The Magnetic Field’s “Distortion,” as its title suggests, is an album swamped in guitar feedback.

French house duo Daft Punk’s new live record, “Alive 2007,” is both a remarkable live document and a comprehensive overview of its past.

Jay-Z’s second album since returning to hip-hop, “American Gangster,” is his real comeback album.

View the photo gallery of the show here.
Love Equals Death began the Tiger Army show, Saturday at Stoney’s with an unoriginal but enjoyable set with emo, hardcore songs. Regardless of the lack of innovation, it was enough to invigorate the crowd. Circle pits formed within a minute of the show’s start.The next opener, [...]

“R.E.M. Live” is the first live CD/DVD package in the band’s 27-year career, and audio-wise, it’s a competent document of their excellent live show. In a world of poorly-mixed live records, R.E.M. delivers one that sounds excellent all around. Crowd noise is unobtrusive and the instruments are as clear as on the studio counterparts.

The good news is the sleep-inducing epics of 2004’s “Futures” aren’t here. Short pop-punk songs take up the majority of the record. This makes the album initially feel like a sequel to 2001’s “Bleed American,” which gave them their first hit ,“The Middle,” with its cliché but enjoyable “be yourself” sentiment.

Reno-based jazz-influenced reggae band Keyser Soze practices in a tiny garage that barely fits all seven members and their instruments.

Against Me! has had a difficult year with its fans. With its major label debut, “New Wave,” featuring a more polished, Butch Vig-produced sound than past records, the band has been accused of selling out and betraying its punk and folk roots.

California artist Deborah Aschheim’s “On Memory” piece illuminated the Sheppard Gallery in the Church Fine Arts Building through sculpture and bebop Thursday night during the Orion’s Belt opening.
Curated by Marjorie Vecchio, the exhibition brought together several artists whose work involved health, technology and mythology.

From making dance-punk as loud and atonal as possible, thus perfecting it on their debut, to the droning aural tone-poems that adorned last year’s highly acclaimed “Drum’s Not Dead,” Liars seems to have set out to confound their listeners with each new project.

In a world where mainstream hip-hop consists of endless variations on “Snap Yo Fingers” and an artist can release three albums about dropping out of college, Aesop Rock continues to make great hip-hop by growing as an artist with each album.