Added on 01/05/08

With her debut album Frank, Amy Winehouse proves to be one of the most original, honest, and brave singer/songwriters to emerge in recent years. Over the course of the 13 songs, she manages to do everything required of a classic album. This is a... See more

With her debut album Frank, Amy Winehouse proves to be one of the most original, honest, and brave singer/songwriters to emerge in recent years. Over the course of the 13 songs, she manages to do everything required of a classic album. This is a stark piece of work, comprising husky, frequently sexually charged vocals, painfully honest lyrics and soft trumpets, laidback beats, and sparse guitar work. It seems that soulful jazz doesn't always have to be bland--it can also be playful, twisted, and arrogant ("Amy Amy Amy"). "F*** Me Pumps" charts a seemingly guilt-free act of infidelity: "What do you expect when you leave me here alone?" she asks coyly, as if by way of justifiable explanation. "You wouldn't want me to be lonely," she adds. You can't help warming to her, despite what she's saying. A unique sense of humour (how rare in music now) and a no-bull attitude make for an interesting, compelling debut. Frank? Yes, but refreshingly so. You wouldn't want her for a girlfriend, but as... See less

Added on 01/05/08

Finger Eleven's career shifted suddenly and significantly when their 2003 emo-hit "One Thing" turned the band's career on its axis. At that point, they went from being known as 'the boys from Burlington who used to call themselves the Rainbow Butt... See more

Finger Eleven's career shifted suddenly and significantly when their 2003 emo-hit "One Thing" turned the band's career on its axis. At that point, they went from being known as 'the boys from Burlington who used to call themselves the Rainbow Butt Monkeys' to a group whose anthemic slow rock song went Platinum in Canada and Gold in America. So how does a band respond after its widespread fame is the result of just one song? In the case of Them Vs. You Vs. Me, Finger Eleven have consciously stayed away from anything remotely resembling their past and put the focus on the straight-ahead alt-rock formula that they've consistently excelled at. There are certain old-school rock influences that bleed clearly through their music, from Rush-isms in the form of frenetic time changes ("Sense of a Spark") to "Talking to the Walls" and "Lost My Way" which evoke Peter Gabriel-era Genesis. Frontman Scott Anderson's voice is impressive throughout, but when he sings ballads, especially "Window Song"... See less

Added on 01/05/08

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Added on 01/05/08

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Added on 01/05/08

"Extremis," the truly lame single on which X-Filer Gillian Anderson makes the first of what will likely be many bad career moves, sounds and feels like electronica's death knell. The rest of Disc one here redeems the genre with fine body slams by... See more

"Extremis," the truly lame single on which X-Filer Gillian Anderson makes the first of what will likely be many bad career moves, sounds and feels like electronica's death knell. The rest of Disc one here redeems the genre with fine body slams by Fluke and Chemical Bros. Disc two delves into the past with ambient trips by David Sylvian, Brian Eno, and William Orbit, among others. --Jeff Bateman See less

Added on 01/05/08

A Fine Frenzy is actually just a fine young singer-songwriter from Seattle, born Alison Sudol. A self-taught piano player, on her debut album she pairs sweeping orchestral arrangements with dreamlike lyrics inspired by the classic works of fantasy... See more

A Fine Frenzy is actually just a fine young singer-songwriter from Seattle, born Alison Sudol. A self-taught piano player, on her debut album she pairs sweeping orchestral arrangements with dreamlike lyrics inspired by the classic works of fantasy writers like CS Lewis, EB White, and Lewis Carroll. Add to that a propensity for frilly shirts and cryptic song titles such as "The Minnow & the Trout" and you half-expect to find a back alley Joanna Newsom. Instead Sudol specializes in accessible pop epics, the kind of songs that fit perfectly over the end credits of a great Hollywood tearjerker. Despite the gentle melancholia that runs through "Ashes and Wine" and "You Picked Me," each tune arrives wrapped in an exuberant melody and topped by the singer's commanding voice. On the disc's standout moment, "Almost Lover," she shows she can do simplicity as well, musing over a sublime piano medley, "Shoulda known you'd bring me heartache/ Oh, most lovers always do." --Aidin Vaziri See less

Added on 01/05/08

Three time Grammy nominated artist whose hits include "A Thousand Miles", "Ordinary Day" and "White Houses" returns with her brand new album Heroes & Thieves, featuring the hit single "Nolita Fairytale." Album produced by Vanessa Carlton, Stephan... See more

