Kaleidoscope Heart is my new album, and I’m beyond proud of this collection of songs, in no small part due to the fact...
(11/28/11) Kaleidoscope Heart is my new album, and I’m beyond proud of this collection of songs, in no small part due to the fact it was like pulling teeth to write them. We spent the better part of three years touring and supporting my first record, Little Voice, and by the end of that process I was completely burnt out. Don’t get… Read more in Amazon's Sara Bareilles StoreSee less
$17.47 available at amazon.com
With its incessant piano hook and heart-felt lyrics, "Love Song" caught my attention immediately as one of the most...
(11/28/11) With its incessant piano hook and heart-felt lyrics, "Love Song" caught my attention immediately as one of the most impressive debut singles I've heard on pop radio. So is it true with the rest of "Little Voice" which demonstrates that Sara Bareilles has an incredibly bright future ahead as a compelling chanteuse of original piano-based pop rock music (I'd like to think of her as someone with the melodic richness of a Sarah McLaughlin coupled with the sarcastic, hip lyrics and excellent musical chord writing of a Randy Newman.). Her stylistic influences range all over the map, from the fusion jazz of "Vegas" to the soft rock pop of "Love Song". Lyrically and musically, her most impressive songs include the short, but quite delightful, "Fairytale" and the memorable ballad "Gravity". This special edition of "Little Voice" includes stripped-down acoustic versions of virtually all of the songs on a separate disk, along with an interview about the writing of "Love Song". "Little Voice" is a...See less
available at amazon.com
Explore the Music Gift Store, featuring Holiday Music (CD | MP3), Greatest Hits Collections (CD | MP3), Box Sets, Deluxe...
(11/28/11) Explore the Music Gift Store, featuring Holiday Music (CD | MP3), Greatest Hits Collections (CD | MP3), Box Sets, Deluxe Editions, and more.See less
$10.89 available at amazon.com
Cool, calculating, and Euro-trashy in the grand tradition of Roxy Music and the Eurythmics. --Jeff Bateman
(11/29/06) Cool, calculating, and Euro-trashy in the grand tradition of Roxy Music and the Eurythmics. --Jeff Bateman See less
Maintaining strong indie credibility, this platinum-selling Milwaukee bred alt-rock triop has been called the "original...
(11/29/06) Maintaining strong indie credibility, this platinum-selling Milwaukee bred alt-rock triop has been called the "original unplugged band." The raw power of their no-frills yet highly emotive acoustic sound-plus the lyrical heft of Gordon Gano's songs-made the Femmes postmodern cult heroes with enormous staying power. In his notes to this, their first career-spanning collection, Rolling Stone's David Fricke states, "The Violent Femmes are what rock & roll must have sounded like at the creation." Hear it on 16 classics including "Blister in the Sun," "Add It Up," "Gone Daddy Gone", "Nightmares," and "American Music."See less
This scruffy, well-traveled, literate Rhode Islander recalls the desultory whispers of Nick Drake, the ragged...
(11/29/06) This scruffy, well-traveled, literate Rhode Islander recalls the desultory whispers of Nick Drake, the ragged tunefulness of Ryan Adams, and the natural wit of a young John Prine. He may come off as a slacker, painting his name on water towers and jamming to Townes Van Zandt on the porch, but his lyrical skills, unpretentiously poetic and refreshingly concise, suggest a purposefulness that's deeper than just folksy charm. Within the sparest musical framework--fingerpicked guitar, whirling organ, lo-fi drums, some bass--Ritter evokes a delicately dense romanticism that's more on-edge than earnest. "This world must be frightening," he sings, "everybody's on the run/but I can't leave this world behind." There's quiet wisdom in Ritter's world; fans of post-Dylan singer-songwriters will want to listen close. --Roy KastenSee less
Few albums are rich enough with a sense of place that they transport you to a different landscape. Engineered by famed...
