Category: Reviews

Artist: Rob Zombie Title: Educated Horses Label: Geffen Rating: 6/10 FILE UNDER: A softer side of Rob Zombie? CORPORATE LINE: An auteur filmmaker and music artist with shrewd insight and creative vision, Rob Zombie challenges audiences as he stretches the boundaries of film, music and publishing. After assaulting audiences worldwide with the violent high-octane road […]

Artist: Yeah Yeah Yeah Title: Show Your Bone Label: Interscope Rating: 6.5/10 FILE UNDER: Belly II. CORPORATE LINE: Show Your Bones is what happens when you put your finger in a light socket,” says singer Karen O. “Maybe there is some of that electric current flowing through the tracks of our album illuminating us from […]

Artist: Teddy Geiger Title: Underage Thinking Label: Columbia Rating: 6/10 FILE UNDER: Imagine John Mayer at seventeen. CORPORATE LINE: Underage Thinking, the debut album from music prodigy/singer/songwriter Teddy Geiger features 12 honest arresting songs that showcases this artist’s amazing talent. In what will be one of the year’s standout albums from one of music’s rising […]

Artist: Mates of State Title: Bring It Back Label: Barsuk Rating: 3/10 FILE UNDER: Crummy ‘80s retro. CORPORATE LINE: Mates of State is the organ and drums, vocal-laden duo of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel. The band essentially began in 1997. After a few months in the midwest, they high-tailed it out to a new […]

Artist: Juvenile Title: Reality Check Label: Atlantic Rating: 6.5/10 CORPORATE LINE: Now, with years of experience under his belt, Juvenile returns with Reality Check, his seventh solo album and Atlantic debut. “This is my best album,” says Juvenile. “I’m doing things I never would have done before. I’m making beats, engineering, storytelling. I’m not just […]

Artist: Trent Tomlinson Title: Country Is My Rock Label: Lyric Street Rating: 6.5/10 FILE UNDER: Country Rock. CORPORATE LINE: Singer/songwriter Trent Tomlinson is one of those rare performers whose music is as straight-ahead and unpretentious as he is. “My songs,” he says simply, “are real-life situations with kick-ass guitar.” “It’s ‘open a beer, sit in […]

Artist: Matisyahu Title: Youth Label: Epic Rating: 5.5/10 FILE UNDER: Shtick or the Real? CORPORATE LINE: Since the release of his 2004 debut, Shake off the dust…ARISE and the phenomenal success of last year’s Live At Stubb’s, Matisyahu has continued to bring his uncanny, electrifying fusion of orthodox Judaism and classic reggae music to you […]

Artist: KT Tunstall Title: Eye To The Telescope Label: Relentless Rating: 8/10 FILE UNDER: Aimee Mann on Prozac. CORPORATE LINE: Tunstall is a sparkling new songwriter with Chinese blood, a Scottish heart, great legwarmers & a cool name. KT celebrates classic singer-songwriting in the tradition of Rikki Lee Jones, Carol King & Fleetwood Mac with […]

Artist: Nine Black Alps Title: Everything Is Label: Interscope Rating: 7/10 FILE UNDER: Nine Black Alps = Nirvana-lite. CORPORATE LINE: Nine Black Alps Release their Debut Album. The Product of their La Recording Sessions with Beck and Elliot Smith Producer Rob Schnapf, ‘everything Is’ Includes their Debut Single ‘shot Down’ which Smashed Into the Charts […]

Artist: Artic Monkeys Title: Whatever People Say I Am Thats What I Am Not Label: Domino Rating: 7/10 CORPORATE LINE: Musically, there are bits of The Stone Roses, “What’s The Story Morning Glory”, and “Nevermind”. As catchy as those reference points are, it’s the songwriting that has won the band a fiercely dedicated following; a […]