It wasn’t purple, but the tropical rain that soaked Prince and all of those inside Miami’s Dolphin Stadium on Sunday night was an unintended and probably unwelcome special effect for the Super Bowl Halftime show. Continue reading
Category Archives: Music
Review: Timbaland’s ‘Shock Value’ Has Shockingly Limited Value
Showcasing plenty of all-star support, the new “solo album” by Timbaland was likely designed to demonstrate the range of pop music’s most-in-demand producer as well as his sway among the industry’s elite. Instead, the disc illuminates his creative weaknesses. Continue reading
Review: Norah Jones’ New Album Exhibits Maturing Style
Singer Norah Jones might once have daydreamed of becoming Billie Holiday, but her new album signals a desire to be a ’70s-model singer-songwriter and not just a dark-haired chanteuse. Continue reading
Review: Band Tribute Album Lavishes Praise With Little Originality
A diverse roster of faded rock legends, country music idols and modern-day hitmakers have come together on a new tribute album to pay respect to ’60s country-rock granddadies, the Band. Soundbytes’ David Hyland lets readers know what kind of shape this album is in. Continue reading
Review: Shins’ Latest Uneven Successor To Past Masterworks
For alternative-rockers the Shins, the purpose of a song is to be a confessional love note. With their much-anticipated album now hitting shelves, Soundbytes’ David Hyland lets readers know if the band’s latest messages get through. Continue reading
Review: Deerhoof Remain Defiant Experimentalists
Indie-rock favorites Deerhoof have a new album that, like its predecessors, specializes in the kind of avant-garde rock guaranteed to infuriate listeners. Continue reading
Soundbytes: Top 10 Albums Of 2006
Looking to cash in your iTunes gift card from the holidays? Soundbytes’ David Hyland has recommendations on what to buy. Continue reading
Memorial: James Brown’s 5 Forgotten Classics
James Brown’s death last month concluded a career and influence in 20th Century pop music that few figures could equal. But in the rush of eulogies, the truth depth of Brown’s musical legacy was typically waxed over. Soundbytes’ David Hyland remembers Soul Brother No. 1 by examining a few of his overlooked masterworks. Continue reading
Soundbytes: 5 Music Predictions For 2007
2007 is nearly here. But before we change calendars, Soundbytes’ David Hyland has gazed into his crystal ball and is ready to divulge some musical predictions of what we can expect in the year to come. Continue reading
Review: Gwen Stefani’s New Album Basks In Pop Glamour
No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani has sought to step away from her band by explicitly embracing the pop mainstream in her burgeoning solo career. Her new album, “The Sweet Escape,” sweetens the deal by adding some Hollywood glamour and pop-star cliche to the formula. Continue reading
Soundbytes Music Column 