The Flaming Lips are in the catbird seat. They’ve won a Grammy, toured with Beck and have literally crowd-surfed while inside a giant plastic bubble at rock festivals around the world. But can their new album keep the band’s winning streak alive? Continue reading
While some of their better-known Gotham rivals are showing signs of creative burnout so early in their supposed stardom, neo-New Wave trio Yeah Yeah Yeahs have returned with a follow-up to their first major label album that might be stronger than their debut. Continue reading
Americana music chanteuse Neko Case uses her new record to once again play up a core facet of her music: her glorious voice. Continue reading
One of only two bands from Seattle’s grunge era that’s still flying its flannel flag, Mudhoney has another new album in stores. Despite the passage of time, the overlooked band still loves irony-filled sludge rock. Continue reading
Yellowcard seems to be a very polarizing band. You’re either a fan or you think they’re sappy interlopers in the sacred palace of rock. David weighs in on whether their new record will win the cynics’ hearts. Continue reading
Only days before the second anniversary of his untimely death, more than 20 unreleased tracks recorded by deceased alt-rock poster boy Elliott Smith have leaked online. David gives a review of whether these illegal goodies are worth tracking down. Continue reading
“No Direction Home: Bob Dylan,” the new Martin Scorsese-directed documentary broadcast this week on PBS and available on a two-disc DVD set, is exhilarating to watch because it’s one of the great heroic stories in pop music history. Continue reading
Long seen as rising stars in the jam band scene My Morning Jacket have finally lived up to their promise with the group’s new record, “Z.” Soundbytes gives a review of how their latest should keep the band in Cameron Crowe’s good graces. Continue reading
With last week’s Bob Dylan documentary still fresh in listeners’ minds, a brand new box set devoted to seminal ’60s combo (and former Dylan sidemen) the Band seeks to reemphasize this largely forgotten group’s place in rock history. Boasting five CDs, one DVD, David judges the weight. Continue reading
Sheryl Crow’s new album is a quieter and a more intimate effort than her old albums, but like the others, it goes to great lengths to please listeners’ ears. David explains why and how Crow does it. Continue reading
Soundbytes Music Column 