Fame, fortune and the glory of forcing rival 50 Cent to cower in the bosom of tacky reality TV doesn’t appear to be enough for Kanye West anymore. His latest CD, “808s And Heartbreak,” is consumed by the emptiness of his former dreams and uses his formidable production acumen to simultaneously sell and shatter his erstwhile persona. Continue reading
This Sunday, long-suffering Guns N’ Roses fans will finally have in their hands something that many probably thought they’d never see again: a brand-new album. Literally 15 years in the making, the often-ridiculed “Chinese Democracy” documents band leader Axl Rose’s transformation from the savage ringmaster of sleaze rock to the finicky maestro of overproduced epics. Continue reading
Long stuck in the shadow of the metal titans Queens of the Stone Age, the Eagles of Death Metal have so primed their swaggering, rock ‘n’ roll engine that no one will mistake them for a hot-rod side project again. Their recent concert in Madison, Wis., demonstrates their groove-oriented tunes can shake hips as well as preconceptions. Continue reading
Soundbytes Music Column 