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Andrew Bird / July 10, 2009 / Los Angeles (Greek Theatre)
July 14, 2009 6:51 PM EDT 0 0 0 “I am truly touched,” said a barefoot Andrew Bird, bashfully thanking the audience that had come to see his show for singing him a warm rendition of "Happy Birthday." Only Bird knows if it was his special day that brought out a particularl ...
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Jon Balke, "Siwan"
July 13, 2009 12:46 PM EDT 0 0 0 Rarely during the course of a listening year does a recording strike such emotional depth as the Norwegian keyboardist / conductor Jon Balke 's latest ECM outing, the cross-cultural masterpiece "SIWAN." With a large cast of improvisin ...
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Ceu, "Vagarosa"
July 13, 2009 12:20 PM EDT 0 0 0 The Brazilian singer/songwriter Céu debuted in 2007 with a self-titled album that drew critical favor and made her an immediate player in the Brazilian music scene. She returns with "Vagarosa," a collection of 13 tunes that will surely fur ...
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Jonas Brothers, "Lines, Vines and Trying Times"
July 13, 2009 12:15 PM EDT 0 0 0 It's come to this: The Jonas Brothers are writing lyrics that include the word "bitch." To be fair, the term is just implied in the song "Poison Ivy." The full lyric is "Everybody gets the itch/Everybody hates that...&q ...
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Vicki Yohe, "Reveal Your Glory - Live From The Cathedral"
July 13, 2009 12:09 PM EDT 0 0 0 "Reveal Your Glory-Live From the Cathedral" represents a couple of firsts for the gospel artist Vicki Yohe: It's her debut album for Shanachie (following two releases on CeCe Winans ' PureSprings label) and her first live CD. Rec ...
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John Mellencamp, "Life Death Live and Freedom"
July 13, 2009 12:04 PM EDT 0 0 0 Recorded live in 2008, "Life Death Live and Freedom" is a companion piece to John Mellencamp 's acclaimed "Life Death Love and Freedom." That said, "Live" stands on its own. The eight-song album is an honest-to-goo ...
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Killswitch Engage, "Killswitch Engage"
July 13, 2009 12:01 PM EDT 0 0 0 The Massachusetts metalcore band Killswitch Engage wants for neither talent nor fans. But the band's new album (and second self-titled set) reveals that it could use a helping hand to introduce some diversity to its songwriting. Strangely, the ...
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Maxwell, "BLACKsummers'night"
July 13, 2009 11:57 AM EDT 0 0 0 The adage goes: Time gone, time lost. But for R&B singer Maxwell , who has been on a hiatus from music since 2002, it's as if he never left. Full of heart-pounding melodies and true-to-life love stories, "BLACKsummers'night" ...
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Moby, "Wait For Me"
July 13, 2009 11:54 AM EDT 0 0 0 An about-face from last year's dancefloor-ready "Last Night," Moby 's ninth studio album, "Wait for Me," is a study in melancholy. Listeners won't hear reverberating 4/4 kick drums, hooky choruses or cooing club gi ...
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Vicente Fernández, "Necesito De Ti"
July 13, 2009 11:18 AM EDT 0 0 0 Following the extraordinary success of his 2007 studio set "Para Siempre" and the subsequent live album "Primera Fila," the ranchera icon Vicente Fernández returns to the studio with "Neccesito De Ti." With the title tr ...
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Levon Helm, "Electric Dirt"
July 13, 2009 10:53 AM EDT 0 0 0 Much like Bob Dylan 's "Together Through Life," Levon Helm 's "Electric Dirt" is less a collection of songs than a fully formed little world. A sprightly, worthy sequel to 2007's Grammy Award-winning "Dirt Far ...
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Rob Thomas, "Cradlesong"
July 13, 2009 10:46 AM EDT 0 0 0 Rob Thomas is a musical chameleon. From his early hits with Matchbox Twenty to his soulful work as a solo artist, the gifted singer/songwriter has a knack for crafting memorable melodies across the musical divide. On "Cradlesong," his foll ...
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Conor Oberst & Jenny Lewis / July 4, 2009 / New York (Battery Park)
July 09, 2009 7:15 PM EDT 0 0 0 A sea of blankets spread across the shady grounds of Battery Park as concertgoers gathered on a beautiful Fourth of July afternoon to see Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band with Jenny Lewis. The free event, part of the summer-long NYC River to ...
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Sonic Youth / July 3, 2009 / New York (United Palace Theatre)
July 09, 2009 6:46 PM EDT 0 0 0 After returning to its indie label roots with the June release of "The Eternal," Sonic Youth rang in Independence Day weekend in the same city where it began causing an alt-rock ruckus more than 30 years ago. This time, the quintessential ...
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Kurt Elling, "Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltrane And Hartman)
July 07, 2009 4:35 PM EDT 0 0 0 Kurt Elling has never shied away from a challenge-the nimble singer has carved a unique place for himself in the jazz pantheon, with a signature sound that cunningly combines blues, ballads and beat-inspired poetry. On his eighth outing as a leader ...
