by Tom Johnson Cohen works a kind of outsider-art aesthetic in his unusual pop-songs. Like Dylan at his most uncomfortably nasal, this is not for everyone, but the rewards for patient, open-minded listeners are great. Cohen’s a bit of a mystery; finding information on this guy is pretty tough. He’sRead More

by Tom Johnson Can a band mature and continue to challenge themselves and listeners? Rather Ripped answers yes. Sonic Youth may not wail away with walls of squealing distortion like they used to but Rather Ripped‘s lyrical focus on relationship troubles is backed by their trademark angular pop that willRead More

by Tom Johnson The second installment in Stevens’ planned 50-piece “states” series took aim at Illinois. As a follow-up to 2004’s stunning Seven Swans, it struggles a bit, but is a rewarding and entertaining listen. Stevens’ music is pretty much entirely acoustic — banjos, guitars, piano. Those who want anotherRead More

by Tom Johnson Do we need another Radiohead cover? Hasn’t everything been said about Radiohead by artists from every corner of the music world? You May Also Like: Richard Turgeon, “Better With You” (2022): One Track Mind Richard Turgeon, “Learning to Fly” (2020): One Track Mind

I wanted to love this. I originally heard the “pre-release” mp3s that slipped out, and I was enthused at what appeared to be a return to the “classic” Radiohead sound of OK Computer and The Bends. You May Also Like: Radiohead Saw the Future With ‘OK Computer,’ Then Became ItRead More

by Tom Johnson If you want to look back and see when metal changed directions, Demanufacture is the album that could easily be the one that did it. With their previous album Soul of a New Machine, Fear Factory did something unusual: They released a remix album helmed by FrontRead More

by Tom Johnson I found myself entranced by the horn-laden theme that repeatedly roared through the ads for Inception. Less song-like and more a series of massive, rumbling horn crashes, the music seemed as important as it was mysterious. Hans Zimmer’s score was no mere backing music. Like the biggestRead More

by Tom Johnson Created as a benefit for Unicef, this is a bit of a unique remix album. Bjork allowed fans, or, well, anybody, to submit their own take on her song, “Army of Me” on her official website. The best results wound up on this album. You might needRead More

by Tom Johnson When Tool’s Lateralus came out a few years back, there was much talk about how intense it was going to be, how it was going to be all about building tension and sudden release. I ran out and scarfed up a copy You May Also Like: JohnRead More

by Tom Johnson Nick Cave seemed to have found his lighter side on this double-release (packaged in the same box), shunning a bit of the dark murder themes he’s been known for. In fact, this is a downright uplifting album, a complete anamoly in his catalog, full of gospel choirsRead More