Holy Hell! 13 Turns 20 13 is a one-of-a-kind entry in an already enviable discography, a moody, troubled album with nothing to lose and nothing to prove. Read More
Holy Hell! The Great Escape Turns 20! Damon Albarn still reportedly considers The Great Escape one of Blur's two bad records. Read More
Revisit: Gorillaz: D-Sides D-Sides works as a compilation album because it shows every side of the Gorillaz story from the silly to the deathly serious. Read More
Damon Albarn: Everyday Robots [xrr rating=3.5/5]Damon Albarn has apparently run out of the sunshine he had in that bag. Despite some ukulele and steel drum from an artist responsible for the impeccable Plastic Beach, there’s nothing sunny or breezy about Everyday Robots. Similar to how Jack White’s first solo outing appeared after a deep and diverse collaborative output had already been established, Albarn’s first … Read More
List Inconsequential: The Greatest Greatest Hits Collections (Pt. 1) 40. Van Morrison – The Best of Van Morrison Van Morrison had been a powerful force in pop music for 25 years when his first compilation album, The Best of Van Morrison, was released, and frankly, it’s astonishing that it took so long. While many greatest hits albums go the easy route of simply rounding up and sloppily curating a … Read More
Blur: Parklive [xrr rating=4.0/5]For anyone that is too short on cash to visit Indio in April to watch Blur perform in front of the Coachella masses, Parklive is the perfect set of discs to help quell any anxieties. On the other hand, if you so happen to have secured a ticket to the festival, the live recording is worthy of setting on … Read More
Blur: Blur 21 [xrr rating=4.25/5]It’s not surprising that Great Britain, wanting to show off the breadth and depth of British popular music, would put Blur proudly on stage for the entire world to see, featuring them prominently in the 2012 London Olympics. The band headlined a huge post-Olympics concert at London’s Hyde Park. The song “Parklife” was covered by a large ensemble, backed … Read More