When they’re not busy recording masterpieces, playing to adoring crowds or creating fodder for tabloids, it appears a growing number of today’s rock stars are staking a claim in the blogosphere. Continue reading
Category Archives: Music
Review: Thermals Deliver Another, Better Punk-Rock Salvo
A year ago, The Thermals were just another dime-a-dozen pop-punk group sullying the music’s already besmirched name — except that many critics fawned over their albums. However, it’s their new record that finally warrants the glowing press. Continue reading
Review: Jurassic 5 Cultivate Cuddly Vision Of Hip-Hop
Los Angeles rap collective, Jurassic 5, has released yet another album touting positive messages and the joys of old-school hip-hop. Soundbytes answers the question of whether their sound is getting old or just acts that way. Continue reading
Memorial: Late Syd Barrett Shines
News broke Tuesday that Pink Floyd co-founder and longtime musical hermit Syd Barrett had died last week, concluding one of pop music’s great vanishing acts. Although his creative output totals only a few dozen psychedelica-infused songs, Barrett’s influence permeates not only his ex-bandmates’ classic albums but countless artists today. Continue reading
Review: TV On The Radio Broadcast Unique Musical Transmissions
Saddled by more than a century of pop music history, it’s difficult to craft a truly original sound. New York art-rock combo TV On The Radio takes this challenge and their new album, “Return To Cookie Mountain,” is the full-flowering of their unique musical vision. Continue reading
Review: Dashboard Confessional Crafts Shiner Torch Songs
Not quite a case of the song remaining the same, but Dashboard Confessional’s new album demonstrates an increasingly savvy approach to their patented heartsick power ballads. Continue reading
Review: Keane’s Latest Shows Unoriginality But Great Taste
While a Radiohead or Pearl Jam have chosen the musical equivalent of hara-kiri rather than answer expectations, a band like Keane has no such qualms about reaching for stardom. The British group’s new record effectively flaunts its cribbing from rock’s ruling elite. Continue reading
Review: AFI Continues To Smooth Out Punk Edges
California metal-punk combo AFI’s new record is taking once-outsider music to territory it has seldom been before: to the top of the pop album charts. Continue reading
Review: Walkmen Album Is Half-Step In New Direction
The new LP by New York noise-rock outfit, the Walkmen, is certainly a musical journey but will it take listeners to where it suggests it’s headed? Continue reading
Review: Raconteurs’ Debut Adds Yet Another Feather To White’s Cap
Coming off a surprisingly weak album, White Stripes main man Jack White attempts to silence any doubts about his future by unveiling a brand-new side project, the Raconteurs. David reviews whether this new album will save his reputation as a garage-rock prodigy. Continue reading
Soundbytes Music Column 