Category: CD Reviews (Page 356 of 399)

This week’s Next Big Thing From The UK: iForward, Russia!

May 9, 2006 / Will Harris

You know a band’s going to be big – well, in the UK, anyway – when New Musical Express picks them up for their New Music Tour. Included on the line-up this time around are several possible nominees for this week’s Next Big Thing, but we’re putting our money on iForward, Russia.

Maybe it’s because they sound a LOT like Bloc Party, who were one of the best new bands to emerge from the UK last year, or maybe it’s because they’re not afraid to have a comma in their name. (It’s definitely one or the other.) The band’s debut record, Give Me A Wall, is being released in the UK on May 15th, but we’re still waiting to hear back from the band’s US contact about when / if we should expect to see it Stateside. In the meaning, however, check out the above link to their MySpace page, or hit up their official website here.

Alternative, Artists

Never to walk on the streets of your town again…

May 6, 2006 / Will Harris

…Grant McLennan of the Go-Betweens died in his sleep last night.

I never saw the Go-Betweens play live…and, yet, I guess that, for all practical purposes, I did, since I saw a show by McLennan and Robert Forster at the 9:30 Club. It’s just that it was after the band’s original break-up but before the pair had decided to start using the Go-Betweens name again. Whatever the case, I’m really blown away by this…

Alternative, Artists, News, Pop

Listening to Fall Out Boy today, taking it up the ass tomorrow

May 5, 2006 / David Medsker

A mother in Charlotte was so horrified by the musings of Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz that she fired an angry missive to FOB’s label, Island, and said that she would do everything in their power to destroy them. What exactly did you say, you ask?

“The only thing we consider unacceptable is for you to engage in sexist, racist or homophobic behavior. If you do, we don’t want you as a fan. Return our merch and leave.’ ”

Who is this woman, Sheila Brovlovsky? The guy tries to speak peace and harmony and love thy neighbor, and you slam them because “…This was a concert, not some liberal homosexual rally”? Are you saying that you’re in FAVOR of sexism, racism and homophobia? This would be funny, if it weren’t so sad.

And besides, before you throw stones in any direction, perhaps, Miss Intolerant Mother, you can explain to me why you allow your kids to listen to Fall Out Boy? Talk about bad parenting. Either way, you heard it here first: Listening to Fall Out Boy will MAKE YOU GAY. Oh, the horror.

Concerts, Rock

Bette Midler: Is It Time For Her Alt-Rock Re-Evaluation…?

May 4, 2006 / Will Harris

Okay, probably not.

But, in all honesty, Midler – who instantly and forever doomed her credibility with all straight males for a lifetime by starring in “Beaches” and performing the schmaltz-pop ballad, “From A Distance” – has a surprising track record for slipping really cool songs onto her albums.

Okay, sure, if you had MTV in the ’80s, you probably remember that she had a video in rotation for her serviceable cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Beast of Burden”…but could you ever believe that the so-called “Divine Miss M” would’ve covered the following tunes…?

* Marshall Crenshaw’s “(You’re My) Favorite Waste of Time”
* Ben Folds Five’s “Boxing”
* Kirsty MacColl’s “In These Shoes?”
* Leonard Cohen’s “Song of Bernadette”
* Tom Waits’ “Shiver Me Timbers”
* Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach’s “God Give Me Strength”

Okay, maybe you can kind of imagine that last one…but, a few years back, she also roped Maria McKee (late of Lone Justice) into writing two songs for her: the otherwise-unrecorded-by-McKee “To Deserve You” and “The Last Time.”

I’m not saying rush out and buy all her albums…or, really, any of them in their entirety. But if you enjoy a good cover song, some of the above tracks would make surprisingly worthwhile iTunes purchases.

Artists, Pop, Songs