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More: Reviews | Honorable Mentions/Choice
Cuts
DUD OF THE MONTH
Midlake
"The Trials of Van
Occupanther"
(Bella Union)
The prestige of this conjunction of pomo prog, alt-country, fantasy fiction
and video-game narrativity is the silliest proof yet of how jaded indie's
tastebuds have become, with candied cannabis and lark's wings in aspic
impending. Because Tim Smith has a sweet voice and a decent heart and his
formerly psychedelic bandmates can negotiate moderately complex arrangements
without twisting their ankles, this unfathomable concept album about loneliness
on some olde frontier is compared to "classic rock" -- Fleetwood Mac especially. Putting that band's eponymous
rhythm section aside, one wonders just which of these songs might entrance the
common folk like, for instance, "Go Your Own Way." Perhaps the first and
catchiest, in which Smith as Occupanther laments that he isn't named Roscoe.
There's a sentiment all can share. Roscoe Smith. We'll have this fellow playing
da blooze yet.
Grade: C
MORE DUDS
Christina Aguilera
"Back to Basics"
(RCA)
David Bazan
"Fewer Moving Parts"
(Barsuk)
Breaking Benjamin
"Phobia" (Hollywood)
Cold War Kids
"Robbers &
Cowards" (Downtown)
J. Dilla
"Donuts" (Stones Throw)
The Good, the Bad & the Queen
"The
Good, the Bad & the Queen" (Parlophone/Virgin)
Paris Hilton
"Paris" (Warner Bros.)
Jim Noir
"Tower of Love"
(Barsuk)
More: Reviews | Honorable Mentions/Choice
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Read all of Robert Christgau's reviews on
MSN Music
- Sept.
2009: Black Eyed Peas, Jay-Z, MIranda Lambert and
More Get Nods; Major Lazer, Chrisette Michele, Maxwell and More
Receive Honorable Mentions; Ginuwine's "A Man's Thoughts" Is Dud
of the Month
- Aug.
2009: J Dilla's "Jay Stay Paid," Patterson Hood's
"Murdering Oscar (And Other Love Songs)," Regina Spektor's "Far"
and More Get Nods; J Dilla, Ida Maria and More Receive Honorable
Mentions; Grizzly Bear's "Veckatimest" Is Dud of the Month
- July
2009: Moby's "Wait for Me," Mos Def's "The Ecstatic,"
Sonic Youth's "The Eternal," Allen Toussaint's "The Bright
Mississippi" and More Get Nods; Pet Shop Boys, Cut Copy and More
Receive Honorable Mentions; "21st Century Breakdown" by Green Day
Is Dud of the Month
- June
2009: Leonard Cohen's "Live in London," Doom's "Born
Like This," Bob Dylan's "Together Through Life," the Hold Steady's
"A Positive Rage," New York Dolls's "'Cause I Sez So" and More Get
Nods; PJ Harvey, Conor Oberst, Marnie Stern, Cursive and More
Receive Honorable Mentions; "Relapse" by Eminem Is Dud of the
Month
- May
2009: Art Brut's "Art Brut vs. Satan, Lady
Sovereign's "Jigsaw," the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' It's Blitz!," Neil
Young's "Fork in the Road" and More Get Nods; Mr. Lif, Neko Case,
Flight of the Conchords, Lady GaGa and more receive honorable
mentions; Bat for Lashes' "Two Suns" is Dud of the Month
- April
2009: Lily Allen, Amadou & Mariam, Marianne
Faithfull and More Get Nods; M. Ward, the Prodigy, Leela James and
more receive honorable mentions; Shearwater's "Rook" is Dud of the
Month
- March
2009: Clipse, K'Naan and the Living Things Get Nods;
Ludacris, Soulja Boy Tell 'Em and More Receive Honorable Mentions;
the Knux Are Dud of the Month
- February
2009: Calle 13, Glasvegas, Guns N' Roses and Nine
Inch Nails Get Nods; Fall Out Boy's "Folie à Deux" is Dud of
the Month
- January
2009: Taylor Swift, T-Pain and Kanye
West Get Nods; Darius Rucker, Akon and More Receive
an Honorable Mentions; Beyoncé's "I Am ... Sasha Fierce" is
Dud of the Month
- December
2008: Buena Vista Social Club, GZA/Genius, T.I.
Get Nods; Lucinda Williams, Ice Cube, Young Jeezy and More Receive
an Honorable Mentions; Plies Is Dud of the Month
- November
2008: TV on the Radio and Poet Robert Creeley
Get Nods; Iron & Wine, Todd Snider and Blitzen Trapper Get
Honorable Mentions; Bon Iver Is Dud of the Month
- October
2008: Jenny Lewis Gets a Nod; Jeffrey Lewis Is
Dud of the Month
- September
2008: The Hold Steady, Conor Oberst and Randy Newman
Get Nods; Natasha Bedingfield Is Dud of the Month
- August
2008: Nas Names Names (But Not His Album), Death Cab
For Cutie Get Complimented and the Dean Deep Sixes the Three 6
Mafia
- July
2008: Lil Wayne Gets a Good Review from the Dean
(He's Also "Dud of the Month"
- June
2008: Magnetic Fields, Santogold and More Get
Compliments; Leona Lewis Is Dud of the Month
- May
2008: The B-52's, Drive-by Truckers and the Roots All
Receive High Marks
- April
2008: Kate Nash, Los Campesinos!, Erykah Badu, Mika,
Kathleen Edwards, Snoop Dogg and More
- March
2008: Daft Punk, Lupe Fiasco, Willie Nelson, Herbie
Hancock and More
- Feb.
2008: Mary J. Blige, Manu Chao, Jill Scott and More
- Jan.
2008: Hail Hip-Hop! Ghostface Killah and Wu-Tang
Clan, Soulja Boy and More
- Dec.
2007: M.I.A., Gogol Bordello Rate Perfect
- Nov.
2007: White Stripes Not Icky But Nick Rates Low
- Oct.
2007: Kanye Graduates With an A-Minus but 50 Cent's a
Dud
- Sept.
2007: Common, Fountains of Wayne, Bright Eyes Make
the Dean's List
- Aug.
2007: Lucinda Is Laudable but Pretty Ricky Is a Dud
- July
2007: Miranda Lambert, Arctic Monkeys and More
- June
2007: Wilco, Apples in Stereo, Hot Chip and More
- April - May
2007: Beck, Nas, the Arcade Fire and More
- Feb. - March
2007: Beyoncé, Lily Allen and More
- Dec. 2006 - Jan.
2007: Bob Dylan, the Hold Steady and More
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