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Dan Raper

About Dan Raper

Dan Raper has been writing about music for PopMatters since 2005. Prior to that he did the same thing for his college newspaper and for his school newspaper before that. Of course he also writes fiction, though his only published work is entitled "Gamma-secretase exists on the plasma membrane as an intact complex that accepts substrates and effects intramembrane cleavage". He is currently studying medicine at the University of Sydney, Australia.

Features

Now Hear This!

Alan Wilkis [Brooklyn, NY]

[17.Apr.08] :. Unlike many of his fellow Brooklynites, whose boundary-pushing is an aesthetic in and of itself, Alan Wilkis has no fear of pop.

Now Hear This!

 

PopMatters Picks: The Best Music of 2007

The Best Electronica of 2007

[10.Dec.07] :. As electronic music's edges bleed out all over the genre map, some sounds have been resurrected, others minimally revised, but the sum total shows a genre that, diffuse identity or not, continues to exert its pull on rock, pop, and the dancefloor.

PopMatters Picks: The Best Music of 2007

 

Reviews

Music

[munk]: Modest Among the Living

[2.May.08] :. The third album from Boston alt-rock musician [munk] feels like a relic from the distant past.

Recent Short Takes reviews

 

Music

Jamie Lidell: Jim

[28.Apr.08] :. This old-fashioned, newly-polished soul music is pretty much impossible to resist.

Recent Music reviews

 
Featured Article

Music

The Microphones: The Glow, Pt. 2

[25.Apr.08] :. K Records has reissued the Microphones' stunning 2001 album, and it's no surprise it still astounds today.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music

Cut Copy: In Ghost Colours

[24.Apr.08] :. It's difficult to find fault in this excellent sophomore album from Australia's foremost electro/rock crossover act.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music

Jennifer Cardini: Feeling Strange

[22.Apr.08] :. This understated and unexpectedly commercial little mix of songs from Jennifer Cardini, the French DJ, provides a bit of variety in Kompakt's catalogue.

Recent Short Takes reviews

 

Music   Jim Noir: Jim Noir

Music   Ecstatic Sunshine: Way

Music   M83: Saturdays=Youth

Events   Jens Lekman

Music   Moby: Last Night

Events   Broken Social Scene

Music   Cadence Weapon: Afterparty Babies

Events   Okkervil River

Music   Devastations: Yes U

Music   Mia Doi Todd: GEA

Music   Born Ruffians: Red, Yellow and Blue

Music   Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago

Music   The Raveonettes: Lust Lust Lust

Music   Jaymay: Autumn Fallin'

Music   The Mary Onettes: The Mary Onettes

Music   Sons and Daughters: This Gift

Music   Food: Molecular Gastronomy

PopMatters Pick

Music

Hot Chip: Made in the Dark

[4.Feb.08] :. Hot Chip's third album offers moments of sparkling pop-dance perfection -- and some unexpectedly emotional material as well.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music   Silversun Pickups: Remixes EP

