Zeth Lundy

PopMatters Music Columns/Features Editor

About Zeth Lundy

Zeth Lundy has been writing for PopMatters since 2004. He is the author of Songs in the Key of Life (Continuum, 2007), and has contributed to the Oxford American, Metro Boston, and StylusMagazine.com. He lives in Boston.

Features

Featured Article

Music

Anyone Can Play Guitar: The Replacements on Twin/Tone, 1981-1984

[22.Apr.08] :. With four albums for the independent Minneapolis label Twin/Tone, the 'Mats rendered the hierarchies and caste system of the rock world irrelevant by remaking rock 'n' roll as an anonymous force.

Recent features

PopMatters Pick

Music

Reflections: Motown in 1967

[17.Aug.07] :. The latest installment in Hip-O Select's impressive reissue series, The Complete Motown Singles, Volume 7: 1967 collects every A-side and B-side released that year, including planned and deleted singles, as well as alternate and promotional mixes -- 120 tracks in all.

Recent features

Featured Article

Music

Sly's the Limit

[2.Apr.07] :. Sly & the Family Stone, a group that riddled pop music's consciousness with a concentrated dosage of exploding possiblity, finally get the expanded reissue treatment from Epic/Legacy.

Recent features

Music

MacGuffin Pop

[23.Feb.07] :. Randy Newman's latest Academy Award nomination makes it easy to forget how truly deceptive his songwriting really is. His music, which rarely wanders far from New Orleans R&B, ragtime, or Brill Building pop, is the stuff of familiarity and comfort, an unassuming foundation of Americana into which subversive (confrontational, even) ideas can be planted.

Recent features

Film

Pixilated: Frank Capra's Columbia Years

[23.Jan.07] :. Capra's films of the '30s are seminal works and cannot be underestimated; their influence on American film has been viral, forever infiltrating the structural and thematic templates of contemporary cinema.

Recent features

Music Hoots, Hollers and Barbaric Yawps

Music New Adventures in Antiquity

Reviews

Music

Eli 'Paperboy' Reed & the True Loves: Roll with You

[30.Apr.08] :. Boston hasn't been able to boast of a performer like Eli "Paperboy" Reed in a long time.

Recent Short Takes reviews

Music

The Roots: Rising Down

[29.Apr.08] :. Eighth studio album from Philly's legendary hip-hop crew, a minor-key rush of synthesizer-heavy vamps and distrustful rhymes, features cameos from Mos Def, Talib Kweli and more.

Recent Music reviews

DVDs

The Clash: Live Revolution Rock [DVD]

[15.Apr.08] :. Fiery yet flawed, this 22-song collection of live Clash clips is a visual feast of gritted teeth, sopping hair, and snarled lips.

Recent DVD reviews

Featured Article

Music

Neon Neon: Stainless Style

[21.Mar.08] :. Super Furry Animals' Gruff Rhys and hip-hop beatman Boom Bip get elbow-deep in '80s synth-pop with a concept album about John DeLorean.

Recent Music reviews

Music

The Helio Sequence: Keep Your Eyes Ahead

[18.Mar.08] :. Fourth album from Portland duo launches cannonballs of anthemic weight from its indie sling.

Recent Music reviews

Music Whiskeytown: Strangers Almanac

Music Mike Doughty: Golden Delicious

Featured Article

Music

Nick Lowe: Jesus of Cool

[15.Feb.08] :. Lowe's classic 1978 solo debut, long out-of-print and overlooked, is reissued in a definitive expanded edition that includes ten bonus tracks.

Recent Music reviews

Music Beck: Odelay

Music Frank Ciampi: Big Top Woman

Music Ohmega Watts: Watts Happening

Featured Article

DVDs

Its A Wonderful Life: Two-Disc Collectors Set

[3.Dec.07] :. Contrary to its public image, Frank Capra's greatest film is a dark and turbulent tale of surrender and sacrifice, of human frailty and defeatism, of that proverbial ledge from which hopes and dreams are thrown to the raging waters.

Recent DVD reviews

Music Roy Haynes: A Life in Time: The Roy Haynes Story

DVDs Help!

