Reviews of Attainable Hi-Fi & Home-Theater Equipment
- Details
- Written by: Joseph Taylor
- Category: Featured Releases
Anti- 87455-2
Format: CD
Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment
Brian King and David Prowse met in 2000, at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, and soon found they had similar tastes in music. They attended shows together, and in 2006 formed a band -- by which time Prowse had moved to Vancouver, having transferred to Simon Fraser University. King was the guitarist and primary singer, Prowse the drummer. They settled on a name, Japandroids, which combined ideas from both of them: Prowse liked Japanese Scream; King came up with Pleasure Droids.
- Details
- Written by: Joseph Taylor
- Category: Featured Releases
Warner Bros. 557761-2
Format: CD
Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment
It’s hard to think of a band as innovative, experimental, and willfully strange as the Flaming Lips. Even their mainstream successes, which include The Soft Bulletin (1999) and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002), are sonically and thematically unusual. Nor are the Lips afraid to shift their approach from album to album. Embryonic (2009) sounded harsher and even more sonically dense than its predecessor At War with the Mystics (2006), and The Terror (2013) seemed to move even more toward scratchy guitars and dissonance.
- Details
- Written by: Joseph Taylor
- Category: Featured Releases
Redwing RWR023
Format: CD
Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment
Bonnie Raitt has been making records since 1971, and a few have been commercial successes. Sweet Forgiveness (1977) and Nick of Time (1989) had hit singles that led to brisk album sales, and while her career has had lulls, she always bounces back. She has a good ear for songs that fit her, and her slide guitar playing is immediately recognizable. As with many well-established musicians of her generation, she takes time between albums, and they’re often worth the wait.
- Details
- Written by: Joseph Taylor
- Category: Featured Releases
MPS 0210986MSW
Format: LP
Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment
Jamaican-born jazz pianist Monty Alexander began playing in Kingston clubs and recording with local bands, including Clue J & His Blues Blasters, in 1958, when he was 14. Three years later his family moved to the US, and Alexander headed to New York City, where he soon found work in jazz clubs, including Minton’s, and eventually met and befriended a number of great jazz musicians. One of them, Oscar Peterson, introduced him to Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer, who owned the German record label MPS.
- Details
- Written by: Joseph Taylor
- Category: Featured Releases
Tompkins Square TSQ 5296
Format: CD
Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment
Chicago-based guitarist Harvey Mandel’s first appearance on record was in 1966, on Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite’s Southside Band. Over the next few years he played live with a number of other blues legends, including Muddy Waters and Otis Rush, and appeared on recordings by Canned Heat and John Mayall, his long, searing guitar lines earning him the nickname “the Snake.” When the Heat appeared at Woodstock in 1969, Mandel was their lead guitarist. In 1974, when Mick Taylor left the Rolling Stones, Mandel auditioned for his slot, and played in “Hot Stuff” and “Memory Motel,” from the Stones’ Black and Blue (1976).
- Details
- Written by: Joseph Taylor
- Category: Featured Releases
Intervention IR-008
Format: LP
Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment
When guitarist Mick Jones was asked to leave the Clash in 1983, he formed Top Risk Action Company (T.R.A.C.), a band that soon folded. He then cofounded Big Audio Dynamite with filmmaker and musician Don Letts, who had directed a number of music videos for the Clash. The group’s debut album, This Is Big Audio Dynamite (1985), expanded on the sonic experimentation of the Clash’s Sandinista! (1980) and Combat Rock (1982), and continued Jones’s flirtations with disco, house, electronic pop, and other forms of music beyond punk rock.
- Details
- Written by: Joseph Taylor
- Category: Featured Releases
BMG 538243611 LC19813
Format: CD
Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment
Chrissie Hynde released her first solo album, Stockholm, two years ago, but of the many records released under the Pretenders name since 1980, she’s the only constant. Hynde is the only original Pretender on Alone, but the album rocks as hard and tough as those from the band’s peak years, in the 1980s. Fellow Ohioan Dan Auerbach, of the Black Keys, produced Alone, and he gives it a vintage rock feel that ends up sounding utterly fresh.
