Canadian indie-rock combo Stars bowled over many in the hipster nation with their last album. The band’s latest disc builds on this success, demonstrating an expanded musical vision, and comes tantalizingly close to making good on their name. Continue reading
After two albums apart, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are back together again for the Boss’ newest record, “Magic.” The disc emphasizes the factors that likely feed Springsteen’s own conflicted feelings about his much-loved backup group and have sparked their periods of estrangement. Continue reading
At the same time that PJ Harvey earned a spot as one of the poster children of the ’90s alternative nation, she also established that she’s an artist determined to go her own way. But despite this, it’s still somehow surprising how dramatically she gives herself a musical makeover for her latest disc, “White Chalk.” Continue reading
Oklahoma-based psychedelic rock troupe the Flaming Lips utilized an arsenal of new stage gimmicks as well as their newest songs to pull off a confetti-drenched celebration of summer’s conclusion on Saturday night in Madison. Continue reading
If you believe rapper 50 Cent’s beef with fellow superstar Kanye West really exists, you deserve to be shot nine times. Their alleged rivalry, inflamed by the fact that both released albums on the same day last week, is pure marketing hype aimed at papering over the fact that 50’s new disc, “Curtis,” is a disappointing retread of his thug-hailing past. Continue reading
Soundbytes Music Column 