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Singles Going Steady: New Single reviews Week Of June 15th, 2015

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Something More Free – Jason Isbell – Here is where Isbell begins to wear thin, this is exactly the sort of polemic he has been known to bypass and the sort of tropes you expect from Springsteen. The most average thing he has put his name to in three years feels like second guessing to these ears and for once he earns his Americana moniker by being steadfastly disinteresting and stodgy in his mainstream countryisms. Let’s hope there is better further in, though there is a saving grace: Amanda’s lovely violin playing, all underlying emphasis – B

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Be Here Now: New Albums Reviewed, June 16th, 2015

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Lantern – Hudson Mohawke – The third best Scottish DJ, after Rustie and the one that is dating Taylor Swift, this is a surprisingly excellent collection of electronic sounds, which seems to balance between mainstream EDM and the stronger stuff. The title track is a doozy and wait around for Anthony’s appearance and Miguel adding a pop opprtunity late – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A-

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10 Songs: Tuesday, June 16th, 2015

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Dreams – Beck – This is OK when you concentrate on it, it isn’t Midnight Vultures but the beat is sure steady enough, and it is lively, But it irritates as background and then you realize he needs to find the middle ground he wasn’t had – B

Album Reviews, Recorded, Slideshow

James Taylor’s “Before This World” Review

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Taylor has a large catalog, from covers like “You’ve Got A friend” and “How Sweet It Is (To be Loved By You)” to original songs like the lullaby “Sweet Baby James” and anthem “Shower The People”, all fine stuff, though over an album he could get a bit much, but his last three albums are something more, they honor the aging, they honor this time of life.

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10 Songs: Monday, June 15th, 2015

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– Rendezvous – The db’s – Have you ever dreamt about a song? I dreamt about this ode to Elvis Presley last night, in a wild one where a young Peter Holsapple was married to a close friend of mine, and we were at a clothing store and he was trying on suits… Perhaps I should get a life – A

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10 Songs: Sunday, June 14th, 2015

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Bennett is a genius and Lady Gaga had the tools of genius without the scope, and I actively disliked their album of standards when it was first released. With the duo playing New York this week, this is nothing much, but not terrible either. In the end, it is all a little whatever because Gaga lacks a certain sweetness to her voice, it isn’t abrasive but it isn’t an instrument built for the Great American Songbook – B-

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Sneak Peaks: New Album Releases Week Of June 15th, 2015

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The Neil Young album is his 36th, an agitprop assault on agritbusiness, and probably better than his 37th, the Willie Nelson son one, but not good enough either. I did a partial review of the Giorgio Moroder album a week ago, and I guess it is my most anticipated in any real sense, I mean it isn’t Hilary Duff or Hudson Mohawke that’s for sure, or Nate Ruess who seriously lacks consistency here, James Taylor I’ve heard and plan to review very soon, Adam Lambert? Third Eye Blind? I guess it isn’t as good a week as it looked at first. I haven’t heard Araabmuzik in ages, “Day Dreams” is a great song as well. . Let’s go with him.

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Be Here Now: New Albums Reviewed June 9th, 2015

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Suffolk County – Cousin Stizz – “Ain’t nothing much to do around here” Boston rapper Cousin Stizz notes in a cool flow on the first track, “shout out to the money, love the drugs” he raps on the very next track (his breakthrough hit) and claims “I am the Fresh Prince” on the third track on this working hustlers stories of life and business. Then he gets down to business – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A-

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Sneak Peaks: Upcoming Album Releases Week Of June 8th, 2015

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if this was a better week I wouldn’t have gone with Muse, of the four songs I’ve heard only one is a killer, everything else is various degrees of whatever. But who else? Jenny Hval wrote the quietly distressed “Death Of The Author” but over an album the Oslo native is a little too much. Of Monsters And Men are one of the least thrilling bands in the world. The Guardian called Drones “an Orwellian break-up album”, so that should do it, right?

