“Ndegeocello is making some of the finest music of her life. Given her consistency of late, it’s quite possible that the same thing will be said of her output for as long as she is active.”–All Music Guide Check Our Catalog
Monthly Archive for February, 2012
Gillian Welch: The Harrow & The Harvest
Posted in Folk on Feb 16th, 2012
“The music is steeped in the early country, bluegrass, and Appalachian mountain traditions that are her trademark –though it engages rock and roll and blues motifs albeit acoustically–while the melodies and lyrics reflect the darkness and melancholy of Gothic Americana. The Harrow & the Harvest is stunning for its intimacy, its lack of studio artifice, [...]
“Picking up on the ‘60s soul undercurrent of Brothers, the Black Keys smartly capitalize on their 2010 breakthrough by plunging headfirst into retro-soul on El Camino. More than any other Black Keys album, El Camino is an outright party, playing like a collection of 11 lost 45 singles, each one having a bigger beat or [...]
“‘70s rock epics, trippy pop waltzes, piano ballads, Motown metal fusions, and orchestral folk songs are what they come up with, and the album rarely explores the same sound twice, bouncing between amalgamated genres with purpose and a sly grin.”–All Music Guide Check Our Catalog
Scott Sanchez: Lattice Work
Posted in Classical, Performed at the Crane, Solo Guitar on Feb 16th, 2012
“Superbly recorded and the playing throughout is exemplary with Sanchez taking great care with details such as tone and phrasing and he has a charming way of fashioning the melodic lines from his guitar. A most enjoyable new recording.”–Classical Guitar magazine Check Our Catalog
Drake: Take Care
Posted in R&B, Rap/Hip Hop on Feb 13th, 2012
“Take Care has the feel of a late-night R&B album, full of slow tempos, muted textures, impassioned crooning, and an introspective tone.” –All Music Guide Check Our Catalog
Downton Abbey: Original Music from the Television Series
Posted in Television on Feb 13th, 2012
“An enchanting piece of work, Downton Abbey is one of those soundtracks that perfectly complements its source material, but is also strong enough to stand alone on its own merit, too.” – Check Our Catalog
Matana Roberts: Coin Coin Chapter One: Gens de Couleur Libres
Posted in Avant-Garde Jazz on Feb 13th, 2012
“The exuberant cheers and applause from the small studio audience at performance’s end remind you that what you’ve just heard has happened in real time, making it all the more impressive. COIN COIN, the first half of a larger politically-charged and personal work, is one of those records you didn’t know you were waiting for, [...]
“The veteran bassist has long been one of the top soloists on his instrument and a significant composer as well. There are several fresh interpretations of standards, including a buoyant, lively Come Rain or Come Shine.” –All Music Guide Check Our Catalog
“Tomboy is a tricked-out, big-budget epic built for IMAX. Sonic Boom’s expansive mixing gives each sound greater prominence, and those sounds are some of the loveliest he’s yet produced.” –The Boston Phoenix Check Our Catalog
Lindi Ortega: Little Red Boots
Posted in Alt Rock, Alt-Country, Contemporary Country, Indie, Rock/Pop on Feb 13th, 2012
“Like prime Parton, the 12 songs here remain unfailingly upbeat while Lindi warbles about often woefully downbeat subjects, usually involving her love-life…keepers of country’s tragi-comic flame will clasp Lindi firmly to their bosoms.” –BBC Music Check Our Catalog
The Roots: undun
Posted in Rap/Hip Hop on Feb 13th, 2012
“Over 14 tracks and 38 filler-free minutes, the album traces the birth, cold-sweat life and early death of a street hustler, consumed by paranoia, crack and unfulfilled dreams…If an album can be both chilling and beautiful at once, undun is it.” –Chicago Tribune Check Our Catalog
Oneohtrix Point Never: Replica
Posted in Electronica on Feb 13th, 2012
“Lopatin projects a quietly desirous fetishism. Very nice, very nice.” –Tiny Mix Tapes Check Our Catalog
“Ices’ lush melodies and dreamy voice will convert skeptics and mesmerize supporters of Kate Bush and Joanna Newsom.” –Spin Check Our Catalog
” Stage Whisper is all slow-grinding skinny-jeans disco and breathy emotional detachment. In other words: impossibly chic, and impossibly French.” –Entertainment Weekly Check Our Catalog
Common: The Dreamer/The Believer
Posted in Rap/Hip Hop on Feb 13th, 2012
“At his best, the MC has managed to balance a modicum of street strut with a lover’s sensitivity and deliver both in an irresistible velvet flow. That’s exactly what he does here while firing out smart, intricate couplets.” –The Boston Globe Check Our Catalog
“Texas guitarist Gary Clark Jr. mixes up blues, jazz, soul, and rock as well as any player on the scene… Clark is the real deal.” –All Music Guide Check Our Catalog
Washed Out: Within and Without
Posted in Alt Rock, Electronica, Indie, Rock/Pop on Feb 13th, 2012
“This is subtle music, and begs to be held close to the vest. Washed Out, despite the label and increasing popularity, still feels like a secret, a hallmark of the best bedroom pop.” –Under the Radar Check Our Catalog
“T relates to impetuous youth on a primal level for good reason: he’s still there…This album is a stylized, slightly-paranoid romp sure to pluck the heartstrings of anyone who has ever lived life with reckless abandon.” –NOW Magazine Check Our Catalog
Jennifer Higdon: On a Wire
Posted in Classical on Feb 13th, 2012
“Jennifer Higdon is one of the leading American composers from the turn of the twenty first century era…she emerged as an important figure in the period of the new millenium with such orchestra works as blue cathedral (1999), City Scape (2002), and Concerto for Orchestra (2002). She has been prolific and versatile, producing music in [...]