Pop

    The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987: Sight & Sound Virgin By now, the amount of hits compilations released by David Bowie must outnumber his various personas in his long, storied career. But each successive one seems to up the ante, if not in terms of track selection, then certainly in the crispness of […]

with “Pocket Symphony.” Comprised of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Beno

Interscope We can assume there’s no one in the Fratellis named Fratelli. It’s better to think of the trio as a musical gang, kind of like the Ramones, but smarter … and Scottish.   In this 12-track debut, the guitars stay up past 11, the tempos start and stop on a dime, and the tunes […]

no finally breaks in at the 29-minute mark. The track seems unnecessarily buried, though perhaps Cocker might be giving authority the finger when he thinks they’re not paying attention anymore.   “?Charles Martin

Shout! Factory Every music collection needs at least one cover sporting a model in a Reddi-wip bikini. Chances are, your grandparents have one in the form of Herb Alpert’s classic 1965 album “Whipped Cream & Other Delights.” But a much more revealing one adorns that album’s 40th-anniversary remix collection, appropriately subtitled “Re-Whipped.”   While not […]

Sanctuary William Orbit is better known for other people’s music than his own. He engineered Madonna’s late-Nineties comeback by producing “Ray of Light,” her Grammy-winning album of plugged-in pop, and when an LP under his own name actually moved units, it was comprised of covers of classical music stalwarts like Beethoven and Barber.   It […]

Universal The House of Love’s small catalog works a small bit of magic that sounds not unlike New Order or Echo and the Bunnymen: a pleasant sound that’s always agreeable for your soft side in the dark’ woozy, cocky vocals; and shimmering guitar lines.  The late UK DJ John Peel saw something with The House […]

Ashmont Praising a new record from The Pernice Brothers is a bit like marveling at a sunrise: It’s a wonder, but easy to take for granted. Anyone familiar with the preternaturally melodic sensibilities of band front man Joe Pernice knows that he’s incapable of producing anything other than irresistible ear candy. The group’s latest offering, […]

Sickboy Records Utah’s five-man The Downers play the psychedelic pop of Big Star and do it very well. This five-song sampler will trance you out like a Quaalude from 1974. It’s good’ Paul Burke’s vocals are mesmerizing.   The Downers are not a throwback, but rather the group transports its genre into the future. “Shake […]

Hungry Mouse Nellie McKay has protest on her mind, but don’t expect an earnest folkie on guitar. In “Pretty Little Head,” this brilliant wordsmith adorns her social activism’ from gay marriage to animal rights’ in ribbons of cabaret, show tunes, cocktail-lounge jazz and even the occasional bow of hip-hop.   More akin to early Randy […]