Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

Two plus two be…fore you knew it A-plus came out with his first solo album. My Last Good Deed was born out of struggle, a birth from conflict, like finally mastering high school algebra after several nights of studying, dulled-down erasers, and poor grades on final exams. A-Plus finally makes ...

If you love partaking in jam sessions and have a thing for bands who take a chance and ooze creativity, then gAame, the latest release from Aa (BiG A little a) will definitely become your new favorite CD.While there is a definite lack of lyrical expression, Brooklyn’s Aa, who define ...

This album was a hard one to get through.  The attempts to listen while driving my car were met with failure.  Any other attempts when I couldn’t actively focus were also met with failure.  It wasn’t until I was in the comfort of my own house with a nice pair ...

Imagine a few friends sitting around and trying to find really weird sounds to include on a mix tape and you have Alex Ross-Iver’s “Best 2001-2005” album. This album seems to sample every weird beat line and synthesizer tone known to man. Ross-Iver has received recognition for his songwriting skills ...

Annie Sims’ new album serves up an easy, if not wholly satisfying, slice of her native East Tennessee countryside. With a voice reminiscent of Nancy Griffith, and backed up by guitar, fiddle, banjo and the Nashville String Machine, one wants her songs to resonate. But while most tracks are listenable ...

If Mazzy Star had auditioned for the Go-Go’s, singing lyrics by Tim Burton, with Pee-wee Herman at the mixing board and everyone flying on Quaaludes, you might have something approaching the innocent playful darkness of The Bastard Fairies debut album, Memento Mori. But what might be a disastrous mess of ...

Bjork's new album Volta reminded me of how my sister once described her impression of Tokyo. When you arrive you're bombarded with neon lights and high tech inventions but as soon as you turn the corner you are faced with some of the most ancient and spiritual sites on earth. ...

These days it seems like there are as many new metalcore bands as there were boy bands back in the 90s.  With all of the generic stuff that is out there, I went into Bloodjinn's new album expecting more standard metalcore fare.  Contrary to my expectations, "This Machine Runs on ...

Before I begin, I have to put a disclaimer out there:  I live in New Jersey.  That’s right, the land of the Boss, the land of the infamous Jersey Shore, and yes, the land of Jon Bon Jovi.  His music isn’t liked by everyone in the state, but it certainly ...

What an odd, wonderful, ill-timed piece of work this is. After nothing from Bryan Ferry for years, he reappears at a time when he easily qualifies for old age pension and favors us DYLANESQUE, a CD full of covers, by Bob Dylan, no less. The content is not as surprising ...

Pure trash.  Not thrash… TRASH.This band’s self-titled album, CHILD ABUSE, is summed up by it’s sleeve art that portrays a cut and pasted Chucky-esque doll head on top of some magazine cut-out body in stretched black plasticene (sans hands, for some reason[or  no reason]).  Essentially, trash art.If you get turned ...

I am not entire persuaded that Canadians can rap with authority. The decline and fall of Toronto notwithstanding, and even with Vancouver becoming the kiddy porn capital of the Western Hemisphere, the Great White North, as a general rule, lacks street cred. And a white rapper?! I’m just not sure. ...

I have always enjoyed samplers from record labels. Warner Music, in one of its long ago variations, popularized the media by selling by mail order two record sets (and I mean vinyl) for a couple of bucks, an unheard of bargain at that time. And there was good stuff on ...

Deejay Om’s REHEATED NAAN AND CURRY is a Bollywood influenced album of beats in search of masters.  In its present state, the album is perfect for a lounge over a hookah or other moderately relaxing activities like… tripping on mescaline.  Unfortunately, it makes one salivate for accompanying emcees that never ...

When it comes to rock vocalists, most have imitators or are imitators themselves. There are very few unique voices out there anymore. You know the ones I’m talking about, the voices that when you hear them you have no doubt that you know exactly who it is. Vocalists like Billy ...

Eisenhower Field Day is a trio from Indianapolis --- just down the road about two hours from where I’m sitting, actually --- who have released a full length project entitled LET’S NOT TELL LIES with an EP, OUR TIME IN THE COLONIES, on a single CD. I was surprised to ...

It’s frustrating to have to give a less-than-warm review to an album that seemed to promise so much. Listening to the first few bars of “Mirage,” the opening cut of Elisabeth Lohninger’s latest album, one is ready to be swept away. The Austrian-born New Yorker lays down a smoky-rich contralto, ...

Please follow these instructions: First insert the CD, How Far Our Bodies Go, then load it up.  Next, play the entire CD through.  This is an important step; don't just listen to the first track and write this one off as another album to collect dust in your collection of "seldom touched albums”. Play ...

The first thought that normally pops into my mind as I listen to a new album is, who does this band, musician, etc. sound like? This album, Great Divide, by Folio, really threw me for a loop. Upon listening to the first track I became instantly confused about who these ...

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The name Grendel is taken directly from the antagonist of the story “Beowulf”.  Following in the footsteps of this evil creature, Grendel's whole presentation has a dark and sinister feel.  I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when I first approached “Harsh Generation,” expecting some sort of nu metal or ...

In a time where a lot of hip-hop sounds the same it’s definitely welcome when independent artists bring something fresh to the table. Hollywood Kill call themselves the Rebels of Rhythm, meaning that their music isn’t generic and they, in their own words, "have created something hip-hop fans have not ...

Hopewell was formed in 1993 with the Russo brothers, Jason, the lead singer and guitarist, Justin, who plays the keys, mixes the samples, and provides backing vocals both of Hopewell Junction, New York and Jason Merritt or Whip (As he is affectionately nicknamed), the bassist, and Dalia Garih, the drummer ...

All of your nightmares are nigh upon your heels; Invisigoth beckons them unto you like a monger of interminable darkness…Just kidding.These guys, Cage and Viggo (Invisigoth), are a regular bunch of comedians.  A real Tango and Cash; Owen and Vince; Laurel and Hardy.  This album, ALCOHOLOCAUST, is probably one of ...