(11/29/06) Few albums are rich enough with a sense of place that they transport you to a different landscape. Engineered by famed producer Steve Albini, the Frames' fourth full-length release, For the Birds, is such an album. But instead of dropping you in Ireland, the band's home, or in any other physical location, For the Birds lures the listener to an interior terrain both familiar and remote. Without a single throwaway track, this album deftly escapes pathos, despite its focus on clichéd indie-pop themes of heartache and loss. A slow pulse-like bass line, rueful violin, mesmerizing guitar, and precise percussion underscore but never underplay Glen Hansard's stripped-bare vocals and lyrics. Hansard asks, "So what happens when the heart just stops / Stops caring for anyone?" He answers, "The hollow in your chest dries up / And you stop believing," a response dispelled as too facile by subsequent tracks. "Headlong" and "Santa Maria" nosedive into torment while "Early Bird," "Fighting on the...See less
On their first studio album in nearly four years, the Frames have opted for a fuller, more adventurous sound than on...
(11/29/06) On their first studio album in nearly four years, the Frames have opted for a fuller, more adventurous sound than on 2001's Steve Albini-produced For the Birds, although this placid, smoky-bar ambiance owes more to 'Birds than to 1999's Dance The Devil. From the opening acoustic strums and lingering background vocals of "Happy" through "Locusts" and its Donovan-does-"Atlantis" vibe, this record teeters on the dark side, rescued by the stirring John Cale inspired string arrangements of violinist Colm Mac Con Iomaire. Most of the Dublin based foursome's dozen tracks have muted beginnings that swell to intoxicating volumes, as is the band's trademark, with Glen Hansard's uninhibited vocals uniformly at ease with the turbulent "Underglass" and the dreamy, windblown "Ship Caught in the Bay" (seemingly written with Astrud Gilberto in mind). It's an unpredictably bipolar record with plenty of mood swings and emotional shifts that will ultimately leave listeners with feelings of euphoria....See less
If the voice sounds familiar, that may be because a couple of tracks have been featured on The O.C., while Frou Frou's...
(11/29/06) If the voice sounds familiar, that may be because a couple of tracks have been featured on The O.C., while Frou Frou's "Let Go" appeared in Garden State. (Frou Frou is a collaboration between Heap and producer Guy Sigsworth.) Her sophomore release, after a UK-only debut, is a fine showcase for the singer/songwriter's swooping vocals. Her style, which incorporates layers of multi-tracking, lies somewhere between Sinead O'Connor's banshee howl and Jem's more delicate musings. There's more of a groove to her ouvre, however. At times, she almost sounds like Norway's Annie--by way of Kate Bush. The overall effect is plush and luxurious, if occasionally generic (a more stripped-down approach would really allow that instrument to shine). The one song that doesn't quite fit the electro-pop pattern is the vocoder-saturated "Hide and Seek," in which Heap enters Laurie Anderson territory (specifically 1982's "O Superman"). It's a risk that pays off, although its placement midway through the...See less
Named after the French word for the rustle of silk, Frou Frou's debut album exudes cool, stylish elegance. Singer ...
(11/29/06) Named after the French word for the rustle of silk, Frou Frou's debut album exudes cool, stylish elegance. Singer Imogene Heap's soft, whispery vocals intone dreamy lyrics of doomed romances and slow recoveries. The songs are penned by Heap and her partner, producer Guy Sigsworth (Björk, Madonna), who manned the board on Heap's 1998 solo album I Megaphone. Even the mighty Brian Eno gets into the act, with a cowriting credit on the soul-bearing "Hear Me Out." In fact, all 11 tracks deal with love and fractured relationships, hauntingly beautiful both in their stark emotional content and the equally sparse arrangements that showcase Heap's ethereal voice, which she uses as a subtle weapon, much like Joni Mitchell circa 1970's Ladies of the Canyon, with the same heart-stopping yet effortless octave leaps. --Jaan UhelszkiSee less
Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah Harmer's 2000 debut, You Were Here, was justifiably lauded and it made her a star in...
(11/29/06) Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah Harmer's 2000 debut, You Were Here, was justifiably lauded and it made her a star in her homeland, racking up platinum sales. Four years later she's brought forth an equally engaging set of 11 finely honed songs. After the friendly mid-tempo opener and its tale of roaming the countryside in winter, she fearlessly kicks up the decibel meter with the smartly propulsive "Almost," presenting a lustful crush with appropriate passion and the wallop of a rocker. Throughout it all, Harmer has a gifted eye for the small details that give human scale and resilience to the lyrics. The sense of place evoked is unmistakably linked to her home in Ontario's Quaker Valley, and perhaps not surprisingly, All of Our Names was recorded primarily at her rural abode. The album has all the breadth and depth of a work created in a big-city studio, but it also exudes a warmth and intimacy that can be attributed to the care and comfort afforded by the setting. --David...See less
Conor Oberst is running on dangerous ground: getting his first Dylan comparisons at age 12, frolicking with Winona...