Music Aretha Franklin: Rare & Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul

Music John Coltrane: Interplay

Music John Lee Hooker: Jealous

Featured Article

Music

Elvis Costello: My Aim Is True

[19.Oct.07] :. Costello's classic debut gets yet another double-disc reissue (its fourth reissue in 14 years), including a 1977 live show with a newly formed Attractions.

Recent Music reviews

DVDs The First Films of Samuel Fuller

Music Porter Wagoner: Wagonmaster

Music Various Artists: Fairytales Can Come True: UK Popsike from the Late 60s

Featured Article

Music

Louis Prima: Jump, Jive an' Wail: The Essential Louis Prima

[7.Sep.07] :. Louis Prima embraced jump blues, swing, New Orleans jazz and R&B, pop, and just about any kind of quick-pulsed shuffle music that could withstand his nimble and punishing arrangements.

Recent Music reviews

Music Super Furry Animals: Hey Venus!

Music James Brown: The Singles, Volume 3: 1964-1965

Music The New Pornographers: Challengers

Music Bumps: Bumps

PopMatters Pick

Music

Fats Domino: Greatest Hits: Walking to New Orleans

[16.Aug.07] :. Thirty-track compilation of Domino's tenure at Imperial Records includes 29 top ten R&B records from 1950-1961.

Recent Music reviews

Music The Budos Band: The Budos Band II

Music Buffalo Tom: Three Easy Pieces

Music The Beau Brummels: Beau Brummels 66

Music Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators: Keep Reachin Up

PopMatters Pick

Music

Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

[11.Jul.07] :. Austin band's sixth LP is its most groove-oriented effort since 2001's Girls Can Tell, an efficient rhythm machine with a sinuous palate.

Recent Music reviews

Music Jason Isbell: Sirens of the Ditch

Featured Article

Music

The Stanley Brothers: The Definitive Collection (1947-1966)

[29.Jun.07] :. Three-disc set chronicling the seminal bluegrass band spans recordings made for the Rich-R-Tone, Columbia, Mercury, King, and Starday labels.

Recent Music reviews

Music A Band of Bees: Octopus

Music David Bowie: Young Americans

Music Paul McCartney: Memory Almost Full

Music Various Artists: The Rough Guide to the Blues

Music Elvis Costello: The Best of Elvis Costello: The First 10 Years

Music Carla Thomas: The Queen Alone

PopMatters Pick

Music

The Ark: Prayer for the Weekend

[20.Apr.07] :. The Swedish band's fourth album takes everything that was great about last year's State of the Ark and supersizes it, a gluttonous allowance by a band that has every right to have the world eating from the palm of its hand.

Recent Music reviews

Books The Beatles and Philosophy by Michael Baur and Steven Baur [Editors]

Music Various Artists: The Birmingham Sound: The Soul of Neal Hemphill Vol. 1

Music Johnnie Taylor: Live at the Summit Club

Music The Stooges: The Weirdness

Music Air: Pocket Symphony

Music Eddie: The Eddie Lockjaw Davis Cookbook, Vol. 1

Music The Music Lovers: The Music Lovers Guide for Young People

Music Grand Mal: Love Is the Best Con in Town

Music Ronnie Wood: Anthology: The Essential Crossexion

Music The Beatles: Love

Music The Flamin Groovies: Bust Out at Full Speed: The Sire Years

Music Various Artists: The In-Kraut Vol. 2

Music Dizzy Gillespie: Night in Tunisia: The Very Best of Dizzy Gillespie

DVDs Pixies: The Pixies - Club Date: Live at the Paradise in Boston [DVD]

PopMatters Pick

Music

Dwight Yoakam: Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. [Deluxe Edition]

[10.Nov.06] :. The 20th anniversary reissue of Yoakam's major-label debut includes both his 1981 demos and a live show from the Roxy in L.A.

Recent Music reviews

Music George Harrison: Living in the Material World

Music Pernice Brothers: Live a Little

Books Exile on Main St by Robert Greenfield

Music Protokoll: Protokoll [EP]

Music Beck: The Information

Music Various Artists: The Best of Studio One Collection

Music Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint: The River in Reverse

Music Francine: Airshow

Music Gnarls Barkley: St. Elsewhere

Music Elvis Costello/The Metropole Orkest: My Flame Burns Blue

Music Various Artists: The DFA Remixes: Chapter One

Music Drive-By Truckers: A Blessing and a Curse

Music Magnet: The Tourniquet

Music Various Artists: The Transatlantic Folk Box Set

Music Belle & Sebastian: The Life Pursuit

Featured Article

Music

Talking Heads: 77 / More Songs About Buildings and Food / Fear of Music / Remain in Light [DualDisc

[17.Jan.06] :. Following last year's career-spanning Brick box set, the first four studio albums from the seminal art-pop band are reissued as individual DualDiscs.

