Xmas - CD's (YAY)

Added on 11/09/06

Album Review As the title might suggest, this grunge-metal effort is suitably gloomy and visceral, both in the growling vocal delivery of lead singer Scooter and the band's triple guitar assault. While it's nothing remarkable, there are enough decent... See more

Album Review As the title might suggest, this grunge-metal effort is suitably gloomy and visceral, both in the growling vocal delivery of lead singer Scooter and the band's triple guitar assault. While it's nothing remarkable, there are enough decent hooks to tunes like "End Of The World" and "Just Got Wicked" to make the album appealing to even the downright optimistic. ~ Tim Sheridan, All Music Guide See less

Added on 11/09/06

Beyoncé: Crazy In Love (w/Jay-Z); Coldplay: Clocks; 50 Cent: In Da Club; Eminem: Lose Yourself; Fountains Of Wayne: Stacy’s Mom; plus Eagles, others.

Beyoncé: Crazy In Love (w/Jay-Z); Coldplay: Clocks; 50 Cent: In Da Club; Eminem: Lose Yourself; Fountains Of Wayne: Stacy’s Mom; plus Eagles, others. See less

Highlights: Los Sánchez $5.99 add to your:

Added on 11/09/06

Album Review On their self-titled full-length debut, the 22-20s craft a more traditional, and more British, take on blues-inflected rock than Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or the White Stripes, two of the bands most often mentioned when describing this... See more

Album Review On their self-titled full-length debut, the 22-20s craft a more traditional, and more British, take on blues-inflected rock than Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or the White Stripes, two of the bands most often mentioned when describing this young, prolifically touring band. "22-20s" reveals a group far less trippy than BRMC and not nearly as fiery and arty as the Stripes; they're actually more like the British equivalent of blues-rock standard-bearers such as the Black Keys. Shades of the Yardbirds color the revved-up guitars and harmonicas on "Devil In Me," while the band's first single, "Such A Fool," updates the dour, spare sound of Eric Burdon & the Animals only slightly. That the 22-20s reach back to the admittedly rich tradition of British blues isn't a problem; what's troublesome is that the band doesn't bring much inspiration to it. Songs like "22 Days" and "I'M The One" feel forced and blustery, and make heartache sound downright boring. Some of the bluesier cuts are... See less

Added on 11/10/06

Album Review Widely adored when it appeared in 1992, Arrested Development's debut album, "3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of..." seemed to herald a shining new era in alternative rap, when audiences and critics of all colors could agree on the... See more

Album Review Widely adored when it appeared in 1992, Arrested Development's debut album, "3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of..." seemed to herald a shining new era in alternative rap, when audiences and critics of all colors could agree on the music's importance. Of course, that didn't happen, as Dr. Dre instead took gangsta rap to the top of the charts with "The Chronic". In retrospect, "3 Years..." isn't quite as revolutionary as it first seemed, though it's still a fine record that often crosses the line into excellence. Its positive messages were the chief selling point for many rock critics, and it's filled with pleas for black unity and brotherly compassion, as well as a devotion to the struggle for equality. All of that is grounded in a simple, upbeat spirituality that also results in tributes to the homeless (the hit "Mr. Wendal"), black women of all shapes and sizes, and the natural world. It's determinedly down to earth, and that aesthetic informs the group's music as... See less

Highlights: Zingalamaduni $5.99 add to your:

Added on 11/10/06

Jared Leto, brother Shannon & co. strip down their sound for brutally honest soph set. Attack, The Kill (Bury Me), From Yesterday, Was It A Dream, etc.

Jared Leto, brother Shannon & co. strip down their sound for brutally honest soph set. Attack, The Kill (Bury Me), From Yesterday, Was It A Dream, etc. See less

Added on 11/09/06

An agonizing period of upheaval spawned these wrenching hard rock songs. Happens All The Time, Back Home, The Calm That Killed The Storm, God’s Song, etc.

