Sights & Sounds By Mike Evans Lone Ladies: All Powerful LANA DEL REY — Born To Die THE GOOD: Female vocalist Lana Del Rey (born Lizzy Grant) redefines herself and brings on a decent sophomore album. THE BAD: Could she be the unfair victim of a backlash already? THE NITTY GRITTY: Die was released just after a heavily scrutinized and criticized appearance...

Sights & Sounds By Mike Evans More British Invasions PAUL McCARTNEY — Kisses on the Bottom THE GOOD: Paul McCartney returns with his 23rd studio effort. THE BAD: The overall concept and execution do not make for one of the man’s most exciting albums. THE NITTY GRITTY: Kisses is a covers record comprised of mostly pre-rock ballads and standards, with two...

THE ASTEROID GALAXY TOUR — Out Of Frequency THE GOOD: Danish pop wonders the Asteroid Galaxy Tour entrance us again! THE BAD: Nope. THE NITTY GRITTY: Once the album kicks in with the quick instrumental “Gold Rush,” a brash horn-laden track recalling some early ’70s cop movie or Blaxploitation flick, there’s no turning back. We’re in for 45 minutes of...

Not All Fun and Games by Mike Evans FUN — Some Nights THE GOOD: New York indie outfit Fun dodges the sophomore doldrums. THE BAD: Listening to Some Nights, I hear a richer fuller version of Owl City; that is, feel-good disposable mush custom made for high school proms. Their biggest hit yet, “We Are Young” (included here) was even covered on an episode of...

Girls in Charge By Mike Evans CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG — Stage Whisper THE GOOD: Anglo-French singer Charlotte Gainsbourg’s third effort is a real mixed bag. THE BAD: Half leftovers and half live, you take the good with the lackluster. But this compilation is better than most of its type. THE NITTY GRITTY: The record begins with eight more tracks produced by...

Unique In Voice and Vision By Mike Evans CURSIVE — I Am Gemini THE GOOD: Nebraska indie rockers Cursive return with an epic seventh release. THE BAD: No middle ground. You either find Cursive’s brash brand of modern progressive rock exhilarating, or too muddled and convoluted to endure. And Gemini is their most “ambitious” yet. THE NITTY GRITTY: The work...

NOT-SO-PROPER ENGLISH TELSTAR — THE JOE MEEK STORY THE GOOD: One of the coolest rock ‘n’ roll biopics in recent memory is finally available in the U.S. THE BAD: Like any biopic, the truth gets stretched for dramatic purposes, but the basic story is intact. THE PLOT: Telstar tells of one of pop music’s most innovative and groundbreaking producers — Joe...

THE BIG PINK — Future This THE GOOD: British rhythmic rock duo the Big Pink comes back for a second thump session. THE BAD: Sophomore slump? THE NITTY GRITTY: We first discovered these boys in 2009 when the stomping catchy “Dominoes” grabbed us by the ears and didn’t let go. Their debut album A Brief History of Love soon followed and proved to be an...

KID ICARUS — American Ghosts THE GOOD: Scranton indie rock outfit Kid Icarus (named after the Nintendo classic) returns with an accomplished emotional set. THE BAD: Ghosts is a tad quick (just over 28 minutes), but it’s a definite case of quality over quantity. THE NITTY GRITTY: What started out as a home-taping project for singer/songwriter Eric Schlittler...

by Mike Evans NOT TOO DELICATE SNOW PATROL — Fallen Empires THE GOOD: No. THE BAD: Again, no. THE NITTY GRITTY: No “good” or “bad,” just incredibly average. Thank your lucky stars, romantic comedy fans — Ireland’s most sensitive guys are back with 14 more hunks of ooey gooey rock custom made for that epic scene at the end of the movie where the guy...