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Thurston Moore works out old ghosts with acoustics and noise
Thurston Moore, touring in support of Demolished Thoughts, brought gentle acoustics and moments of punishing sound to the Somerville Theatre. STORY
REVIEWS
Neil Young announces the likely return of Crazy Horse
Neil Young has, most likely, declared a return to his longtime backing band Crazy Horse with a long, lumbering 37-minute jam set to a winding, human-free video. Of course he did.
STORY
The Black Keys conquer genres, again, on 'El Camino'
The Black Keys, retro to the full tilt, never seem to stop recording or redefining their sound. All the while, they nail every genre along the way, and the results are thrilling.
STORY
Noel Gallagher flies high on his own
Free from Oasis, Noel Gallagher followed his vision in full on his first solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, and the results are excellent. Nick Tavares explains.
STORY
The curiosity of 'Lulu'
On paper, the combination of Lou Reed, as eclectic an artist as rock as seen, and Metallica, thrash metal icons, was intriguing. But the results are really just baffling.
STORY
Tom Waits at his morbid, bizarre best on 'Bad as Me'
Tom Waits is as brilliantly unpredicatble as ever on Bad as Me, a new LP that contains as twisted, funny and blaring a take on losing everything in war as you'll ever hear.
STORY
Ryan Adams writes another beautifully sad chapter
With a sound reminiscent of his great early records, Ryan Adams returns with Ashes & Fire, 11 new songs that serve his reputation and heartbreaking muse well.
STORY
The Grateful Dead whip up a worthy successor to 'Europe '72'
Following up on a classic 40 years later, the Grateful Dead hit the road again on Europe '72, Vol. 2, offering a rewarding companion to a longtime fan favorite.
STORY
Wild Flag debuts with greatness
Combining raw grit and fantastic songwriting, Wild Flag crafts an amazing, roaring debut that immediately assumes its place as one of the best records of the year.
STORY
Wilco resumes the search for sound on 'The Whole Love'
While Wilco has delivered solid, steady records in the past five years, the reach and scope of their latest, The Whole Love, is a beacon to their experimental best.
STORY
Cameron Crowe delivers the ultimate Pearl Jam mix tape
The soundtrack companion to Cameron Crowe's documentary, Pearl Jam Twenty plays like a gift to the fans, the compilation so many have tried to make in their bedrooms over the past 20 years.
STORY
CONCERT REPORTS
Ryan Adams works his magic in a rough setting
Ryan Adams, stripped down to his voice and a guitar, was in fantastic voice in Boston's Orpheum Theatre. Unfortunately, so was the crowd, according to Nick Tavares.
STORY
Robert Plant hosts a Boston hootenanny
Robert Plant has avoided committing to a Led Zeppelin reunion for years. One glimpse of him on stage these days with his Band of Joy, and it's obvious why.
STORY
Say goodnight to the bad guys
The Black Crowes are winding across the country one more time before going back on hiatus, and Nick Tavares took the time to say goodbye in Boston and Waterbury, Conn.
STORY
In the moment, Pearl Jam thrives
For Nick Tavares, mixed emotions led up to Pearl Jam's show in Hartford, Conn. But the enthusiasm was there early, and one song pulled the entire night into perspective.
STORY
The Black Crowes bring their road show to Cape Cod
The Black Crowes spent the first ten years of their career genre hopping in an attempt to find themselves. Now, as Nick Tavares explains, they're a world-weary, road tested unit, and it suits them perfectly.
STORY
Sonic Youth: Not to be taken for granted
Nick Tavares caught Sonic Youth over two nights at Boston's Wilbur Theatre, and would like to remind everyone that, yes, they are still awesome.
STORY
NEW CLASSICS
Dark and rootsy, Lanois helped Dylan shine on 'Time Out of Mind'
Neil Young's latest effort, the Daniel Lanois-produced Le Noise, is about to be released, so Nick Tavares takes a look back at another fantastic Lanois production — Bob Dylan's Time Out of Mind.
STORY
Discovering the manic blues brilliance of Son of Dave
In another entry to our 'New Classic' series, Nick Tavares looks at the YouTube-bred brilliance of Son of Dave, making the world safer one beatbox harmonica track at a time.
STORY
FEATURES
Best of 2010: The Black Keys, the Dead Weather, and more
Choosing the record of the year was easy — it was the rest that got a bit tricky. But Nick Tavares, ever diligent, sorted through his best records of 2010 to bring you his favorites.
STORY
OK GO owns the video
The music video might be dead, but it hasn't stopped OK Go from taking the medium to fantastic new places. With "This Too Shall Pass," OK Go rides the wildest Rube Goldberg Machine to internet stardom.
STORY
Not feeling the new album? Try this shuffled version
Joshua Lieberson thinks he knows why Pearl Jam's latest is getting such mixed reviews — the tracklist. In his version, Backspacer takes on a classic Pearl Jam flow and leads to a better listening experience.
STORY