He's no R. Stevie Moore -- yet -- but Philadelphia homebody Kurt Vile is definitely as much of an acolyte to the home-recording mastermind as Ariel Pink: prior to Constant Hitmaker, his first "proper" album, Vile self-released a steady stream of homemade CD-Rs & the occasional 7" single, many consisting of solo acoustic songs, often instrumentals heavily indebted to John Fahey & his acolytes. There's a little of that on Constant Hitmaker, but overall, this 13-track set features the singer/so ...

A young American jazz musicians expatriates to France, immerses himself in the vibrant, nurturing Parisian jazz scene, & fosters a breakthough album; honest in its enthusiasm, dazzling in its depth, & wise beyond its years. PARIS BLUE is the first American release of Kyle Eastwood since his Colubmia debut FROM HERE TO THERE in 1998. ...

Since constant musician turnover has pretty much been the only "constant" aspect of Kylesa's career thus far, the Savannah, GA-based outfit's latest personnel department update (that being session bassist Javier Villegas) is duly noted, but glossed over so that we can focus on far more relevant issues such as the condition of the group's ever-evolving musical endeavors on album number four, 2009's Static Tensions. (Come to think of, it shouldn't that always be the case? Anyway...) Well, for star ...

To US audiences, Australian pop diva Kylie Minogue seemed to disappear after her 1988 international hit, a sugary-sweet cover of Little Eva's " The Loco-Motion." However, her musical career was actually just getting started. Under the guidance of the songwriting team of Stock, Aitken & Waterman, the former television actress went on to have a wildly successful string of UK singles in the 1990s, including the techno-pop dance-club hits " Better the Devil You Know" & " Shocked." The two-CD ULTIMATE ...

This album completes the legendary trilogy alongside the other classics ' Welcome to Sky Valley' & ' Blues For the Red Sun'. With this album, their last full length, Kyuss alter their sound & style slightly, creating a deeper & lower guitar tone & generally slower tempos. The result is a huge moody monolith of an album that sweeps aside thousands of other 'stoner' bands. '. And The Circus Leaves Town' is a fine way for Kyuss to wave goodbye after a truly legendary & tragically short-lived ...

Leave it to Kyuss -- a sorely underappreciated band whose music was so ahead of its time that its huge influence became apparent only after its demise -- to put out a best-of set that really isn't any such thing. In fact, Muchas Gracias: The Best of Kyuss is more of a collector's item, combining nine of the band's would-be hits (four of them in previously unreleased live versions) with no less than six album leftovers & B-sides. Predominantly instrumentals, few of these rarities actually appro ...