(11/29/06) Conor Oberst is running on dangerous ground: getting his first Dylan comparisons at age 12, frolicking with Winona Ryder, releasing two separate albums at once. Didn't he learn anything from Ryan Adams's mistakes? It's a good thing he can write such haunting, intimate songs. I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (released simultaneously with Digital Ash in a Digital Urn) is the album the Omaha native has always threatened to make, channeling his country rock influences into articulate, witty ballads that come to life with gorgeous harmonies supplied by Emmylou Harris. The tumbling "We Are Nowhere and It's Now" might be his first actual masterpiece, while the words of album closer "Road to Joy" ("I could've been a famous singer if I had someone else's voice/ But failure's always sounded better") indicate that Oberst might have his head screwed on right after all. -- Aidin VaziriSee less
Having established himself as a folk singer-songwriter of considerable weight with 2002's--take a deep breath--Lifted,...
(11/29/06) Having established himself as a folk singer-songwriter of considerable weight with 2002's--take a deep breath--Lifted, or the Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground, Conor Oberst takes the opportunity to experiment here. Released simultaneously with the more conventional follow-up disc, I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, Digital Ash in a Digital Urn sees the Omaha-based leader of Bright Eyes teaming up with a diverse set of musicians that includes Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner for a collection of songs that aim to recreate the alien landscapes of Radiohead but more often come off sounding like midperiod Depeche Mode. --Aidin VaziriSee less
The most focused and conceptually complete release to date, Bright Eyes' 'Fevers and Mirrors' is a modern day...
(11/29/06) The most focused and conceptually complete release to date, Bright Eyes' 'Fevers and Mirrors' is a modern day masterpiece from one of the most important songwriters of our time. Twelve songs of brutal honesty and ingenious storytelling bring us a bit closer to this undeniable talent.See less
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Nebraskan wunderkind Conor Oberst writes songs so naked and heartfelt they make you feel like a voyeur just listening...
(11/29/06) Nebraskan wunderkind Conor Oberst writes songs so naked and heartfelt they make you feel like a voyeur just listening to them. This precocious singer-songwriter croons with the astonished intensity of a homeless Robert Smith singing for his supper. And his band's fourth album is every bit as lyrical, sprawling, and pretentious as its title. The production is notably brighter and crisper than previous efforts, with some songs, notably "Nothing Gets Crossed Out," lushly swathed in sweet-sounding strings. When Lifted is great, as on the slow-churning anthem "From a Balance Beam," it's superb, visionary pop music, on par with Jeff Mangum, Phil Elvrum, and Daniel Johnston--and on occasion, Dylan. Unfortunately, half the songs sprawl on too long or revisit the same themes too frequently. Still, anyone who can operate a fast-forward button will find much to enjoy on this vital, messy masterpiece. --Mike McGonigalSee less
Though R.E.M. titled a later album Monster, this 1991 smash was the true monster, with the little Athens, Georgia,...
(11/29/06) Though R.E.M. titled a later album Monster, this 1991 smash was the true monster, with the little Athens, Georgia, quartet graduating once and for all from its jangling independent-rock roots. The confusion Michael Stipe communicates in the catchy "Losing My Religion" and the dark-and-dreamy "Low" hit the mainstream-rock audience when it was most primed for uneasy angst. (Nirvana's Nevermind was released a few months later.) There are also odd but successful experiments, like ceding the opening "Radio Song" to rapper KRS-One (with Stipe playing the moaning straight man) and going peppy for the surprisingly nonsarcastic "Shiny Happy People." --Steve KnopperSee less
Continuing to specialize in the art of curve-throwing, R.E.M. followed up its 1991 smash, Out of Time, with this fragile...