- Details
- Written by: Joseph Taylor
- Category: Featured Releases
Experience Hendrix/Legacy 88985354162
Format: CD
Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment
At the time of Jimi Hendrix’s death, in September 1970, he had released three studio albums (Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold as Love, and Electric Ladyland), one live album (Band of Gypsys), and a compilation (Smash Hits). Since then, 12 albums of studio material have been added to his discography, and it’s almost impossible to keep track of the posthumous concert albums. On the plus side, the releases since 1995 have financially benefited Hendrix’s family, after years of his recordings being controlled by others.
Read more: Jimi Hendrix: "Machine Gun: The Fillmore East First Show 12/31/1969"
- Details
- Written by: Joseph Taylor
- Category: Featured Releases
dBpm/Anti- 87259-2
Format: CD
Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment
Just last year Wilco released Star Wars, a great, experimental rock album filled with gnarly guitars and edgy songs. Their follow-up, Schmilco, is a quieter record that presents its own challenges. Beneath its calm surface are songs about not quite fitting in, and trying to pull hope from life’s difficulties and sadness.
- Details
- Written by: Joseph Taylor
- Category: Featured Releases
Anti-/Red Floor 87471-2
Format: CD
Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment
When I first played Daniel Lanois’s new disc with Rocco DeLuca, it reminded me of Harold Budd’s music. Lanois helped produce The Pearl, a collaboration between Budd and Brian Eno, as well as La Bella Vista, a collection of Budd’s solo piano works. As I listened to Goodbye to Language more, I still heard a bit of a connection between Lanois and Budd, but only in the sense that both create densely complex music from seemingly simple and repeated elements.
Read more: Daniel Lanois/Rocco DeLuca: "Goodbye to Language"
- Amos Lee: "Spirit"
- Peter Erskine Trio: "As It Was"
- Jeff Beck: "Loud Hailer"
- The Posies: "Solid States"
- Shawn Colvin and Steve Earle: "Colvin & Earle: Deluxe Edition"
- The Tragically Hip: "Man Machine Poem"
- Eric Clapton: "I Still Do"
- My Morning Jacket: "It Still Moves (Deluxe Reissue)"
- Musiq Soulchild: "Life on Earth"
- Santana: "IV"
- Jeff Buckley: "You and I"
- Peter Frampton: "Acoustic Classics"
- Dr. Lonnie Smith: "Evolution"
- The I Don't Cares: "Wild Stab"
- Elvis Costello: "Detour: Live at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, featuring Larkin Poe"
- Taste: "What's Going On: Live at the Isle of Wight"
- Tom Jones: "Long Lost Suitcase"
- Bobby Hutcherson: "Happenings"
- Them: "The Complete Them 1964-1967"
- The Robert Cray Band: "4 Nights of 40 Years Live"
- Blue Rodeo: "Live at Massey Hall"
- Joe Jackson: "Fast Forward"
- David Gilmour: "Rattle That Lock"
- Gene Ammons: "Boss Tenor"
