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The Raveonettes: Raven in the Grave

By Austin L. Ray at 11:00 AM on April 6, 2011

Danish retro-rockers The Raveonettes have always been a frustratingly hit-or-miss band. For every triumphant pop record they craft (Lust, Lust, Lust) there's a misguided clunker (Whip It On) somewhere in their catalog to balance it out. The mix of excellent and.... read more

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Robbie Robertson: How to Become Clairvoyant

By Jeff Leven at 12:00 PM on April 5, 2011

An old master modestly hides the kitchen sink... read more

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The Submarines: Love Notes/Letter Bombs

By Stephen M. Deusner at 9:16 AM on April 5, 2011

Rock musicians lose their edge once they settle down and get married, goes the old adage. Whether that’s a statistically viable generalization or just a convenient explanation for an artist mellowing with age is still debatable, but the Submarines are doing their best to dispel that myth: The LA-via-Boston husband-wife duo make witty, conflicted nuptial pop about the tribulations and rewards of marriage and commitment, with each album more conflicted and.... read more

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Holy Ghost!: Holy Ghost!

By Ryan Reed at 3:28 PM on April 4, 2011

Ahh, DJs, how truly little we know thee. You’ve been making the dance floor a funkier place for decades, but your recorded output has been mainly relegated to indie rock bonus discs and bloated B-sides of bands trying to sound “more electronic.” I ask, “Who art thou, really?”... read more

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The Kills: Blood Pressures

By Jeff Gonick at 12:00 PM on April 4, 2011

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Ezra Furman & the Harpoons: Mysterious Power

By Andy Whitman at 9:56 AM on April 4, 2011

Ezra Furman’s first two albums were unabashedly influenced by The Violent Femmes and the ’64 incarnation of Bob Dylan. That’s okay. They were really great Bob Dylan/Gordon Gano pastiches. But on new album Mysterious Power, Furman seems to have found his own voice. The nasal yelp will still remind you of great misanthropes and smartasses from the past, but the songwriting, for the first time, bears the distinctive imprint of a first-rate original storyteller. read more

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Aretha Franklin: Take A Look: Aretha Franklin Complete on Columbia

By Stephen M. Deusner at 12:00 PM on March 30, 2011

Aretha Franklin was only 19 years old when she signed with Columbia Records in 1960, but she had already established herself on the gospel circuit as a soloist at her father’s church in Detroit. With his encouragement, she traded the sanctuary for the nightclub and put her heavenly voice toward songs about worldly instead of spiritual love. In five years she made seven records for the label, plus numerous singles and unreleased sessions with various bands and producers, resulting in a string of modest hits like “One Step Ahead” and “Won’t Be Long.”... read more

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