Herbaliser, The
Twórczość Herbalisera pokazuje, jak elastyczna może być hiphopowa formuła. Dokonania londyńskiego duetu niewiele mają wspólnego z kojarzonymi z tym gatunkiem stereotypami....
Elton John - Elton John (Deluxe Edition)
Artist: Elton John Review: Elton John was a lot of things — sideman, session man and flop, with a long tail of failed solo releases, including the 1969 LP Empty Sky — before 1970's Elton John made him an overnight star. He wasn't afraid to admit it. John packed a bonus scrapbook in the original lavish packaging of 1975's Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy with bad-hair photos, comic music-press ads ("You've been warned! Elton John is 1968's great new talent") and other ample proof of his time, with... Rating: 4 Stars
Elton John - Tumbleweed Connection (Deluxe Edition)
Artist: Elton John Review: Elton John was a lot of things — sideman, session man and flop, with a long tail of failed solo releases, including the 1969 LP Empty Sky — before 1970's Elton John made him an overnight star. He wasn't afraid to admit it. John packed a bonus scrapbook in the original lavish packaging of 1975's Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy with bad-hair photos, comic music-press ads ("You've been warned! Elton John is 1968's great new talent") and other ample proof of his time, with... Rating: 4.5 Stars
ZZ Top - Eliminator
Artist: ZZ Top Review: Mention dance rock and people think of Franz Ferdinand or Duran Duran. But when it comes to the American edition, nothing matches the ferocity or success of ZZ Top's 1983 Eliminator, a landmark blend of traditional Texan boogie blues, New Wave synths and disco-steady beats that sold over 10 million U.S. units. Yielding the band's sleek pop breakthrough, "Legs," and a slew of similarly strutting rock-radio staples, Eliminator announced a major studio reinvention from a hairy Houston threesome... Rating: 4.5 Stars
The Verve - Forth
Artist: The Verve Review: Two of the best psychedelic rock shows I've ever seen were by this British band, in London and New York, in the summer of 1993, and most of the Verve's fourth record — their first after a decade apart — is a return to that whirlpool-guitar, shaman-song form. "Sit and Wonder" is what they meant by their 1993 album title A Storm in Heaven: the trancelike gallop of bassist Simon Jones and drummer Peter Salisbury; guitarist Nick McCabe's creamy distortion and ascending rings of tremolo... Rating: 4 Stars
Tricky
Świat usłyszał o Trickym w 1991 roku, gdy światło dzienne ujrzał kultowy debiut Massive Attack "Blue Lines". Kilka lat później był już w pełni samodzielnym artystą ? jednym z najbardziej wyrazistych na triphopowej scenie. ...
Various Artists - Everything that Happens Will Happen Today
Artist: Various Artists Review: David Byrne and Brian Eno retreated to pop's periphery years ago, but their influence is suddenly front and center. There are echoes of Byrne's old band, Talking Heads, in the avant-funk of LCD Soundsystem and other dance-rock bands, and you can hear the singer's workaday hysteria in the cadences of Arcade Fire's Win Butler and Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock. Coldplay sought producer Eno to help them make Viva la Vida, a record that recalls another album with Eno's mark, U2's The Joshua Tree.... Rating: 4 Stars
The Academy Is. . . - Fast Times At Barrington High
Artist: The Academy Is. . . Review: In every emo band's career, there comes a time for "growing up" — dealing with more serious subject matter and jettisoning pop punk for a broader sound. Fall Out Boy have gone that route, but their friends the Academy Is. . . are happy to stay young a little longer. On their third album, themed around the senior year of high school, frontman William Beckett captures the struggle of being 18: the feeling that these are "the best days of our lives," as he sings on "After the Last Midtown Sho... Rating: 3 Stars
Death Vessel - Nothing is Precious Enough For Us
Artist: Death Vessel Review: No, Joel Thibodeau is not a girl. Though the Death Vessel mastermind, whose falsetto matches his pixielike stature and long hair, is probably used to people making that mistake. On Thibodeau's Sub Pop debut, his voice is as delicate as Juliana Hatfield's, threading wispy notes into haunting ballads that crib from the backwoods folk of acts like Iron and Wine. The result evokes a makeshift jam session in an Appalachian cabin: fingerpicked ditties like "Block My Eye" and "Jitterakadie" use railroa... Rating: 3.5 Stars
