Artist: Robin Thicke Album: Love After War Genre: R’n’b, soul Label: Star Trak, Geffen Records First things first, this album is far too long. Worse, it’s uninspired. It’s a nice, easygoing listen with plenty of wannabe seductive numbers but that’s just its problem – too content to rest on its laurels and regurgitate the same […]
critique
REVIEW: Robin Thicke – Love After War
December 9th, 2011 
James Shotwell 
Posted in Features, Reviews 
Tags: album review, big band, critique, love after war, love after war review, love after war reviews, pop (genre), review, rnb, robin thick, Robin Thicke, top 40 
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REVIEW: T-Pain – rEVOLVEr
December 8th, 2011 James Shotwell Artist: T-Pain Album: rEVOLVEr Genre: R’n’b, hip-hop Label: Nappy Boy, Konvict Muzik, RCA This was a fun album to review. Not because it’s particularly good, but just for how often it makes such a spectacular tool of itself. You can’t but laugh and applaud its blatant and wilful badness. I don’t know if this was […]
Posted in Features, Reviews Tags: album review, autotune, critique, evolve, hip-hop (genre), new tpain, pop (genre), review, revolver, revolver review, rnb, score, t pain album, t-pain, tpain Comments Off on REVIEW: T-Pain – rEVOLVEr
REVIEW: Crown The Empire – Limitless
December 7th, 2011 James Shotwell Artist: Crown The Empire Album: Limitless Genre: Rise Records-core It’s getting to be that time of year when the minds of Adderall-riddled college kids tend to wander very easily, gravitating towards absolutely anything that can become a distraction from looming final exams. My mind happens to be very good at doing such a thing, but […]
Posted in Features, Reviews, Unsigned Tags: 2011, album review, critique, crown the empire, ep, limitless review, review, score, Texas, unsigned 3 Comments »
MOVIE REVIEW: The Artist
December 4th, 2011 James Shotwell Film: The Artist Director: Michel Hazanavicius Starring: Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo In a year filled with stunning cinematic achievements, the one film you truly need to see is faithfully rooted in Hollywood’s glorious past. The Artist, a new silent film directed by Michel Hazanavicius, was made with such profound respect and devotion to rise of […]
Posted in Features, Movies, Reviews Tags: 2011, Berenice Bejo, best of 2011, best of the year, best picture, critic's choice, critique, film, film review, Jean Dujardin, Michel Hazanavicius, movie review, oscar pick, review, Reviews, score, silent film, The Artist, the artist review Comments Off on MOVIE REVIEW: The Artist
REVIEW: Amy Winehouse – Lioness: Hidden Treasures
December 4th, 2011 James Shotwell Artist: Amy Winehouse Album: Lioness: Hidden Treasures Genre: Soul, r’n’b, jazz, pop Label : Island Whatever musical successes and wonder stories 2011 has offered and may yet offer us, there are those who will always remember it as the year in which Amy Winehouse went to a tragically early grave. The wealth of talent and ability […]
Posted in Features, Reviews Tags: album review, amy winehouse, amy winehouse lioness, critique, lioness review, lioness reviews, Lioness: Hidden Treasures, music, new album, pop (genre), posthumous album, rnb, soul, top 40, winter 2011 Comments Off on REVIEW: Amy Winehouse – Lioness: Hidden Treasures
REVIEW: Hot Chelle Rae – Whatever
December 1st, 2011 James Shotwell Artist: Hot Chelle Rae Album: Whatever Genre: Pop-rock Label: RCA Whatever is a most fitting title for this album, commencing as it does with a flippant, uniform dismissal of an offending girlfriend. It evolves into something more bizarre, its initial devil-may-care tunes giving way to soapy emotional ballads that sing only too highly of another […]
Posted in Features, Reviews Tags: album review, cd, critique, grace duffy, Hot Chelle Rae, hot chelle ray, pop (genre), Reviews, rock (genre), whatever review, whatever reviews 3 Comments »
