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Music Reviews

Second Stage

American Princes: 'Auditorium'

A trio of guitarists powers Little Rock band American Princes — a presence made immediately known on the group's fourth full-length record, Other People. The band's catchy rock sound is built upon a thick bed of layered electric guitars in swirling stereo. With competing vocalists Collins Kilgore, David Slade, and William Boyd taking turns singing lead and the constantly battling instruments, the sound is more chaotic than that of your average rock group, but it all seems to work with the band's on-edge energy.

"Auditorium"

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World Cafe

Marching Band Sparks a Procession

XPN

Swedish group Marching Band is comprised of old college friends Erik Sunbring and Jacob Lind — both of whom use an array of diverse instruments on their on their first full length album entitled Spark Large.

Marching Band Sparks a Procession

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Song Of The Day

Malkmus Gets Comfortable on 'Cold Son'

Propelled by Malkmus' characteristically thoughtful words, in-unison rock riffs and thundering drums, the upbeat and surprisingly poppy song "Cold Son" toys with dynamics to a surprising degree.

'Cold Son' by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks

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Can Al Green Lay It Down Again?

For Lay It Down, Al Green collaborated with hip-hop artists such as The Roots drummer ?uestlove. The album may be closer to the retro-soul Green helped inspire than to the originator's best work, but that's not entirely bad.

Can Al Green Lay It Down Again?

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Second Stage

Titus Andronicus: 'Titus Andronicus'

A band named for Shakespeare's character, Titus Andronicus is erratic, frenzied, and at times borderline psychotic. The group's debut album, The Airing of Grievances, meanders from blitzkrieg punk to lo-fi post-punk to psychedelic rock, while mixing in spoken-word renditions of some of the play's most dramatic lines.

"Titus Andronicus"

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Song Of The Day

Jet Black Crayon: Skating's Smarter Side

Where much of Jet Black Crayon's discography piles on atmosphere without worrying much about composition, "8 Bad Years" — with its scratchy post-punk rhythm guitar, hyperkinetic breakbeats, and ominous bassline — feels pointed and purposeful.

8 Bad Years

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Second Stage

In Cadeo: 'The Archer'

Jared Scott and Pete Sustarsic recorded In Cadeo's five-song self-titled EP as a studio project with help from friends before the band ever had a proper lineup. Given the grunge-pop sound of "The Archer," the anthemic piano-driven rock of "This Side The Grave" and the slow build-up and cathartic climax of "Communist Lecture," the band proves commanding despite its fledgling nature.

"The Archer"

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New Music

The Best CDs of 2008 (So Far)

Music reviewers generally wait until November and December to assess the year in music. But 2008's halfway point seems like a good place to stop and look back at six busy months full of critics' darlings, Internet sensations and even, in a grim commercial climate, commercial hits.

The Best CDs of 2008 (So Far)

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Song Of The Day

Louis XIV: Of Delicacy and Dirt

"Hopesick" itself stands in stark contrast to the lust-and-thrust of Louis XIV's previous releases, in the process revealing real, raw emotions surrounding drug use, unattainable love, and the break-up of a band that's been together for years. The song is all dirt and delicacy, desperation and damage, love and loss, and it is as it always should have sounded.

Hopesick

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Second Stage

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson: 'Woodfriend'

On his self-titled debut, Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson enlists all-star help in friends Chris Taylor and Chris Bear of Grizzly Bear and Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio. Yet despite recording with more accomplished rockers, Robinson has a style and flair all his own.

"Woodfriend"

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Circle Wide Quintet, Playing 'Like Before'

Fresh Air

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews Like Before, Somewhat After, the new recording from drummer George Schuller and his quintet Circle Wide. The disc salutes the music of pianist Keith Jarrett's '70s-era quartet.

Circle Wide Quintet, Playing 'Like Before'

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Song Of The Day

Blue Skies for Black Hearts: Rock with a Wink

Unlike the gentle acoustic pop of the band's past work, "Siouxsie Please Come Home" — with its raw electric backbeats, its British Invasion-inspired melody, and its rousing chorus of "I don't wanna waste all of your time" — heralds a rock 'n' roll album saturated with electric guitars, abrasive horns, multi-part vocal harmonies, and even a string section.

Siouxie Please Come Home

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Second Stage

Setting Sun: 'What We Wanted'

Setting Sun is a quintet led by frontman and producer Gary Levitt. The band's third album, Children of the Wild, evokes the laid-back simple life of Levitt's Upstate New York home. Driven by simple acoustic guitar lines, Erica Quitzow's graceful string orchestrations, and Levitt's hushed vocals, Setting Sun's arrangements are dramatic and poignant.

"What We Wanted"

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