about contributors submissions book series advertising contests tour dates Mixed Media PopMatters Picks
|
|
Bill StewartReviews
Beastie Boys: Ill CommuncationFifteen years after its original release, Ill Communication remains an impressive, often stunning synthesis of everything the Beastie Boys were and are. [31 July 2009] 
The Dead Weather: HorehoundWith the Dead Weather's debut, Jack White, Alison Mosshart and company craft an excellent album that delves straight to the murky, clinically depressed core of blues tradition. [15 July 2009] 
Kasabian: West Ryder Pauper Lunatic AsylumAll the gimmicky studio effects in the world can't mask the fact that this album is likely to be one of the most hollow you'll hear all year. [10 June 2009] 
Deerhunter: Rainwater Cassette Exchange EPThe impressive thing about this release is that, even on an EP of accessible pop songs, Deerhunter retain their skewed, inimitable shape. [1 June 2009] 
Maxïmo Park: Quicken the HeartMaxïmo Park haven't failed with this third LP – it's just that they haven't done much of anything. [14 May 2009] 
Jedi Mind Tricks: A History of ViolenceTheir sixth LP is still soaked in blood, but Jedi Mind Tricks find room for spirituality and social issues, amidst the usual threats. [6 May 2009] 
The Rakes: KlangThe Rakes are still an efficient machine on their third LP, but a machine that's becoming increasingly outdated. [4 May 2009] 
Art Brut: Art Brut Vs. SatanArt Brut prove that they're still one of the most punk bands we've got going for us. [23 April 2009] 
Depeche Mode: Sounds of the UniverseWith their 12th LP, Depeche Mode do the obvious thing and write a Depeche Mode album. [20 April 2009] 
Telekinesis: Telekinesis!Michael Lerner, following up on the promise suggested by a fair amount of blog buzz, delivers a debut album that manages to sound huge and calculated without ever feeling even slightly insincere. [10 April 2009] 
New Found Glory: Not Without a FightWith their sixth LP, New Found Glory demonstrate that they have little interest in growing up -- which turns out to be both a flaw and a virtue. [7 April 2009] 
MSTRKRFT: Fist of GodIn a genre filled with faceless artists, MSTRKRFT, with their sophomore effort, only manage to stand out by being exceptionally faceless. [16 March 2009] 
Chris Cornell: ScreamCornell's third solo LP -- a collaboration with Timbaland -- is the ultimate example of popular music not as an art form, but as a consumer product to be shelved next to the novelty t-shirts in Spencer's Gifts. [11 March 2009] 
Handsome Furs: Face ControlHandsome Furs craft something of a rarity even in today's independent music scene: a modest, personal album that doesn't ask for anything more than what you're willing to give. [10 March 2009] 
Minotaur Shock: Amateur DramaticsMinotaur Shock's electronic chamber music will either serve as a (moderately) satisfying headphone journey or as something pretty to have hanging in the background. [9 March 2009] 
Cadence Weapon: Separation AnxietyWith this mixtape, Cadence Weapon makes it clear that he wants nothing more than to soundtrack your next party. [4 March 2009] 
The Bodies Obtained: From the Top of My TreeYou know you're in trouble when the most interesting thing about your band is its name. [3 March 2009] 
Future Clouds and Radar: PeoriaFor all its psychedelic conceits, Future Clouds & Radar end up delivering an almost too modest sophomore effort that could've stood to drop another acid tab or two. [16 February 2009] 
Senses Fail: Life Is Not a Waiting RoomSenses Fail's latest effort seethes with all the cloying melodrama and embarrassing sentimentality of a drunken e-mail to an ex-girlfriend. [28 January 2009] 
Skeletons: MoneySkeletons deliver an avant-garde explosion that strains the contours of the album to their absolute breaking point. There's naturally a bit of damage within, but not so much that you can't still find some real treasure amidst the debris. [14 January 2009] 
The All-American Rejects: When the World Comes DownThe All-American Rejects attempt to dodge the bullet of rewriting 2006's Move Along by stapling glossy production flourishes to some (mostly) unadventurous pop songs. [5 January 2009] 
Jonas Reinhardt: Jonas ReinhardtReinhardt's debut marries the subtle development of ambient music with bite-sized pop song lengths, creating a mirror of an album, one that reflects back exactly what the listener puts into it -- no more and no less. [5 December 2008] 
Polysics: We Ate the MachinePolysics envision a world in which reckless punk abandon and geeky videogame synths live together in harmony. And yeah, it's a pretty awesome world. [1 December 2008] 
Trivium: ShogunTrivium leaves its Metallica worship behind to strike out towards an uncertain -- but not entirely uninteresting -- future. [24 November 2008] 
volcano!: PaperworkIf you want a good approximation of the music on Volcano!’s sophomore effort Paperwork, look no further than the exclamation point at the end of the band’s name. [20 November 2008] 
Rise Against: Appeal to ReasonRise Against do their best impression of Rise Against. [7 November 2008] |
Now on PopMatters
Features
:. Re-Meet the Beatles: PopMatters Salutes the Still Fab Four :. Hitting ‘The Road’ with Director John Hillcoat
Columns
Negritude 2.0: The Death and Rebirth of Black Glossies The Rockist: We All Know the Way to Sesame Street
Blogs
Short Ends and Leader: Poitier Portraying Another Magic Negro: She’s Blind, So Race Don’t Matter
Music
:. Lady Gaga: The Fame Monster :. Felt: Felt 3: A Tribute to Rosie Perez :. Mark Eitzel: Klamath :. Michael Hurley: Ida Con Snock :. Brock Van Wey: White Clouds Drift on and On :. The Paper Chase: Someday This Could All Be Yours, Vol. 1 :. The Melloncollies: Goodbye Cruel World
DVDs
:. Virtual JFK: Vietnam If Kennedy Had Lived :. Easy Rider 40th Anniversary :. Eminem: Live from New York City
News
:. ‘Modern Warfare 2’ video game scores record sales in launch :. INTERVIEW:Tom Arnold is a lovable loser , and open about it :. Jazz pianist reflects on his influences in his first piano concerto :. INTERVIEW:Wes Anderson meets Roald Dahl in ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ :. INTERVIEW:It’s ‘Tuesday Night’ again for Sheryl Crow :. Libraries turning a page with cafes, chat rooms and flat screens
|