An agonizing period of upheaval spawned these wrenching hard rock songs. Happens All The Time, Back Home, The Calm That Killed The Storm, God’s Song, etc. See less

Added on 11/09/06

Album Review It's hard not to wonder if Wilco's breakthrough 2002 release, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", would have been such a critical success and so eagerly embraced by the indie rock community if it hadn't become such a cause célèbre thanks to the band... See more

Album Review It's hard not to wonder if Wilco's breakthrough 2002 release, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", would have been such a critical success and so eagerly embraced by the indie rock community if it hadn't become such a cause célèbre thanks to the band being unceremoniously dropped by Reprise Records, and then signed by Nonesuch after the album had become a hot item on the Internet. Much of the critical reaction to the album, while almost uniformly enthusiastic (and rightly so), had an odd undertow that suggested the writers were not especially familiar with Wilco's body of work, registering a frequent sense of surprise that an "alt-country" band would make such an adventurous album while ignoring the creative shape-shifting that had been so much a part of Jeff Tweedy and company's approach on "Being There" and "Summerteeth". The irony is that 2004's "A Ghost Is Born", the eagerly awaited follow-up to "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", is also the Wilco album with the strongest stylistic link to... See less

Highlights: Summer Teeth $5.99 add to your:

Added on 11/09/06

Album Review Versatile urban dance-pop singer Rihanna gracefully avoids the sophomore slump with "A Girl Like Me", a less tropical-flavored, more urban effort than her sun-and-fun debut. Then again, it's hard to be an effervescent island goddess 24-7... See more

Album Review Versatile urban dance-pop singer Rihanna gracefully avoids the sophomore slump with "A Girl Like Me", a less tropical-flavored, more urban effort than her sun-and-fun debut. Then again, it's hard to be an effervescent island goddess 24-7 when your love life has suffered a crushing blow, something inferred by the numerous heartbreaking ballads included, all of them elegant, mature, and displaying artistic growth. Fans of her brilliant single "Pon De Replay" need not worry, though, as the album kicks off with its equal. Bursting out of the speakers, "Sos" is a sexy club tune that bites the bleepy riff from Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" in a very modern, very exciting mash-up fashion. The crunchy reggae of "Kisses Don'T Lie" offers a less revolutionary alternative to Damian Marley's "Welcome To Jamrock." Then the album gets bolder and seamlessly bounces from genre to genre. Attempting things that would make lesser artists crumble, Rihanna goes from a film noir song that... See less

Highlights: Music Of The Sun $5.99 add to your:

Added on 11/09/06

Album Review Unlike most tribute albums from the '90s, "A Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan" isn't a lifeless collection of piecemeal studio performances -- it's a fiery, living tribute, which is only fitting for a guitarist that shone intensely and... See more

Album Review Unlike most tribute albums from the '90s, "A Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan" isn't a lifeless collection of piecemeal studio performances -- it's a fiery, living tribute, which is only fitting for a guitarist that shone intensely and brightly during his brief life. Recorded live in Stevie Ray's hometown of Austin, Texas, the album features many of Vaughan's idols, friends, and admirers ripping through his most famous numbers. Many of these musicians -- including his brother Jimmie, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, and Buddy Guy -- played with Stevie the night he died, which makes the record all the more poignant; also on hand are superstars like B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Dr. John, and Art Neville. Although the memory and occasion remain bittersweet, the music on the album is simply teeming with life -- everybody plays their heart out. Best of all are the collective jams at the end and the two new songs, "Six Strings Down" and "SRV Blues," which were written in Vaughan's memory. In... See less

Added on 11/09/06

Album Review "Add It Up" is not quite the definitive Violent Femmes compilation one might hope for, even if it does feature 23 tracks and adds essential later items missing from their first comp, "Debacle: The First Decade". There are several... See more