Music   David Thomas Broughton: David Thomas Broughton vs. 7 Hertz

Events   The National + Clogs @ The Sydney Festival

Music   Evangelicals: The Evening Descends

Music   The Whitsundays: The Whitsundays

Events   House of the Holy Afro @ The Sydney Festival

Music   Heartbreak Scene: The Szabo Songbook

Music   Lightspeed Champion: Falling Off the Lavender Bridge

Events   Brian Wilson performs That Lucky Old Sun @ The Sydney Festival

Music   Ole-Henrik Moe: Ciaccona/3 Persephone Perceptions

Music   Paper Rival: Paper Rival EP

Music   Great Northern: Sleepy Eepee

Music   Dirty on Purpose: Like Bees EP

Music   Sia: Some People Have REAL Problems

Music   Battles: Tonto + EP

Music   Dean & Britta: White Horses EP

Music   The Lucksmiths: Spring a Leak

Music   Tuxedomoon: Vapour Trails

Music   Bright Eyes: Motion Sickness: Live Recordings

Music   Cheyenne: The Whale

Music   Chris Schlarb: Twilight & Ghost Stories

Music   Various Artists: Oh Santa! New & Used Christmas Classics from Yep Roc

Music   James Murphy & Pat Mahoney: Fabriclive.36

Music   Various Artists: Christmas Break - A Relaxing Classical Mix

Music   Ewan Pearson: Piece Work

Music   Booka Shade: Booka Shade DJ-Kicks

Music   Eskiboy: The Best of Tunnel Vision

Music   Loney, Dear: Sologne

Music   Papertrigger: Riot Lovers EP

Music   The Black Ghosts: Any Way You Choose to Give It

Music   The Cops: Free Electricity

Music   De Novo Dahl: Shout EP

Music   Hilltop Hoods: The Hard Road: Restrung

Music   Buck 65: Situation

Music   Lightspeed Champion: Galaxy of the Lost

Music   The Sound of Animals Fighting: Tiger & the Duke

Music   Scott Matthews: Passing Stranger

Music   Sally Shapiro: Disco Romance

Events   M.I.A.

Music   Efterklang: Parades

Music   Vladislav Delay: Multila

Music   Pelle Carlberg: In a Nutshell

Music   Black Dice: Load Blown

Music   Paper Tiger: Bright Dreams of Cold Revenge

Music   Eskimo Joe: Black Fingernails, Red Wine

Music   The Most Serene Republic: Population

Music   The Legends: Facts and Figures.

Music   Celebration: The Modern Tribe

Music   Little Wings: Soft Pow'r

Music   M83: Digital Shades Volume 1

Music   Cut Off Your Hands: Shaky Hands EP

Music   Martin Eyerer & Oliver Klein: Movement

Music   Bedouin Soundclash: Street Gospels

Music   Murcof: Cosmos

Music   Dukes of Windsor: The Others

Music   Le Loup: The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations Millennium General Assembly

Music   Nina Nastasia & Jim White: You Follow Me

Music   Jose Gonzalez: In Our Nature

Music   Tunng: Good Arrows

Music   The Lonely H: Hair

Music   Stars: In Our Bedroom After the War

Music   Eulogies: Eulogies

Music   Zelienople: His/Hers

Music   Various Artists: Live at KEXP Volume Three

Music   Various Artists: Tales from the Australian Underground Vol. 1: Singles 1976-1989

Music   Wiley: Playtime is Over

Music   Les Savy Fav: Let's Stay Friends

Music   Taken by Trees: Open Field

Music   Uh Huh Her: I See Red

Music   Child Bite: Gold Thriller

Music   Mick Harvey: Two of Diamonds

Music   The Triangles: Seventy-Five Year Plan

Music   Shout Out Louds: Our Ill Wills

Music   Picastro: Whore Luck

Music   Figurines: When the Deer Wore Blue

Music   Mystery Jets: Zootime

Music   Moha!: Norwegianism

Music   Donavon Frankenreiter: Recycled Recipes

Music   Calvin Harris: I Created Disco

Music   Norton: Kersche

Music   Ferry Corsten: Ferry Corsten presents Passport United States of America

Music   M. Ward: Duet for Guitars #2

Music   Fourth of July: Fourth of July on the Plains

Music   Prinzhorn Dance School: Prinzhorn Dance School

Music   Hands Down Eugene: Madison

Music   Robert Forster and Grant McLennan: Intermission

Music   The States: The Path of Leas Resistance

Music   The Maccabees: Colour It In

Music   The Gaslight Anthem: Sink or Swim

PopMatters Pick

Music

M.I.A.: Kala

[20.Aug.07] :. M.I.A. is back, representing the world town with power.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music   Holocene: Nothing is the End of Everything

Music   The Underpainting: The Underpainting

Music   Amandine: Solace in Sore Hands

Music   Arizona: Welcome Back Dear Children

Music   Bedroom Eyes: Vacation Vacancy EP

Music   Simple Kid: Two

PopMatters Pick

Music

Okkervil River: The Stage Names

[8.Aug.07] :. Okkervil River's new album is filled with moments that remind us again why this band is considered one of the finest indie rock groups in the US.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music   Arizona: Fameseeker and the Mono

