Archive for April, 2007

Depeche Mode - Playing The Angel [2005]

Monday, April 30th, 2007

Amazon.com
The blasphemous opinions surrounding Depeche Mode’s 2001 release Exciter were well warranted. Exciter didn’t supply Depeche Mode diehards much in the way of dance tunes, and the experimental sounds drummed up by Bjork producer Mark Bell strayed from the industrial standard in an overly delicate, less than welcoming way. True fans, luckily, forgive and forget […]

Keane - Under The Iron Sea [2006]

Monday, April 30th, 2007

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If U2 hadn’t already released a pair of career retrospective discs, this British trio’s second album would neatly do the trick in one. Not much of a surprise since Keane spent a good deal of time supporting Bono and company following the release their breakthrough debut, Hopes and Fears. From the melancholic “Crystal Ball” to […]

Kid Rock - Devil Without A Cause [1998]

Monday, April 30th, 2007

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It’s fitting that the Kid Rock revival got started when the Beastie Boys featured him in their Grand Royal magazine–and not because the kid from Detroit shares their skin tone. Rock has often been compared with the early Beasties–the boys of “Fight for Your […]

Josh Groban - Awake [2006]

Monday, April 30th, 2007

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Josh Groban is making it hard for anybody who can’t say “classical crossover” without smirking to maintain an acceptable level of snobbery. Awake, his third studio disc and arguably his most personal–he co-wrote four tracks and favors his native English over Italian–boasts as many bold names as any tricked-out hip-hop disc: Dave Matthews, Ladysmith Black […]

Switchfoot - Nothing Is Sound [2005]

Monday, April 30th, 2007

Amazon.com
Switchfoot is the classic eight-year “overnight success” story. With a pocketful of radio hits, award nominations, and multi-platinum status, the band’s Beautiful Letdown in 2003 introduced Switchfoot to a whole new world. But let’s keep in mind that prior to the massive success, the […]