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Dale Ann Bradley, "Don't Turn Your Back"
July 07, 2009 4:33 PM EDT 0 0 0 With a stunningly beautiful voice, Dale Ann Bradley has won the International Bluegrass Music Assn.'s female vocalist of the year honor in 2007 and 2008. Her sweet and soulful soprano breathes life into this wonderful collection of songs that r ...
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Omar Faruk Tekbilek, "Rare Elements"
July 07, 2009 4:31 PM EDT 0 0 0 The Turkish-born musician Omar Faruk Tekbilek is also a composer, and his music is the inspiration for this remix disc, the second installment in 5 Points Records' remix series. Tekbilek is a Sufi, and therefore his approach to music is mystica ...
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The Dear Hunter, "Act III: Life And Death"
July 07, 2009 4:16 PM EDT 0 0 0 The Boston-based Dear Hunter shares any number of parallels with the similarly named groups Deerhunter and Deerhoof , most notably an animal namesake and a penchant for dramatic, dissonant, style-shifting rock. But the Dear Hunter's war-themed ...
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Patterson Hood, "Murdering Oscar (And Other Love Songs)"
July 07, 2009 4:14 PM EDT 0 0 0 This long-in-coming sophomore set from Patterson Hood , the prolific Drive-By Truckers frontman, hopscotches across time in a way that would make J.J. Abrams happy. It's grounded in tracks that predate the Truckers, songs that he wrote upon fir ...
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Regina Spektor, "Far"
July 07, 2009 4:11 PM EDT 0 0 0 Rising from tiny Manhattan clubs where aspiring singer/ songwriters refused to drink folk-music syrup, Regina Spektor found her voice as a compelling and whimsical storyteller who uses experience and observation to craft indelible songs. With her th ...
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Wilco, "Wilco (The Album)"
July 07, 2009 4:03 PM EDT 0 0 0 At first glance, it might seem odd that Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy would choose this point in his band's career to release a self-titled album. After all, Wilco has been through numerous personnel changes during the course of 15 years and seven ...
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Brad Paisley, "American Saturday Night"
July 07, 2009 9:58 AM EDT 0 0 0 Brad Paisley, "American Saturday Night" Album Review ...
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Sonic Youth, "The Eternal"
June 25, 2009 10:12 AM EDT 0 0 0 Sonic Youth, "The Eternal" Album Review ...
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Camera Obscura / June 22, 2009 / Philadelphia, PA (Theatre Of The Living Arts)
June 24, 2009 7:04 PM EDT 0 0 0 When Camera Obscura performs, as it did at Philadelphia’s Theatre of the Living Arts on Monday night, it’s hard not to notice that the band’s six members rarely smile. The Glasgow outfit tackles its catalogue of austere indie pop with focused stares ...
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Little Joy / June 23, 2009 / New York, NY (Bowery Ballroom)
June 24, 2009 6:30 PM EDT 0 0 0 For a band that some pegged as yet another Strokes side project, Little Joy managed just fine at its Bowery Ballroom performance Tuesday night (June 23). The sold-out show marked the last stop of the L.A. trio’s American tour, which it completed wit ...
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Beyonce / June 21, 2009 / New York (Madison Square Garden)
June 23, 2009 5:54 PM EDT 0 0 0 Beyoncé brought all the fierceness that is Sasha –- her alter-ego -– and much more to the first stop of her North America “I Am…” tour at New York’s Madison Square Garden Sunday night (June 21). Kicking things off right into high gear, the first thi ...
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Ricardo Arjona / June 20, 2009 / Mexico City, MX (Audtiorio Nacional)
June 23, 2009 3:32 PM EDT 0 0 0 Guatemalan singer/songwriter Ricardo Arjona’s “Quinto Piso” tour is a conceptual, mixed media piece that assaults all senses and cleverly blends film, performance art and theater with music. Featuring a complex, multi-level theatrical set with multi ...
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Plain White T’s / June 15, 2009 / New York, NY (Irving Plaza)
June 18, 2009 8:20 PM EDT 0 0 0 Plain White T’s, the Chicago based pop-punk band that gave us the ubiquitous hit “Hey There Delilah,” has embarked on an extensive tour entitled “Three Part Harmony: A Show in Three Acts” to support its 2008 album, “Big Bad World.” After piling into ...
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The Black Eyed Peas, "The E.N.D."
June 16, 2009 11:08 AM EDT 0 0 0 In an era of economic instability, it's nice to know the Black Eyed Peas still believe in truth in advertising: The acronym that forms the title of their latest stands for "The Energy Never Dies," and they more than make good on that ...
