Whether you like rap, rock, classical or country, you’ll find your favorite music at the Thomas Crane Public Library in Quincy, MA.
Posted in Alt Rock, Indie, Soul, Vocal Pop on Aug 31st, 2010
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“The Sea is a testament to Rae’s artistic growth as it provides comfort to those left on the wistful side of eternal love, and insight to those who are not.”–All Music Guide
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“Janelle Monáe is not like other pop stars. The ArchAndroid, her debut album, is an 18-track, 70-minute conceptual opus, split into two suites, each one separated by ludicrously extravagant Overtures. To say it’s ambitious feels like damning with faint praise; its sheer musical scope – from the James Brown funk of Tightrope to [...]
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“Return of the Ankh is a relief in that Badu does not attempt to trump herself with a set that is even more intense and powerful than its predecessor…designed for instant kicked-back enjoyment.” –All Music Guide
Posted in Soul on May 20th, 2010
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“Since so few acts in the new millennium attempt the old-school soul that’s the specialty of Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, it may be easy to assume that they’re heralded simply because of their rarity: although they certainly sound like plenty of acts from back then, they’re praised because nobody else sounds [...]
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“This is hardcore, raw, unvarnished music that aims straight for the pelvis. Throw James Brown, Sam & Dave, and Wilson Pickett into a deep fryer and you’re close to Lewis’ knockout vocal attack. Fun, frisky, lascivious, and impossible to stay seated to, Black Joe Lewis has successfully tapped into a hip-shaking old-school groove [...]
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“These songs are so melodically strong, and the performances so consistently inspired, that the album reaffirms your hope that someone is still crafting music as raw, rootsy, and furiously funky as this for a contemporary market…that makes this an indispensable addition to any soul lover’s collection, regardless of age or demographic.” –All Music [...]
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“From north to south, and east to west, the soul revival rolls on. In the case of Deep Street Soul, that would be deep south, as in Australia. The band’s self-titled debut is a primarily instrumental offering that is unapologetically backward-looking, an homage that combines formidable chops with a relentless intensity from start [...]
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“A smart, sharp little sugar high, with Brown working her slightly scuffed vocals over zippy, high-gloss arrangements loaded with ear-candy detail.”–Los Angeles Times
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“[Benson] is, after all, perhaps the greatest jazz guitarist of all time, as well as a soulfully groovy R&B and pop master. In truth, it’s time for his entire audience to realize he’ll probably never focus on just one aspect of his art any more, but this recording comes as close as [...]
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“The queen of hip-hop soul splits her loyalty between three masters with the agility of a gymnast, but she manages to hold a mood with seamless transitions between each.”–Boston Globe
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“These dozen tracks continue to reveal [Stone's] versatility as a vocalist and recording artist; she can sing whatever it is she wants to with equal verve, authenticity, and flair.”–All Music Guide
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“On the powerful single “Can’t Hardly Wait,” the gritty soul singer expresses self-aggravation over her inability to cut loose a trifling lover. It’s just one of the powerful gems on the charismatic Dallas native’s Pink Elephant.”–All Music Guide
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“She continues to hit each note with the precise amount of retro pomp that one would expect, and there are again moments when the ’70s soul love affair gets a little carried away.”–Billboard.com
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“Inspired by discovering that some of her family roots are in New Orleans, a city with which she has long felt a deep spiritual connection, Teena Marie frames Congo Square around the Crescent City. It’s her third solid album of the decade. Like her two prior albums, Congo Square is a long, sprawling [...]
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“The result is Carey’s most sonically and tonally coherent release, a mix of love ballads (’Inseparable’) and sassy breakup anthems (’Standing O’) that might have been her best album had it been several songs shorter.”–Rolling Stone
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“Full of the kind of catchy tunes that usually mean a record label has spent a mint on expensive writers and producers, but the writing is all her own work. Her lyrics are more intelligent than your average 21-year-old’s, more sophisticated young woman than gobby teen.”–The Guardian
Posted in Blues, Rock/Pop, Soul, Southern Rock on Oct 2nd, 2009
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“Johns makes his post-Idol debut with Hold Back My Heart, a surprisingly strong album that finds him doing what he does best: soul, Southern rock, and contemporary blues.
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“Ledisi wails and belts with a kind of power previously untapped–in recorded form, at least–all the while maintaining remarkable finesse.”–All Music Guide
Posted in Soul on Oct 1st, 2009
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“All together it makes for an often sumptuous debut album of lithe, modern coffeehouse soul…that smartly avoids the bohemian.”–New York Times
Posted in Soul on Oct 1st, 2009
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“BLACKsummers’night is all devotion, regret, and heartache…The musicians morph with every shift in emotion through arrangements that are unfailingly exquisite and sensitively nuanced, even when they are briskly played.”–All Music Guide