Three time Grammy nominated artist whose hits include "A Thousand Miles", "Ordinary Day" and "White Houses" returns with her brand new album Heroes & Thieves, featuring the hit single "Nolita Fairytale." Album produced by Vanessa Carlton, Stephan Jenkins (Third Eye Blind), Irv Gotti and Linda Perry. Stevie Nicks featured on "The One" See less

Added on 01/05/08

It's common knowledge that solo albums are simply an excuse for a frustrated band member to indulge their experimental sides and Rob Thomas, singer for decidedly M.O.R. multiplatinum rockers Matchbox Twenty is not one to pass on the opportunity.... See more

It's common knowledge that solo albums are simply an excuse for a frustrated band member to indulge their experimental sides and Rob Thomas, singer for decidedly M.O.R. multiplatinum rockers Matchbox Twenty is not one to pass on the opportunity. Having already explored the classic rock thing through his collaborations with Mick Jagger and Santana, Thomas goes the other way here with results that are unexpected, and, sometimes totally unbelievable. He veers from modern R&B on the Justin Timberlake-aping "Lonely No More" to vintage prog-rock in "All That I Am," touching on all points in between. There are a few nods to the Matchbox canon with "Ever the Same" and "This Is How a Heart Breaks" but, as the title suggests, this is an album about finding himself. For the moment, Thomas is still searching. The DualDisc portion features 5.1 surround sound, a 20-minute documentary on the making of the album by filmmaker Gillian Grisman, plus the holiday tune, "Christmas in New York." --Aidin... See less

Added on 01/05/08

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Added on 01/05/08

Second single pulled from this UK electronic outfit's 2006 full length The Garden. This four track single also features Thistles, Inaminute and the video of the title track. Ultimate Dilemma. 2006

Second single pulled from this UK electronic outfit's 2006 full length The Garden. This four track single also features Thistles, Inaminute and the video of the title track. Ultimate Dilemma. 2006 See less

Added on 01/05/08

Four-track UK single, lifted from their 2006 album 'Eyes Open'. Includes the album version of the title track along with two non-album tracks, 'The Only Noise' and 'Perfect Little Secret' plus the enhanced video to the title track. Universal. 2006.

Four-track UK single, lifted from their 2006 album 'Eyes Open'. Includes the album version of the title track along with two non-album tracks, 'The Only Noise' and 'Perfect Little Secret' plus the enhanced video to the title track. Universal. 2006. See less

Added on 01/05/08

The second single from the Scottish indie pop trio's 1998 debut album 'Songs For Polar Bears'. Pt.2 contains three mixes of 'Starfighter Pilot' (The Bad Belle by Richard Colburn of Belle & Sebastian, The Lost In Hyperspace Mix by Cut La Roc and The... See more

The second single from the Scottish indie pop trio's 1998 debut album 'Songs For Polar Bears'. Pt.2 contains three mixes of 'Starfighter Pilot' (The Bad Belle by Richard Colburn of Belle & Sebastian, The Lost In Hyperspace Mix by Cut La Roc and The M.I. M See less

Added on 01/05/08

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Added on 01/05/08

First single from Irish indie act's sophomore album, 'When It's All Over We Still Have To Clear Up'. Jeepster release. Tracks, 'Ask Me How I Am', 'In Command Of Cars' and 'Talk To The Trees'. 2000 release. Standard jewel case.

First single from Irish indie act's sophomore album, 'When It's All Over We Still Have To Clear Up'. Jeepster release. Tracks, 'Ask Me How I Am', 'In Command Of Cars' and 'Talk To The Trees'. 2000 release. Standard jewel case. See less

Added on 01/05/08

This is a great, wide-ranging double mix CD of indie pop, rock, electronic and hip-hop. Typically, great musicians have great musical taste, and most fans would like nothing better than to hang out with their favorite musicians just listening to... See more

This is a great, wide-ranging double mix CD of indie pop, rock, electronic and hip-hop. Typically, great musicians have great musical taste, and most fans would like nothing better than to hang out with their favorite musicians just listening to music. That's generally not an option, or one that if pursued will lead to a restraining order. Artist-curated mixes are the next best thing then, from downtempo affairs such as the "Another Late Night" and "Back To Mine" series to a point of purchase discs sold in coffee shops. Scottish group Snow Patrol's star is on the rise and rightly so - their brand of breathy, dramatic indie-rock trumps nearly anyone else doing the same thing. Many of the artists on The Trip are bound to be unfamiliar, even to crate-digging daily Pitchfork readers: Emperor Machine, Sir Drew, The Knife, Seelenluft, Feist, Dear Huth, Harco Pront. It's moody and experimental but it's accessible too. What they all share is as much of a love for melody as for invention.... See less

Added on 01/05/08

Debut Release from this Brit-Pop Band.

