Monday, April 23 2007
Branching Out: An Interview With Ted Leo
America's last remaining old-style punk rocker revisits his hardcore, pop, mod, soul, celtic and reggae roots in his fifth and latest full-length. "I knew going into it that I didn't want this record to be as concise as the last one," he says.
Monday, April 16 2007
Fountains of Wayne: Too Smart to Be a Rock Band, Too Smart to Be Anything Else
A self-aware songwriter, Adam Schlesinger still finds a way inside everyone else's head. PopMatters talks to the ingenius popsters about their new album and more.
Friday, April 6 2007
Dirty Looks: Dirty Looks/Turn It Up
Outside its own scope, this flash-in-the-pan reissue invites some broader rexamination of the post-punk years.
Monday, April 2 2007
Fountains of Wayne: Traffic and Weather
A messy, dark, and defiantly askew center exists at the core of the candy-coated pop-sweetness of Fountains of Wayne's songs -- which is what makes them such a recognizable take on American culture at its twisted best.
Tuesday, February 6 2007
Fountains of Pain
Why does a band so gifted at crafting pleasing pop feel the need to lash out at losers and demand we chortle at half-baked stereotypes?
Thursday, June 30 2005
Fountains of Wayne: Out of State Plates
Two CDs worth of Fountains of Wayne that, although you may not need to hear, you probably should. Why wouldn't you want to listen to this band's version of Max Martin's smash hit, '...Baby, One More Time?'"
Friday, July 25 2003
Fountains of Wayne: Welcome Interstate Managers
Alcohol plays a huge role in Managers, but instead of the adolescent diversion it was only yesteryear, it now appears as a pathetic crutch.
Wednesday, June 18 2003
Fountains of Wayne: Welcome Interstate Managers
Welcome Interstate Managers is the welcome aural equivalent of a great collection of short stories, each song offering a little snippet from a life, and presenting a range of characters to fill this musical spectrum.
Sunday, January 1 1995
Fountains of Wayne, Utopia Parkway
If Juilliard were to offer a course on composing the perfect pop melody, Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood should be the first folks they call for instructors.
