A Better Entertainment Is Possible.
For the title of his third opus, KanYe West carried on the subject of his lacking a college education. After the undeniable success of his first two records, which established him as the most successful pop and hip-hop US artist; the moment of his “Graduation” arrived. An album in which every single track was … Read more
The Delgados, a four-piece from Glasgow named after the famous Spanish cyclist Perico Delgado, put an end to their career halfway through the decade. Their two penultimate records, produced by Dave Fridmann, saw their trademark sound wrapped in lush orchestration and beautiful melodies; including such memorable moments as this ironic “All you need is hate”.
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For her seventh album, “The Greatest”, Chan Marshall returned to Memphis and got surrounded by veteran soul and R&B musicians to recreate the sound of the records she liked during her childhood. The stunning results added warmth and colour to her intimate songs and gained her all sort of plaudits. The singer went through … Read more
One of the few bands making hard rock with credibility, after nineties grunge was completely swallowed by the mainstream: ex-Kyuss Josh Homme assembled an all-star line up with musicians from Soundgarden, Monster Magnet, Pearl Jam, etc. and Queens of the Stone Age soon jumped into rock and roll’s A-list. The roaring “Lost … Read more
En su mas reciente y ambicioso álbum, “La Leyenda del Espacio”, en el que la banda alternativa española por antonomasia se aventuraba a mezclar su estilo con diferentes palos del flamenco como replica al clásico de Camarón, estos “pobres granainos” dejaban un par de huecos para su sonido de siempre; pop-rock guitarrero influido por las … Read more
Part of their most recent and ambitious record, “La Leyenda del espacio (The Legend Of Space)”, in which the most acclaimed alternative band of Spain took the challenge to combine their style with different types of flamenco as a reply to Camaron’s classic “La Leyenda del tiempo (The Legend Of Time)”, these “poor guys from … Read more
Named after a Mahalia Jackson song and drenched in that gospel-like spirituality, “Didn’t it Rain” was Jason Molina’s finest hour. With a similar formation as Silver Jews or Willard Grant Conspiracy, Songs: Ohia was orchestrated by Molina next to a number of rotating collaborators. His prolific output soon found other, more stable monikers – such … Read more
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Alter leaving the world open mouthed with her dazzling “Ys”, an assertive Joanna Newsom released a EP of new songs and some that didn’t make her acclaimed second work. Throwing a wink to Springsteen by naming her accompanying band “The Ys Street Band”, what could have been a bunch of discards did not lower … Read more
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Although it was co-founded by Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich of Pavement; with the passing years Silver Jews established itself as the project through which David Berman, with intermittent help from friends in other bands, developed his notable ability as a singer-songwriter, elevating him to the first division of alternative north American writers next … Read more
Sweden pioneered the revival of garage rock with this energetic five-piece act, discovered to the rest of the world by Alan McGee, who signed them for his last label Poptones and released a repackaged compilation of the band’s first two albums for the UK. Success was instantaneous and they were promptly courted by a major, … Read more
After years being placed halfway through the grunge and americana currents, Grandaddy produced their most ambitious record with “The Sophomore Slump”. Helped by Dave Friddman on production duties, Jason Lyttle’s band expanded their sonic palette, toying with prog-rock until almost creating their own concept album. However, their ability to produce jaunty pop-rock tunes remained intact … Read more
Another track from the very beginning of the decade, Dead Prez’s only hit was rapturously received by the critics as one of the few attempts from new hip-hop artists to return to the genre’s earlier, politically charged ways. Audiences, though, preferred the most commercialized version sending the duo and their socially conscious messages to a … Read more
The debut album from this duo from Bristol generated waves of enthusiasm across a rather stagnated panorama of electronica due to their original sound and live sets. Andrew Weatherall, Veteran DJ and producer of “Screamadelica”, accepted the invitation to remix one of their singles. The result was so amazing that he repeated full time at … Read more
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The Hidden Cameras breakthrough album – and finest hour- “The smell of our own”, caused a small commotion among indie lovers all over the world. This irony filled, joyfully anthemic number from the openly gay music combo- sort of Canadian equivalent to the finest British Chamber pop – funnily enough, arrived months before … Read more