So it stands to reason that there’s only one American Gangster album that people should be interested in and that’s Jay-Z’s new release. It’s his second full length album post retirement and it’s not getting the greatest of reviews, partly because it’s his second full length album post retirement and…
Jay-Z American Gangster (Roc-A-Fella) American Gangster is one hell of a comeback album. For Diddy. Alongside his production team, The Hitmen, Sean Combs produces the album’s hottest tracks, “Pray,” and “Roc Boys (And The Winner Is),” outshining hit makers like the Neptunes and Jermaine Dupri. As for Jay-Z, let’s hope…
Michael Jackson, even after his loss of popularity in the U.S., continues to be an international icon. His music captured huge audiences around the world, especially during his glory days. Jackson also has lots of impersonators, including an entire Filipino prison full of inmates who choreographed their own version of…
Speaking of Jay-Z, some of us who are fans would probably rather remember him from his Reasonable Doubt days rather than the sub-par material he’s putting out currently. I’m not even trying to dis Hov, just calling it how it is. But there was definitely a time when he wore…
So it’s finally the fourth quarter in the music industry and record companies are desperate for some real sales. CD’s practically have one foot in the grave anyway so whatever dollars record companies can squeeze out of consumers by Christmas is a miracle. But alas, the heralded fourth quarter isn’t…
BY ANDY VIHSTADT CrossFade mixes it up Photo by Bill Sitzmann Last year, Omaha’s Cursive challenged its fans to remix the single, “Bad Sects,” from the Happy Hollow LP. The winning entry earned the flipside on the 12” single, which is finally available this week. Have a listen to the…
Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez American Airlines Arena Nov. 2, 2007 Better Than: Sonny and Cher The Mennifer, or shall we say, J.Ant show is so overwhelmingly over the top, you can’t help but marvel at the star power in all of its pyrotechnics. Friday night at the American Airlines…
Through The Past, Darkly Currently touring in support of his second solo album, former Soundgarden/Audioslave wailer Chris Cornell spoke with New Times about the environment, the thought process behind choosing which songs to include in a career-spanning setlist, art versus audience perceptions of it, and the consequences of a positive…
Annie Lennox October 31, 2007 The Carnival Center Better Than: A Weimar-era balladeer in a blender. I don’t know what’s better, that I got a privileged seat for the set of Annie Lennox last night, or that I got to sit next to the Herald’s Howard Cohen, who I thought…
In the words of Andre 3000, “You can plan a picnic, but you can’t predict the weather.” Considering Tropical Storm Noel is storming through the Bahamas right now, it’s a wise decision that Down Sound Records and Sigma Management have decided to temporarily postpone Jah Cure’s concert this weekend in…
When 26-year-old Jamaican singjay I-Wayne emerged in the reggae world two years ago, it was for his highly regarded Lava Ground debut, which somehow instantly gave him “next to blow up” status among reggae artists. After a solid year of radio spins and moderate touring, the prediction by most music…
Hip-hop has enjoyed its fair share of regal characters over the years: Grandmaster Flash, King Tee, Prince Markie Dee, etc., but it’s without question that none of them has held court with as much style and grace as New Jersey’s Queen Latifah. She’s been an ace MC since the late…
It’s well into midday on a Saturday afternoon, yet Ivan Neville, on the phone from his New Orleans home, sounds beat. Maybe he’s recovering from a gig the night before, or perhaps it’s the result of some revelry down on Bourbon Street. Whatever the reason, if Neville’s tired now, it’s…
Chris Cornell is at his best when he’s leading a band, most people will tell you. Known primarily for his time fronting groups like Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, and, until recently, Audioslave, most of the rock world is still adjusting to the sight of Cornell flying solo for the…
You want to know something… odd about blues guitar ace Jimmy Thackery? One of his favorite bands is the Move, that mid/late-1960s psych-pop Brit outfit featuring Jeff Lynne (ELO, Traveling Wilburys) and Roy Wood. If that’s not odd enough, Thackery’s latest platter, Solid Ice (Telarc), is half-instrumental. He’s certainly going…
In the extensive liner notes that accompany this five-disc set, jazz writer Nat Hentoff quotes John Coltrane as having once said, “I wish I could walk up to my music as if I’d never heard it before. I’ll never know what the listener feels, and that’s too bad.” For the…
As a DJ, there’s not a lot of wiggle room when it comes to remixing the hardcore salsa dura that came out of New York City in the ’60s and ’70s. You can spin it live and enjoy it like the rest of us audiophiles, but trying to “improve” it…
It’s not always a good sign when a band gets a phone call from local city officials saying that they’d “like to talk.” Thoughts of past noise violations or complaints of rowdy behavior at local shows might immediately jump into some musicians’ minds — and there might be some second-guessing…
Quite a few people went to great lengths to praise the divergent path that Black Rebel Motorcycle Club took on its third album, Howl. The disc saw the band embracing a more organic sound, replacing the hypnotic layers of psychedelic guitars that marked its first two discs with a more…
Finishing in the top five of American Idol doesn’t always guarantee contestants a road to success. Fort Myers resident Vonzell Solomon made it into the top three back in 2004, the same year country singer Carrie Underwood won it all, but Solomon hasn’t exactly been a household name since finishing…
It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost 20 years since the Rev. Horton Heat released his first album… and he hasn’t changed a bit. Of course, the whole point of psychobilly is an unabashed dedication to purity of sonic identity (that and getting just fucked up enough to let…
Since their inception in 1977, the Village People have sold more than 85 million albums and singles, with omnipresent hits like “YMCA,” “Macho Man,” and “In the Navy.” Ray Simpson, who plays the policeman, joined the band in 1979 after replacing the original, Victor Willis. I was lucky enough to…
