January 15, 2009

Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman The Fabled City [3/5] By now, Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave fans should know that Tom Morello’s solo venture has little in common with anything he’s put his name to in the past. Like his 2007 debut One Man Revolution, The Fabled City is an impressive effort from the incendiary...

Damien Jurado Caught In The Trees [4/5] It’s easy to forget just how talented Damien Jurado is, especially because the folk-leaning Seattle songwriter is so prolific and consistent. Caught In The Trees, his ninth full-length in just over a decade, is a lovely example of how acoustic-based music doesn’t need to be limited by its...

Dianogah qhnnnl [4/5] Chicago two-bass post-rock trio Dianogah’s fourth album requires patience to get the reward, but the payoff is their largest to date. Guest musicians Andrew Bird (violin) and Stephanie Morris (vocals) make a tremendous impact on the tracks where they appear, providing a timbre and color otherwise absent. Their melody and delicacy conceives...

Kimya Dawson Alphabutt [3/5] Kimya Dawson has clearly figured out something that’s eluded Raffi all these years: Screw baby belugas and bananaphones, what young diaper dumpers really find funny is anything to do with pooping, peeing and letting it fly. A kids’ record aimed at the Huggies-wearing spawn of Olympia-obsessed scenesters, Alphabutt is chock full...

Calexico Carried To Dust [4/5] If 2006’s Desert Ruin found them expanding the scope of their musical vision well beyond the Southwest borders of their earlier releases, Carried To Dust puts Calexico back in the desert. Which is not to say it feels like a retreat; Dust is far too confident, proven immediately by opening...

A massive list of bands slated to perform at showcases during this year's South By Southwest Music And Media Conference is now up at the festival's website. More than 1,800 bands will participate in this year's festival, taking place March 18 through 22 in Austin, TX. More bands will be added to the lineup leading...

Boston Spaceships Brown Submarine [3/5] The Robert Pollard onslaught continues with the third album this year from the former Guided By Voices icon. This one, a collaboration with John Moen (the Decemberists) and Chris Slusarenko (the Takeovers, GBV), falls somewhere between the unfocused Superman Was A Rocker and the return-to-form Robert Pollard Is Off To...

Apollo Sunshine Shall Noise Upon [4/5] The Berklee College Of Music-trained prodigies in Apollo Sunshine have always put on a jaw-dropping live show, but their third full-length, Shall Noise Upon, is the first album to consistently contain songwriting equivalent to their technical prowess. The band have not abandoned their avant-garde tendencies, though, and the...