“When you forge a weapon, you need three things: the right metal, temperatures above 1400 degrees, and someone who wants to kill.” Founding Wu-Tang Clan member and Kung Fu enthusiast RZA delivers these words in his signature, mush-mouthed accent on the new soundtrack for his directing debut, “The Man with the Iron Fists.” RZA also [...]
Attention all naysayers who still think “rap music” is an oxymoron: Kendrick Lamar would like a word with you. Lamar’s major label debut album, “Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City,” is a remarkable combination of hip-hop storytelling and hard-hitting West Coast beats. With hit wizard Dr. Dre often at the production helm, Lamar is the Bob Dylan [...]
Here’s a riddle: what has a smooth, elegant body with rockin’ curves and tends to be a little high-maintenance? The electric guitar, of course, which has been a leading part of popular music since the ‘50s. The innovation of putting transducer pickups on a piece of wood to capture electronic sound is an early example [...]
The Fox Street All Stars, a Denver group described as a “Southern, soul-funk band” by lead singer Jonathan “Skippy” Huvard, will play the Jackpot Music Hall tonight at 10 p.m. Lawrence is an early stop on the “Ridin’ Dirty” Southeast tour, which will be the band’s first headlining trip through the region. After touring and [...]
The last time No Doubt released an album, iTunes was less than a year old, Nickelback was topping the charts and “twitter” was only a verb. In short, it’s been a while. “Push and Shove” is the first studio release from the California ska-pop band since “Rock Steady” in 2001. Taking an 11-year break has [...]
Hip-hop in the heart of America: a Midwestern rap playlist with Duncan McHenry.
Kanye West launched his career in the early 2000s by taking classic R&B samples and turning them into hip-hop bounce. He was a molder of music and rapper style, pairing chunky gold chains with prep school fashion. The West of 2012 is a diamond-studded celebrity first who also happens to rap and produce. His collaborative [...]
Since their debut appearance in the U.S. at last spring’s South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, the Chilean synth shamans known as Astro have been creeping onto the indie-electro scene. Their new self-titled album was released on Aug. 28, and includes the song “Panda,” which has already been featured in a Bloomingdale’s commercial and [...]
The eighth studio album from Dave Matthews Band has a reclusive title and strange cover art that looks like a Picasso rendition of the Brady Bunch. But die-hard fans will be glad to discover that the weirdness is only skin deep. Working with longtime producer Steve Lillywhite for the first time since 1998’s “Before These [...]
