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Music Reviews

Second Stage

Asbury: 'Covered in Acrylic'

The music of Asbury plays like a soundtrack to a haunted circus. It jangles and rattles with dirge-like rhythms and scratchy, distant voices. The instrumentation — glockenspiel, synths, piano — is drenched in reverb, with the wispy voice of frontman David Franklin tiptoeing delicately through the haze. Asbury's debut CD, Under the Asbury is a calming, if fantastical world, with rich character studies, sometimes haunting narratives and a touch of humor.

"Covered in Acrylic"

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Go-Betweens' Robert Forster Goes Solo

The Australian band the Go-Betweens had a limited American profile, but they were huge in Europe until co-founder Grant McLennan died in 2006 of a heart attack. McLennan's old partner, Robert Forster, has a new solo album out.

Go-Betweens' Robert Forster Goes Solo

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Le Trio Joubran: Brothers of the Oud

The oud is one of the world's oldest string instruments, dating back as much as 4,000 years. But on their new album Majaz, three Palestinian siblings prove that its traditions are still evolving.

Le Trio Joubran: Brothers of the Oud

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Second Stage

Melomane: 'Hilarious'

Listening to the music of New York pop quartet Melomane can be a life affirming experience. The band's cheery tunes on their latest CD, Glacier sound like an easy-breezy stroll through the park on a cloudless day. But to the group's credit, they don't suffer from blind idealism — there are shadows in the songs where darker thoughts lurk — which turns what might otherwise be saccharine pop songs into more thoughtful meditations on love and loss.

"Hilarious"

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Song Of The Day

Amiina: A Dance of Sounds in Space

Amiina's "Rugla" begins with a quiet clicking, which is immediately fleshed out by guitar and ringing vibraphone. For a band that embraces a kitchen-sink approach, what emerges is hardly noise. Instead, it's a series of auditory concepts that capture the mind and soothe the soul.

'Rugla' by Amiina

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Madonna Indulges with 'Hard Candy'

Madonna's new single, "4 Minutes," is an airtight, spit-polished production loaded with current stars, designed to send the message that Madonna still matters. Music critic Tom Moon reviews the pop icon's latest album, Hard Candy.

Madonna Indulges with 'Hard Candy'

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Song Of The Day

Headlights: Taking Self-Improvement to Heart

In "Get Your Head Around It," Headlights' Tristan Wraight mourns the connection lost between friends and lovers who've outgrown each other: "In silence, we both walk away." Under his words, the instruments fix together into a massive wall of sound.

'Get Your Head Around It' by Headlights

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What's 'Go-Go'? A 'BPP' Assisted Listen

Robert Reed, keyboardist for go-go pioneers Trouble Funk, died last week of pancreatic cancer. He helped pioneer a kind of music that anyone who hasn't lived in Washington D.C. might never have had the funky pleasure of encountering.

What's 'Go-Go'? A 'BPP' Assisted Listen

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Song Of The Day

Kate Walsh: Swooning Devotion in 'Your Song'

Walsh finds the loveliest possible melodies in "Your Song" ("I'm stuck on a boy who fills me with joy"), strolling right up to the line between innocent and cloying without winding up on the wrong side of it. Throughout the song, Walsh's vocal aches with the weight of the highest possible stakes.

Your Song

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New Music: Lyrics Born, Billy Bragg and More

Washington Post pop music critic Josh Freedom du Lac discusses the week's album releases, including albums from rapper Lyrics Born, Billy Bragg, Elvis Costello, and Jessica Simpson's sister Ashlee.

New Music: Lyrics Born, Billy Bragg and More

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World Cafe

Sera Cahoone: Soft as a Shawl

XPN

Like Band of Horses and Grand Archives, Sera Cahoone got her start in the surprisingly fruitful band Carissa's Wierd [sic]. Unlike her former cohorts, with their tendency toward sweeping rock, Cahoone plays country-infused music that's soft and quiet.

You Might as Well

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