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Portishead
(more) »rank: 32025by: Portishead
: :The bad news is that there is no 'Sour Times' to equal the first album's greatness. Lead single 'Cowboys' doesn't do the trick, not with its '50s sci-fi dub vibe and the Yma Sumac stylings of Beth Gibbons. The upside is that this bold sophomore release is, even at this late date in trip-hop's evolution, still startling, thanks to the mix of Geoff Barrow's soundscapes and Gibbons's haunting wail. --Jeff Bateman
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ILLINOIS
(more) »rank: 9083by: SUFJAN STEVENS
:Album Description:Subtitled Come On Feel The..., Sufjan Stevens & The Michigan Militia have moved to Illinois (dubbing themselves the Illinoisemakers) but this new album is the same Sufjan we know and love. Fingerpicked ballads of delicate twang, tasteful orchestration, and titles that are murder on the ID3 tags. While this album unmistakably owes its inspiration to the sound of Michigan, Sufjan has managed to take his orchestra-like folk template and expand on it, tapping into unexpected genres and bringing unexpected instruments like strings and woodwinds to the forefront, all while relating tales of the state's history as well as possibly fictional ...
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DOOLITTLE
(more) »rank: 80482by: THE PIXIES
:Album Description:SACD/Hybrid 2008 version of the Pixies 1989 album, Doolittle. Pixies is led by Black Francis (AKA Charles Thompson), this Boston band reveled in the raw, loud energy of punk, but harnessed it in service of catchy melodies laced with bizarre lyrics. Doolittle, is widely considered to be one of the best alternative-rock albums ever, and their influence extends to a legion of artists, including PJ Harvey and Nirvana. After five records in five years, they were gone, splintering into the Breeders (led by bassist Kim Deal) and Francis's solo namesake, Frank Black. In 2004, however, the band reunited for some ...
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EITHER/ OR
(more) »rank: 17297by: ELLIOTT SMITH
: Music Reviews:Blessed with the voice of a wispy angel, Elliott Smith creates sad little pop songs, which, like the work of Nick Drake (to whom he's been compared) threaten to disappear into the night air. Several of the tracks here were featured in Gus Van Zant's movie Good Will Hunting, and they're among the album's best (though 'Miss Misery,' nominated for an Academy Award is only available on the soundtrack album). 'Angeles' and 'Say Yes' are bittersweet laments that feature Smith's idiosyncratic guitar picking, which is well served by the album's decidedly low-fi production. --Rob O'Connor
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MTV Unplugged in New York
(more) »rank: 107144by: Nirvana
:Album Description:2008 vinyl LP repressing of this classic Alternative Rock album pressed on 180gm wax. Universal. 2008. essential recording:The last Nirvana collection recorded before the untimely death of Kurt Cobain, Unplugged caught many by surprise with its stripped down, neo-acoustic offerings with a bridled fury. When Cobain sings, 'I swear I don't have a gun, I don't have a gun' with clenched teeth (instead of an open howl) and when the haunting strains of 'About a Girl'--from their earliest LP--chills even with quieted guitars, you discover a new appreciation for the nuances of one of the greatest bands of recent ...
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The Band
(more) »rank: 48138by: The Band
:Album Description:Limited Edition Japanese 'Mini Vinyl' CD, faithfully reproduced using original LP artwork including the inner sleeve. Features most recently mastered audio including bonus tracks where applicable. essential recordings:Popularly known as the 'Brown Album,' this is the collection people first think of when this august outfit's name is mentioned. The four-parts Canadian, one-part Arkansan quintet's sophomore effort boasts more soon-to-be-staples than any other Band studio recording, what with the likes of the Joan Baez hit 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,' 'Across the Great Divide,' and 'Up on Cripple Creek' standing out among the dozen uniformly memorable tracks. Lesser-known ...
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SPIDERLAND
(more) »rank: 84224by: SLINT
: :Although this Kentucky combo had a short lifespan, its influence has been extraordinary, presaging the underground 'math-rock' revolution and spawning spinoffs such as Tortoise and Gastr Del Sol. But don't go thinking that the foursome is a mere footnote: The bracingly dense, dizzyingly complex songs that vein this, their second full-length release, perfectly capture the smarter face of early-'90s thug-rock. Yes, Slint's sound is descended from punk, but its members--particularly guitarist Brian McMahan--never subscribed to the 'keep it simple, stupid' philosophy. Spiderland is so rife with breakneck tempo changes, off-kilter chord progressions, and bizarro-world themes, you'd be hard-pressed to go a ...
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The Immaculate Collection
(more) »rank: 13996by: Madonna
: essential recording:The naughtily titled Immaculate Collection culls 15 of Madonna's Top 10 singles from 1984 to mid-'90, plus 2 new ones that continued the run (the dirty, trunk-bumping funk of 'Justify My Love'--a Lenny Kravitz production that justifies his entire career--and the danceable desperation of 'Rescue Me'). Rooted in disco and classic AM pop from girl groups and ABBA to Strawberry Alarm Clock, Madonna made savvy, touching music throughout her first golden era. These tracks retain their sonic and historical significance while, like 'She Loves You' or 'Rocket Man,' still brightening any space they're being played in. Far more than ...
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RABBIT FUR COAT
(more) »rank: 89102by: JENNY W/ THE LEWIS
:Album Description:Known and loved by many as the enchanting front-woman for LA's Rilo Kiley, Jenny's vocal and songwriting gifts have continued to blossom at a rapid rate since that band's first album in 2000. Jenny's hauntingly soulful voice, sometimes bursting with buoyant spirit and at other times plaintive and world wearied, is deep, sensual and beguiling. Intricate storytelling and evocative lyrics infuse these songs with a captivating vibrancy but may be knocked sideways by the musical alchemy at play as a result of folk, country, and Southern gospel influences. :Channeling the evocative storytelling of Laura Nyro and the soulful sexiness of ...
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Room on Fire
(more) »rank: 36673by: The Strokes
:Album Details:The Second Opus from the Hybrid Rocking New Yorkers.