Elton John - Tumbleweed Connection
Artist: Elton John Review: Elton John was a lot of things — sideman, session man and flop, with a long tail of failed solo releases, including the 1969 LP Empty Sky — before 1970's Elton John made him an overnight star. He wasn't afraid to admit it. John packed a bonus scrapbook in the original lavish packaging of 1975's Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy with bad-hair photos, comic music-press ads ("You've been warned! Elton John is 1968's great new talent") and other ample proof of his time, with... Rating: 4.5 Stars
Various Artists - Nobody Knows Anything - DFA presents Supersoul Recordings
Artist: Various Artists Review: Having built the most reliable brand in freakably fusion-minded dance music with artists like LCD Soundsystem and the Rapture, DFA Records has decided to globalize. The debut release on its international Death From Abroad imprint collects tracks from Supersoul, a two-year-old Berlin label whose bastardized beats flaunt the same formal disregard that makes DFA so great. Because the material is from a German operation, there are minimalist 4/4 techno rhythms (Mogg and Naudascher's "Moon Unit Pt.... Rating: 3 Stars
Płyny
Warszawski zespół Płyny został utworzony latem 2004 roku z inicjatywy Igora Spolskiego - tudzież Igora Spolski - (gitara, wokal) i Szymona Tarkowskiego (bas, wokal). Muzycy poznali się dużo wcześniej w teatrze Stara ProchOFFnia....
Beck
Krytycy długo uważali, że Beck jest tylko człowiekiem jednego przeboju i zniknie ze sceny tak szybko, jak się na niej pojawił....
Shwayze - Shwayze
Artist: Shwayze Review: Cisco Adler, leader of Los Angeles sleaze rockers Whitestarr, is famous for his well-connected dad (producer Lou Adler), ex-girlfriends (like Mischa Barton) and his ballsy nude photo, which leaked online last year. His newest hobby is producing tracks (and an MTV reality show) for 22-year-old Malibu chill-hop rapper Shwayze, whose breezy flow is a hybrid of Young MC and Digable Planets' Butterfly. Adler's no beat master, and the tracks on Shwayze all sound like variations on thumb-strummed Jack... Rating: 2.5 Stars
Jonas Brothers - A Little Bit Longer
Artist: Jonas Brothers Review: History teaches us not to dismiss kiddie pop. Stevie Wonder was once Little Stevie Wonder, just as Lil Wayne was once little Lil Wayne, child gangsta rapper. And let's not forget ex-Mouseketeers Britney and Justin. Purists disdain teenybopper music as cynical pap, foisted on the young by Svengalis who lurk in the shadows, counting money. But bubblegum can be a great farm system, honing skills that pay dividends in later life. Lately, Disney's kiddie pop has been plenty profitable, with High... Rating: 4 Stars
Miley Cyrus - Breakout
Artist: Miley Cyrus Review: History teaches us not to dismiss kiddie pop. Stevie Wonder was once Little Stevie Wonder, just as Lil Wayne was once little Lil Wayne, child gangsta rapper. And let's not forget ex-Mouseketeers Britney and Justin. Purists disdain teenybopper music as cynical pap, foisted on the young by Svengalis who lurk in the shadows, counting money. But bubblegum can be a great farm system, honing skills that pay dividends in later life. Lately, Disney's kiddie pop has been plenty profitable, with High... Rating: 3.5 Stars
Vanessa Hudgens - Identified
Artist: Vanessa Hudgens Review: History teaches us not to dismiss kiddie pop. Stevie Wonder was once Little Stevie Wonder, just as Lil Wayne was once little Lil Wayne, child gangsta rapper. And let's not forget ex-Mouseketeers Britney and Justin. Purists disdain teenybopper music as cynical pap, foisted on the young by Svengalis who lurk in the shadows, counting money. But bubblegum can be a great farm system, honing skills that pay dividends in later life. Lately, Disney's kiddie pop has been plenty profitable, with High... Rating: 3 Stars
Various Artists - Camp Rock
Artist: Various Artists Review: History teaches us not to dismiss kiddie pop. Stevie Wonder was once Little Stevie Wonder, just as Lil Wayne was once little Lil Wayne, child gangsta rapper. And let's not forget ex-Mouseketeers Britney and Justin. Purists disdain teenybopper music as cynical pap, foisted on the young by Svengalis who lurk in the shadows, counting money. But bubblegum can be a great farm system, honing skills that pay dividends in later life. Lately, Disney's kiddie pop has been plenty profitable, with High... Rating: 2.5 Stars