Music   Abernethy: College Grove

Music   BOAT: Lets Drag Our Feet

Music   Lindstrom & Prins Thomas: Reinterpretations

Music   Chromeo: Fancy Footwork

Music   Rocky Votolato: The Brag and Cuss

Music   The Little Ones: Lovers Who Uncover EP

Music   Ra Ra Riot: Ra Ra Riot EP

Music   Various Artists: Pickadolls Mixed by John Dahlback

Music   Editors: An End Has a Start

Music   The Gnomes: II

Music   Various Artists: Gatecrasher: Live in Moscow

Music   Daniel Higgs: Atomic Yggdrasil Tarot

Music   Matthew Dear: Asa Breed

Music   Scissors for Lefty: Underhanded Romance

Music   Junkie XL: Music from SSX Blur

Music   Various Artists: Adam Freeland - Mexico City GU032

Music   Opsvik & Jennings: Commuter Anthems

Music   The Magic Numbers: Those the Brokes

Music   Karl Blau: Dance Positive

Music   Bang Gang: Something Wrong

Music   The Winter Sounds: Porcelain Empire

Music   Thomas Dybdahl: Science

Music   All Smiles: Ten Readings of a Warning

Music   Datarock: Datarock Datarock

Music   New Years Day: My Dear

Music   Various Artists: Sunkissed

Music   The Pipettes: Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me

Music   Arve Henriksen: Strjon

Music   Various Artists: Ed Rec Vol. 2

Music   Xavier Rudd: White Moth

Music   Mystery Jets: Diamonds in the Dark

Music   RaperGet Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.: Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager

Music   Get Him Eat Him: Arms Down

Music   Rufus Wainwright: Release the Stars

Music   Various Artists: Go Commando with JDH & Dave P

PopMatters Pick

Music

Battles: Mirrored

[30.May.07] :. Unexpected threads of melody make listening to this math-rock debut an absolute pleasure.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music   Elk City: New Believers

Music   Anders Ilar: Ludwijka (Extended Visit)

Music   Various Artists: Late Night with Groove Junkies

Music   Fields: Everything Last Winter

Music   YACHT: I Believe in You. Your Magic is Real

Music   Efterklang: Under Giant Trees

Music   Mise En Abyme: Do You Hear the Hum

Music   The Clientele: God Save the Clientele

Music   Barenaked Ladies: Barenaked Ladies Are Men

Music   Various Artists: Shifted Sounds Volume 1

Music   The Attorneys: Stereocracy

Music   Terminal Sound System: Compressor

PopMatters Pick

Music

The Veils: Nux Vomica

[27.Apr.07] :. It's the second great Arcade Fire album of the year.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music   Christopher ORiley: Second Grace: the Music of Nick Drake

Music   Various Artists: Bargrooves Black Vol. 2

Music   Manic: Floor Boards

PopMatters Pick

Music

The Besnard Lakes: The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse

[18.Apr.07] :. The second album from Montreal post-rock group the Besnard Lakes dazzles with inventiveness and grandeur.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music   The Noisettes: Whats the Time, Mr. Wolf?

Music   Winterkids: Memoirs

Music   New Atlantic: The Streets, the Sounds, and the Love

Music   Sur La Mer: Prelude to the Sea

Music   Cloud Cult: The Meaning of 8

Music   Calla: Strength in Numbers

Music   Move.Meant: The Scope of Things

Music   Yoko Ono: Open Your Box

Music   The Fratellis: The Flathead EP

Music   Die! Die! Die!: Die! Die! Die!

Music   Goes Cube: Beckon the Dagger God

Music   Money Mark: Brand New By Tomorrow

Music   Foreign Islands: Restart Now!