Debut Release from this Brit-Pop Band. See less

Added on 01/05/08

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Added on 01/05/08

Dark Side of the Moon, originally released in 1973, is one of those albums that is discovered anew by each generation of rock listeners. This complex, often psychedelic music works very well because Pink Floyd doesn't rush anything; the songs are... See more

Dark Side of the Moon, originally released in 1973, is one of those albums that is discovered anew by each generation of rock listeners. This complex, often psychedelic music works very well because Pink Floyd doesn't rush anything; the songs are mainly slow to mid-tempo, with attention paid throughout to musical texture and mood. The sound effects on songs like "On the Run," "Time" and especially "Money" (with sampled sounds of clinking coins and cash registers turned into rhythmic accompaniment) are impressive, especially when we remember that 1973 was before the advent of digital recording techniques. This is probably Pink Floyd's best-known work, and it's an excellent place to start if you're new to the band. --Genevieve Williams See less

Added on 01/05/08

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Added on 01/05/08

In an about-face that could alienate technophiles, this group of dance revisionists celebrate guitars and "real instruments" in the face of processed music. The Williams brothers and their mate Jim Goodwin first had a hit with the disco-charged... See more

In an about-face that could alienate technophiles, this group of dance revisionists celebrate guitars and "real instruments" in the face of processed music. The Williams brothers and their mate Jim Goodwin first had a hit with the disco-charged "Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)," but they became disillusioned with the Manchester scene, picked up guitars, and formed the Doves--a band determined to infuse raw emotion into their music. From instrumental opener "Firesuite," which showcases their rumbling, restrained guitar firepower, to the tumbling acoustic shanty "Sea Song" to the balmy Technique-era New Order rocker "Catch the Sun," none of the album's 11 tracks bears any real resemblance to any other (and, in this rare instance, that's a positive). The Doves have produced an outstanding debut album in Lost Souls, alternately melancholy and uplifting, sparkling darkly with charged atmospherics. --Mike Pattenden See less

Added on 01/05/08

Tortoise's sophomore release, Millions Now Living Will Never Die shows off an unlikely blossoming of talent. The Chicago instrumental band makes clear with Millions what their eponymous debut brushed in broad strokes: this is the musical legacy of... See more

Tortoise's sophomore release, Millions Now Living Will Never Die shows off an unlikely blossoming of talent. The Chicago instrumental band makes clear with Millions what their eponymous debut brushed in broad strokes: this is the musical legacy of the ties between experimental art music and postpunk. The sonic environments are entirely woven from percussion, basses, and occasional keyboards--all of it thrown through the blender of electronic sampling and manipulation at various points. Hypnotic, some would say, and an attempt at mirroring Steve Reich or even Can, others would note. But Tortoise demonstrate their singular vision, one that would spawn many more all-instrumental alt-rock visions. Dub bass hints, keyboard darts and dashes, strange flashes of heartbeat rhythms--it all comes together on Millions in a manner that's hard to forget and easy to dive through. --Andrew Bartlett See less

Added on 01/05/08

Battling his own personal demons while he has been highly coveted as a producer for other bands, singer/songwriter Mark Linkous' output with his own Sparklehorse has been as irregular as it is ingenious. And it's been five years since the candid... See more

Battling his own personal demons while he has been highly coveted as a producer for other bands, singer/songwriter Mark Linkous' output with his own Sparklehorse has been as irregular as it is ingenious. And it's been five years since the candid album It's a Wonderful Life welcomed a clean-and-sober, Linkous crafting the same divine and bizarre songs that have come to define his North Carolina-based band. That inclination continues here with the peculiar front man punctuating his songs with mentions of ghosts and knives and mountaintops, and presenting them with a murmured, spaced-out and psychedelic soundtrack. The up-tempo, bundle-of-nerves pop songs "It's Not So Hard" and Guided by Voices twin "Ghost in the Sky," though luscious, seem out of place among slow and startling ballads like "Getting It Wrong," "See the Light" or, especially, the imminent kiss-off "Some Sweet Day," where Linkous grouses, "I was the one who loved you most/ But you can't put your arms around a ghost." A... See less

