Album Reviews

The Offspring

Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:53:52

The Offspring have done more than enough to earn their punk rock stripes, and just as much to ingratiate themselves in the worlds of rock and pop. ...more

Usher

Here I Stand

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:03:36

Billing is important, and if new husband and father Usher Raymond IV hadn't presented Here I Stand as some kind of important step into adulthood, it ...more

Rev Theory

Light It Up

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:27:00

Rev Theory deliver a radio-ready, modern rock juggernaut with Light It Up, a high octane blend of guitar-driven anthems, burning-heart ballads and ...more

Gavin Rossdale

WANDERlust

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:02:41

Say what you will, but it can't be easy being Gavin Rossdale. As the frontman of breakthrough '90s rockers Bush, his enigmatic lyrics and rich hooks ...more

Shinedown

The Sound of Madness

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:14:27

Bands like Florida's Shinedown have a purpose. That's to write hooky, yet crunchy songs that hover around the three-and-a-half minute mark and that ...more

Weezer

Weezer (The Red Album)

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:13:23

Weezer doesn't exactly break character for their sixth album, though certain surface-level changes do exist. The record, which has been dubbed The ...more

N.E.R.D.

Seeing Sounds

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 05:35:23

As The Neptunes, production duo Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo have worked with everyone from Britney Spears to Busta Rhymes. With scores of hits and ...more

Silver Jews

Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 05:33:57

Even though Silver Jews formed in the late '80s (before Pavement) "The Joos," are often associated with Pavement—because members of The Joos have had ...more

Reggie and the Full Effect

Last Stop: Crappy Town

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:31:21

Reggie and the Full Effect's man-behind-the-curtain James Dewees will be the first to dance on Emo's grave, literally. He's the kind of mad genius ...more

Ladytron

Velocifero

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 07:12:52

Throwing out terms like electroclash, electro-pop, shoegaze, glam rock, shuffle-glam, dream pop, electro-synth and all of the other hair-splitting ...more

Kurt Cobain: About a Son - Music from the Motion Picture

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 07:11:25

When your job in the first place is to complement (and never overshadow) a film's visual impact and dramatic arc, it's challenging as it is to create ...more

Mark Farina

Fabric 40

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:22:19

"It appears my teleportational coordinates were accurate," some stodgy guy whispers in your ear as this mix begins. Listening to this definitely ...more

We Are Scientists

Brain Thrust Mastery

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:20:12

If it's true that timing is everything, We Are Scientists have a thing or two to learn. Their debut, 2006's With Love and Squalor, was about a year ...more

Porcupine Tree

Lightbulb Sun

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:18:27

It would be easy to get the wrong impression of Lightbulb Sun without ever hearing a note. You could, for starters, base your expectations on 2007’s ...more

Lil Wayne

Tha Carter III (Deluxe Edition)

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:50:51

Tha Carter III accomplished the rare feat of being one of the most anticipated hip-hop albums in both 2007 and 2008. A leak pushed the release date ...more

Jakob Dylan

Seeing Things

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:48:37

Want proof of the old adage, “Like father like son?” Look no further than Jakob Dylan's new solo set Seeing Things. There, we find The Wallflowers' ...more

Keith Sweat

Just Me

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 07:46:30

The Quiet Storm genre of R&B has been roundly, although often fondly, mocked, to the point of it seeming as outdated as hair metal or inspiring ...more

The Cool Kids

Bake Sale

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 06:42:25

"What it is, what it is, come check the noise. It’s the new black version of the Beastie Boys." Truer words have never been spoken. The Cool Kids ...more

Katy Perry

One of the Boys

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 06:40:37

Cali cutie Katy Perry exemplifies the sassy, saucy alpha female on her sexually charged, best stiletto forward new platter, One of the Boys. Perry ...more

Whitesnake

Good to Be Bad

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 06:39:09

David Coverdale's eleventh studio album fronting some semblance of his age-old Whitesnake, "Good To Be Bad" follows the same trajectory as the band's ...more