Music
The Defibrillator
Marvin Gaye Trouble Man 1972 There was a time - before the days of Zach Braff and his sleepy iTunes playlists - when movie soundtracks were worth buying.
Brazilian Ear Wax
Join Kurt Cobain, Of Montreal, and David Byrne as a fan of Brazilian psychedelic pop band Os Mutantes.
Unofficial Soundtracks
Jay-Z's American Gangster - despite sharing the title and cover art with the titular Ridley Scott feature - came about after he was shown an early cut of the film.
A Rash You Won't Regret
I unenthusiastically put on the new Hives album, The Black and White Album, expecting to hear more of the same.
Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangster
Jay-Z is back (again) - only this time with a story to tell. He's described his latest album, American Gangster, as a "concept album," inspired by the Ridley Scott film of the same name; each track references a specific scene of the film.
The Defibrillator
The first thing Charles "Black Francis" Thompson sings about on Doolittle is "slicing up eyeballs." Having previously fed myself a strict diet of lighthearted, whimsical, gloriously wussy indie pop, I was a little shocked.
let's freakout like crazy people
While the unlucky few stayed in with Mom and Pops last Saturday night, the love of thumping basslines, party anthems, and body shaking grooves brought Penn students and local dance freaks to St.
Get in touch with your roots
The Roots may well be Philadelphia's premiere hip-hop outfit. The Roots still defy convention by fusing soul, jazz, and funk, even 20 years and eight albums into the game.
Forever young
God bless Neil Young. At 62, he's as earnest as ever - supremely confident in his well-worn niche. In 2007, it takes some kind of self-assurance to sing, without a hint of irony: "I'm just a passenger / On this old freight train." For the last 40 years, Young has alternated with almost stunning regularity between country-inflected acoustic ballads and gritty electric numbers.
Defibrillator
Morrissey Viva Hate 1988 It was a sad day for witty, angst-filled teens everywhere when The Smiths called it quits in 1987.
Backstreet boys Redux
The story of the Backstreet Boys is, at heart, the story of our childhood. And it all comes rushing back this week, when the erstwhile teen idols release their newest album, Unbreakable.
He was there
Two mysteries that will forever plague the human mind: the existence of God and the person of Bob Dylan.
London in shambles
Led by frontman and renowned narcotics addict Pete Doherty, Babyshambles' new record, Shotter's Nation, is pleasant enough, but ultimately forgettable.
Defibrillator
With bombs falling in Iraq, tensions rising with Iran and Russia and the stock market at its shakiest in years, what would be a better album to bring back than Rage Against the Machine's controversial, self-titled debut album?
Out of the ivory tower
Robert Walter is reluctant to call himself a jazz musician. As a solo artist and member of the soul-jazz act Greyboy Allstars, the organist/keyboardist/pianist pits himself as on the cutting edge of the scene, fusing traditional jazz with funk, rock, and dance.
The In Rainbows Listening Party
Radiohead, the critically acclaimed, genre-bending rock act, is homeless. Not literally, of course - you won't find Thom Yorke begging for pocket pence outside the Tube.
Defibrillator
Bringing Great Albums Back from the Dead Steely Dan Aja 1977 Aja is more than just your average rock album; it is an intoxicating auditory experience.
Who let folk in the frat house?
There hasn't been much happening in the Balkan indie music scene since we last heard from Beirut. In 2006, their stunning debut, Gulag Orkestar, impressed listeners with its unconventional Eastern European sound, erupting from a massive horn section.
ay, there's the rub
Spencer Krug has a problem. He's splitting his time between his main band Wolf Parade and the now fully realized Sunset Rubdown.