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young - CSNY/Deja Vu Live
Artist: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young Review: The highlight of this soundtrack to CSNY: Déjà Vu, Neil Young's film about the group's 2006 Freedom of Speech Tour, comes after Young sings "Let's Impeach the President" to an Atlanta audience that suddenly divides like Congress, equally booing and cheering. The performance proves that material from Young's Living With War, an indictment of the Bush regime, wasn't just aimed at the converted. Young's songs are the true rocket-launchers on Déjà Vu Live. His squiggly guitar blasts also act as the... Rating: 3 Stars
Lloyd - Lessons In Love
Artist: Lloyd Review: Lloyd Harlin Polite Jr. isn't your average R&B smoothie — he's much hornier. On his third album, the 22-year-old New Orleans native trains his high croon on titles like "Have My Baby" and "Sex Education," coming off like a pop-wise lothario or a slightly less-weird version of R. Kelly. With help from producers like Eric Hudson and Polow Da Don, Lloyd keeps it brightly tuneful over an Eric B. and Rakim sample and other pricey beats outfitted with electro squiggles. Between its love for inte... Rating: 3 Stars
A Fine Frenzy
Alison nie od razu obiera kurs na muzyczną karierę. Dopiero jako siedemnastolatka, zainspirowana twórczością zespołów takich jak Coldplay i Keane, rozpoczyna naukę gry na fortepianie. Pierwsze piosenki układa, grając wyłącznie dwoma palcami....
Simone Nina
Historia Niny Simone to przede wszystkim historia Afroamerykanki, kobiety, artystki, pianistki i wokalistki, której publiczność nadała tytuł "dr". ...
Dąbrowska Ania
Wierna w muzyce latom 60. i 70., choć nadal dążąca do artystycznego rozwoju i uciekająca przed jednoznaczną etykietką. Każda z trzech jej płyt pokazała Anię jako wrażliwą i bystrą obserwatorkę ludzkich zachowań....
Big Blue Ball (Peter Gabriel) - Big Blue Ball
Artist: Big Blue Ball (Peter Gabriel) Review: Gabriel fans hoping for a follow-up to 2002's Up will have to keep waiting. Big Blue Ball is neither new nor is it strictly Gabriel, although the pioneering art rocker's aesthetic stamp (and, on four songs, his voice) is all over this global-music mosaic. In the early Nineties, Gabriel staged a series of jam sessions at his Real World Studios in the English countryside, where musicians ranging from Sinéad O'Connor to Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid to soukous legend Papa Wemba sang or played... Rating: 3 Stars
Dr. Dog - Fate
Artist: Dr. Dog Review: "Let go of the old ones/We've got some new ones," sings Scott McMicken on "The Old Days," a woozy parlor-room piano-rock reverie. The Philadelphia band's albums have always sounded like they should be filed alongside "old ones" like the Band, the Beach Boys, the Beatles and the Bonzo Dog Band, but Fate feels less like a straight tribute to Dr. Dog's elders and more like a finely tuned collage. "The Breeze" begins as a trembling folkie ballad for acoustic guitar, piano and harmonica, then... Rating: 3 Stars
O.A.R. - All Sides
Artist: O.A.R. Review: Like fellow jam bands Phish and Dispatch, O.A.R. have built an impressive fan base by touring incessantly and encouraging fans to trade bootlegs of their shows. That strategy has helped them sell over 1.4 million records and score headlining gigs at Madison Square Garden, and on their sixth album, they've cultivated a slick pop sound to match their arena-size ambitions. Produced by Matt Wallace (Maroon 5), All Sides features glossy modern-rock songs that range from sweeping ballads ("One Day,"... Rating: 2 Stars
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Randy Newman - Harps and Angels
Artist: Randy Newman Review: Randy Newman has earned a nice living in recent years as a film composer, but connoisseurs covet his Seventies work, when he emerged as one of the most cutting and empathic of American singer-songwriters. So his return to political-minded material on Harps and Angels is reason to wrap yourself in the flag and cheer. Newman works with piano, an orchestra and a Dixieland-style combo, using American musical tradition to amplify irony and yank heartstrings. The best moments echo classics like... Rating: 4 Stars
Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst
Artist: Conor Oberst Review: On last year's "Cassadaga," Conor Oberst left his home in New York to wander the country's byways. On his latest album, recorded in Mexico, the Omaha, Nebraska, native is still drifting, having ditched both his Bright Eyes moniker and longtime producer Mike Mogis. A rough-hewn, death-haunted travelogue, this set proves that while you can run from home, you can't run from yourself. And sometimes that's OK. Largely, this is the introspective folk rock of Bright Eyes, though there's some welcome... Rating: 3.5 Stars
U2 - Boy
Artist: U2 Review: From the beginning, U2 aspired to profound ecstasy. But it took Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. a while to get there. Two of U2's first three albums are undeniable classics: 1980's precociously magnificent Boy for its proudly spiritual optimism in the thick of post-punk nihilism and for the Edge's reveille-treble guitar; 1983's War for its arena-rock muscle tone (honed over three years of touring) and the matured blend of soldier's ardor and pop wile in the singles "Sunday... Rating: 4.5 Stars
U2 - October
Artist: U2 Review: From the beginning, U2 aspired to profound ecstasy. But it took Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. a while to get there. Two of U2's first three albums are undeniable classics: 1980's precociously magnificent Boy for its proudly spiritual optimism in the thick of post-punk nihilism and for the Edge's reveille-treble guitar; 1983's War for its arena-rock muscle tone (honed over three years of touring) and the matured blend of soldier's ardor and pop wile in the singles "Sunday... Rating: 4 Stars
U2 - War
Artist: U2 Review: From the beginning, U2 aspired to profound ecstasy. But it took Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. a while to get there. Two of U2's first three albums are undeniable classics: 1980's precociously magnificent Boy for its proudly spiritual optimism in the thick of post-punk nihilism and for the Edge's reveille-treble guitar; 1983's War for its arena-rock muscle tone (honed over three years of touring) and the matured blend of soldier's ardor and pop wile in the singles "Sunday... Rating: 4.5 Stars
Kings Of Caramel
Trzon zespołu Kings Of Caramel tworzą Bogusław Szarmach (bas) oraz znany z ostatniej edycji Ścianki, a przede wszystkim z Kristen - Michał Biela (tu jako gitarzysta, wokalista i autor tekstów). ...
Courteeners, The
Na pierwszej próbie spotkali się w 2006 roku. Rok później do mediów trafił ich pierwszy singiel. Po półtorarocznej działalności mają na koncie debiutancki album "St. Jude"....
Van Morrison - Veedon Fleece
Artist: Van Morrison Review: By 1974, Van Morrison was probably exhausted. During the past ten years, the Irish troubadour had morphed from a garage rock king (as the leader of Them) to a pop hit machine to the craftsman of such landmark albums as Astral Weeks and Tupelo Honey. His eighth album, Veedon Fleece, hit stores in late 1974, shortly after the release of those instantly accessible masterpieces — and it was greeted by a collective shrug by the rock critical establishment. Time has proven them wrong. The album... Rating: 4 Stars
The Herbaliser
Twórczość Herbalisera pokazuje, jak elastyczna może być hiphopowa formuła. Dokonania londyńskiego duetu niewiele mają wspólnego z kojarzonymi z tym gatunkiem stereotypami....
An On Bast
Na świecie elektroniczna scena coraz bardziej się feminizuje, choć wśród tych naprawdę wyrazistych i znaczących postaci kobiece nazwiska są wciąż w mniejszości....
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Bang Gang
Z czym się kojarzy Polakom Islandia? Z gejzerami i krańcem Europy. Może dzięki koncertom Bang Gang zacznie się kojarzyć z dobrą muzyką alternatywną. ...
Charlatans, The
Jeżeli nigdy nie słyszeliście o The Charlatans, to znaczy, że prawdziwe muszą być słowa: są jednym z najbardziej niedocenianych brytyjskich zespołów założonych w latach 90....
Tricky
Świat usłyszał o Trickym w 1991 roku, gdy światło dzienne ujrzał kultowy debiut Massive Attack "Blue Lines". Kilka lat później był już w pełni samodzielnym artystą ? jednym z najbardziej wyrazistych na triphopowej scenie. ...