- Wilco: "Star Wars"
- Cannonball Adderley: "Somethin' Else"
- Tame Impala: "Currents"
- Leon Bridges: "Coming Home"
- Rickie Lee Jones: "The Other Side of Desire"
- James Taylor: "Before This World"
- My Morning Jacket: "The Waterfall"
- Canned Heat with John Lee Hooker: "Carnegie Hall 1971"
- Dizzy Gillespie: "Live at Ronnie Scott's, Volume 1"
- Mark Knopfler: "Tracker"
- Van Morrison: "Duets: Re-working the Catalogue"
- Justin Kauflin: "Dedication"
- Bob Dylan: "Shadows in the Night"
- Steve Gadd Band: "70 Strong"
- King Crimson: "Live at the Orpheum: Los Angeles 2014"
- Various Artists: "The Blues & Salvation"
- Smashing Pumpkins: "Monuments to an Elegy"
- Jeff Beck: "Live in Tokyo"
- Eric Johnson and Mike Stern: "Eclectic"
- Eric Clapton: "Planes, Trains and Eric"
- Leonard Cohen: "Popular Problems"
- Adam Cohen: "We Go Home"
- Chick Corea Trio: "Trilogy"
- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: "Hypnotic Eye"
- Sheryl Bailey: "A Meeting of Minds"
- ZZ Top: "Live at Montreux 2013"
- Chrissie Hynde: "Stockholm"
- "Common Ground: Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin Play and Sing the Songs of Big Bill Broonzy"
- The Rippingtons: "Fountain of Youth"
- Alice Cooper: "Super Duper Alice Cooper"
- The Black Keys: "Turn Blue"
- The Robert Cray Band: "In My Soul"
- Gord Downie and the Sadies: "Gord Downie, the Sadies, and the Conquering Sun"
- Neil Finn: "Dizzy Heights"
- The Hold Steady: "Teeth Dreams"
- Neneh Cherry: "Blank Project"
- Beck: "Morning Phase"
- The Sadies: "Internal Sounds"
- Rickie Lee Jones: "Rickie Lee Jones"
- Judy Wexler: "What I See"
- Archie Shepp and Attica Blues Orchestra Live: "I Hear the Sound"
- Billie Joe + Norah: "Foreverly"
- Nick Lowe: "Quality Street: A Seasonal Selection for All the Family"
- Elvis Costello and the Roots: "Wise Up Ghost and Other Songs"
- Allen Toussaint: "Songbook"
- Moby: "Innocents"
- Bob Dylan: "Another Self Portrait (1969-1971) -- The Bootleg Series Vol.10"
- Joe Barbieri: "Chet Lives!"
- Steve Gadd Band: "Gadditude"
- Smith Westerns: "Soft Will"
- Kanye West: "Yeezus"
- Vampire Weekend: "Modern Vampires of the City"
- Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: "Specter at the Feast"
- Daft Punk: "Random Access Memories"
- Elias Haslanger: "Church on Monday"
- Michael Feinstein: "Change of Heart: The Songs of André Previn"
- David Bowie: "The Next Day"
- Hiromi/The Trio Project: "Move"
- Atoms for Peace: "Amok"
- Patricia Barber: "Smash"
- Yo La Tengo: "Fade"
- Orchestre National de Jazz: "Piazzolla!"
- Lifehouse: "Almería"
- War Poets: "Dulce et Decorum Est"
- Luka Bloom: "This New Morning"
- Poncho Sanchez and His Latin Jazz Band: "Live in Hollywood"
- David Chesky: "Dr. Chesky’s Sensational Fantastic and Simply Amazing Binaural Sound Show!"
- Father's Children: "Father's Children"
- The xx: "Coexist"
- The Gaddabouts: "Look Out Now!"
