Category: Music

Artist: The Doves Title: Some Cities Label: Capitol Rating: 7.5/10 THE LINE: Posers or the real deal? THE GREAT: “Snowden” – This is more like the Doves you’d expect. Everyone will compare Coldplay and the Doves but there is a varied difference. “Snowden” certainly could give any Coldplay song a run for its bittersweet money.…

Artist: The Kills Title: No Wow Label: RCA Rating: 4/10 CORPORATE LINE: The Kills, the Anglo-American duo of VV, aka Alison Mosshart (guitar, vocals) and Hotel, aka Jamie Hince (drums, vocal, guitar), will release their sophomore release No Wow, March 8th on Rough Trade/RCA. No Wow, the follow-up to 2002’s Keep on Your Mean Side,…

Artist: Gratitude Title: Gratitude Label: Atlantic Rating: 5/10 CORPORATE LINE: “We’re sort of an un-supergroup,” laughs former Far frontman Jonah Matranga, who, along with ex-Crumb guitarist Mark Weinberg, is in charge of San Francisco-based Gratitude. While it’s true that their résumés are filled with influential sounds and cult like followings, Matranga and Weinberg are too…

Artist: 50 Cent Title: The Massacre Label: Interscope Rating: 6.5/10 CORPORATE LINE: The pressure is on for the Queens-born rapper to match the sales of his massive 2003 debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin’. Get Rich was 2003’s best-selling release and spawned monster tracks like “In Da Club,” “P.I.M.P” and “Wanksta.” Fiddy’s latest is expected…

Artist: Jennifer Lopez Title: Rebirth Label: Epic Rating: 4/10 THE GREAT: Nada. THE AVERAGE: “Get Right” – Lopez is gifted beats by great producers who can rock the club yet the lyrics are elementary and meaningless. “Hold You Down” f/Fat Joe – Bland. Monotonous. Fat Joe dropping a melody never quite sounds right. “Whatever You…

Artist: Ivy Title: In The Clear Label: Nettwerk Rating: 6.5/10 CORPORATE LINE: The 10 songs on In The Clear vary in tempo and mood, and yet the record has a sense of continuity that is never lost. Many lyrics suggest internal narratives more than straightforward storytelling; themes of secrecy, isolation and escape resurface throughout the…

Artist: Ivy Title: In The Clear Label: Nettwerk Rating: 6.5/10 CORPORATE LINE: The 10 songs on In The Clear vary in tempo and mood, and yet the record has a sense of continuity that is never lost. Many lyrics suggest internal narratives more than straightforward storytelling; themes of secrecy, isolation and escape resurface throughout the…

Artist: Kings of Leon Title: Aha Shake Heartbreak Label: RCA Rating: 7/10 CORPORATE LINE: Kings of Leon’s second record, Aha Shake Heartbreak, finds the band—brothers Caleb, Nathan and Jared Followill, and first cousin Matthew Followill—delving deeper than ever into their rich musical rapport and shared personal history to deliver a dozen doses of raw, personally-charged…

Artist: Willie Nelson Title: Songs Label: Lost Highway Rating: 6.5/10 CORPORATE LINE: In a truly remarkable accomplishment in 2004, each of four new Willie Nelson albums–one studio, two live and one compilation–reached the Top 30 of the Country chart. Willie proved he was still the renegade spirit of American music. Now a new retrospective, Songs…

Artist: Chris Rock Title: Never Scared Label: Dreamworks Rating: 8/10 CORPORATE LINE: The new CD –– Rock’s first since his Grammy-winning “Bigger & Blacker from 2000 –– not only boasts an hour of flawless stand-up material, but also a string of comic audio sketches and music parodies. Even better for Rock fans, a bonus DVD…