May 1, 2008 by Willis.

“Sandwiched in the fertile years that separated grunge from the Spice Girls was Portishead, a band that didn’t change, start or inspire much of anything. But its two albums of trip-hop noir are suspended in the memory of that generation, beautiful and singular. Eleven years later, “Third” doesn’t fit in the canon. The torch song melodies and crackly samples are gone, replaced by psych-guitar and gothic folk. Tense elements like a skidding tire thump (”Plastic”) or an angry shaker (”We Carry On”) put the entire collection eternally on the ledge, teetering between order and oblivion. Pitch-shifting strings punctuate the background like reminders of the cinema of the past, but this Portishead doesn’t wink at anything, eschewing style altogether. In our self-referential culture, an album like this is an aberration. Again. —Kerri Mason”

Posted in New Album - House | No Comments »

May 1, 2008 by Willis.

Very, very strange track. 3/10

Posted in New Tracks - Hip Hop | No Comments »

May 1, 2008 by Willis.

“Blog-browsing hipsters have been hearing about this 32-year-old New Yorker since her single “Creator,” with its post-M.I.A. electro-pop vibe, began burning up the Internet last year. Listeners with longer memories might remember Santi White (who records as Santogold) from her stint fronting Stiffed, a short-lived East Coast soul-punk band, or from her writing/producing gig on “How I Do,” the sadly slept-on debut by Philly-based R&B singer Res. On her self-titled solo bow—which features collaborations with Diplo, Spank Rock and Switch—Santogold pours all that experience into a bracingly eclectic set full of fuzzy New Wave synths, sticky avant-soul melodies, busted-laptop beats and sing-song vocal chants inherited from the likes of Neneh Cherry and Björk. If you’ve managed to avoid her until now, you won’t be able to for much longer.—Mikael Wood”

Posted in New Album - Other | No Comments »

May 1, 2008 by Willis.

Double Disc set Dropping tonight!
Stay tuned for updates.

Posted in Mix of the Month | No Comments »

May 1, 2008 by Willis.

Very hard rock song, but pretty good. Might have a shot at the Mix of the Month. 7/10

Posted in New Tracks - Rock | No Comments »

May 1, 2008 by Willis.

Fantastic song! I’m really feeling this one. Look for this to crossover soon and have a huge summer. 9/10

Posted in New Tracks - Rock | No Comments »

May 1, 2008 by Willis.

Strange but great rock song, starts off slow, and it takes a while but it’s definetly worth it. 7/10

Posted in New Tracks - Rock | No Comments »

May 1, 2008 by Willis.

“Madonna makes producers, producers don’t make Madonna. The diva plucked William Orbit, Mirwais and Stuart Price from electronic music obscurity, meshing her own pop sensibility with their sonic specialty. But for “Hard Candy,” Madge hooked up with name-brand guys like the Neptunes and Timbaland, and even brought on Justin Timberlake as a writing partner. What results is, expectedly, of-the-moment and radio-ready. “4 Minutes,” with Timberlake, is already a top three Billboard Hot 100 hit, and harmonious ballad “Miles Away” might be some of her best work yet. But it feels familiar. “Miles” is a close cousin to Timbaland’s “Apologize,” “Spanish Lesson” is a dead ringer for N*E*R*D’s “She Likes to Move,” and “Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You” instantly recalls Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River.” That’s par for pop acts when they collaborate with producers who are bigger stars than they are. But for a vanguard artist like Madonna, it feels like a bit of a concession. —Kerri Mason”

Posted in New Album - Pop | No Comments »