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
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
Erasure's Tomorrow's World
By Andrew Hamlin, Jan. 11, 2012
Key concept for 21st-century Vince (Clarke) & Andy (Bell): convergence. That's right, everything's getting closer together, in the mix, in the lyrics, and not so as to stumble and fall, but so as to stand shoulder to shoulder. I'd be more suspicious of this all-togetherness (shepherded by producer Frankmusik, born ... More Post a comment
Conatus, by Zola Jesus
By Marcus Perez, Jan. 4, 2012
Born Nika Roza Danilova, Russian-American singer/songwriter Zola Jesus issued two EPs in 2010 that created a buzz around the young artist. In 2011, Zola Jesus compiled the stylistically impressive full-length Conatus, which ranges from synth and electro to piano-driven pop. From her beats-driven track "Avalanche" to the infectious dance-pop of ... More Post a comment
Concert Reviews
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)
New Year's Eve at the Lafayette
By Brett Uddenberg, Jan. 4, 2012
New Year's Eve festivities at the Lafayette Hotel drew an interesting mix of guys who never wear suits wearing suits and femme fatales in arch-destroying heels. The condensed heat of the Lafayette Room was the perfect ... More Comment (1)
Chris Cornell Opens His Songbook at the Balboa Theatre
By John Hancock, Dec. 23, 2011
Chris Cornell finished out his 2011 Songbook tour playing to a sold-out crowd at San Diego's Balboa Theatre. Cornell, the former frontman for Seattle alt-rockers Soundgarden, as well as Audioslave and Temple of the Dog, has ... More Post a comment
