It’s official: Long.Live.A$AP has been worth the wait. New York rapper A$AP Rocky was…
Category: Album Reviews
Jeff Beam steps away from the Union for ‘Be Your Own Mirror’
Jeff Beam is one of those Portland staples who is difficult to not notice. You…
Somewhere between Sonic Youth genius and Xtina, Lee Ranaldo falls short
For fans of Sonic Youth, Lee Ranaldo’s ninth studio album Between the Times and the Tides will…
Springsteen comes to the frontline the 17th time around
Bruce Springsteen has always spoken for America’s unheard voices, from the love-torn rock operas…
Of midwest moonshine in Great Western Plain’s ‘Mustache Eye Patch’
Despite their residency in the Pine Tree State, Great Western Plain encapsulates those expansive west-of-Mississippi…
The science of Mango Floss and ‘Semper Augustus’
Picture Albert Einstein alive and well in 2012, joining Portland’s indie rock scene to…
Air to the moon in ‘Le Voyage Dans La Lune’
Pop-weavers Jean-Benoît Dunckel and Nicolas Godin boldly tackle science fiction as French electronic duo Air, providing the vessel for…
Leonard Cohen faces mortality in ‘Old Ideas’
Leonard Cohen used to think he “was some kind of gypsy boy,” traveling those…
Cloud Nothings bring in Albini for ‘Attack On Memory’
It would have been so easy for Dylan Baldi’s next Cloud Nothings album to…
A farewell to Marie Stella in ‘from’
Here it is: the nearly three-year career span of of Marie Stella — one…
Battick embraces dusty traditionalism with ‘Bloodworm Songs’
In 1982, Bruce Springsteen released “Nebraska,” a bleak and unforgiving album that drove his…
With progression, Atmosphere flourishes
The underground hip-hop community has many shining stars, and for the last decade Atmosphere…
‘No Devolución’ has Thursday evolving once again
In Spanish, the phrase “No Devolución” means “no returns.” As the title of Thursday’s…
Another year, another live 1960s Bob Dylan record
To the casual listener it might be difficult to believe the American folk icon…
‘Tomboy’ has Panda Bear rediscovering beauty
Four years later, Panda Bear returns to a musical landscape eerily similar to 2007 with his newest LP “Tomboy.” With the failed imitators hanging onto their last breaths, Panda Bear picks up in the same place where he left off years earlier: creating another masterpiece of childlike innocence, melancholy and sun-drenched, hushed spirituality.
Khalifa rolls up the soundtrack to your party with ‘Rolling Papers’
Ultimately, Khalifa will do well commercially, giving him financial success. He certainly has the ability to write great songs, he’ll just have to decide between staying commercially successful or trying to to delve deeper within himself and find something more worthy of credible success.
Foam Castles broaden influences, psychedelics in new EP
Tyler Jackson and company once again delve into the self-self-conscious with “Come Over To My House” an EP that, while extraordinarily short at four tracks, is an exceptional reminder of why Foam Castles continues to be one of Portland’s most remarkably diverse bands.
Fiasco was right: ‘Lasers’ disapoints
Lupe has long been recognized as a front runner in today’s hip-hop world due to his lyrical skill and delivery, yet even the best artists run into trouble. It isn’t fair to call this album “bad,” but this is a prime example of what happens when a talented artist finds themselves backed into a corner by contracts and label complications.
The Strokes from a different angle
When a band releases three well received albums in a span of only six years, one has to wonder where they’ll go next.
With anticipation through the roof, The Strokes took a much needed break in 2006 after the release of their second album, “First Impressions of Earth.” Now, a few solo albums and plenty of vacation time later, the Strokes are back with the release of “Angles,” their first new album in over five years.
Former-Chiodos frontman returns with new D.R.U.G.S.
In the 2004-2006 post-hardcore boom, Chiodos was a big deal. Their ability to combine…
‘The King Of Limbs’ succeeds only as a caricature
Somber, uninteresting and ultimately sleep-inducing. Since Radiohead’s debut 18 years ago with “Pablo Honey,”…
Radiohead is back and brilliant as ever
Radiohead is playing with my emotions. In 2009, always cryptic front man Thom Yorke…
Red Medicine’s debut does DIY right
Red Medicine’s eponymous debut album is a progressive and razor sharp trek through the…
The ‘surrealist madness’ of Portland’s Id M Theft Able
Id M Theft Able, arguably Portland’s most prominent noise musician, has a swirling blur…