Rhett Miller
Rhett Miller The Believer [2/5] Rhett Miller’s first solo album, 2002’s The Instigator, was a collaboration with super-producer Jon Brion that exposed the Old 97’s frontman’s pop side without compromising his reputation as a heartbroken country-punk. But on The Believer, Miller jettisons his traditionally raw emotion, instead focusing on drippy la-la-la hooks (“I’m With Her”)...
Men, Women, & Children
Men, Women, & Children Men, Women, & Children [4/5] Forget that Men, Women & Children guitarist Todd Weinstock used to throw down in Glassjaw, and don’t even think about uttering the term “dance-punk” around his new band. There’s nothing remotely “punk” about MW&C’s alloy of funky grooves, string-section passages and singer TJ Penzone’s disco-king vocal...
The Hellacopters
The Hellacopters Rock & Roll Is Dead [2/5] There’s something about Swedish garage rock that’s always just slightly off. The Hives are catchy enough, but the matching outfits are a little too cute. The Backyard Babies (a band founded by ex-Hellacopters guitarist Dregen) are basically the Scandinavian answer to the Wildhearts–which is fine, if you’re...
Eels
Eels Eels With Strings: Live At Town Hall [3/5] Even though one-man bands occasionally have trouble making their music work onstage, Eels leader Mark Oliver Everett has gained a reputation for being an adept live performer by following his muse into whatever incarnation makes sense at the time. In support of the superb Blinking Lights...