Here's a weird and indefensible but completely genuine reaction that much-anticipated new albums sometimes provoke: I wish it was better. It's one thing if a band you like suddenly shits the bed on a…   Read Story »

Titus Andronicus could really give a fuck about degree of difficulty. Here's how we know that Titus are one of our finest working bands: They can record an album of jaunty singalong beer-punk anthems…   Read Story »

Much like last summer’s Watch The Throne, G.O.O.D. Music’s posse record Cruel Summer is a Kanye West record, at least musically speaking. Like Watch The Throne, Cruel Summer is lined with the…   Read Story »

So let's dispatch two facts real quick. First, contrary to earlier reports, there is no seven-and-a-half-minute rock epic titled "The Slot Tech." Second, yeah, it's been nearly one full Olympiad…   Read Story »

"I'm searching for phrases / To sing your praises," sings Bob Dylan on "Soon After Midnight" the second track on his latest album, Tempest. I can relate. While many of the phrases that come to mind…   Read Story »

The music made by England trio the xx can be hard to contemplate at face value because, in a sense, there’s not much there. And, much like their not-trying-to-do-too-much-but-already-iconic-somehow…   Read Story »

Following up a masterpiece like Merriweather Post Pavilion is a thankless task: There's almost no way you can create a better album, and even if you do, don't expect anyone listening to think…   Read Story »

If you're an indie rock fan of a certain vintage, then the phrase "Cat Power breakup record" might inspire a certain dread in your heart. You might have uncomfortable memories of watching Chan…   Read Story »

Even though I've been aware of him since The Doldrums -- or at least since Paw Tracks reissued that release in 2004 -- I've never quite figured out what Ariel Pink's deal is. On one hand, he’s got…   Read Story »

When "Rich Forever," the title track from Rick Ross's great early-2012 mixtape, shows up as a bonus track on his new God Forgives, I Don't, one line immediately jumps out: "Your shit pushed back cuz…   Read Story »