With only 12 minutes of camera time to wow millions watching the Super Bowl, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band unleashed their greatest hits and the Boss’ well-honed stage act to energize this year’s halftime show. Continue reading
Author Archives: David Hyland
Preview: Springsteen To Sound Triumphant At Halftime
When Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band take the stage Sunday during the Super Bowl halftime show, viewers should prepare to finally hear from a Boss who wants to give them a lifeline of hope instead of one who’s handing out pink slips. Continue reading
Review: Antony And The Johnsons’ ‘Light’ Brightens His Melancholic Star
After spending the last few years lending his considerable vocal talents to others’ projects, neo-torch singer Antony Hegarty and his band have returned with new album that reintroduces the emotive, melancholic musical splendor that made him a go-to vocalist. Continue reading
Review: Animal Collective Discovers Pop Formulas As Latest Experiment
After years of dizzying eclecticism and experimentation while eking out an existence on the indie-rock periphery, New York avant-garde rockers Animal Collective have hit upon a form they’ve yet to explore: pop music. The group’s latest disc is a revelation and should propel them to the forefront of the rock underground. Continue reading
Soundbytes: Top 10 Albums Of 2008
Looking to cash in your iTunes gift card from the holidays? Soundbytes’ David Hyland has recommendations where to spend it. Continue reading
Review: Kanye West’s ‘Heartbreak’ Skews Midas Touch To Suit Dark Mood
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
Review: Guns N’ Roses’ Much-Delayed ‘Democracy’ Displays Authoritarian Streak
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
Concert Review: Eagles Of Death Metal Bring Boogie Back To Rock ‘N’ Roll
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
2008 / Live Reviews / Music
Concert Review: Ray LaMontagne Previews New Album, New Confidence
The introspective, bearded singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne has already attracted a dedicated audience despite a pronounced onstage shyness. In a recent concert in Madison, Wis., this support seemed to nudge him closer and closer to revealing the folk-rock soul man aching to get out. Continue reading
Review: TV On The Radio Tuned In To Funkier Channels
With a new album hitting stores, New York art-rock combo TV on the Radio is presented with the unenviable task of wowing fans as they did with their much-praised, post-9/11 masterwork, “Return To Cookie Mountain.” But for the follow-up, the band skews heady expectations and instead throws a New Wave dance party. Continue reading
Soundbytes Music Column 