pop Archive
29 Oct 2018
Simple Minds’ Jim Kerr: Still Alive and Kicking (Part 1)
Casual American fans may be unfamiliar with Simple Minds beyond “(Don’t You) Forget About Me” and the handful of other stateside hits by the Scottish group. But the band led […]
24 Oct 2018
Album Review: Brian Wilson (1988)
If we’re being honest with ourselves, most sympathetic critics grade the post-Beach Boys music of Brian Wilson on a curve. Unquestionably a musical genius, Wilson is responsible for Pet Sounds […]
13 Oct 2018
Album Review: Elza — Nothing’s Wrong
Combining literate, singer-songwriter approach with instrumentation that draws form trip-hop and moody alternapop, Canadian artist Elza has crafted an album of subtle beauty on Nothing’s Wrong. Elzy doesn’t possess the […]
11 Oct 2018
A Look Back at Crowded House’s ‘Temple of Low Men’
In April 1977, Neil Finn joined Split Enz, a New Zealand/Australian band co-founded nearly five years earlier by older brother Tim. Though he hadn’t yet reached his 18th birthday, Neil […]
09 Oct 2018
Mikaela Davis: Harping on a Pop Sensibility
The harp is an instrument most often associated with classical music; as a rule, its use in pop is generally limited to background orchestration in big productions. But clearly nobody […]
06 Oct 2018
EP Review: Monique Angele – Alive
Australia-based singer-songwriter Monique Angele is from Canada; her performance schedule is neatly split between the two countries. Despite its name, this EP is a studio collection. It features Angele’s gentle […]
05 Oct 2018
Jake Shimabukuro, Plugged and Unplugged
Hawaiian ukulele sensation Jake Shimabukuro catapulted to international fame in 2006 when a Youtube video of him performing the George Harrison-penned Beatles tune “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” went viral. […]
04 Oct 2018
Jordan Okrend’s Light in the Dark
Jordan Okrend manages to have it both ways. He’s a pop artist, but one who incorporates more ambitious forms into his original music without sacrificing a strong melody. The Berklee […]
25 Sep 2018
Album Review: The Zombies — Greatest Hits
The Zombies have a sterling and well-deserved reputation. That reputation is built primarily on three things: a couple of early singles, a final album of staggering quality, and a latter-day, […]
19 Sep 2018
Hundred-word Reviews for September 2018
Time once again for some 100-word reviews. Please note that I receive many albums each day for review consideration; even when allowing for the fact that 80-90% of them don’t […]