review

Artist: Various Artists Album: Lazarus – Original New York Cast (2CD) Label: Columbia/Sony Music There’s a certain salacious irony about the fact that the final recording to feature David Bowie’s music (including the last song the singer recorded before he died) is a soundtrack which is largely comprised of actors singing his music. In that, it could be said that the original cast recording of Lazarus renders the singer as a soulless commodity or presents the beginnings of presenting him...

Artist: Green Day Album: Revolution Radio Label: Reprise/Warner It will probably sound strange to the legions of fans that Green Day has won in the years since the release of American Idiot (let’s be honest – the band now has some supporters who are too young to remember when Kerplunk! was released), but the first words which will cross the minds of fans who were at least tall enough to get into the Gilman when Dookie blew up as they...

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the High Hopes LP by Like A Motorcycle. There are few scenes that appear in motion pictures which are more worrisome than those where light explodes on the screen and, after the camera’s focus adjusts, viewers realize they’re staring up from the floor of the trunk of a car. The reason that image is disarming is because the trunk is a small space – it is incredibly confined and exists as a...

Artist: Jack White Album: Acoustic Recordings 1998 – 2016 (2CD) (Third Face/Third Man/Columbia/Sony Music) Over the last twenty years (yes yes yes – it’s hard to believe that it’s been so long), Jack White has worn many hats. In that time, he’s been a punk and indie rock-identified pop star, a blues and folky troubadour, an opinionated artist of music and opinionated record label owner, and an innovative composer who has reinvigorated the blues almost single-handedly – causing young audiences...

Adventure Time The Complete Seasons 5 and 6   Adventure Time is one of those shows I went into with a lot of hesitation. With the thorough infantilization of pop culture nowadays — Yo Gabba Gabba, the Ninja Turtles and their “comeback,” the resurrection and long-stagnant comic book hero movie, Transformers (as only children can find something worthwhile in those movies), Stranger Thing — one wonders whether adults watch these shows because they are actually good, or because they...

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping   Like it or not, the Lonely Island are a comedic force and they’re here to stay. They’ve already proven their worth with the indie comedy masterpiece Hot Rod years ago and have been churning out the good stuff ever since. It makes perfect sense when your troupe is made up of gifted writers, an editor, a director, and a veritable comedic celebrity. It also doesn’t hurt that the Lonely Island is completely in love...

A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Shift and Shadow 12” EP by XIXA. XIXA released its debut full-length album earlier this year (discussion of that release will be coming in the very, very near future) but, now that it’s out and it has had the chance to really establish itself with the indie rock community, some listeners will be wondering what might have come before the “grand introduction” that Bloodline represented. As it turns out, XIXA’a output...

  WHO: The Woodrow Wilsons WHAT: Devil Jonah WHY: If you mingle in certain corners of Boston chances are you might have heard of the Woodrow Wilsons. Their stylings have been one of the many bright spots in New England’s musical history and certainly underrated. At times their songs are a folk rock freight train and other times just a beautifully bubbling simmer. And it’s over before you know it. It’s anyone’s guess whether the Woodrow Wilsons will ever reform...

Artist: Great Apes Album: California Heart Label: Asian Man Records It may have taken a few releases for the band to get the bugs worked out of their sound (they’ve already got one full-length album, one comp which collected a bunch of previously released tracks and a bunch of singles and EPs on top of that too), but Great Apes have truly found their magic on California Heart – their sophomore Asian Man-released album. That is not to say California...

  Thee Oh Sees Drop   Our Thee Oh Sees coverage ends with a special entry. I remember when I heard that Thee Oh Sees were breaking up. An incredible workhorse of a band like this one just calling it quits like that? Did leader John Dwyer just burn out from putting out more than one album a year? How can someone’s creative juices just stop flowing?   Well the hiatus lasted 4 months and everyone both rolled their eyes...