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10 Songs: Sunday, June 7th, 2015

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Never Catch Me – Flying Lotus featuring Kendrick Lamar – If you wanna know why Lamar is considered one of the biggest rappers around, listen to him rap to one of Flying Lotus’ more disjointed jazz beats – A-

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10 Songs: Saturday, June 6th, 2015

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After calling its audience bricks in the wall watching black kewpie dolls, Conor takes the money and runs tonight where he spends his day on Randalls Island and evening in Brooklyn. Hypocrisy? Sure, but money talks. The real problem here is the song -which is not very good despite the bass blasts – C

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10 Songs: Friday, June 5th, 2015

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Drake – 6pm In New York – Oh, you’ve gotta love it, another self portrait as Drake opens his diary and rhymes his way through at the end of his masterful mix tape. An open so strong it remains one of the best of the year -yes, THE MIX TAPE – A

Album Reviews, Recorded, Slideshow

Giorgio Moroder’s “Déjà Vu” Review

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I’ve heard the five songs already released, Britney Spear’s Suzanne Vega cover, and a mega mix (see below) with snippets of the entire 12 song album. So half plus. Enough for a half informed opinion and here it is: I like it. If Daft Punk are Moroder inspired EDM monsters, Moroder has become a Daft Punk inspired update of himself

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10 Songs: Thursday, June 4th, 2015

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Family Bible – Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard – One of Willie’s earliest songs, written in 1957 and sold to the highest bidder, it sure sounds like a standard now. This is a pleasant take on it, especially the way he sings “i can hear my mother softly singing….” – B

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Singles Going Steady: New Singles Reviewed Week Of June 1st, 2015

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Off the soundtrack to the movie “Southpaw”, this is a braggarts pleasure, nobody spits it and rhymes it for five minutes as well as Em, and this isn’t him in Ree duet pop mode, this is hot firing on all cylinders. “I am phenomenal with every ounce of my blood” he roars, as Eminem works for all its worth the boxing-rapper metaphor. Consider it “Eight Miles” by other means. DJ Khalil produced it – B+

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10 Songs: Wednesday, June 3rd, 2015

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Ideal World – Girlpool – Maybe I overestimate these guys a touch because they sound so unlike everybody else in this pop moment, here they play two notes over and over again, with just the slightest of coloration. It is refreshingly quiet – A-

Best Of 2015, Recorded, Slideshow

The Best Of 2015: Songs Through May 31st, 2015

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There are at least four songs here that sound major to me, Jason Isbell and Titus Andronicus at the top of the list and A$AP Rocky and ZZ Ward not far behind, so if this doesn’t feel like big time pop moment month, it isn’t because of the best, it is because of everything else. Two of my favorite songs this year, by Daytripper and Charlie Funk, aint even out yet. For Daytripper, God knows when she’ll get around to it

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Total True Groove Catalog Reviewed

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Through the past three years, Tomas and his True Groove family have been releasing songs at a ridiculous clip, song after album after song and about to enter its third residency next week in less than year. Before things got completely out of hand, I though I’d work my way through the catalog and tell you what’s out there

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Be Here Now: New Album Reviews, May 26th, 2015

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I wasn’t crazy about Rocky when I caught him at MSG, and “1 Train” had worn off, but this is a huge album in the middle of a very good year. “LSD” is the best song he has recorded, and the Rod Stewart, Miguel and Mark Ronson featured “Everyday” is a pop move that may well break pop, and the darker stuff features the likes of M.I.A. and Kanye West. At the least, acid is a lot more interesting than weed – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A-

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Be Here Now: New Album Reviews, May 19th, 2015

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Blurryface – Twenty One Pilots – Fueled By Ramen pop band rap and sing their way through an album with a shifting center of gravity. It is hugely ambitious, it feels like an old fashioned big album, and if an album with songs as strong as “Ride” and “Going Local” can be considered a failure, it fails. But it fails only on its own ambitious terms – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – B+

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Last Call: Week Of May 11th, 2015

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Dark Bird Is Home – The Tallest Man On Earth – This guy is as interesting as his name but this song is a lovely folk track with a wonderful trill on the verse. A surprisingly fetching conclusion, God I hope I don’t have to reasses him – A-

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Sneak Peaks: New Album Releases Week Of May 18th, 2015

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The Milk Carton Kids newbie is a drag as far as this philistine can tell, twenty one pilots is good not great, same goes for Joanna Gruesome’s big time sophomore effort. Ceremony? I’m a non believer. Jamie Foxx always sucks. Tanlines, Hot Chip, Total Babes -they could all go either way. That leaves it between the excellent Jim O’Rourke and the bad ass Thee Oh Sees. I’m going with Thee Oh Sees, in difference to my buddy Mike Long’s opinion

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Be Here Now: New Albums Reviewed, May 12th, 2015

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1000 Palms – Surfer Blood – I actively disliked their last album but this is more like it, indie mood pop with hooks aplenty and sweet sounds all over the place. The giveaway is the yelp on “Island” but all of this gets through and how. A major reboot for a band who really impressed me the only time I saw em live. ALBUM OF THE WEEK – B+

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