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Music Reviews

Song Of The Day

Bluesman Seth Walker Has A Surprising Song

Walker's sweet tenor carries an edge of pain, as well as affection for blue notes. His blues music isn't just about guitars and drums, just as it isn't about the torn jeans and unshaven face he presents on his Web site. Topping off that hobo look is a fedora with a sharp crease — a cool, nostalgic hat that's the sartorial equivalent of "I Got a Song."

'I Got a Song' by Seth Walker

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'Tain' Watts: What's In A Name?

Fresh Air

Jeff "Tain" Watts, an original member of the Wynton Marsalis quintet, has released an album titled Watts. But it's no ego trip; the disc is inspired, at least in part, by L.A.'s Watts neighborhood.

'Tain' Watts: What's In A Name?

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Lonely Island: Making Satire Sing On 'Incredibad'

A trio of comedians led by Andy Samberg have turned Saturday Night Live into a showcase for satirical music. Lonely Island's new album Incredibad is out this week.

Lonely Island: Making Satire Sing On 'Incredibad'

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Song Of The Day

Eleni Mandell: A Poet's Eye For Detail

In "It Wasn't the Time (It Was the Color)," Mandell recalls a treasured moment while ruminating on the specificity with which memory works. Her accompaniment is so simple that the instruments seem to take tiny steps almost the entire way, but they get where they're going nonetheless.

It Wasn't the Time (It Was the Color)

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Song Of The Day

Mumford And Sons: Overseas Americana

Whether the group was inspired by America's own recent pop-folk explosion or merely harbors a secret love of twang, there's no denying that Mumford and Sons can jam. "Roll Away Your Stone" is a raw ode to facing demons and starting over.

'Roll Away Your Stone' by Mumford and Sons

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In 'Hold Time', M. Ward Strums Acoustic

Fresh Air

M. Ward's seventh album Hold Time was released Feb. 17. The singer-songwriter is known for his largely acoustic and usually spare arrangements. Ken Tucker has a review.

In 'Hold Time', M. Ward Strums Acoustic

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Song Of The Day

Madeleine Peyroux Finds Rock And Soul

In the secret labs of music collaboration, where deceased singers are matched with living partners, has anyone ever tried to bring Billie Holiday and Hall & Oates together? Probably not, but when Lady Day enthusiast Madeleine Peyroux sings "You Can't Do Me," it's as if Holiday and the self-proclaimed "rock and soul" boys had a musical moment.

'You Can't Do Me' by Madeleine Peyroux

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Van Morrison Captures 'Astral Weeks' Live

Last November, for the first time in his career, Morrison revisited his second album, Astral Weeks, in concert. The result, Astral Weeks: Live at the Hollywood Bowl, arrives this week, offering a fresh take on one of the key recordings in late '60s rock.

Van Morrison Captures 'Astral Weeks' Live

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Second Stage

I Was A King: 'Golden Years'

It's hard to believe the Norwegian group I Was A King has only been around for a few years. Its self-titled album confidently weaves together shoe gaze, indie rock, and pop to create an infectious collection of songs that can appeal to both the cynical and the cheerful.

Golden Years

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K'Naan: Hip-Hop's New Pop 'Troubadour'

The second album by Somalia-born Canadian alt-rapper K'Naan finds the artist embracing a swing-infused bent, complete with Ethiopian samples and strong hooks. Troubadour fits alongside the best pop efforts of Lil Wayne and T.I., with music that stays in your head for days.

K'Naan: Hip-Hop's New Pop 'Troubadour'

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All Songs Considered

Serge Gainsbourg, Neko Case, M. Ward, More

Hear a sneak preview the heartbreakingly beautiful new album from Neko Case. Also M. Ward, Franz Ferdinand, Bishop Allen, Jesse Marchant, and Serge Gainsbourg.

Serge Gainsbourg, Neko Case, M. Ward, More

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Song Of The Day

Here We Go Magic: Rock Hypnosis

Rarely have a band name and a song title both been so appropriately chosen: In "Tunnelvision," Luke Temple's new project Here We Go Magic quickly establishes that nothing is as it seems. It's hard not to get lost in Here We Go Magic's guitars, which provide a steady pulse at the same time they drench the song in reverb and delay.

Tunnelvision

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Song Of The Day

Clem Snide: Pledging Loyalty, With A Catch

In Clem Snide's music, nothing is ever simple: Even its most straightforwardly goodhearted love songs shine a light on the risks involved in revealing your heart. In the deliciously sideways gem "With All My Heart," the band goes to great lengths never to try.

With All My Heart

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Song Of The Day

The Streets: Almost Unbearably Upbeat

Fans of The Streets' earlier work, which largely concerned pub-and-club life, may find "Everything Is Borrowed" cringe-worthy. And yet it's almost impossible not to fall for the song when its soaring chorus kicks in, with its refrain, "I came to this world with nothing / And I leave with nothing but love / Everything else is just borrowed."

Everything Is Borrowed

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