(11/29/06) Continuing to specialize in the art of curve-throwing, R.E.M. followed up its 1991 smash, Out of Time, with this fragile album of soft melodies and string arrangements. The sympathetic ballad "Everybody Hurts" must have prevented countless suicide attempts, while the Andy Kaufman tribute "Man on the Moon" (with Michael Stipe affecting an Elvis Presley imitation) and the rock-into-oblivion "Drive" are among the quartet's strongest hits. (The opening line, "Hey, kids, rock and roll," isn't so much a rallying cry as an expression of anxiety.) It takes a few listens for its charms to unfold, but Automatic is the gem between bigger hits Out of Time and Monster. --Steve KnopperSee less
Green catapulted R.E.M. from campus cult favorites to rock stars of the highest order. The album contains three of the...
(11/29/06) Green catapulted R.E.M. from campus cult favorites to rock stars of the highest order. The album contains three of the Athens, Georgia, quartet's most popular radio hits ("Pop Song 89," "Stand," and "Orange Crush"), punching up the big rock hooks and letting the spooky independent production slip away. Some diehard fans cried "Sellout!" but that's a strange attitude given singer Michael Stipe's environmental activism. "I'm very scared of this world," he sings above jangling mandolins on "You Are the Everything." It's still unclear what he's trying to say, but at least we can understand the words this time. --Steve KnopperSee less
Singer Michael Stipe finally confesses that even he doesn't know what he's trying to say--among the lines flying by are...
(11/29/06) Singer Michael Stipe finally confesses that even he doesn't know what he's trying to say--among the lines flying by are "tryin' to tell you something we don't know" and "there's something going on that's not quite right." But R.E.M.'s roar is at its sharpest, as Peter Buck's guitars twist up surf riffs and the Bill Berry-Mike Mills rhythm section captures the force of forebears Big Star and the Byrds. After half a decade of college-rock heroism, R.E.M. achieved its first hit album thanks to the rambling "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" and the gentle (but subtly barbed) "The One I Love." --Steve KnopperSee less
Though critics swamped R.E.M.'s 1983 full-length debut with country-rock comparisons to the Byrds, Murmur sounds like no...
(11/29/06) Though critics swamped R.E.M.'s 1983 full-length debut with country-rock comparisons to the Byrds, Murmur sounds like no one else. The title is an apt description of Michael Stipe's singing style, although his smooth pop vocal mannerisms sweeten the enigmatic poetry. Like all great bands, R.E.M.'s individual parts (Peter Buck's ringing guitar, drummer Bill Berry's persistent thumping, and Mike Mills's unifying bass) are as interesting as the collective sound. The album-opening "Radio Free Europe" and "Talk About the Passion" endure as its radio singles, but the rest of the songs hang together well taken as a whole. --Steve KnopperSee less
The 1984 follow-up to R.E.M.'s brilliantly murky debut features Michael Stipe's ambiguous moan, drummer Bill Berry's...
(11/29/06) The 1984 follow-up to R.E.M.'s brilliantly murky debut features Michael Stipe's ambiguous moan, drummer Bill Berry's strong backbeat, and guitarist Peter Buck's endless wave of catchy, jangling riffs. They wouldn't fully beef up their hard rock until roughly 1986's Life's Rich Pageant, but the swimming melodies of "Pretty Persuasion," "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" and "Rockville (Don't Go Back To)" recall why the band frequently earned comparisons to a power-pop Beatles and the country-rock Byrds. Also, the jittery rhythms and deceptively simple guitar lines make the underappreciated "Harborcoat" and "7 Chinese Bros." worth revisiting. --Steve KnopperSee less
On this debut, Inara's skills are at once obvious; her delivery relaxed and confident. She's been steadily working in...
(11/29/06) On this debut, Inara's skills are at once obvious; her delivery relaxed and confident. She's been steadily working in the LA music scene, playing in bands, and lending her voice to numerous musical projects/film scores (Van Dyke Parks, Idlewild, Danny Elfman, Michael Andrews, Jackson Browne, Phillip Littel). Inara teamed with producer/guitarist/composer Michael Andrews to record "All Rise." Andrews is best known as the score composer of the cult hit "Donnie Darko" but others know him as Elgin Park, the clutch boogaloo/funk guitarist in the Greyboy Allstars. Inara's songs are like little poetic Polaroids, fleeting glimpses into one woman's examination of the world around her. Others are more like impressionist paintings, as though she's just noticed a view and decided to paint it. The production is spare yet lush, elegantly underscoring the presiding moods as they turn. The sound seems to defy context, gracefully blending the nostalgic and the contemporary, the organic and the...See less
Though often referred to as half of the duo Azure Ray and 1/4 of Saddle Creek's Now It's Overhead, Taylor's soulful...
