For a few years now Brooklyn's TV on the Radio's obtuse but powerful art-rock has been consistently acclaimed by critics and peers without quite entering mainstream consciousness, a state of affairs the release of Dear Science is about to change for good. On their third studio set, their best and most cohesive album to date, the five mad scientists that make up TVOTR (no exaggeration--the ...
Manufacturer: 4ad
Snow Patrol are frequently compared to Coldplay in the press, which seems strange as they write far better songs and do not appear to be quite so self-hating, nor as rich. Their delightfully dour little pop songs do touch on the melancholic side of things, but the lyrics are wonderfully slice-of-life descriptions. Singer/lyricist Gary Lightbody gives a shout-out to Sufjan Stevens when on the ...
Manufacturer: Polydor
Anyone familiar with cultish comedy series Flight of the Conchords will be aware of the wonderful songs that the hapless New Zealand duo Bret and Jemaine concoct for each episode. Tackling all genres, from hip hop and soul to glam rock, the duo create highly original and well-produced tracks that typically satirise the very genre they're imitating. This album collects together many of the ...
Manufacturer: Warner
Manufacturer: U.M.T.V.
It's never too long between Paul "The Modfather" Weller albums. Yet the starlet's prolific solo output over the last decade or so hasn't often reached the artistic heights of his work with The Jam or The Style Council. While consistent enough, recent projects have been marred by a certain complacency - a tendency to settle for the middle ground instead of the soaring, surprising heights of ...
Manufacturer: Universal
It's difficult not to like Danish six-piece Alphabeat. Their retro-fuelled `wonky pop' is pure optimistic fun of the kind that only po-faced too-cool-for-schoolers could possibly diss. This Is Alphabeat, their UK debut, is a version of their platinum-selling Danish release Alphabeat, minus some of the cheesier moments and with three brand new tracks produced by Mike Spencer (Kylie, ...
Manufacturer: Copenhagen Records/EMI
Manufacturer: Rhino
The idea of Free/Bad Company frontman Paul Rodgers taking the place of Freddie Mercury for a new Queen album is an odd one indeed. Where Mercury was flamboyant and knowing, Rodgers--who toured with Brian May and Roger Taylor in 2005--is way more weighty and grizzled. The resultant album, The Cosmos Rocks, sounds literally like Queen's gregarious musicality has been filtered through the ...
Manufacturer: EMI
What Highway to Hell has that Back in Black doesn't is Bon Scott, AC / DC's original lead singer who died just months after this album was released. Scott had a rusty, raspy, scream of a voice, like he might break into a coughing fit at any moment. In other words, on crunchy, hook-heavy metal classics like the title track and on "Get It Hot" which is more roadhouse rock than metal, ...
Manufacturer: Sony
