Dec 31, 1969 04:59PM

Crazy for You

After a string of low-fi pop singles last summer, indie-rock teen prodigy Bethany Cosentino ? cat lover, foodie, Breeders fan ? decided on a simple recipe for her debut LP with partner Bobb Bruno: Beatles-ish drums, Ramones-ish guitars, Phil Spector-ish vocals. The result: reverb-frosted tunes full of girl-group tunefulness and ...

Dec 31, 1969 04:59PM

The Suburbs

When you call your first album Funeral, you set the bar high in terms of your maturity level. How can any young band evolve toward that full-grown third album after starting out with a meditation on death and grief? It's no problem for Arcade Fire ? these Montreal indie rockers ...

Dec 31, 1969 04:59PM

100 Miles From Memphis

Sheryl Crow grew up near Memphis, long enough ago to know the tradition of Stax/Volt and Hi Records firsthand ? those labels' fusion of R&B, rock and country has always informed her best music ? so the ease she brings to this explicit tribute isn't surprising. Her smoky rasp is ...

Dec 31, 1969 04:59PM

Teflon Don

In the past two years, Miami MC Rick Ross has been dissed by 50 Cent, mocked as a phony gangsta when photos surfaced of his tenure as a corrections officer, and slapped with a $10 million lawsuit by his namesake, reformed drug kingpin Freeway Ricky Ross. He's also made the ...

Dec 31, 1969 04:59PM

Body Talk Pt 1

"Don't fuckin' tell me what to do," chants reformed teen-pop prodigy Robyn. No worry, girl, things are under control. With help from Klas Åhlund ? who co-wrote her 2005 cred-maker, Robyn ? the singer drops a near-perfect mini-album, launching a planned trilogy. Beats from Diplo and Röyksopp drive high-heeled heartbreak ...