Pere Ubu – Carnival of Souls (Fire)
For an entity as dependently freewheeling as Pere Ubu, I shouldn’t have to say much. Of course this new LP is great. Better, I’d venture to say, than last year’s Re-mit, another latter-day release from a renowned cult institution. I mean, there’s a clarinetist on board now. You remember what I said about clarinet solos? […]
Tricky – Adrian Thaws (False Idols)
Hey. Guess how many guest vocalists Tricky enlisted for this album. Go on, guess. And no peeking. Because, let’s face it, folks: this Adrian Thaws is essentially this generation’s Nearly God, as the dark lord of trip hop once again hides behind the curtain and twiddles knobs for the modern-day divas who fell into his […]
FKA Twigs – LP1 (Young Turks)
Just nod your head and give up Well, that’s not yr run-of-the-mill portrait, is it? When I first saw it, I though surely I was looking at some porcelain doll. FKA Twigs’ LP doesn’t open like a run-of-the-mill R&B album, either. The first 30 seconds of LP1 steal in like sunlight from above, a choir […]
Mastodon – Once More ‘Round The Sun (Warner)
While Mastodon are generally considered one of the best metal bands to come out of the naughts, their newer material really shines. Once More ‘Round the Sun opens as all good metal albums should – with a chugging, stirring anthem about returning to life. I tend to consider this sort of metal, with its aggressive […]
Eagulls – Eagulls (Deranged)
What? When did this come out again? Three months ago, you say? Oh WHO CARES. Gems like this ought to be dredged up again and again to save our souls from the marble-ogling masses. Why? ‘Cos I’m puh-SESSED. Fuck the headphones. FUCK ‘EM! This is 80-miles-per-hour music, (yeah,I said miles – SUCK IT, WORLD), the […]
Sleaford Mods – Divide and Exit (Harbinger Sound)
BEEP BOO BEE BOP BEE BEE BOO BEE BOP We interrupt this regularly scheduled broadcast to bring you an important message from Nottingham: FUCK OFF WORLD. “Tied up in Nottz – with a zed, you cunt” Over in the UK, you see, a tidal wave of beaming press is building behind the boisterous duo Sleaford […]
Bob Dylan – Another Self Portrait (1969-1971) The Bootleg Series Vol. 10 (Columbia)
There are no simple truths here. There is just a millionaire recording artist with time on his hands, recording songs that he enjoys singing.
Chain & The Gang – In Cool Blood (K Records)
What’s cool? Chain & The Gang’s new album, In Cool Blood, might help us to answer this question.
John Grant – Pale Green Ghosts (Bella Union)
Pale Green Ghosts is an album as diverse and hilarious, as dying and alive, as life itself. What more could you ask for? Prior approval? Grow up. The music world is a lot bigger than Pitchfork, and there are far more interesting journeys to go on than the path from a publicist’s e-mail to a writer’s inbox.
CocoRosie – Tales Of A GrassWidow (City Slang)
Angela Carter crossed with the newspaper, myth and reality intertwined in a tragic dance. That’s CocoRosie right there.