- Easy Star All-Stars: "Easy Star’s Thrillah"
- Return to Forever IV: "The Mothership Returns"
- Mike Stern: "All Over the Place"
- Sam Cooke: "The Best of Sam Cooke"
- Esperanza Spalding: "Radio Music Society"
- Ahmad Jamal: "Blue Moon: The New York Session"
- Leonard Cohen: "Old Ideas"
- Pink Floyd: "Wish You Were Here"
- Jeff Campbell: "Stop and Go"
- Miles Davis: "Miles! Live at Montreux: The Definitive Miles Davis at Montreux DVD Collection 1973-1991"
- Ray Charles: "Live in France 1961"
- Coldplay: "Mylo Xyloto"
- The Hollies: "Look Through Any Window 1963-1975"
- Doug Munro and La Pompe Attack: "A Very Gypsy Christmas"
- Chris Bauer: "In a Yuletide Groove: Harmonica Jazz for the Holidays"
- Paul Motian: "The Windmills of Your Mind"
- Three to Close 2011
- Josh Nelson: "Discoveries"
- Patricia Barber: "Café Blue"
- Mindy Canter: "Fluteus Maximus"
- Steve Cropper: "Dedicated"
- Andrea Wolper: "Parallel Lives"
- The Left Banke: "Walk Away Renée/Pretty Ballerina"
- Cooler Days
- Peter Erskine, Bob Mintzer, Darek Oles, and Alan Pasqua: "Standards 2 -- Movie Music"
- Zach Williams and the Reformation: "A Southern Offering"
- The Mike Eldred Trio: "61 and 49"
- Aimée Allen: "Winters & Mays"
- Maeve Gilchrist: "Song of Delight"
- Spectacle: Elvis Costello with . . . (Season 2)
- Summer Sounds
- Hiromi: "Voice"
- Ben Waters: "Boogie 4 Stu -- A Tribute to Ian Stewart"
- Nat "King" Cole: "After Midnight"
- Paul Simon: "So Beautiful or So What"
- Eliane Elias: "Light My Fire"
- Esperanza Spalding: "Chamber Music Society"
- Something New
- Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band: "That’s How We Roll"
- “Stan Kenton: Artistry in Rhythm”
- David LaFleur: "Them Bones . . ."
- Gregg Allman: "Low Country Blues"
- Manhattan School of Music Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra: "Tito Puente Masterworks Live!!!"
- The Underground
- Jeff Beck: "Rock’n’Roll Party Honoring Les Paul"
- Jovino Santos Neto: "Veja O Som"
- The O’Farrill Brothers: "Giant Peach"
- Michael William Gilbert: "I Can See From Here"
- Selmer Saxharmonic: "Flying Saxophone Circus"
- Andy Farber and His Orchestra: "This Could Be the Start of Something Big"
- Eli Degibri: "Israeli Song"
- Jazz Shortlist
- Joey DeFrancesco, Robi Botos, Vito Rezza, and Phil Dwyer: "One Take, Volume Four"
- Treasa Levasseur: "Low Fidelity"
- Spin: "Believe"
- Michael McDonald: "This Christmas -- Live in Chicago"
- Berlin Voices: "About Christmas"
- Mike Mainieri / Marnix Busstra Quartet: "Trinary Motion / Live in Europe"
- Latin Flavor
- Marcos Amorim Trio: "Portraits"
- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: “Classic Albums: Damn the Torpedoes”
- David Bixler & Arturo O’Farrill: “The Auction Project”
- Miles Davis: “Someday My Prince Will Come”
- Frank Sinatra: “Sinatra at the Sands”
- John Mellencamp: "No Better Than This"
- Sons and Brothers
- Otis Taylor: "Clovis People, Vol 3"
- Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere: "Midnight Flyer"
- New Latin Quarter Presents: "The Jazz and Blues Collection, Volume 1"
- The Grip Weeds: "Strange Change Machine"
- Lawrence Lebo: "Don’t Call Her Larry, Volume 3: American Roots"
- The Rolling Stones: "Exile on Main Street: Deluxe Edition"
- The Nomad's Song
- Ray Charles: "Genius + Soul = Jazz (Expanded Edition)"
- Sebastian Sternal Trio: "Paris"
- Frank Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim: "Sinatra/Jobim: The Complete Reprise Recordings"
- William Orbit: "My Oracle Lives Uptown"
- Catherine Russell: "Inside This Heart of Mine"
- Dusty Springfield, Small Faces, Herman’s Hermits, Gerry and the Pacemakers: "British Invasion"
- Freedy Johnston: "Rain on the City"
- "The Hot Spot" (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- David Olney: "Dutchman’s Curve"
- Jason and the Scorchers: "Halcyon Times"
- The Music Will Find You
- Lin McPhillips: "My Shining Hour"
