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“Since he first appeared on the national stage with 2003′s “Mississippi: The Album,” Banner has used his platform as an opportunity to showcase the best and worst qualities of Southern hip-hop. The contrast reaches a head-scratching apogee on “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” where Banner alternates furiously soulful tracks about inner-city violence (“So Long”) with [...]
“Sugarland’s third album, finely crafted with producer Byron Gallimore, is proof positive that singer/songwriters Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush are on the cusp of superstardom. Hooky and infectious first single “All I Want to Do,” currently No. 3 on Hot Country Songs, is a tantalizing tease of the album’s breadth. Steamy “What I’d Give” finds [...]
“Steely Dan’s Walter Becker hasn’t exactly made a habit of solo albums, and considering the muted reaction to his last one 14 years ago, you can’t say demand has overwhelmed supply. But “Circus Money” is an easy pleasure, 12 non-whack tracks largely co-written by Becker and producer Larry Klein, energized by a reggae rhythm base. [...]
“Because his records so rarely sound like anyone’s but his own, it’s easy to forget how much Beck thrives on collaborating with name-brand producers like Nigel Godrich and the Dust Brothers. For the follow-up to 2006′s “The Information” he teamed with Danger Mouse, and though the result is unmistakably the work of our favorite midnite [...]
“Neil Diamond was an international superstar by 1976, but nothing prepared him quite for the reception he met when he arrived for concerts in Australia and New Zealand. There are crowds as far as the eye can see during this Sydney show, originally broadcast on nationwide TV, and they eat up Diamond’s time-tested schtick from [...]
“”The Stranger” may not be Billy Joel’s best album, but it’s certainly his most important, the musical moment that took him from cult favorite to pop superstar. Thirty years on, it’s still a great record, and even better in this boxed anniversary incarnation. Like all career-defining works, “The Stranger” is a cohesive, loosely thematic piece [...] They altered the beat, and The Pussycat Dolls are only on the chorus, but it’s a nice, new version. I personally don’t like it as much as the original, however this is nice change of pace [...] I like the Remix better than the original. Mims provides a nice [...]
“If 2007′s “Trout’s latest disc comes via the Dutch label Provogue, which is not surprising, considering that his solo career took off in Europe years before he made a name for himself stateside. “The Outsider” reveals him and his bandmates hard at work doing what they do best: crunching together blues and rock to create [...]
“If 2007′s “Fancy Footwork” was Chromeo’s go at a slick dance party, then “Fancier Footwork” is the duo’s attempt to keep you bouncing in the club all night long. The reissue’s bonus disc packs cuts from Chromeo’s first album, 2004′s “She’s in Control,” and a number of remixes from the likes of DFA and Crookers. [...] |
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