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September 4, 2015Atmospheric, soulful debut from Black Keys leader Dan Auerbach's side project the Arcs.
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September 4, 2015A generous and uplifting dose of modern funk from Damon Riddick, joined by a supporting cast that includes Jody Watley, Flea, and Q-Tip.
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September 4, 2015Eagerly awaited, Maiden's first double album is also their longest and most ambitious -- and deeply satisfying.
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September 4, 2015Reunited with Woods' Jarvis Taveniere, the duo delivers an album that's equally accomplished, unaffected, confident, and vulnerable.
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September 4, 2015On this weird, wonderful album, the producer and MC becomes a ringleader with Justin Bieber, Juicy J, and the Weeknd as guests.
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September 4, 2015Backed by a new label and a mostly new crop of collaborators, the eminently graceful vocalist and songwriter continues to fuse styles with ease.
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September 4, 2015Teaming up with a guitar-bass-drums trio, the majestic pop singer/songwriter turns in one of his best albums.
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September 4, 2015A widescreen, Technicolor burst of glam pop sound and hooky songs recorded in hi-fi glory by Foxygen drummer.
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September 4, 2015Urgent, sprawling, career-encompassing live album recorded in 2014 on the supporting tour for Transgender Dysphoria Blues.
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September 4, 2015Uncompromising Pacific Northwest band's final two albums get a deluxe repackaging with bonus tracks and extensive liner notes.
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September 4, 2015A breezy, lyrically bold, sonically beautiful soft barrage of bucolic country-folk.
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September 4, 2015Debut album of gritty, one-take electro/techno from a German producer, greatly expanding upon the ideas of her previous EPs.
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September 4, 2015Following his unlikely collaboration with Krautrock pioneer Roedelius, Lloyd Cole presents an album of solo modular synth experiments.
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September 4, 2015The band's third album is another slice of sweet and lovely indie pop, this time with more horns, strings, and Northern soul influence.
AllMusic Staff Picks
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone
March 7, 2006
Reviewing the new Advance Base album made me revisit Owen Ashworth's previous project, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, and his work under that name remains as affecting as it was a decade ago. Etiquette was the album where he moved up from being a Casio-only solo project, becoming much more of an ambitious Stephin Merritt-type songwriter. As charming as his heartbroken Casio laments were, this album was where he blossomed as an artist, and it contains some of the best songs he's ever written.
1972
While it's worth it just for the instrumental versions of "Maria Elena" and Dan Penn's and Chips Moman's "Dark End Of The Street," the artist's third album is a wonder of standards, folk songs and blues. They are all rendered timeless by a stellar cast that includes Penn, Sleepy John Estes, Jim Dickinson, Jim Keltner, and Randy Newman.