Artists Choose Style over Substance

written by: Charlie Woodman on September 30, 2011

While some classic bands have incorporated ridiculous styles into their on-stage personas the good ones made sure it functioned as an embellishment for their stage act, not something that overshadowed their actual product.

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Piping Portuguese in Through the Headsets

written by: Charlie Woodman on September 22, 2011

Ultimately, whether the film is enjoyable is almost irrelevant, because the soundtrack is good enough to stand as a music compilation all its own.

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Balam Acab- Wander/Wonder

written by: Charlie Woodman on September 15, 2011

At only 36 minutes long, a full run through of Wander/Wonder isn’t an excessive time commitment; the record breezes on by and leaves the listener ready for more.

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“Cut Your Hair” and Its Ironic Success

written by: Charlie Woodman on July 21, 2011

“Cut Your Hair” did exactly what it needed to. It critiqued the industry, gained an audience big enough to have some impact, but didn’t tear apart the band by thrusting them into the limelight.

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Handsome Furs – Sound Kapital

written by: Charlie Woodman on July 5, 2011

While the new sound is exciting and is well executed, it doesn’t really fix their much larger problem: there is still just way too much filler.

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The Black Lips - Arabia Mountain album cover

Black Lips – Arabia Mountain

written by: Charlie Woodman on June 2, 2011

While it’s too much fun to be called a rut of any sort, Black Lips’ newest release, Arabia Mountain, chooses to stick mostly to what the band knows best

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What the Fuck Is So Offensive?

written by: Charlie Woodman on June 2, 2011

What is interesting about this story is “Fuck You!”’s legally ”offensive” content didn’t really offend anyone, or at least didn’t offend the amalgamated public; an offended public probably would not have let the song go 4-times platinum.

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The Antlers – Burst Apart

written by: Charlie Woodman on May 18, 2011

Those willing to overlook a dramatic change in mood will find that Burst Apart, while perhaps not as emotionally engaging as Hospice, takes The Antlers’ sound in a direction that is surprising and surprisingly natural.

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