Waglewski, Fisz i Emade
Ojciec i dwaj synowie. Legenda rocka i legendy hip hopu - razem tworzą historię. ...
Randy Newman - Harps and Angels
Artist: Randy Newman Review: Randy Newman has earned a nice living in recent years as a film composer, but connoisseurs covet his Seventies work, when he emerged as one of the most cutting and empathic of American singer-songwriters. So his return to political-minded material on Harps and Angels is reason to wrap yourself in the flag and cheer. Newman works with piano, an orchestra and a Dixieland-style combo, using American musical tradition to amplify irony and yank heartstrings. The best moments echo classics like... Rating: 4 Stars
Katy Perry - One Of The Boys
Artist: Katy Perry Review: "I hope you hang yourself with your H&M scarf/While jacking off listening to Mozart," Katy Perry tells her metrosexual ex on "Ur So Gay." Risqué words, coming from the daughter of two Christian pastors who only let her listen to gospel tunes as a kid. Now 23, the L.A. singer bucks the WWJD'ers with a debut full of mall-punky, grrrl-power tunes produced by Glen Ballard (Alanis Morissette) and Dr. Luke (Avril Lavigne). But her attention-grabbing doesn't feel very rebellious: On the New Wave-y club... Rating: 2 Stars
Dion, Son Of Skip James
Son Of Skip James is one for both longtime fans AND blues afficianados alike?
Mattafix, Rhythm & Hymns
This has its share of pop hooks, but attempts to square this with Mattafix's world music sympathies don?t always come off.
Joy Division
Mimo że Control nie jest filmem muzycznym, to muzyka w największym stopniu oddziałuje na nasze zmysły. ...
Domu Presents Pete Simpson, Look A Little Further
The ethic here is to retain a sense of realness, both vocally and instrumentally.
Boyz II Men, Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA
Comparisons to the originals will always be made and are often less than complimentary.
Neon Neon, Stainless Style
A post-modern wonder, as sleek as its subject matter.
Cajun Dance Party, Colourful Life
Rather than being a masterpiece in itself, it's more a brief ? yet highly effective ? demonstration of genuine potential.
Tom Baxter, Skybound
You could do far, far worse than this generally lovely album.
Tapes 'n Tapes, Walk It Off
Walk It Off? More like sleep it off...
Luciano, Jah Is My Navigator
Jah Is My Navigator is a return to form, and a good indication of what the fuss is about.
David Banner - The Greatest Story Ever Told
Artist: David Banner Review: Much of David Banner's charm lies in his bulldozer flow, his political awareness and his innovative production skills: His xylophone-laden beat for Lil Wayne's "La La" was one of the best on Tha Carter III. But on his fifth album, Banner battles with his urge to bring standard-issue Dirty South chart-toppers and cred-building hardness: The Greatest Story Ever Told is long on brawling tracks like "9mm," which banks on overbearing rhymes about gunplay. There are also pop-wise club jams like... Rating: 2.5 Stars
Raconteurs, The
Rok 2005. Środek upalnego lata. Spotkanie dwóch muzyków przy szklance schłodzonej lemoniady. Dalszy scenariusz jest prosty. Piszą piosenkę, świetnie się dogadują, powstaje zespół, nagrywają płytę, jadą w wielką trasę....
Simone Nina
Historia Niny Simone to przede wszystkim historia Afroamerykanki, kobiety, artystki, pianistki i wokalistki, której publiczność nadała tytuł "dr". ...
Beck
Krytycy długo uważali, że Beck jest tylko człowiekiem jednego przeboju i zniknie ze sceny tak szybko, jak się na niej pojawił....
Jonas Brothers - A Little Bit Longer
Artist: Jonas Brothers Review: History teaches us not to dismiss kiddie pop. Stevie Wonder was once Little Stevie Wonder, just as Lil Wayne was once little Lil Wayne, child gangsta rapper. And let's not forget ex-Mouseketeers Britney and Justin. Purists disdain teenybopper music as cynical pap, foisted on the young by Svengalis who lurk in the shadows, counting money. But bubblegum can be a great farm system, honing skills that pay dividends in later life. Lately, Disney's kiddie pop has been plenty profitable, with High... Rating: 4 Stars
Toots and the Maytals, Light Your Light
Toots' voice sounds just as captivating as it did in the 60s.