Category: Reviews
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It seems like just yesterday I was buying Helloween’s brilliant Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part 1 on vinyl. But the fact of the matter is that two decades have past. Literally. And this, my friends, is Helloween’s 14th album. Boy does that make me feel old. It also makes me want to give a…
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MC Jin, a Chinese American rapper and songwriter, was born Jin Au-Yeung in Miami Florida. After spending years living in New York, he decided to move to Hong Kong, where he learned to speak Cantonese, though he eventually decided to move back to New York during the summer of 2012. From 2002 through 2005 Jin…
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Just a couple of years ago Sky was supposed to become an overnight sensation with her song “Obsession” appearing on everything from The Vampire Diaries soundtrack to one of those infamous NOW CDs. But the song’s failure to make much of an impression on anyone was likely a source of amusement for Sky, who was…
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Skunk Anansie was formed in 1994 and gained notoriety with their powerful rock hit “Selling Jesus”. I was hooked right away and bought it on cassette. Lead singer (Skin) has a captivating voice that can be both terrifying and beautiful over the scope of a few lines. The album challenged issues of sexism, religion and…
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Let me begin this review by stating that I was a huge fan of Christina’s last album, Bionic. I realize that most of the critics hated it and that it was a commercial flop, but I consider the majority of it to be forward-thinking, artsy pop. And that’s exactly what she was aiming for. She…
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If the red heart that reads YOU AND ME on the pink notebook album cover didn’t give it away, well, this is clearly a Valentine’s Day-themed release. Something that should not surprise Meiko’s longtime fans, who know the indie pop singer to be a hopeless romantic addicted to writing and singing love songs. The E.P.…
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Australian Julia Stone first captured our ears as the sister-half of the brother and sister duo Angus & Julia Stone. Together they’ve released critically acclaimed albums like Down The Way, Memories Of An Old Friend and Heart Full Of Wine. But they’ve never been mere critics’ darlings. On the contrary, the prolific duo has amassed…
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Mylène Farmer is, by far, the most successful singer of all-time in France. Celine Dion hasn’t even come close to selling the number of albums Mylène has sold there. Even in Canada, where Mylène was born, she rivals Celine. She’s hugely popular in other countries, too, having completed sold out tours of Russia before her…
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Here it is, Tegan & Sara’s much-talked about leap to… pop? Electronica? Club music? It seems like everywhere you’ve turned lately, people have been talking about how Tegan & Sara’s new album is going to be “different,” as if different means terrible. But these are people who like to gossip, or so-called fans who haven’t bothered to…
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I’ve been a fan of Björk for over 15 years and I’ve generally loved everything she’s done. I could have done without Telegraph, the peculiar “Björk covers Björk” remix collection released after her first two albums, and Medulla — her 99% acapella album — left a lot to be desired, but those were only minor…
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The most remarkable thing about Garbage may be their ability to change while remaining the same. Each of their five albums has its own distinct vibe. They all include Garbage’s fundamental elements — Shirley Manson’s exquisite voice, the barrage of loops, layers and layers of sound, etc — yet each has its own feel. And…
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It’s not easy to wrap one’s head around Ke$ha, the person. Is she truly the rebel she paints herself to be? Or is she just putting on an act? Where Lady Gaga has succeeded in convincing people that she really is a freak — albeit in a good way — people still have their doubts…
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A track-by-track review by Michael McCarthy, who wrote this while listening to the album for the fifth time. “Girl Gone Wild” The intro immediately calls to mind “Like A Prayer,” sounding a bit derivative. It just seems pointless to start your new album with a reference (basically) to your former glory. It’s like saying…
