Idlewild, "These Wooden Ideas" It's not always clear ahead of time if an album or band will click or not. Reviews and comparisons can take you only so far, and until you sit down with a record and really try it...
Otis Redding, "Love Have Mercy" Man, Otis was really a force of nature. The Presidents of the United States of America, "Froggie" This insistent fever dream of a tune is an excellent example of why the Presidents were so much fun....
Frank Black and the Catholics, "I Gotta Move" A thing I admire about Frank Black is that his songs always sound so distinctly like him. Whether with the Pixies, as a solo act, with the Catholics or whatever, he always sounds like Frank...
Murs, "Intro" As usual, I don't have a lot to say about intro tracks. This is just setting up the framing device for the album. I will say that if it's going to come up, it's fun...
The Afghan Whigs, "Matamoros" The Afghan Whigs wrapped up their first incarnation with 1998's 1965, and Greg Dulli moved on to other projects - primarily the Twilight Singers, but other things like the Gutter Twins album with Mark Lanegan. It wasn&...