Recent Music reviews

Music Talking Heads: Talking Heads: 77 / More Songs About Buildings and Food / Fear of Music / Remain in

Music Lyn Taitt & the Jets: Hold Me Tight: Anthology 65-73

Featured Article

Music

The Band: A Musical History

[23.Dec.05] :. This five-CD/one-DVD set spans the most important years of the Band's existence, from its days with Ronnie Hawkins to The Last Waltz's curtain call. It's both a lavish dedication and definitive documentation of the Band's legacy.

Recent Music reviews

Books The Beatles by Bob Spitz

Music Ryan Adams: 29

Music Beck: Guerolito

Music Bobby Bare: The Moon Was Blue

Music Living Things: Ahead of the Lions

Music Annie Hayden: The Enemy of Love

Music Adrian Belew: Side Two

Music Joe Strummer: Walker

Music Mark Eitzel: Candy Ass

Music Broken Social Scene: Broken Social Scene

Music The King of France: The King of France

Music Paul McCartney: Chaos and Creation in the Backyard

Music The Go! Team: Thunder, Lightning, Strike

Music The Standard: Albatross

Music Jamiroquai: Dynamite

Music Super Furry Animals: Love Kraft

Music Supergrass: Road to Rouen

Music Koufax: Hard Times Are in Fashion

Music Greg Dulli: Amber Headlights

Music Michael Penn: Mr. Hollywood, Jr. 1947

PopMatters Pick

Music

The New Pornographers: Twin Cinema

[19.Aug.05] :. Highly anticipated third full-length from Vancouver collective offers up another round of smart, audaciously engaging pop.

Recent Music reviews

Music Sally Crewe & the Sudden Moves: Shortly After Take-Off

Music Frank Black: Honeycomb

Music Tyrone Davis: Give It Up (Turn It Loose): The Very Best of the Columbia Years

Music Marian McPartland & Elvis Costello: Piano Jazz: McPartland/Costello

Music Carolyn Mark: Just Married: An Album of Duets

Music Chris Whitley: Soft Dangerous Shores

Music Doveman: The Acrobat

Music The Fugs: Virgin Fugs

Music Erin McKeown: We Will Become Like Birds

Music The Dirty Dozen Brass Band: Jazz Moods: Hot

Music A Band of Bees: Free the Bees

Music The Old Haunts: Fallow Field

Music Nathan Larson: FilmMusik

Music Without Gravity: Tenderfoot

Music Pernice Brothers: Discover a Lovelier You

Music Dwight Yoakam: Blame the Vain

Music Graham Parker: Songs of No Consequence

Music Elvis Costello: King of America

Music Screaming Trees: Ocean of Confusion: Songs of Screaming Trees 1989-1996

Music Ryan Adams & the Cardinals: Cold Roses

DVDs The Fearless Freaks (2005)

PopMatters Pick

Music

Robbie Fulks: Georgia Hard

[16.May.05] :. Country music's prince of composition ends a prolonged silence with his first collection of new material since 2001. In related news, scores of aspiring songwriters give up.

Recent Music reviews

Featured Article

Music

Spoon: Gimme Fiction

[12.May.05] :. Fifth full-length from Austin indie luminary is, simply put, a triumph.

Recent Music reviews

Music Headphones: self-titled

Music Mike Doughty: Haughty Melodic

Music Bluebottle Kiss: Come Across

Featured Article

Music

Aimee Mann: The Forgotten Arm

[29.Apr.05] :. Fifth solo release from consummate singer-songwriter is an examination of the centripetal destruction that consumes lives at the point of no return. It's also a concept album that actually works -- devastatingly so.

