Almost universally maligned as a once-relevant band’s career-twilight last-ditch stab at relevancy, the all-covers album more often than not allows a bereft-of-inspiration artist to court a last gasp of sweet, sweet mainstream success by promising songs the listener already knows and loves, and not those pesky tepid originals that said artist has been peddling for the past twenty years or so to increasingly-diminishing returns. And all under the guise of “paying tribute to our idols, man”. Seems like, to court […]
Posts tagged "Spin Cycle"
Spin Cycle: “Black & White America” by Lenny Kravitz
Since his debut in 1989, Lenny Kravitz has been pretty consistently pelted with scorn. Initially, it was because most people (the few who knew who he was, anyway) knew him as the hippie-dippy husband of The Cosby Show’s Lisa Bonet. Even as Lenny built up successes as his own entity (and divorced Bonet), the criticisms continued. Whether it was his deliberately retro sound, his lack of originality, or his occasionally banal lyrics, Lenny couldn’t (and still can’t) seem to catch […]
Spin Cycle: Stephin Merritt’s “Obscurities”
As a songwriter, Stephin Merritt’s legendarily busy muse is certainly not newsworthy – we are, after all, talking about a man who’s Magnetic Fields once released an album entitled 69 Love Songs, a sprawling, three-disc behemoth that offered up exactly what its title promised. Merritt’s also the man behind The 6ths, The Gothic Archies, Buffalo Rome, and Future Bible Heroes, and responsible for several operettas bearing his own name. He’s been involved in more projects than Dave Grohl; in terms […]
Spin Cycle: Beirut’s “The Rip Tide”
Zach Condon’s been a tough nut to crack since way back in the yesteryear of 2006. He earned a lot of fans back in that bygone era, sure, attracting listeners to the old-world flourishes and kitchen-sink aesthetics of early Beirut albums Gulag Orkestar and The Flying Club Cup; he also was targeted by a (much quieter, granted) contingent of detractors accusing him of stuffing his merely-okay songs with so much offbeat instrumentation that the non-discerning listener simply falls prey to all […]
Spin Cycle: Mike Doughty’s “Yes And Also Yes”
There are not many artists in 2011 as prolific as Mike Doughty . He’s just unleashed his first entirely electronic album (Dubious Luxury: check out the review later this week), there’s a book due next year, oh, and a little thing called Yes And Also Yes which you are reading about right now and hopefully buying after finishing this. Of the music that is thrown at consumers/listeners year after year, it’s very rare that you find one single album that is consistently […]
Spin Cycle: Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “I’m With You”
Dear Red Hot Chili Peppers, Greetings from a fan! Before I start, let me thank you for the richly-textured, impossibly alive soundtrack you provided for my adolescence through my young adulthood. I haven’t been with you quite since the beginning – you, as a band, have existed longer than me, as a person – but I’ve been eagerly buying your records since I can remember. I love them – cherish them, even. You’ve soundtracked parties for me, long drives through […]
Spin Cycle: Lil’ Wayne’s “Tha Carter IV”
Rapper Lil’ Wayne once said, via an album title, I Am Not A Human Being. Listening to his new album, Tha Carter IV, it’s not difficult to see where Wayne was coming from – it’s not difficult to envision the rapper being dropped from a UFO into someone’s Hollywood backyard on a quiet, chilly night. The objective? To ruin hip-hop by turning it into an exaggerated version of its worst stereotypes, to behave in a deliberately bizarre fashion to court […]
Spin Cycle: “Newermind”
Nirvana’s breakthrough album turns 20 this year (we can’t believe it either). Although the official commemoration won’t occur until the anticipated reissues this fall , culturally we’re already reflecting on the album’s music and impact. Much like it’s celebration of Prince’s Purple Rain two years ago, Spin magazine’s latest edition has a feature on Nevermind that includes stories behind the album and reflections from a veritable who’s who of rock on what Nevermind means to them. Also included is a free download of Newermind, […]
Spin Cycle: Sly Stone’s “I’m Back…Family & Friends”
Here’s a question for you. Given all that Sly Stone has been through since his heyday four decades ago-not just the addiction but the general weirdness and shadowy stuff-wouldn’t it have been great for him to make a triumphant comeback? As far as second chances go, it would be pretty awesome. Well, folks, I hate to say it, but I don’t think a comeback’s gonna happen for Sly. The new I’m Back: Family & Friends is a weird mishmash of […]
Spin Cycle: Jay-Z & Kanye West “Watch The Throne”
I’ll admit to having a fair share of trepidation prior to hearing Kanye West & Jay-Z’s Watch the Throne album. Let’s face it, Jay-Z’s had a pretty rotten track record when it comes to collaborations. How many of you still bump those Best of Both Worlds albums with R. Kelly? What about that Collision Course thing with Linkin Park? No? Me neither. Actually, my copies of all three of those albums (yes, I bought all three) are now in the […]
Spin Cycle: Kelly Rowland’s “Here I Am”
I root for Kelly Rowland hard. She’s gorgeous as I don’t know what, blessed with a fantastic singing voice, and has an affable girl-next-door quality that’s somewhat reminiscent of Janet Jackson in her late teens and early twenties. Unfortunately, Kelly has had to play second fiddle to you-know-who for her entire career (hint: she’s married to Jay-Z and her name rhymes with “Fiance”). It’s one of those “lucky-but-unlucky” scenarios that tends to occur with refugees from singing groups/bands that have […]