Review Song Of The Day A Three-Minute Blast of Rock and Electronics November 30, 2006 • Aaron Behrens and Thomas Turner, who perform as Ghostland Observatory, play electronica with the ferocity of great rock 'n' roll. The Austin duo's music presents a beguiling synthesis of new-wave-influenced bands like The Rapture and the progressive dance-floor musings of Daft Punk.
Review Song Of The Day A 28-Year Absence Gets Washed Away November 22, 2006 • Most famously known as Cat Stevens, the folk songwriter returns under the name Yusuf Islam. On An Other Cup, his first album of pop songs since 1978, it's as if the man who wrote "Morning Has Broken" never missed a step.
Review Song Of The Day Nelson and Adams, Spanning Eras Seamlessly November 7, 2006 • A concert favorite of Deadheads, "Stella Blue" doesn't seem like natural turf for Willie Nelson and producer Ryan Adams, but the cover plays out as a guitar-soaked country power ballad, with Nelson digging into the vocal with longing and resignation as Adams lays down guitar feedback.
Review Song Of The Day A Gorgeous, Thinking-Man's Pop Song October 11, 2006 • On The Pernice Brothers' Live a Little, the band creates sunshiny pop nuggets evoking the likes of Carole King, Bread, The Zombies and Brian Wilson. "Zero Refills," in particular, is a lovely pop song, seemingly torn from the catalog of Brian Wilson or Burt Bacharach.
Review Song Of The Day Breaking Ground on a Modern Message Song September 28, 2006 • Years after breaking through as one of the most innovative and musically gifted acts in hip-hop, The Roots' members return with Game Theory, another groundbreaking collection of stellar and often political material.
Review Song Of The Day Swedish Pop at Its Wistful, Whimsical Best September 18, 2006 • A highlight of Peter, Bjorn and John's forthcoming Writer's Block — a concept album about the trials and tribulations of relationships — "Young Folks" is a breezy, melancholic slice of infectious pop.
Review Song Of The Day From Sufjan to Solo, a Star Turn September 11, 2006 • To fans of Sufjan Stevens, Shara Worden is best-known as one of the backing vocalists in his band. On her own, Worden is a remarkable chanteuse who goes by the moniker My Brightest Diamond — and brings to mind the work of Jeff Buckley, Edith Piaf and Nina Simone.
Review Song Of The Day Lily Allen: Tomorrow's Pop Today August 22, 2006 • Though she remains relatively obscure in the U.S., Lily Allen has spent the summer establishing herself as queen of the U.K. pop-music scene. Having already attracted blog- and press-fueled hype to rival that preceding Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," Allen exudes swaggering star quality on "Smile."
Review Song Of The Day 'Baby Makin' Music' Lives Up to Isleys' Billing July 7, 2006 • For all its slowly gyrating seductiveness, "Gotta Be With You" serves as the hot centerpiece of an album that delivers on the promise and premise of its title. Sultry and soulful, Ronald Isley's falsetto remains commandingly rich and intoxicating.
Review Song Of The Day Reveling in the Joy of Repetition June 29, 2006 • Hot Chip is clearly made up of geeky music obsessives, each far-reaching in his musical ideas. A quirky, intelligent collection of songs, the band's new album The Warning owes as much to Prince and Aphex Twin as it does to The Beach Boys, New Order and Beck.
Review Song Of The Day A Classic Breakup Song Gets Its Answer June 22, 2006 • "Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken," from the Glasgow chamber-pop sextet Camera Obscura's recent album Let's Get Out of This Country, serves as a gloriously bubbly answer to Lloyd Cole's "Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken," one of the all-time great breakup songs.
Review Song Of The Day Folk and Pop Collide in a Gentle Ballad June 13, 2006 • British singer-songwriter Alexi Murdoch doesn't exactly rewrite the classic folk songbook on his first full-length studio album. But with his rich, hypnotic ballads and tender acoustic guitar work, he's created a timeless folk-pop record that's likely to endure.
Review Song Of The Day Power-Pop with a Twist of France June 5, 2006 • The French band Phoenix's "Long Distance Call" is a lovably catchy power-pop nugget informed by early-'80s pop grooves, the insouciance of the '70s rock band Pablo Cruise and a flood of Hall & Oates sing-alongs.
Song Of The Day A Cover Version Gets Its Own Cover Version May 26, 2006 • With its insidious cloud of warm keyboards and droning sitars, Thievery Corporation's "This Is Not a Love Song" qualifies as hipster electronica: It's "Chariots Of Fire" for the indie-rock set, yet palatable enough for those who enjoy the music on VW commercials.
Review Song Of The Day Finding Redemption in Rock 'n' Roll May 23, 2006 • The English rock band Art Brut erupts with a fireball of adolescent rage on "My Little Brother." Singer Eddie Argos sneers and shouts, with sarcastic, often-humorous observations that mock, yet ultimately glorify, the unique power of rock 'n' roll.