Music   Fair to Midland: The Drawn and Quartered EP

Music   Huntsville: For the Middle Class

Music   Kristoffer Ragnstam: Sweet Bills

Music   My Brightest Diamond: Tear It Down

Music   Albert Hammond, Jr.: Yours to Keep

Music   The National Lights: The Dead Will Walk, Dear

Music   The Colour: Between Earth and Sky

Music   Jan Jelinek: Tierbeobachtungen

Music   The Feeling: Four Stops and Home EP

Music   The Chalets: Check In

Music   Field Music: Tones of Town

Music   Softlightes: Heart Made of Sound EP

Music   Peter Bjorn and John: Writers Block

Music   The Glimmers: Fabriclive.31

Music   Siiri Nordin: Me Too

Music   Cut City: Exit Decades

Music   Domino: Everyone Else Is Boring

Music   Food: Forever Is a Dream

Music   Shout Out Out Out Out: Not Saying/Just Saying

Music   The Asteroid No. 4: An Amazing Dream

Music   Young Love: Too Young to Fight It

Music   Hoodoo Gurus: Stoneage Romeos

Music   Rub-N-Tug: Fabric 30

Music   The Finches: Human Like a House

Music   Sven Väth: In the Mix: The Sound of the Seventh Season

Music   Damn Arms: Patterns EP

Music   The Knife: The Knife

Music   The Silent Years: The Silent Years

Music   You Am I: Convicts

Music   aMute: The Seahorse Limbo

Music   Macromantics: Moments in Movement

Music   Favourite Sons: Down Beside Your Beaut

PopMatters Pick

Music

Maher Shalal Hash Baz: LAutre Cap

[18.Jan.07] :. Maher Shalal Hash Baz make folk on the outer edges, but in doing so have also crafted an incredibly powerful statement about music, participation, and emotion.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music   Akon: Konvicted

Music   Fujiya & Miyagi: Transparent Things

Music   The Bird and the Bee: The Bird and the Bee

Music   Burial: Burial

Music   Sodastream: Reservations

Music   Brightboy: Love For The Streets

Music   Andrea Bocelli: Andrea Bocelli: Under the Desert Sky

Music   ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead: So Divided

Music   Klaxons: Xan Valleys EP

Music   The Tongue: Bad Education EP

Music   Dan the Automator: Dan the Automator presents 2K7

Music   The Beautiful Girls: Water

Music   Sebastien Schuller: Happiness

Music   Adrian Klumpes: Be Still

Music   Dmonstrations: Dmonstrations EP

Music   Various Artists: Trampled: The Elefant Traks Remix Album

Music   Astronomy Class: Exit Strategy

Music   Frida Hyvonen: Until Death Comes

Music   Born Ruffians: Born Ruffians

Music   Matthew Herbert: 100 lbs

Music   Zombie Nation: Black Toys

Music   Songs of Green Pheasant: Aerial Days

Music   I:Cube: Live at the Planetarium

Music   Luomo: Paper Tigers

Music   The Matches: Decomposer

Music   Trentemoller: Always Something Better

Music   One Ring Zero: Wake Them Up

Music   Lindstrom: Its a Feedelity Affair

Music   Cassy: Panorama Bar 01

Music   Mark Farina: Ministry of Sound Sessions

Music   Tiga: Sexor

Music   The Cat Empire: The Cat Empire EP

Music   The Bird and the Bee: Again and Again and Again and Again

Music   Snowden: Anti-Anti

Music   Pigeon John: …And the Summertime Pool Party

Music   Various: The World Is Gone

Music   Luomo: Paper Tigers

Music   Bernard Fanning: Tea & Sympathy

Music   Ecstatic Sunshine: Freckle Wars

Music   La Pieta: Inside Out

Music   Badly Drawn Boy: Born in the U.K.

Music   Cut Copy: Fabriclive.29

Music   Colour Revolt: Colour Revolt EP

Music   Devastations: Coal

Music   Lindstrom: Its a Feedelity Affair

Music   The Panda Band: This Vital Chapter

Music   Lady Sovereign: Public Warning

Music   Adem: Love And Other Planets

Music   Van She: Van She EP

Music   The Hidden Cameras: AWOO

Music   Sparklehorse: Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain

Music   Portastatic: Be Still Please

Music   Plutonic Lab: Codes Over Colours

Music   Thunderbirds Are Now!: Make History

Music   The Bronx: The Bronx

Music   The Isles: Perfumed Lands

Music   Boat: Songs That You Might Not Like

Music   Jim Noir: Tower of Love

Music   ¡Forward, Russia!: Give Me a Wall

Music   Bluebottle Kiss: Doubt Seeds

Music   Andy Stott: Merciless

Music   Hilltop Hoods: The Hard Road

PopMatters Pick

Music

The Rapture: Pieces Of The People We Love

[12.Sep.06] :. Record of the year candidate from one of dance-punk's enduring bright spots.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music   The Picture: Connect

