Posted on 07/28/2009
For blues-rock to truly work these days, it has to have at least one of two qualities: Soul and/or balls. Soul-filled blues-rock can be felt and heard in the funky garage stylings of Detroit's Dirtbombs and, to an extent, the more recent work of John Mayer. As for the ballsy blues-rock, that's left for groups like The Black Keys, The White Stripes, and, perhaps even more so, The Dead Weather....

Posted on 07/28/2009
It’s been almost a decade since the release of Now, the last offering from Neo-Soul crooner Maxwell. Contained on the platinum-selling album were classics including “This Woman’s Worth” and “Lifetime.” With 8 years in between his last album and his latest album, BLACKsummers’night, some questions come to mind: was the album worth the wait? Does he top his last album? Yes and no. Yes, because BLACKsummers’night is a beautifully crafted...

Posted on 07/28/2009
DJ Spinna’s Sonic Smash summons the golden era while managing to remain ahead of its time. This ability to balance nostalgia with futurism has defined Spinna’s sound for years. Seldom, however, has he utilized this knack as triumphantly as now. Sonic Smash unfolds like a proclamation, a trumpet blow to alert the citizens of hip-hop that they are no longer subject to a tyranny of bullshit. And this message is...

Posted on 07/28/2009
To listen to Chali 2NA’s Fish Outta Water is to listen to the story of a man who has triumphed over several obstacles in his life: a tour bus crash that fractured his skull, the pain of tragically losing a close family member, and the struggles of separation from the mother of his son. On 2NA’s long-awaited solo debut, the former Jurassic 5 emcee installed the help of some high-powered...

Posted on 07/28/2009
By definition, a revolution is characterized by a sudden change in power or abrupt shift in organizational structure. A Bronx poet declared 38 years ago that the revolution would not be televised. Prior to that, a group of British icons sarcastically asked the masses if they wanted a revolution. The latest proclamation of revolt comes from a collective of Cuban producers, aptly titled The Revolution, whose mission is to bridge...

Posted on 07/28/2009
Say what you want about Xzibit (yo dawg!) but he deserves only respect for his prominent support of the West Coast. Even more so when it’s for such an album as diametrically opposed to his own oeuvre as Owl Hours. He’s the executive producer here and drops a reassuringly offensive verse on “Brains Out,” but his presence shouldn’t distract from Awol One and Factor’s achievement in creating one of the...