Category: Music
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Il Divo – The Christmas Collection
Artist: Il Divo Title: The Christmas Collection Label: Columbia Rating: 7.5/10 FILE UNDER: A beautiful operatic Christmas album. CORPORATE LINE: The cosmopolitan quartet of pop/opera crossover singers are back and this time to make your holidays extra special! After releasing their breakthrough self-titled in 2005, the men of Il Divo return with an exquisite Christmas…
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Diana Krall – Christmas Songs
Artist: Diana Krall Title: Christmas Songs Label: Verve Rating: 5/10 FILE UNDER: A Jazz Christmas. CORPORATE LINE: To say that the Canadian-born Krall is proud of her new album Christmas Songs – a dozen familiar tunes that gleefully swing the spirit of the season – is an understatement. “It was just the most joyful experience…
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Lori Burton – Breakout
Artist: Lori Burton Title: Breakout Label: Rev-Ola Records Rating: 9/10 This obscure little number recently unearthed by England’s Rev-Ola label is one of the hippest reissues of the year. Lori Burton and her songwriting partner Pam Sawyer were responsible for penning a number of hits for various artists during the’60s. The duo was also briefly…
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Lindsay Lohan – A Little More Personal (Raw)
Artist: Lindsay Lohan Title: A Little More Personal (Raw) Label: Casablanca Rating: 5.5/10 FILE UNDER: Actress tries her hand at pop rock. CORPORATE LINE: Get ready for some Lindsay with the bark on. Casablanca/Universal recording artist, multi-talented, triple threat Lindsay Lohan is proving to be as resilient as she is radiant these days, as cutting…
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Supergrass – Interview
The brand new sounds of Supergrass’ fifth record might frighten the horses. But only if the horses are timid, unadventurous types who think Supergrass should still be doing buzzsaw pop, ten years after they (re)invented the form with I Should Coco. Yes, they have been through the most difficult period of their decade-plus existence. There…
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Jane Monheit – The Season
Artist: Jane Monheit Title: The Season Label: Epic Rating: 5/10 FILE UNDER: A Jazz Christmas. CORPORATE LINE: Inspired by her favorite holiday album, Ella Fitzgerald’s 1960 Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas (Verve), Monheit creates inventive renditions of an eclectic repertoire of songs. The album spans eleven tracks that range from the Carpenters’ “Merry Christmas…
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Ashlee Simpson – Interview [2005]
Ashlee Simpson has experienced more highs and lows in the last year than some recording artists do in a lifetime. Yet ask her about it and Ashlee shrugs it off. “Yeah, there are moments when you don’t want to get out of bed,” she says, “but you have to find your inner strength. That’s something…
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Ozzy Osbourne – Under cover
Artist: Ozzy Osbourne Title: Under cover Label: Epic Rating: 6.5/10 This new release features the grandfather of heavy metal performing cover versions of some of his all-time faves. Since most of these first appeared earlier in the year on the Prince of Darkness box set, one has to wonder why a musician of Ozzy’s stature…
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Chamillionaire – The Sound of Revenge
Artist: Chamillionaire Title: The Sound of Revenge Label: Universal Rating: 6.5/10 FILE UNDER:The “Mixtape Messiah” goes mainstream. CORPORATE LINE: The freestyle prince was relentlessly pursued by major labels ever since his celebrated debut on the Texas indie scene a few years ago. The talented rapper appeared on several compilations, (and is rumored to have sold…
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System of a Down – Hypnotize
Artist: System of a Down Title: Hypnotize Label: Columbia Rating: 7/10 FILE UNDER: Not your parent’s rock ‘n’ roll. CORPORATE LINE: Produced by Rick Rubin and Daron Malakian, Hypnotize maintains System of a Down’s reputation as full-spectrum agitators who adeptly channel righteous rage into compelling, provocative and relevant rock. Daron, singer Serj Tankian, bassist Shavo…