Interview: The Weepies by Julene Paul

Musician couples whose personal and professional lives intersect often have to deal with tumultuous relationships - Ike and Tina Turner, anyone? Not so with Deb Talan and Steve Tannen, the married duo better known as The Weepies. The two musicians, each solo musicians in their own right, have found creative success together as The Weepies. Their creative output includes 2003's Happiness and 2006's Say I Am You, as well as co-writing and collaborating with Mandy Moore on her 2007 album, Wild Hope. 2007 was also an important year for Talan and Tannen in their personal lives - the two were married and had their first child, Theo Samuel Tannen, in November 2007. Revolt picked The Weepies' collective brain in the weeks following the April 2008 release of their third LP, Hideaway. [Read more]

Review

Portishead
Third
Mercury/Island Records
5 stars

It has been ten long years since Portishead released their last album Roseland NYC (Live), and even longer since their last studio album. For fans, this hiatus seemed to be permanent, but the band surprised many in October 2007 when they announced they were putting the finishing touches on Third. The album offers all the ethereal vocals and trippy beats the band became known for on Dummy and their self-titled album, but what makes this album interesting is that Portishead didn't rest on their past achievements. The music on Third can't be mistaken for anyone else's, but it isn't simply a rehashing of previous work. [Read more]

Review

Ladytron
Velocifero
Nettwerk
4 stars

Call me sexist, but women have a definite edge in electronica music. Even the standard-issue male duo in the genre incorporates as much female vocalization as possible. This could mean that electronica dudes are much less histrionically flamboyant than rock dudes, or it could just mean that when a guy behind the keyboard and laptop opens his mouth, there's a 99% chance he'll end up sounding like Dave Gahan, Simon LeBon, or Moby. However, a more likely explanation is that female voices just sound better amid the artificial soundscape and synthesizers. [Read more]

Review

Oren Lavie
Opposite Side Of The Sea
Blue Smile
4 stars

Chances are if you have a television, you have a passing familiarity with Israeli singer Oren Lavie's work. Chevy's omnipresent Malibu commercial features Lavie's "Her Morning Elegance" from his debut CD, Opposite Side Of The Sea. This disc has a lazy Sunday morning quality to it. It's the type of album whose tracks show up in angst-filled, twenty-something NBC shows, backing poignant moments. With the Chevy campaign, Lavie has already proven that he's a commercial musician capable of producing earworm music. Lavie's subdued voice, frequently accompanied by piano and string arrangements, matches his cerebral lyrics in a delicate balance. Opposite Side Of The Sea is one of the best albums of the year, so far. [Read more]

Review

Emmure
The Respect Issue
Victory Records
2 stars

After 2006's Goodbye To The Gallows, Connecticut collective Emmure releases another collection of droning, ear-numbing metalcore in the form of The Respect Issue. Failing to do any real progression is the main fault with this disc. The band's collection of lifeless moshpit songs sound like they are eternally trapped in quicksand in terms of speed. Most of the songs sound so alike it's difficult to remember what track you're listening to. With Goodbye To The Gallows, the band mixed up the sound a bit; you will have to dig deep to find much in terms of variety on this release, though. If the title of this record has anything to do with a lack of respect the band feels they are getting, then this album isn't the effort that will garner them any respect as far as this reviewer is concerned.
[Read more]

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