music review Archives - The Pitt News

On Atlas, Real Estate uses old tricks, gets a homogenous album

By Grace Kelly / Staff Writer • March 3, 2014

Real EstateAtlasGrade: B-Sounds like: The Beach Boys, older Real EstateKnown for its surf-inspired, mellow sound, Real Estate does more of the same with its newest release, Atlas. Tinny guitar chords and...

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings update a retro sound

By John Lavanga / A&E Editor • February 12, 2014

Sharon Jones and the Dap KingsGive the People What They WantGrade: BSounds like: Motown, babyIt’s been nearly 26 years since Motown Records was sold to MCA by its disenchanted owner Berry Gordy and 42...

Eminem’s attempt to recapture his old sound yields mixed results

By Shawn Cooke / Staff Writer • November 14, 2013

Film sequels released more than a decade after their predecessors can sometimes make for a refreshing reunion with beloved characters — but almost always draw initial skepticism.While few would pass...

On Old, Danny Brown injects some reality into his revelry

By John Lavanga / A&E Editor • October 2, 2013

Danny BrownOldGrade: B+Sounds like: A Danny Brown album. Period.After nearly a decade of fighting to dig his way out of a life of crime and musical anonymity in the apocalyptic wasteland that is post-industrial...

On Nothing Was the Same, Drake displays lyrical depth

By Jeff Ihaza / Senior Staff Writer • September 26, 2013

DrakeNothing Was the SameA-Sounds like: Driving along Highway 59 in Houston. Alone. Thinking about “her.”“Dropped the mixtape, that sh*t sounded like an album” Drake boasts on the lyrically lopsided...

Neko Case makes a spirited return to music

By Shawn Cooke / For The Pitt News • September 19, 2013

Neko CaseThe Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love YouGrade: B+Sounds Like: A musician rising above her depressionBetween 2009’s Middle Cyclone and her latest full-length...

STRFKR Concert

September 4, 2013

On Tuesday September 3, indie-electronica outfit STRFKR put on a show at Altar Bar that included everything from light displays to dancers dressed as rabbits and astronauts. Photos by Staff Photographer...

Black Joe Lewis comes out firing on Electric Slave

By John Lavanga / A&E Editor • September 2, 2013

Electric Slave Black Joe LewisGrade: B+Sounds Like: Chuck Berry and James Brown had a son, and he was a badassThough there’s plenty to say about Black Joe Lewis — from his ingenious use of a horn...