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Band Of Horses / June 11, 2009 / New York (Carnegie Hall)
June 15, 2009 6:21 PM EDT 0 0 0 "This is the first time we've ever really done anything like this," proclaimed Band of Horses vocalist Ben Bridwell during he and his bandmates’ Special Acoustic Performance at Carnegie Hall. The indie ensemble chose a hallowed Manhat ...
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Elvis Costello & The Sugarcanes / June 10, 2009 / New York (Beacon Theatre)
June 15, 2009 11:27 AM EDT 0 0 0 In his thirty-odd years of making music, Elvis Costello has tried on many sonic hats. Whether it’s Tin Pan Alley, straight up punk, reggae, Stax-style R&B, Tom Waits-style experimental pop, classical, opera, big band or New Orleans-style jazz, t ...
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Justice, "A Cross the Universe"
December 31, 2008 11:49 AM EST 0 0 0 Justice, "A Cross the Universe" Album Review ...
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Metallica / Dec. 17, 2008 / Los Angeles (The Forum)
December 18, 2008 2:17 PM EST 0 0 0 There are a few things you can expect from any Metallica concert. You'll hear "Enter Sandman." Lars Ulrich will take every opportunity he can to get up from his drum kit and goad the audience. Whoever's running the pyrotechnics w ...
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Maroon 5, "Call and Response: The Remix Album"
December 18, 2008 11:46 AM EST 0 0 0 Maroon 5, "Call and Response: The Remix Album" Album Review ...
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Franz Ferdinand, Cold War Kids / Dec. 8, 2008 / Portland, Ore.
December 17, 2008 5:05 PM EST 0 0 0 Christmas gifts from 94/7 FM come in bigger packages: the Portland alternative station's "December to Remember" concert series features eight bands over four evenings, instead of one or two nights of tapas-style sets. Thus Franz Ferdi ...
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Neil Young, Wilco / Dec. 15, 2008 / New York (Madison Square Garden)
December 17, 2008 12:48 PM EST 0 0 0 As strange as it is to see a band with its own huge live draw play an opening set, Wilco were the perfect choice to prime the crowd at Madison Square Garden on Monday for Neil Young. In fact, watching Jeff Tweedy and company cruise through their abb ...
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Oasis, Ryan Adams / Dec. 4, 2008 / Los Angeles (Staples Center)
December 08, 2008 5:54 PM EST 0 0 0 Although famous as much for their Mancunian bluster as for redefining British pop back in the mid-1990s, even the Gallagher brothers themselves must be more than mildly surprised at how well Oasis's following in America has endured and grown in ...
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Dwele / Dec. 7, 2008 / San Diego (Anthology)
December 08, 2008 11:27 AM EST 0 0 0 Chargers wide receiver Chris Chambers and his label, King Ape Entertainment, brought some soul to San Diego Dec. 7 with their inaugural Soul Hop, which featured performances by King Ape artist MC Pryslezz and soul crooner Dwele at Anthology. Hosted ...
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Fall Out Boy / Dec. 3, 2008 / St. Louis (Creepy Crawl)
December 04, 2008 3:06 PM EST 0 0 0 Before Fall Out Boy soared into the consciousness of the mainstream music world and Pete Wentz became a tabloid fixture, the Chicago-based band cut its teeth in dingy Midwestern clubs. Now, well-versed in pop superstardom and with a new album in the ...
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Tina Turner / Dec. 1, 2008 / New York (Madison Square Garden)
December 04, 2008 10:59 AM EST 0 0 0 There's always been something larger than life about Tina Turner, but sometimes these realizations don't actually hit home until the artist is suspended 30 feet above a crowd of 15,000 people. On a hydraulic lift. While wearing five-inch h ...
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Britney Spears, "Circus"
November 30, 2008 5:04 PM EST 0 0 0 From the synthy open of "Womanizer" to the regretful ache spurring "Blur," "Circus" gives Brit pop a whole new meaning. Album Review ...
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The Killers, 'Day & Age'
November 21, 2008 5:26 PM EST 0 0 0 Leave it to these Vegas boys to take another gamble. Album Review ...
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Nickelback, 'Dark Horse'
November 21, 2008 5:23 PM EST 0 0 0 Despite the claim that you should bet horses and not houses, we're wagering the farm that "Dark Horse" will cross the same multiplatinum finish line as champion predecessor "All the Right Reasons." Album Review ...
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Widespread Panic / Nov. 19, 2008 / New York
November 21, 2008 5:06 PM EST 0 0 0 Despite what it says on the second-rate marquee outside, Irving Plaza will always be the same-old mediocre venue, and it certainly won't ever approximate the original Fillmore East. Nonetheless, it was a fitting venue, at least in name, for the ...
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Usher / Nov. 12, 2008 / Detroit, MI
November 13, 2008 7:35 PM EST 0 0 0 He woos. He seduces. And then he celebrates -- but with sincerity. That was the equation when Usher's One Night Stand Ladies Only tour rolled in for a hump day -- appropriately enough -- performance in Detroit, where the multi-platinum R&B ...
