Wounded Messenger’s Top 101 Albums of the Decade

I now understand the infatuation that music journalists have with making lists. As pretentious, biased, and personalized as lists are, they’re just as much fun to do. Especially this one, which I won’t purport to be the “best” albums of the decade, only my “favorite” albums of the decade. As for the number, well, I [...]

Album Review: Mike Posner and The Brain Trust – A Matter of Time

Michigan’s Mike Posner highlights his raspy, tuneful voice and infectious songs on this “mixtape,” which plays like a fully fleshed album. Whatever you call it, A Matter of Time sounds like great practice for the recording and release of his upcoming first album, which will arrive in 2010. Posner could do a lot worse than [...]

Mike Doughty – New Album, Duo Tour

The first full week of October 2009 will be an exciting one for Mike Doughty and his fans, as the now-grizzled songwriter unveils his sixth “solo” release and embarks on a 31-date tour with band mate Andrew “Scrap” Livingston. The album, titled Sad Man Happy Man, will be released October 6, and the tour begins [...]

Album Review: Yonder Mountain String Band – The Show

“Out of the Blue,” the strongest song on YMSB’s The Show, leads off the album, and false hopes abound in the song’s galloping rhythm and focused songwriting. The Show quickly becomes a real head-scratcher for YMSB fans with song number two – “Complicated” – which shares more than just a name with the horrible Avril [...]

Album Review: SeepeopleS – Apocalypse Cow Vol. 2

During “What’s Missing,” the lush, schizophrenic track that opens Apocalypse Cow Vol. 2, SeepeopleS front man Will Bradford creepily announces, “what’s missing is old fashioned justice.” He’s on about something sinister and corrupt, but he could easily be talking about the puzzling path his band has traveled for the last 7 years. For the third [...]

Music on the Mountaintop 2009 Review

My review and photos of the Music on the Mountaintop festival are now up at Glide Magazine’s Hidden Track blog.

Album Review: Sondre Lerche – Heartbeat Radio

Sondre Lerche – I have no idea how to pronounce this guy’s name, but it will come to me eventually because I plan on listening to him for a very long time. A Norwegian musician with an effortless knack for writing strong, symphonic pop songs, Lerche comes across as some kind of all-knowing Anglo-pop savant [...]

Five Spot: Five Album Reviews

Once in a while, I’ll be writing short reviews of things on my hard drive that are probably already old but I haven’t gotten around to. They’ll be very informal and less analytical. The music will be chosen at random, too, so complete disorganization is assured.
Archive – Controlling Crowds – This is the first release [...]

News Fragments: Jay-Z Replaces Beastie Boys at All Points West, Bright Eyes Close Forever, California Left Standing For Phish Festival 8, New Built to Spill Album, Leonard Cohen Returns

-In the wake of Beastie Boy Adam Yauch’s announcement that he has cancer, the band’s album and tour plans have been postponed indefinitely. Replacing the Beasties at the upcoming All Points West Festival will be NYC’s own Jay-Z, making his first ever U.S. festival appearance.
-Conor Oberst (or as I like to call him, Conor Oh-Burst-Into-Tears) [...]

Live Review: Eric Bachmann at Duke Gardens, Durham, NC, July 22, 2009

Near the end of his hour-long set at Duke Gardens, Eric Bachmann appeared to get a little emotional. His voice cracked ever so slightly and his face contorted the way people’s faces do when they’re fighting back tears. As he thanked a few people for helping him “live the dream, which was sometimes a nightmare,” [...]