MOVIE REVIEW: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
November 30th, 2011 James Shotwell Film: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy Director: Tomas Alfredson Starring: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy Those in America will have the benefit of watching this without the shadow of a masterly 1970s adaptation by the BBC clouding their vision. For many in Europe, Alec Guinness (he of Obi-Wan fame) had turned in the definitive portrayal of […]
Posted in Features, Movies, Reviews Tags: 2011, colin firth, critique, film review, gary oldman, movie review, new releases, oscar contender, review, soldier, spy, Spy reviews, tailor, tinker, tinker reviews, tom hardy 2 Comments »
REVIEW: Yelawolf – Radioactive
November 23rd, 2011 James Shotwell Artist: Yelawolf Album: Radioactive Genre: Hip Hop Label: Shady 2011 has been a huge year a for hip hop. From genre-defining releases like Tha Carter 4 and Watch The Throne, to the overwhelming success of mixtape artists MODSUN and Freddie Gibbs, there is little to no doubt that this was one of the biggest years […]
Posted in Features, Reviews Tags: alabama, album review, critique, Debut, eminem, hard white, hip-hop (genre), Radioactive, review, score, shady records, trunk music, yelawolf 2 Comments »
REVIEW: The Dear And Departed – Every Waking Moment
November 18th, 2011 James Shotwell Artist: The Dear & Departed Album: Every Waking Moment Genre: New Wave/Goth Rock Label: Equal Vision Records Everyone remembers their first favorite band, that one band marked a monumental occasion in every young music-lover’s life, a moment so important that from that point on, no matter how someone’s taste evolves, or how old they get, […]
Posted in Features, Reviews Tags: &, 2011, album review, critique, equal vision records, every review, Every Waking Moment, goth rock, music, new album, New Wave, review, the dear and departed Comments Off on REVIEW: The Dear And Departed – Every Waking Moment
REVIEW: Rihanna – Talk That Talk
November 16th, 2011 James Shotwell Artist: Rihanna Album: Talk That Talk Genre: Pop Label: Def Jam Not that I’d ever hop on the ‘oh won’t someone please think of the children’ bandwagon, but Rihanna’s influence on the younger peeps actually concerns me. Even more so now I’ve had to listen to a whole album at once.
Posted in Features, Reviews Tags: album review, critique, jay-z, leak, music review, pop music, review, rihanna, riri, roc me out, single, talk that talk, top 40, ttt review 12 Comments »
REVIEW: Dub Trio – IV
November 15th, 2011 Jordan Munson Artist: Dub Trio Album: IV Genre: Dub Rock Label: ROIR! Reviewing albums that meld seemingly unrelated styles of music has led me on a rather interesting journey. You may remember my reviews for some of these albums, such as Lulu or The Browning, and how they weren’t really that positive. Brooklynites Dub Trio are about […]
Posted in Features, Reviews Tags: album review, another sound is dying, Brooklyn, cool out and coexist, critique, dub, dub rock, dub trio, exploring the dangers of, heavy, iv, jordan munson, metal (genre), Motorhead, new album, review, roir, the new heavy Comments Off on REVIEW: Dub Trio – IV
REVIEW: A Loss For Words / Such Gold – Split 7″
November 14th, 2011 James Shotwell Artist(s): A Loss For Words & Such Gold Album: Split 7″ Genre: Pop Punk/Rock Label(s): No Sleep Records / Mightier Than Sword The thought of two of the best up and coming Pop Punks releasing a split 7-inch with two popular and emerging DIY labels, sounds incredibly exciting. The two bands in question are Rochester, […]
Posted in Features, Reviews Tags: 7", a loss for words, album review, critique, ep review, mightier than sword, No Sleep, pop punk (genre), pop rock (genre), review, sean reid, split, split review, such gold Comments Off on REVIEW: A Loss For Words / Such Gold – Split 7″