Everyone's a Critic:
CD and Concert Reviews from our Readers
We pay up to $25 for CD reviews and up to $100 for concert reviews published in our print edition.
Web-only publication pays $10 for CD reviews; $20 for concerts (+$5 for photo).
CD Reviews
Arrow, by Heartless Bastards
By Alfred Howard, Feb. 22, 2012
For most of my adult life I have worked at record stores. One can only listen to the Beatles so many times (though I'm testing that statement everyday). So, with whim on my side I'll often throw on an unfamiliar album, generally intrigued by the cover, a choice record label, ... More Post a comment
Van Halen's A Different Kind of Truth
By Jake Gillen, Feb. 15, 2012
New Van Halen? Who Cares? Not so fast, sayers of nay... I think most folks who hit puberty any time in the past 40 years, who had even the briefest of brushes with hard rock, know the story of David Lee Roth, the golden-boy hedonist, and his falling out with ... More Post a comment
Attack on Memory, by Cloud Nothings
By Allison Mayoral, Feb. 7, 2012
Remember the term “emo?” It used to make me cringe. Thoughts of tattooed boys telling me their woes in verse-chorus-verse of dull sensibilities and loud bursts of emotion fill my head. Well, my darlings, it is back. It probably never left, but the pretty hipster boys with skinny jeans and ... More Post a comment
No Kings, by Doomtree
By Brett Uddenberg, Feb. 1, 2012
Keeping in stride with the ethos conveyed by recent releases from crew members P.O.S. and Sims, Doomtree brazenly scatter their forward momentum theses across the 12 tracks of No Kings. With five hyper-literate and boundary-testing emcees in the mix, the grand umbrella of progress helps to unify the disparate verses ... More Post a comment
Foxes! by Foxes!
By Jake Gillen, Jan. 25, 2012
Show of hands: who thinks there should be more songs about panda bears? Especially as sung by pixie-cute British girls and — Damn! — their husbands, apparently... Foxes!, from Brighton, England, are the band for you, if you are looking for jangly, upbeat indie tunes. With tongue firmly in cheek ... More Post a comment
Elder's Dead Roots Stirring
By Mary Leary, Jan. 18, 2012
What the heck does “dead roots stirring” mean? Is it meant to evoke horror? When one stops and considers, dead roots stirring could be kind of horrible. But it’s never made sense to over-analyze stoner metal-makers’ thought processes. Unions may be struggling. Americans wear clothing and drive cars often made ... More Post a comment
Concert Reviews
The Scientific Facts About Cake
By Brett Uddenberg, Feb. 22, 2012
As one of the most devoted followings in modern music lost their collective shit upon Cake's emergence from the backstage curtain, the Sacramento band kicked things off with the molasses drip of "Sad Songs and Waltzes." ... More Post a comment
Dr. Dog Fills the Void at Belly Up
By Alfred Howard, Feb. 15, 2012
Philadelphia-based psychedelic-rock band Dr. Dog took the stage at Belly Up in support of its sixth studio album, Be the Void. The band hit with the sold-out crowd by kicking off the show with "Lonesome," the ... More Post a comment
Life's Been Good to Joe
By Daniel Knighton, Feb. 7, 2012
If you were waiting, as I've been since last November when Joe Walsh rescheduled his sold-out show at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, the wait was well worth it. Simply put, life's been good ... More Post a comment
John Cruz Rides Trade Winds into Anthology
By Alan Segal, Feb. 1, 2012
"On the islands, we do it island style, from the mountain to the ocean, from the windward to the leeward side." About halfway through his set, Hawaii's Jimmy Buffet, John Cruz, started singing his signature song, ... More Post a comment
Wilco a Wonder at Copley
By Brett Uddenberg, Jan. 25, 2012
The opulent, gold-tinged walls of Copley Symphony Hall let each note fight for space with Jeff Tweedy's soothing howl as Wilco played a flawless, riveting two-hour set. Touring in support of The Whole Love, the Chicago ... More Post a comment
Chili Pepper Report
By Gail Powell, Jan. 18, 2012
Fans of the Red Hot Chili Peppers awaiting their sold-out show scheduled for Wednesday, February 29, at the Valley View Casino Center, will need to cool their heels until September 23. It was announced on January ... More Post a comment
Seinfeld Slays 'Em at the Civic
By Nancy Lane, Jan. 11, 2012
Jerry Seinfeld had been a favorite in my mother's household ever since his hit TV show first aired in the late ’80s. Our favorite part was always the stand-up routine that opened and closed the show, ... More Comments (3)
