Oct 242011
 

Singing a nationally televised national anthem is a risky enterprise. The penalty for failure is everlasting shame (and there are many examples of those who have failed) and the reward is usually only that you aren’t remembered for failing. Yet pop stars continue to go out there and belt out “The Star-Spangled Banner” for their country. Continue reading »

Oct 142011
 

Full Albums features covers of every track off a classic album. Got an idea for a future pick? Leave a note in the comments!

Richard Thompson’s solo debut, Henry the Human Fly, began with a song that contained the line, “Don’t expect the words to ring too sweetly on the ear.” This would become his songwriting credo, as he penned lyrics that were incisive, emotive, and not the least bit sentimental, bringing them home with an equally biting guitar. His wife Linda sang with a powerful clarity, her voice full of aching, mischief, mourning, celebration, or whatever else the song might call for. She’s fully entitled to her equal billing. On their debut release as a couple, 1974’s I Want To See the Bright Lights Tonight, Richard and Linda Thompson report what they’ve encountered on a very British Desolation Row, in a musical language that could have been written half a millennium ago or the day after tomorrow. Continue reading »

Oct 112011
 

She & Him – Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward – aim for a nostalgic ’50s vibe on most everything they do, so a classic Christmas album makes sense. The first cut off it surfaced a few days ago and it sounds about like what you’d expect: indie music you can play for the whole family this holiday season. Continue reading »

Sep 062011
 

Had he lived, tomorrow would have been Buddy Holly’s 75th birthday, and today marks the release date of the second full-length Buddy Holly tribute of the past ten weeks. Due to the proximity of the release dates, the two collections are destined to be linked together and compared. On the surface, similarities abound: both Rave On Buddy Holly (review here) and Listen To Me: Buddy Holly feature big name stars and a bevy of classic rockers. Rave On boasts Paul McCartney, Nick Lowe, Patti Smith and Lou Reed while Listen To Me offers Stevie Nicks, Brian Wilson, Jackson Browne and Ringo Starr. The differences lie in the roster of contemporary contributors. Where Rave On is stocked with indie cred, Listen To Me relies on a list of chart-topping pop stars.

Less innovative than its slightly older cousin, Listen To Me: Buddy Holly has a few oddities that tend to tarnish an otherwise pretty solid compilation. First on the list of disappointments is Linda Ronstadt’s 1976 Hasten Down The Wind version of “That’ll Be The Day.” Really? Does a 35 year-old song get a pass on an otherwise “new” collection simply because the legendary Peter Asher produced both projects? Did they think we wouldn’t notice? Continue reading »

Jul 132011
 

Actress and singer Zooey Deschanel has cornered the market on cuteness. Whether it be on film, in 500 Days of Summer, or on record in hipster supergroup She & Him, she can always make you smile. Joining forces with comedian Ben Schwartz, she continues her quiet march to world domination with a cover of “Tonight You Belong to Me.” Continue reading »

Apr 152011
 

Zooey Deschanel already makes up roughly 70 percent of Internet content with fashion articles, music blogs, and personal tumblrs of every hipster boy who would do anything just to see her in the flesh. By adding an adorable cover of the Winnie the Pooh theme song to her resume, she has caused said hipsters to suddenly feel a little tight in the pants. Continue reading »