Music   Chris Stills: When the Pain Dies Down: Live in Paris

Music   Peter Wright: Red Lion

Music   2UP: Teenage Mondo Crash

Music   Various Artists: The Sensitive Guys Guide to Groovy Music

Music   The Coral Sea: Volcano and Heart

Music   The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower: INRI EP

Music   Various Artists: Green & Blue: Loco Dice & Ricardo Villalobos In The Mix

Music   Luca: Sick of Love

Music   The Vasco Era: Miles EP

Music   Panda & Angel: Panda & Angel

PopMatters Pick

Music

Roisin Murphy: Ruby Blue

[24.Aug.06] :. Why is this CD, the debut solo effort from UK group Moloko’s singer, essential? For one, it's one of the best examples of production shaping but not overwhelming the artist’s vision.

Recent Short Takes reviews

 

Music   Boy Kill Boy: Civilian

Music   Over The Atlantic: Junica

Music   Marc Leclair: Musique Pour 3 Femmes Enceintes

Music   Justice: Waters Of Nazareth

Music   Editors: Rarities

Music   Gisli: How About That?

Music   Cansei De Ser Sexy: Cansei De Ser Sexy

Music   The Rosewood Thieves: From the Decker House

Music   Syd Matters: Syd Matters

Music   Funnkoars: The Greatest Hits

Music   Small Sins: Small Sins

Music   Donavon Frankenreiter: Move By Yourself

Music   The White Birch: Come Up For Air

Music   Spinform: Bryter Tystnaden

Music   Jase Connection: Beathedz Vol.01

Music   Excepter: Alternation

Music   The Sleepy Jackson: Personality

Music   Michael Franti & Spearhead: Yell Fire!

Music   Moloko: Catalogue

Music   Various Artists: Palace Lounge Presents Cafe D’Afrique

Music   Tapes 'n Tapes: The Loon

Music   Geka: Station

Music   Archie Bronson Outfit: Derdang Derdang

Music   Jamie Lidell: Multiply Additions

Music   Muse: Black Holes & Revelations

Music   Gilles Peterson: Back In Brazil

Music   Kaada: Music For Moviebikers

Music   Gotye: Like Drawing Blood

Music   Shapes and Sizes: Shapes and Sizes

Music   Paul Oakenfold: A Lively Mind

Music   Takagi Masakatsu: Journal for People

Music   John Digweed: Transitions

Music   Roger Sanchez: Come with Me

Music   Kraak & Smaak: Boogie Angst

Music   Matthew Herbert: Scale

Music   The Submarines: Declare a New State

Music   Aki Tsuyuko: Hokane

Music   Radio 4: Enemies Like This

Music   be your own PET: be your own PET

Music   Camera Obscura: Lets Get Out of This Country

Music   Islands: Return to the Sea

Music   Saves the Day: Sound the Alarm

Music   Lostep: Because We Can

Music   Evermore: Dreams

Music   Hot Chip: The Warning

Music   Tiger Baby: Noise Around Me

Music   The Darling Downs: How Can I Forget This Heart Of Mine?

Music   Frank Popp Ensemble: Touch And Go

Music   London Elektricity: Power Ballads

Music   The Raconteurs: Broken Boy Soldiers

Music   The Concretes: In Colour

Music   The Veronicas: The Secret Life of the Veronicas

Music   Willy Mason: Where the Humans Eat

Music   The Boy Least Likely To: The Best Party Ever

Music   Shogun Kunitoki: Tasankokaiku

Music   The Church: Uninvited, Like the Clouds

Featured Article

Music

Augie March: Moo, You Bloody Choir

[20.Apr.06] :. Glenn Richards is Australia's tight-packed pop-poet; more poet than pop, certainly, since who else producing music today writes in such contorted but addictive ellipses.

Recent Music reviews

 

Music