Album Review "Add It Up" is not quite the definitive Violent Femmes compilation one might hope for, even if it does feature 23 tracks and adds essential later items missing from their first comp, "Debacle: The First Decade". There are several charming rarities to hook dedicated fans, who will likely find several favorites missing (perhaps another song or two could have been substituted for the between-song bits). The group's self-titled debut does a better job of encapsulating why they were important, and remains the first Femmes album to buy; besides, no compilation that includes live versions of "Kiss Off" and "Add It Up" in place of the original studio cuts can claim to be definitive. However, even casual fans who enjoyed "Violent Femmes" will find post-debut songs like "American Music" and "I Held Her In My Arms" to be essential, so even if "Add It Up" is a little too imperfect to be a necessary first purchase, it's definitely a necessary second purchase. Unless you're a diehard... See less

Highlights: Freak Magnet $5.99 add to your:

Added on 11/09/06

Album Review A truly refreshing thing about Train's "Alive at Last" is its sound; it feels like a bootleg recording, where the microphones were all located in the audience, capturing the performance as it happened -- flaws and all. For those seeking... See more

Album Review A truly refreshing thing about Train's "Alive at Last" is its sound; it feels like a bootleg recording, where the microphones were all located in the audience, capturing the performance as it happened -- flaws and all. For those seeking pristinely edited mobile unit sound, this isn't for you. This one is for the legions of fanatics that Train inspire. All of the hits are here, and the set opens with (what else?) "Calling All Angels" as the crowd loses it right away and sings along. Listeners can hear the beer bottles tinkling in "Meet Virgina" just before the band erupts on the refrain. Of course, "Drops Of Jupiter" is here as is "Sweet Rain," "All American Girl," "Get To Me," and "Stay With Me," which closes it out. Train are on throughout; they don't sound as if they're going through the motions. It's the thing that people love and hate about them the most: they mean it, every word, every beat, every crunchy guitar fill that bleeds into the verse. The singalong parts are... See less

Highlights: For Me It's You $5.99 add to your:

Added on 11/09/06

Album Review In a way, the Ramones are an ideal band to anthologize. No matter how cohesive their records were (or not), their albums always played like collections of singles and since singles are easy to anthologize, it stands to reason that the... See more

Album Review In a way, the Ramones are an ideal band to anthologize. No matter how cohesive their records were (or not), their albums always played like collections of singles and since singles are easy to anthologize, it stands to reason that the best of the Ramones' songs will sound good in nearly any context; hell, the haphazard "Ramones Mania" proved that. However, Rhino's double-disc "Hey! Ho! Let's Go: The Anthology" has much greater goals than being just being another collection -- it strives to be the final word on the Ramones. Weighing in at nearly 60 songs, with a hardcover book that includes an excellent history by David Fricke, it has to be said that the set has the heft of history, which is both a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing because "Anthology" does its job perfectly -- apart from "We'Re A Happy Family," no major songs are missing and it tells its history succinctly, even at its length. The problem is that the Ramones did drop in quality sometime after "End of... See less

Highlights: $11.98 2-CD Set add to your:

Added on 11/09/06

Album Review "At Folsom Prison" was one of two legendary live albums Johnny Cash recorded in front of a prison audience in the late '60s. Part of the appeal of the records is the way Cash plays to the audience, selecting a set of songs that are all... See more

Album Review "At Folsom Prison" was one of two legendary live albums Johnny Cash recorded in front of a prison audience in the late '60s. Part of the appeal of the records is the way Cash plays to the audience, selecting a set of songs that are all about prison, crime, murder, regret, loss, mother, God, and loneliness. Cash stimulates the audience's emotions, which in turn stimulates his performance, especially since he delivers the songs with the conviction of someone who has lived through it. There aren't many hits on the record -- "Folsom Prison Blues," "I Still Miss Someone," "Jackson," "Give My Love To Rose," and "I Got Stripes" are the familiar items -- but few albums come as close to capturing the darkness and rage that lays deep in Cash's music, as well as the depth of his talent. [The 1999 CD reissue of "At Folsom Prison" presents the complete concert, including three previously unreleased tracks: "Busted," "Joe Bean," and "The Legend Of John Henry'S Hammer."] ~ Stephen Thomas... See less

Highlights: Life $5.99 add to your: