After a five-year disappearing act, rap superstar Eminem has returned with a new album that seeks to merge forthright confessions about his ongoing battles with substance abuse, but maintaining his edge as the sensational, headline-capturing firebreather on the mic. Like his Slim Shady persona, it’s a schizophrenic experience. Continue reading
With dreams of basement-created symphonies still populating her head, longtime backup musician Annie Clark has released a new solo album under the St. Vincent moniker. The new record, “Actor,” finally delivers on the promise obscured by years stuck at the side of the stage. Continue reading
Mercurial is certainly a label that even curmudgeon Bob Dylan would seem hard-pressed not to embrace. For his new album, “Together Through Life,” the rock legend surprises his audience yet again by re-embracing the sound of the roadhouse blues that first captivated his imagination back in the 1960s. Continue reading
Since the heady ’60s, singer-songwriter Neil Young has proven himself capable many times over as an artist who can rally the downtrodden with music that can inspire. Unfortunately, he tries to do so on his latest record by frequently singing about his hybrid car. Continue reading
On Saturday night, another roster of music legends will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. But unlike most years, this time two titans of rock’s underappreciated subgenres — hip-hop and heavy metal — will lead the way. Continue reading
While most haters would pass the whole of the heavy metal nation off as a bunch of mindless, testosterone-fueled Neanderthals, a group like Mastodon belies all the old stereotypes. This is a thinking man’s metal band. Continue reading
Dropped by their major label, the Indigo Girls are determined to prove that this pair of folk-rock veterans isn’t an oldies act just yet. Their new disc uses pop elan to fight for their continuing relevancy. Continue reading
Once upon a time, ex-Soungarden and Audioslave singer Chris Cornell was the ’90s equivalent of a heavy metal golden god. Now desperate to get his solo career off the ground, Cornell has tracked a new album that ditches heavy rock for Timbaland-produced electro-pop. Find out if the gamble does the trick. Continue reading
For its last two records, U2 set as the group’s primary musical objective to prove that these middle-aged rock legends are still the best band in the world. The group’s new album, “No Line On The Horizon,” finds the Irish combo in a new era and with a far fuzzier purpose. Continue reading
His lyrics harken back to the poetry of the Romantics and often drift back to the Belfast of his youth, but Van Morrison is a notoriously unsentimental musician when it comes to playing his greatest hits. This makes his decision to release a live album celebrating his most mystical, beguiling record more than 40 years after he first recorded it all the more intriguing. Continue reading
Soundbytes Music Column 