Folk
Stephen Carradini
Banjo-playing Matt the Electrician actually was an electrician before he took up music full-time. This sort of earnest, workingman’s dignity powers his pop folk.

Indie
Stephen Carradini
Givers’ “In Light” does not capture the exuberant magic that the band puts out live.

Pop
Stephen Carradini
Some reissues are chock-full of new bits that entice hardcore fans to go out and buy beloved albums again. Columbia’s reissues of Paul Simon’s first three albums do not fall in that category.

Rock
Stephen Carradini
At its best, Kill the Reflection’s dark, fast music leans toward Joy Division-esque post-punk.

Indie
Stephen Carradini
It is difficult to categorize the music of Son Lux.

Pop
Stephen Carradini
We don’t have very many songwriters like Paul Simon anymore.

Indie
Stephen Carradini
I’ve been listening to tUnE-yArDs’ “w h o k i l l” for a couple of months, which is far longer than I listen to most CDs I review.

Pop
Stephen Carradini
The MySpace home of Oklahoma City pop band The Gardes is /TheGardesMustBeCrazy.

Pop
Stephen Carradini
I listened to FM Belfast’s brilliant dance-pop tune “I Don’t Want to Go to Sleep Either” 15-plus times on the first day I heard it, including about eight listens in a row. The frequency was only a little bit lower for the next few days.

Pop
Stephen Carradini
Writing a pop song is a unique and nebulous skill.

Indie
Stephen Carradini
If you’re a longtime fan of Death Cab for Cutie feeling let down by “Codes and Keys,” fear not.

Hip Hop/Rap
Ryan Querbach
Tech N9ne’s newest effort, “All 6’s and 7’s,” shows how underrated he is as a rapper.

Indie
Stephen Carradini
Singer/songwriter Chris Mills’ appeal can be summed up in the title of his 1996 debut EP, “Chris Mills Plays and Sings.”

Pop
Stephen Carradini
Three-minute pop songs about the pitfalls of young love have been a staple of radio for the medium’s entire existence.

Indie
Stephen Carradini
“Burst Apart” by The Antlers is a baby-makin’ record about not baby-makin’.