July 03, 2009
By David Greenwald
LOS ANGELES, Calif.
Since Wilco’s humble beginnings as alt-country banner-wavers with 1995’s “A.M.,” and 1996’s “Being There” it’s been increasingly hard to pin the Chicago band down. From the shift toward Beach Boys-like pop on 1999’s “Summerteeth,” to the experimental breakthroughs of 2002’s “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,” to the guitar prowess of 2004’s “A Ghost Is Born,” and 2007’s “Sky Blue Sky,” Wilco has evolved into one of America’s most adventurous groups.
So what side of the band does “Wilco (The Album)” show?
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June 28, 2009
By Jeremy Blacklow
LOS ANGELES, Calif.
Piano chanteuse Regina Spektor released her third full-length studio album, “far,” this week, and it’s a welcome summer sound that doesn’t disappoint.
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June 18, 2009
By Jeremy Blacklow
BURBANK, Calif.
Everyone might be talking about Adam Lambert and Kris Allen right now, but another recent American Idol is making a big splash on radio airwaves as well. Season 6 winner Jordin Sparks’ first single from her sophomore album, “Battlefield,” is quietly creeping its way up the charts, currently sitting at #18 on iTunes singles chart.
The song exemplifies what Jordin does best – teen pop love song confections – and of course highlights her soaring voice in a giant build-up towards the end.
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June 12, 2009
By David Greenwald
LOS ANGELES, Calif.
Hang on to your picnic baskets – Grizzly Bear took a serious bite out of the Billboard charts last week and the Brooklyn band’s not going into hibernation any time soon.
The animal-themed quartet (no relation to Yogi) sold 33,000 copies of its third album, “Veckatimest,” to land at the No. 8 spot on the charts, besting five-figure debuts earlier this year by fellow indie phenoms (and On The Download alumni!) Animal Collective and Andrew Bird. The big splash is surely no surprise to Grizzly Bear fans – the band has been everywhere in the three years since their breakthrough release, 2006’s critically acclaimed “Yellow House,”
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June 09, 2009
By Jeremy Blacklow
BURBANK, Calif.
The first big pop music mainstream piece of summer solace and pure guilty-pleasure fun has arrived!
The Peas have done it again – with an album full of anthems that will keep boomboxes bumpin’ on beaches from coast-to-coast with catchy hooks, sexy samples and sing-able lyrics, from now until Labor Day (and likely Labor Day 2010 as well!). It doesn’t get any better than this from Will.i.Am, Fergie and their gang.
The full review… after the jump.
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June 05, 2009
By Alex Bandy
LOS ANGELES, Calif.
It’s only half way through ‘09 and I’ve already made my choice for album of the year - Deer Tick’s “Born On Flag Day.” The Brooklyn quartet’s sophomore release (along with their previous album “War Elephant”) really embodies everything I love about music.
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June 03, 2009
By Selin Darkalstanian
LOS ANGELES, Calif.
He has the ability to draw 250,000 people together on a beach in Rio de Janeiro on a regular Sunday afternoon. He can play to a sold out concert of 15,000 dancing in unison to his beats at the LA Sports Arena, but he can just as easily DJ an intimate house party in the Hollywood Hills and get the entire room up on its feet.
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May 28, 2009
By Breanna Hughes
LOS ANGELES, Calif.
I’ve been a fan of Jill Sobule for quite some time. She’s always flown just under the radar in the music industry, but she has always been a well-respected songwriter and her true fans have stuck with her from the beginning. After all, she IS the girl who “Kissed A Girl” when Katy Perry was still merely in grade school.
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May 21, 2009
By Damu Bobb
BURBANK, Calif.
MySpace Records newcomer Mateo once interviewed for a consulting job in New York, and his interviewer was none other than John Legend.
Mateo didn’t get the job, and obviously, John Legend is no longer a hiring manager at a consulting firm. These days, John is becoming a music legend for our time, and Mateo is an exciting young artist on the verge of stardom.
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