Recent Music reviews

Music The Sights: The Sights

DVDs Dig! (2004)

Music David Francey: The Waking Hour

Music John Doe: Forever Hasn't Happened Yet

Music Little Barrie: EP

Music Jeff Hanson: self-titled

Featured Article

Music

Wes Montgomery: Smokin' at the Half Note [Reissue]

[8.Apr.05] :. Reissue of the landmark jazz guitar album is appended with six additional tracks from the original live sessions.

Recent Music reviews

Music Milton Mapes: The Blacklight Trap

Music The Arts and Sciences: Hopeful Monsters

Music Gruff Rhys: Yr Atal Genhedlaeth

Music Patrick Wolf: Wind in the Wires

Music Nic Armstrong and the Thieves: The Greatest White Liar

DVDs Purple Butterfly (2003)

Music Crystal Skulls: Blocked Numbers

Music Hella: Church Gone Wild / Chirpin Hard

Music Bloc Party: Silent Alarm

Music Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: B-Sides and Rarities

Music Phoenix: Live! Thirty Days Ago

DVDs SCTV: Volume 3

Music Moving Units: Dangerous Dreams

Music Super Furry Animals: Songbook: The Singles, Vol. 1

Music Aarktica: Bleeding Light

Music Crooked Fingers: Dignity and Shame

Featured Article

Music

Iron & Wine: Woman King [EP]

[22.Feb.05] :. Sam Beam and producer Brian Deck continue to experiment in the studio, replacing the sounds of necessity with the sounds of possibility. Woman King is Iron & Wine's most economically expansive set of songs to date.

Recent Music reviews

Books Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison: The Making of a Masterpiece by Michael Streissguth

Music Egon: All Theory and No Action

Music The Mutts: The Mutts [EP]

Music Books on Tape: The Business End

Music The Moaners: Dark Snack

Music Owen: I Do Perceive

Music Martha Wainwright: Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole [EP]

Music Lou Barlow: Emoh

Music Dogs Die in Hot Cars: Please Describe Yourself

Music Blanche: If We Can't Trust the Doctors...

DVDs Steve Earle: Live From Austin TX [CD and DVD]

Music Various Artists: Sounds Eclectic 3

Music Neil Young: Greatest Hits

DVDs Miles Davis: Miles Electric: A Different Kind of Blue [DVD]

Music Elvis Costello & the Attractions: Armed Forces

Music Hope of the States: The Lost Riots

Music Various Artists: Doctors, Professors, Kings & Queens: The Big Ol' Box of New Orleans

Music Chris Whitley: War Crime Blues

Music John Lennon: Acoustic

Music Ulysses: 010

DVDs Richard Pryor: I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$#@!! (Uncensored)

Music Various Artists: The Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered Uncovered

Music Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus

Music The Zutons: Who Killed the Zutons?

Music Augie March: Strange Bird

Music Sam Roberts: We Were Born in a Flame

Music Solex: The Laughing Stock of Indie Rock

Music Ted Leo and The Pharmacists: Shake the Sheets

Music Mosquitos: Sunshine Barato

Music Apostle of Hustle: Folkloric Feel

Music Chuck Prophet: Age of Miracles

Music The Ditty Bops: self-titled

Music Split Lip Rayfield: Should Have Seen It Coming

Music Various Artists: Touch My Heart: A Tribute to Johnny Paycheck

Music Th' Legendary Shack Shakers: Believe

Music The Great Jazz Trio: Someday My Prince Will Come

Music Angie Heaton: Let It Ride

Music American Music Club: Love Songs for Patriots

Music Panda Bear: Young Prayer

Music Omar A. Rodriguez-Lopez: A Manual Dexterity -- Soundtrack Volume 1

Music Travis Morrison: Travistan

Music Magnet: On Your Side

Music Tom Waits: Real Gone

Music Elvis Costello & the Imposters: The Delivery Man

Music Say Anything: Say Anything Is a Real Boy

DVDs Various Artists: The History of Rock 'N' Roll [DVD]

DVDs Charlie Hunter Quintet: Right Now Live [DVD]

Music Various Artists: 13 Ways to Live

Music Midnight Movies: self-titled

Music Griffin House: Lost & Found

PopMatters Pick

Music

The Arcade Fire: Funeral

[16.Sep.04] :. Funeral is a truly eccentric rock record: bizarre at turns and recognizable elsewhere, equally beautiful and harrowing, theatrical and sincere, defying categorization while attempting to create new genres.