Blogcritics Author: Ken Capobianco

Music Review: Shelby Lynne - Just a Little Lovin'

Ken Capobianco — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:21:03 EST

Shelby Lynne dusts off Dusty Springfield classics with style
No woman in pop this side of Linda Thompson has as pure and expressive a voice as the great Shelby Lynne.The singer, who seemed on the cusp of stardom with her I am Shelby Lynne album in 1999, never crossed over and it’s clear some of that disappointment and frustration informs her music, which was always tinged with a world of hurt and...

Concert Review: Lenny Kravitz at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, January 17

Ken Capobianco — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:00:18 EST

Lenny's love revolution still rules
When Lenny Kravitz sang “Let Love Rule” twenty years ago it seemed like hippie dippie cornpone but these are nastier, more cynical times and Kravitz share-the-love sentiments sound more relevant and essential now. In fact, Kravitz recognizes this and has titled his new record It’s Time For a Love Revolution and it reportedly...

Music Review: Mary J. Blige - Growing Pains

Ken Capobianco — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 10:00:52 EST

Nobody works it like Mary J.
It’s easy to understand why so many women identified with the fantastically damaged early Mary J. Blige and her heartfelt songs of betrayal, loss, and scars. Years later Mary has survived and flourished and she’s now singing about her joy and fortitude as fervently as she proclaimed her pain. On her new, supremely confident and engaging...

Music Review: The Wu Tang Clan - 8 Diagrams

Ken Capobianco — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 12:09:20 EST

the Wu Tang Clan still ain't nuthin' to F' wit
It is difficult for any hip-hop band to live up to the powerful, cryptic legacy of the Wu Tang Clan’s first two records and that includes the Wu Tang Clan itself. Their new disc, 8 Diagrams, their first in six years, comes close to displaying the vividness and urgency of the Wu’s classic work. Thankfully the unit refuses to resurrect...