Review Song Of The Day A Premature Proclamation of Hip-Hop's Demise February 27, 2007 • It's audacious to declare the end of an entire musical subculture, and downright outrageous to do so when it's your musical subculture. With "Hip Hop Is Dead," Nas attempts to steer the genre in new directions while reasserting his status as one of its foremost personalities.
Review Song Of The Day A Rock Supergroup Gets Sublimely Mysterious February 1, 2007 • An ominous track in a musical class of its own, "Herculean" is the product of an eccentric and sublime collection of talent, including members of Blur, Gnarls Barkley and The Clash. Though much of its membership finds its roots in rock, The Good, The Bad & The Queen opts for subtler ambience.
Review Song Of The Day Transcending Desire, Finding Desperation January 24, 2007 • The tone of The Twilight Singers' "Live with Me" moves beyond that of a simple lover's plea: Over an ominous slide guitar, washes of electric guitars and a pulsing backbeat, the vibe gets pushed into ever more unnerving territory, thanks to two great singers who know their way around it.
Review Song Of The Day A Musical Christmas (and Birthday) Present December 22, 2006 • Being born around Christmas has its drawbacks, but at least now holiday babies can revel in their own anthem, courtesy of The Slip. A whirling, jangly rock song distinguished by its Steely Dan-esque lyrical and musical manner, "Children of December" employs quirky pop-cultural wordplay.
Review Song Of The Day Summoning Pure Bliss, One Beat at a Time December 15, 2006 • Fujiya & Miyagi isn't a duo, and its members aren't named Fujiya or Miyagi. A U.K. trio consisting of David Best (Miyagi), Steve Lewis (Fujiya) and Matt Hainsby (the ampersand), the group mixes the minimalist beats of Krautrock bands like Can, the angular new-wave guitars of Wire and the swirling electronica of Aphex Twin.
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.
