“I’m sick of this record already,” Ezra Furman sings midway through his third solo LP. Brutal honesty is a constant in the San Francisco-based singer-songwriter’s lyrics: He’s vulnerable, bitter and flawed, with gritty vocals to match. On this album, though, he’s closer to self-acceptance, as signaled by the dresses he has worn… Source: RollingStone Link: Perpetual Motion […]
The tension between brooding country boy John Paul White and recovering Christian-pop singer Joy Williams gave the Civil Wars’ smoldering folk rock an archetypal sexiness. Williams’ first solo set following their split is archetypal, too — a woman dusts herself off for a journey of reinvention that feels very Eat, Pray,… Source: RollingStone Link: Venus
With “Adorn,” 2012’s sexiest slow jam, Miguel emerged as a mohawk-pompadoured futurist, as rooted in past innovators like Marvin Gaye as in 21st-century production — a soul man with no “neo-” required. Wildheart is an even bolder move: an intoxicating master class in electro-porn R&B — the coin of the modern genre… Source: RollingStone Link: Wildheart
Since their breakup in the late Nineties, Clinton-era alt-rockers Failure have gone from overlooked coulda-beens to cult heroes, numbering Tool and Paramore among their admirers. The band’s first album in 19 years justifies their rep. Spacey and sprawling yet packing plenty of guitar muscle, The Heart Is a Monster picks… Source: RollingStone Link: The Heart […]
The debut full-length from 22-year-old Vince Staples is an ambitious double album that sketches a vivid picture of Long Beach worthy of director John Singleton — bodies in the alley, ignored eviction notices and the “deadly game of tag” from his days as a teenage gangbanger. Staples flows effortlessly, suggesting a… Source: RollingStone Link: Summertime '06
Refused’s 1998 album The Shape of Punk to Come was like Kid A for hardcore kids: It rewrote the rule book with its audacious mix of aggro rock, electronica, free jazz and hip-hop. The Swedish band broke up shortly after the record’s release, but 17 years and a Coachella-sparked reunion… Source: RollingStone Link: Freedom
The title of Dawes’ fourth album refers to one of the sweetest lyrics you’ll hear this year: “May all your favorite bands stay together,” Taylor Goldsmith sings in an affectionate farewell to an old pal. The title could also allude to the way Dawes continue to unapologetically evoke the earnest… Source: RollingStone Link: All Your […]
Leon Bridges is a throwback to the days when guys did things like “swim the Mississippi” to impress their dates (“Better Man”). But this retro-soul man doesn’t have to work so hard to win you over on his debut LP: His smooth, Sam Cooke-esque croon makes Coming Home the best… Source: RollingStone Link: Coming Home
With 2013’s Same Trailer Different Park and “Follow Your Arrow,” Kacey Musgraves became not just a breakout star but a figurehead for a generation overhauling country’s whole approach — something like Lena Dunham with pedal steel and big hair. Her follow-up is more calculated and confident, intent on both courting and… Source: RollingStone Link: Pageant Material
On September 13th, 1978, the Ramones made their live European television debut to a studio audience of young Germans — seated at tables. The effect on the DVD that comes with this rippin’ artifact on CD or LP (you need a region-free player) is like watching high schoolers waiting for someone… Source: RollingStone Link: Live at […]