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Kyle DeasAbout Kyle DeasKyle Deas grew up in Healdsburg, California, but he now lives in New York City. He was recently a bit dismayed to find himself a college graduate, and plans to go get a postgraduate degree just as soon as he figures out what he wants to do with his life. He has been writing for PopMatters since 2008, and blogs as often as he can remember to. Reviews
Fastball: Little White LiesFastball have always been -- to dust off a worn but sadly apt cliche -- their own worst enemies, victims both of their songwriting style and of their early success. [3 August 2009] 
Fires of Rome: You Kingdom YouYou Kingdom You is not a subtle kind of album. It is the kind of album that comes crashing down very loudly upon your head and makes you pay attention. [28 July 2009] 
Chris Velan: SolidagoIn all honesty, Chris Velan's third album Solidago is better than it quite has the right to be. [23 July 2009] 
Woolfy Vs. Projections: The Astral Projections of StarlightThere's nothing very bad about Woolfy Vs. Projections's The Astral Projections of Starlight, but there isn't anything very good about it, either. [12 July 2009] 
Ha Ha Tonka: Novel Sounds of the Nouveau SouthIn crafting a more challenging album -- a more mature album -- Ha Ha Tonka have, against the odds, crafted a much better album, too. [16 June 2009] 
Marissa Nadler: Little HellsLittle Hells finds Nadler branching out from her voice-and-guitar formula, and while the effort is wholly commendable, the results are rather more mixed. [4 May 2009] 
Max Ochs: Hooray For Another DayHooray For Another Day shows both why Ochs was considered promising, and why he ultimately was unable to deliver on that promise. [26 April 2009] 
Brigitte DeMeyer: Red River FlowerRed River Flower comes off more like jumble of influences than a complete work in and of itself. [10 April 2009] 
In-Flight Safety: We Are an Empire, My DearThis is not an original album. But it is a good album, and can you really ask it to be more than that? [25 March 2009] 
The Decemberists: The Hazards of LoveBeware! Here there be shape-shifters, amoral rakes, an ill-tempered Queen, and a hell of a well-executed rock opera. [23 March 2009] 
The Loom: At Last Light EPIntriguing, exciting, and lush -- there isn't much more you can ask for from an EP than this. [22 March 2009] 
Linkin Park: Road to Revolution Live at Milton Keynes / Songs from the UndergroundRoad to Revolution, like the band itself, is slickly-produced, mostly soulless, but somehow not entirely without merit. [16 March 2009] 
East Village Opera Company: Olde SchoolThese rock interpretations of opera songs are interesting enough, but before long, they start to sound more like an exercise than anything. [4 March 2009] 
The Brighton Port Authority: I Think We’re Gonna Need a Bigger BoatThe first album from The Brighton Port Authority (aka Fatboy Slim, aka Norman Cook) is pretty stupid. But also pretty fun. [3 February 2009] 
Lisa Hannigan: Sea SewHannigan puts the specter of Damien Rice firmly behind her with her accomplished, affecting debut. [2 February 2009] 
Lotus: HammerstrikeOn their latest release, Lotus throw a new element into their sound: lyrics! Too bad they're better musicians than wordsmiths. [29 January 2009] 
Live: Live at the Paradiso AmsterdamAlternative rockers Live drop in from the '90s to bring us a long-awaited live album. The only question: Who exactly has been waiting for it? [20 January 2009] 
The Lonesome River Band: No Turning BackOne song is atrocious. Four more are unremarkable. But the remaining nine tracks are accomplished, straightforward, bluegrassy goodness. [19 January 2009] 
Warren Zevon: Warren ZevonDark, powerful, and intelligent, Zevon's self-titled album is an underappreciated masterpiece. [9 January 2009] 
John Corigliano: Mr. Tambourine Man: The Seven Songs of Bob Dylan / Three HallucinationsThe music's compelling, but (surprise!) Bobby Zimmerman's lyrics don't work too well in a classical setting. [17 December 2008] 
Arizona: Glowing BirdBy turns dizzying and frustrating, this dose of expertly-crafted psychedelic pop is a bit of a mixed bag. [12 December 2008] 
Brad Barr: The Fall Apartment: Instrumental GuitarWhile the premise is a little shaky -- the lead singer of an indie-pop band releasing an album of all-instrumental acoustic guitar songs -- Barr's considerable skill makes it all work. [11 December 2008] 
Various Artists: The Hotel Café Presents Winter SongsThis lovely collection of holiday songs -- from some of today's most talented female singer-songwriters -- is anything but traditional. [7 December 2008] 
The Accident That Led Me to the World: The Island GospelClarinet notwithstanding, this is folk music through and through, and for a few songs at the beginning, it's almost perfect. [1 December 2008] 
Crooked Still: Still CrookedThe instrumentation is a bit more traditional, but Crooked Still remains as fresh and exciting as ever. [20 November 2008] BlogsConsuming Consumables: PortaPro Sterephones - Koss [12 December 2008] |
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