Though his music is a swirl of garish saxophones, slap bass, syrupy synths and the kind of sung-rap samples that last saw radio airplay in '83, Adam Bainbridge, who records as Kindness, isn't being ironic. He's just firmly committed to the idea that these elements make for the best-sounding dance music. The fizzy pleasures of "SEOD" and "That's Alright" from his debut album World, You Need a Change of Mind make it difficult to argue.
Aside… more »
Remember that band you loved that broke up? Well, next year, they're playing Coachella. We live in an age when band reunions are bordering on passé, which can obscure the fact that a well-executed comeback is often difficult to come by. Take Limp Bizkit. That once incredibly popular band released an album this year that you probably had had no idea existed. Or on a somewhat more credible note, Duran Duran reunited and recruited famed… more »
Whether it's on account of creativity bursting at the seams, or just a desire to try something musically or lyrically different from their previous work, sometimes artists feel the need to step outside themselves and create an entirely new persona. The syndrome that's kept psychologists busy for years has manifested itself in concept albums, live performances or just the occasional one-off single.
Inspired by Nicki Minaj's sophomore album Roman Reloaded — where Minaj channels her rage… more »
With a sound as big as the sky and a lyrical approach as densely packed as any metropolis, Milagres, a Brooklyn five-piece freshly signed to Kill Rock Stars after a major personnel shake-up, doesn't need a compelling origin story for Glowing Mouth, its sophomore album. Still, as origin stories go, it's hard to beat Kyle Wilson's: "Our first album [2008's Seven Summits] was more of a calculated concept album, where I used mountaineering as a… more »
According to reports, Teena Marie died peacefully in her sleep the day after Christmas. To Top 40 followers, Marie was primarily the voice of 1984's Prince-like hit "Lovergirl." Although she was recovering from a recent grand mal seizure, this 54-year-old Californian was scheduled to perform in Atlanta on New Year's Day.
To those who knew the scope of Mary Christine Brockert's catalog, such a casual, apparently peaceful passing seemed altogether wrong. The Teena Marie publicly projected… more »
It used to be easier to pretend that an album was its own perfectly self-contained artifact. The great records certainly feel that way. But albums are more permeable than solid, their motivations, executions and inspirations informed by, and often stolen from, their peers and forbearers. It all sounds awfully formal, but it's not. It's the very nature of music — of art, even. The Six Degrees features examine the relationships between classic records and five… more »
Michael Jackson set the bar for pop success in the '80s; Bruce Springsteen had a more perfect track record; Madonna had the longest hit streak and, ultimately, a greater overall impact. But there is no question that Prince was the pop artist of the '80s. It isn't that everything he did was a gem, though even the duds have their moments. It's that as an entity, Prince's work during the decade is both so easy… more »
There is something inherently schizo about the Gemini. A quick scan of Gemini artists proves at least two stereotypes correct: one, that they often have multiple personas, and two, they generally need others to extract and then enact those personas. Consider Andre 3000, who is always whipping up some new self via fashion, or Prince, who's first a man, then a symbol, then man again, and whose attention span is almost - but not quite… more »
Activity
04.22.12
#welcome2australia
03.22.12
Hurry B4 it's 2 late
03.22.12
10 days
02.12.12
I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way
01.20.12
Phase 1 of the roll out, May 2012
01.06.12
Truly a time capsule, in the studio listening 2 phase 1 of the re-issues #2012
01.01.12
A lots got 2 B done B4 it all ends, so they say #2012
01.01.12
B blessed in #20Twelve
12.27.11
Who's counting?
12.02.11
Ready 2 B Remade - The Remix Album #extraloveable
