / New Releases / pop culture / Pop Music / rock music / soul music / Spin Cycle
Once again, Popblerd listens to this year’s Christmas albums so you don’t have to! This year brings us music from Cee-Lo, Sufjan Stevens, and many others.
Spin Cycle: Matthew Ryan, In The Dusk Of Everything
Singer/songwriter Matthew Ryan delivers another outstanding album of confessional music with his latest, “In The Dusk Of Everything.” Check out our review.