Music Reviews

Vince Staples Summertime '06

The Long Beach rapper's debut finds him developing an outsider resilience in the midst of his troubled adolescence, and dramatizes those disenfranchised days in an episodic rather than thematic way.

Juan Edgardo Rodríguez reviews...

Muse Drones

On album number seven, Devon rock trio Muse explore themes of dystopia and indoctrination through the medium of guitar riffs. You know, the usual stuff.

Joe Rivers journeys into the unknown...

Kacey Musgraves Pageant Material

Kacey Musgraves proves once more she's a voice unlike any other in the country music scene. Her second album, Pageant Material, brims over with individuality, even when things get a little repetitive.

Luiza Lodder is hoping for another ''Blowin' Smoke''...

Holly Herndon Platform

Holly Herndon's music is deeply entrenched in the digital age and provides ample food for thought; it's the product of about two parts electroacoustic improvisation, one part techno floor-fillers.

Stephen Wragg reviews...

Desaparecidos Payola

Thirteen years after their putting out their highly charged debut, the political punk band lead by Conor Oberst return with tenacious fervor while holding on to a proclamation that can’t be wavered or rewritten.

Juan Edgardo Rodríguez reviews...

Hudson Mohawke Lantern

The music of Hudson Mohawke traffics in the type of high-volume, low-attention span maximalism that seems engineered to guarantee club hits. Lantern, his second foray into the increasingly outdated format of the LP, should introduce elements that challenge that style.

Brad Hanford reviews...

Bully Feels Like

Singing and songwriting aren't only cathartic exercises for Bully frontwoman Alicia Bognanno, but an outlet that allows her to air her most candid qualms out to dry. Where some people have a diary, Bognanno has a airtight backdrop of cozy melodies and lemon-fresh fuzz. Dangerously infectious, and a stunning debut LP.

Carl Purvis has a new best mate...