Third Kranky release for Mat Sweet aka BODUF SONGS. Sweet's albums don't vary too much in sound but he's one of those artists that you actually hope won't mess with the formula too much. The songs are mostly short solo acoustic songs with some occasional sparse percussion. The tone of the songs is mostly dark with hush, almost whispered vocals that are recorded doubled which gives the songs a bit of an Elliott Smith vibe. Sweet is a competent lyricist & though his worldview is relatively cynical, there does seem to be some hope peaking through from time to time.

Doom laiden anti-melodies w/ aggressive vox & some haunting guitar work.

Formerly of FURTHER SEEMS FOREVER, CHRIS CARRABA returns with another slice of emo music. Some may say this a return to the pre-"Dusk and Summer" album material meaning less electric instrumentation and less chamber- pop themes. Catchy, emotionally charged tracks combined with acoustic guitar and pining vocals comprise this release (and most of DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL's releases) and accomplish the goals of "emocore" well. Fight your instincts, and try not humming these tracks after hearing them...

WITH BONUS CD!!!

CLEAN Version........

AH, the sophmore curse...how does anyone cope with it? Do you go the route of say, a TORTOISE or a FUGAZI where after the impact of yr first album is so intense so adored that everything after is just gravy? OR, do you end up like so many where your first album is adored and so revered that no matter what you do, it won't be seen in the public eye as surpassing that of your "seminal masterpiece?" There are thousands of examples of this, so we'll save the embarassment. With that, we'll discuss the PRIVATE PRESS by Mr. Josh Davis (AKA DJ SHADOW). THE PRIVATE PRESS is indeed that...it is a personal account of SHADOW's trials and tribulations since he was pushed into the limelight of the music media as the savior of "trip-hop," or "downtempo"--two terms that have been left for dead years ago. The man creates albums like movies for your ears, while holding up his own cat-scan for you. Emotions wash over you: some will make you laugh, some will make you cry, some will confuse, astound, and bring you closer to trying to understand the method to SHADOW's madness. Maybe some will only get halfway there, and want to turn back; maybe we'll never actually understand. At least we'll have a great soundtrack while we try to figure him out. R E C O M M E N D E D! H I G H L Y!

Originally released as a limited paid streaming performance during lockdown in 2021, "Shadow Kingdom" is now available in album form. The songs have a really loose feel, with acoustic guitars, accordion & zero percussion. The line-up features T Bone Burnett, BIG THIEF's Buck Meek, Don Was & Greg Leisz & the set list mostly features 60s songs with sometimes drastic reinterpretations, especially on "Tombstone Blues. Dylan has been playing relentlessly the last few years & you can hear the almost effortless familiarity the group has with the songs & it makes for a very rewarding listen.

What??????? Crazy stream of consciousness rap similar to Doctor Octagon mixed with Beastie Boy silliness & tight production from Dr. Dre.