Added on 01/05/08

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Added on 01/05/08

On previous outings, Sparklehorse mastermind Mark Linkous was weird, but his recent near-death experience has rendered him weird and morbidly effervescent, a combination he puts to good effect on Good Morning Spider. A sonic collage of fractured pop... See more

On previous outings, Sparklehorse mastermind Mark Linkous was weird, but his recent near-death experience has rendered him weird and morbidly effervescent, a combination he puts to good effect on Good Morning Spider. A sonic collage of fractured pop songs that cut, stop, meander, rage forward, and sometimes disappear, it's a brilliant, complex, and emotional album, despite the fact that it's destined for obscurity. --Tod Nelson See less

Added on 01/05/08

Like Neil Young on the finer moments of Tonight's the Night, Sparklehorse leader Mark Linkous nails the lonesome-man dirge to the wall on this third long-player. Along with his kindred contemporaries (and guest musicians) Mercury Rev and... See more

Like Neil Young on the finer moments of Tonight's the Night, Sparklehorse leader Mark Linkous nails the lonesome-man dirge to the wall on this third long-player. Along with his kindred contemporaries (and guest musicians) Mercury Rev and Grandaddy, Linkous makes little secret of his worship for the Neil Young vibe, and he takes it in a direction that Young has never fully realized. It's a Wonderful Life's sweet melodies sound as if they were recorded on corroded tape, with fragility inherent both lyrically and musically; yet this is the least psychotic, and most cohesive Sparklehorse album to date. Linkous and his mates also benefit from appearances by Tom Waits, Cardigans crooner Nina Persson, and the most effectively used guest of all, PJ Harvey, who bites hard on one of the CD's few static rockers, "Piano Fire." Other highlights include the almost-fit-for-radio "King of Nails," the piano ballad "Sea of Teeth," and the hidden bonus track (eight minutes into track 13),... See less

Added on 01/05/08

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Added on 01/05/08

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Added on 01/05/08

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Added on 01/05/08

In 2000, the techno-folk troubadour Damon Gough, a.k.a. Badly Drawn Boy, won the U.K.-based Mercury Music Prize, Brit-pop's blue ribbon award. His first full-length, The Hour of Bewilderbeast, is a song cycle relaying the life span of a romantic... See more

In 2000, the techno-folk troubadour Damon Gough, a.k.a. Badly Drawn Boy, won the U.K.-based Mercury Music Prize, Brit-pop's blue ribbon award. His first full-length, The Hour of Bewilderbeast, is a song cycle relaying the life span of a romantic relationship with dry lyrical humor, soft-touch acoustic strumming, mellow horns, and gossamer strings. Repeated listenings are required, but like a down pillow, as your head sinks into this album, its warm comforts and rewards reveal themselves deep within a melodic cushion. --Beth Massa See less

Added on 01/05/08

Hot on the heels of their shock UK No. 1 single "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor", Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not confirms Sheffield's Arctic Monkeys as the UK underground's most proselytizing young preachers of the DIY gospel.... See more

Hot on the heels of their shock UK No. 1 single "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor", Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not confirms Sheffield's Arctic Monkeys as the UK underground's most proselytizing young preachers of the DIY gospel. Marrying nervy, caffeine-and-cigarettes indie clatter to conversational, pretense-free lyrics and the occasional burst of off-the-cuff eloquence ("No time for Montagues or Capulets/Just banging tunes and DJ sets," proffers "Dancefloor"), it's an instant, pulse-racing hit.No question, the Monkeys are more sinners than saints. The opening "The View from the Afternoon" predicts a ruckus with a whole lot more grit than the Kaisers can muster, while on the mellow "Riot Van," a tale of underage drinking and cop-baiting culminates in a messy beating in the back of a station wagon. Look beyond the Arctics' bristly, laddish exterior, however, because it's actually affairs of the heart that comprise this album's secret core: see the sweaty-palmed... See less