(11/29/06) Though often referred to as half of the duo Azure Ray and 1/4 of Saddle Creek's Now It's Overhead, Taylor's soulful melodies and honeyed vocal talents have cropped up on the releases of Crooked Fingers, Bright Eyes, Moby, The Bruces, and The Faint. She writes the sort of classic, sad songs once favored by the first ladies of American songwriting. On this, her first solo full-length, she evokes the artistry of greats like Carole King, Laura Nyro, and Rickie Lee Jones, while spanning the spectrum from acoustic folk to electronic dream pop. The all-star cast includes Cursive's Gretta Cohn, Now It's Overhead's Andy LeMaster, and Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis.See less
With her much-anticipated debut, ex-ballerina Vanessa Carlton more than makes good on the promise of her first single,...
(11/29/06) With her much-anticipated debut, ex-ballerina Vanessa Carlton more than makes good on the promise of her first single, "A Thousand Miles." Augmenting her classical training with a broad range of pop she soaked up playing New York City clubs and listening to classic rock in her father's car, Be Not Nobody finds the phenom decorating her fierce piano playing with orchestration, guitars, and percussion galore. "Prince" is sizzling and funky, while "Ordinary Day" displays a majestic grace and "Unsung" is a stomping blues-bar breakdown. Comparisons to Fiona Apple and Little Earthquakes-era Tori Amos (especially on the haunting "Sway" and "Wanted") are inevitable and justified. Yet Carlton sounds fresh, even on a menacing interpretation of the Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black." With the exception of the anemic ballad "Pretty Baby," this impressive debut makes a strong case that a new star has emerged. --Annie ZaleskiSee less
Tina Dico has created a name for herself based on talent and talent alone. It took her beautiful voice, talented song...
(11/29/06) Tina Dico has created a name for herself based on talent and talent alone. It took her beautiful voice, talented song writing skills and personal wit to become a big success in her home country of Denmark. Word of the gifted singer spread like wild fire thoughout Europe and North America and Tina's first EP, titled Far, garnered the kind of buzz most artists only ever dream about. One year later, Tina releases her highly anticipated first North American full-length, In the Red, an emotionally honest record, full of finely wrought tunes and riveting, bold choruses. Also known for her work as singer for Zero 7.See less
Add ex-Veruca Salt co-leader Nina Gordon to a growing list of 90s female rock singers (think Liz Phair and Alanis...
(11/29/06) Add ex-Veruca Salt co-leader Nina Gordon to a growing list of 90s female rock singers (think Liz Phair and Alanis Morissette) who have left behind the grit of their earlier work to emphasize a more accessible pop sound. On her 2nd solo release Bleeding Heart Graffiti, producer Bob Rock polishes each song to a high-gloss, showcasing Gordon's lightweight but pleasant voice over lush backgrounds. The lead-off single "Kiss Me Til It Bleeds" is a catchy meditation on the guy-you-can't-resist, but most of the album lingers in somber ballad territory without displaying the tension of pop contemporaries like Aimee Mann or Fiona Apple. Nina Gordon sounds like she's having more fun on "Suffragette", where an infectious T-Rex groove and background vocals dead lifted from an 80s Prince record blend into a danceable concoction. --Ben HeegeSee less
Veruca Salt were a band torn between catchy pop hooks and arena rock dreams. Producer Bob Rock (Metallica, Motley...
(11/29/06) Veruca Salt were a band torn between catchy pop hooks and arena rock dreams. Producer Bob Rock (Metallica, Motley Crüe) tried to help them realize the "big" sound with mixed success. Now, he's helping former Veruca Salt singer-guitarist Nina Gordon turn away from "big rock" and toward the lush power pop championed by musicians like Aimee Mann. The title track, "Now I Can Die," and "2003" feature stacked harmonies and a carefree gait that recall the melodic renaissance of early-'80s new wave, with the additional bite of modern-day production values. Hammond B-3s, pedal steels, Mellotrons, and Chamberlins add somber texture to "Horses in the City" and "Hold On to Me" without sacrificing the straight-ahead rock feel. Producer Rock adds a bit too much gloss here and there, but in any case Gordon's a power-pop diva in waiting. --Rob O'ConnorSee less
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