Monday, March 5 2012
I Heard You Missed Us (Says Van Halen and Many, Many Others)—We’re Back!
The David Lee Roth-fronted Van Halen returns after a 28-year absence. Who else has made fans wait that long? Quite a few, it turns out.
Monday, November 14 2011
‘The Ballad of Mott The Hoople’ Is for Those Who Love Mott the Hoople With All Their Might
There’s something missing from this story; there’s an insularity about the film that renders it just a notch or two above pure reminiscence.
Thursday, November 10 2011
Ólöf Arnalds: Ólöf Sings EP
The Icelandic singer-songwriter serves up a fine quintet of English-language songs; highlights include covers of Springsteen, Dylan, and Johnny Cash.
Monday, November 7 2011
Catie Curtis: Stretch Limousine on Fire
Here's another genial, generic album of singer-songwriter stuff that wouldn't sound out of place on your local public radio station.
Friday, September 30 2011
The Dirt Daubers: Wake Up, Sinners
The bluegrass outfit, led by Legendary Shack Shakers frontman (and Kentucky colonel) J.D. Wilkes, offers up an express train of an album.
Friday, September 9 2011
Counterbalance: Year One
In this special one-year anniversary edition of Counterbalance, Eric Klinger and Jason Mendelsohn discuss their first year combing through the pop music canon (as determined by Acclaimed Music's calculations of every best-of list available), share a few favorites, and justify a couple items on their expense account.
Tuesday, August 9 2011
In Defense of Good Sax
I could list several dozen songs that would be greatly lessened, if not unthinkable, without their saxophonic embellishment; so could you. In the interest of time and clarity, let's take three and call it a day.
Tuesday, July 12 2011
Bought on the Fourth of July
With The Homeland Directive writer Robert Venditti offers a deep and meditative work on the nature of personhood in an era of mass marketing. Easily the equal of the illustrious works of John Reed or Jonathan Franzen, The Homeland Directive elevates both the political thriller genre and the comics medium.
Friday, July 1 2011
Drop the Needle and Pray: Mourning Clarence Clemons, 1942 - 2011
The mystery and sensuality of Clarence’s sax on “Spirit in the Night", the triumphant conclusion to “Thunder Road", and the epic solo in “Jungleland", are a few of the prodigies among Clarence and Springsteen’s many children -- children conceived by the spiritual love affair that they had for nearly 40 years.
