In Search Of...

If Fu Manchu were in search of the lost Black Sabbath riff, they've struck gold. Their debut CD is so chock full of lumbering Sabbath-powered riffs and Blue Cheer-pinched guitar licks that it's a bit unnerving. The el cheapo recording and utterly distorted guitar sound help further this connection even more. This record is about riffs, pure and simple--big fat ones that'll curl your nose hairs and punch you hard in the gut. Devastating sludge: an absolute must-have for fans of Monster Magnet and Kyuss. --Adem Tepedelen sales rank : 35266Customer Rating : 87.5% | Price : $8.98 (new)$5.25 (used)

In Search Of...

If Fu Manchu were in search of the lost Black Sabbath riff, they've struck gold. Their debut CD is so chock full of lumbering Sabbath-powered riffs and Blue Cheer-pinched guitar licks that it's a bit unnerving. The el cheapo recording and utterly distorted guitar sound help further this connection even more. This record is about riffs, pure and simple--big fat ones that'll curl your nose hairs and punch you hard in the gut. Devastating sludge: an absolute must-have for fans of Monster Magnet and Kyuss. --Adem Tepedelen sales rank : 35266Customer Rating : 87.5% | Price : $8.98 (new)$5.25 (used)

Call off the Search

Call Off the Search was released in the U.K. in November 2003 to deserved acclaim, alongside countless declarations that this 19-year-old British music school-educated, Russian-born singer is "the next Norah." There are similarities--Melua does work within a jazz/blues idiom, is talented beyond her years, and concentrates more on classics than her own material (ten are covers and two originals). But she's far more of a classic showbiz type singer than the sultry and sophisticated-sounding Jones. On the single "The Closest Thing to Crazy," for instance, Melua's phrasing is pure show tune. But it works for her, as it did for Lena and Liza before. The only weak link resides in a few straightahead blues songs, notably the 12-bar stomp "My Aphrodisiac Is You." Melua has the talent, she just lacks the soul to put oomph into a song that namechecks the Kama Sutra (this is as it should be, of course, as she's a teenager, but the choice of material is suspect nonetheless). Melua is a great torch singer who deserves the spotlight; odds are you'll eagerly await her next album before you're even done listening to this one all the way through. --Mike McGonigalsales rank : 13476Customer Rating : 62.5% | Price : $13.98 (new)$3.48 (used)

In Search of

The electro-powered grooves of the writing-production team the Neptunes have abetted fine-to-great tracks by everyone from Jay-Z and Ol' Dirty Bastard to Britney Spears. On their debut as performers, they display an irresistible knack for hooky tracks rooted in the eclectic listening habits they developed while growing up in the multiracial Virginia Beach, Virginia, neighborhoods they still call home. Fusing album rock and rap more forcefully and convincingly than Kid Rock or Durst-style aggro bands (the latter of whom they seem to lampoon on "Rock Star"), N.E.R.D. whip up a creamy yet slammin' mix. Main men Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo coax apropos guest shots from Kelis (the get-your-freak-on "Truth or Dare," the sexiest thing here aside from the ménage-a-wow plea "Tape You") and a handful of up-and-coming members. The live instrumentation that replaces the machine-tooled tracks of an earlier import version of In Search Of retains the tunes' syncopation while rendering it palatable for less eclectic rock fans. While not a commercial blockbuster on the order of many of their clients' discs, this venture is nonetheless one of 2002's standout releases. --Rickey Wrightsales rank : 32575Customer Rating : 87.5% | Price : $14.99 (new)$5.58 (used)

The Search

Five albums into Son Volt's career--and a pair into the band's rebirth following leader Jay Farrar's several solo ventures--it's time to bury the encumbering "alt-country" moniker that has dogged Farrar since his days in the genre-setting Uncle Tupelo. While the inexhaustible songwriter relied on guitars to drive 2005's rock-heavy Okemah and the Melody of Riot, Son Volt amends its familiar arrangements on The Search, balancing the instrumentation with piano, organ, and dabbles in a horn section. "Feels like drivin' 'round in a slow hearse," Farrar pleads over repetitive piano and East Indian guitar loops in "Slow Hearse." It's a pensive opener that suggests something is askew, but the horns that kick off "The Picture" literally scream it from the Stax vaults. Farrar dives in and out of genres, tingling the ivories to add subtle alterations to both the gorgeous "Underground Dream" and Imagine-like "Adrenaline and Heresy," turning his band into Gang of Four for the 134-second rocker "Satellite" and singing alongside Shannon McNally on the soulful "Highways and Cigarettes." While it may be impossible for this Son Volt to ever reach the pinnacle of their 1995 debut, no one can accuse Jay Farrar of going through the motions. --Scott Holtersales rank : 7066Customer Rating : 75% | Price : $9.97 (new)$7.49 (used)

The Search

Five albums into Son Volt's career--and a pair into the band's rebirth following leader Jay Farrar's several solo ventures--it's time to bury the encumbering "alt-country" moniker that has dogged Farrar since his days in the genre-setting Uncle Tupelo. While the inexhaustible songwriter relied on guitars to drive 2005's rock-heavy Okemah and the Melody of Riot, Son Volt amends its familiar arrangements on The Search, balancing the instrumentation with piano, organ, and dabbles in a horn section. "Feels like drivin' 'round in a slow hearse," Farrar pleads over repetitive piano and East Indian guitar loops in "Slow Hearse." It's a pensive opener that suggests something is askew, but the horns that kick off "The Picture" literally scream it from the Stax vaults. Farrar dives in and out of genres, tingling the ivories to add subtle alterations to both the gorgeous "Underground Dream" and Imagine-like "Adrenaline and Heresy," turning his band into Gang of Four for the 134-second rocker "Satellite" and singing alongside Shannon McNally on the soulful "Highways and Cigarettes." While it may be impossible for this Son Volt to ever reach the pinnacle of their 1995 debut, no one can accuse Jay Farrar of going through the motions. --Scott Holtersales rank : 7066Customer Rating : 75% | Price : $9.97 (new)$7.49 (used)

In Search of

The electro-powered grooves of the writing-production team the Neptunes have abetted fine-to-great tracks by everyone from Jay-Z and Ol' Dirty Bastard to Britney Spears. On their debut as performers, they display an irresistible knack for hooky tracks rooted in the eclectic listening habits they developed while growing up in the multiracial Virginia Beach, Virginia, neighborhoods they still call home. Fusing album rock and rap more forcefully and convincingly than Kid Rock or Durst-style aggro bands (the latter of whom they seem to lampoon on "Rock Star"), N.E.R.D. whip up a creamy yet slammin' mix. Main men Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo coax apropos guest shots from Kelis (the get-your-freak-on "Truth or Dare," the sexiest thing here aside from the ménage-a-wow plea "Tape You") and a handful of up-and-coming members. The live instrumentation that replaces the machine-tooled tracks of an earlier import version of In Search Of retains the tunes' syncopation while rendering it palatable for less eclectic rock fans. While not a commercial blockbuster on the order of many of their clients' discs, this venture is nonetheless one of 2002's standout releases. --Rickey Wrightsales rank : 32575Customer Rating : 87.5% | Price : $14.99 (new)$5.58 (used)

Call off the Search

Call Off the Search was released in the U.K. in November 2003 to deserved acclaim, alongside countless declarations that this 19-year-old British music school-educated, Russian-born singer is "the next Norah." There are similarities--Melua does work within a jazz/blues idiom, is talented beyond her years, and concentrates more on classics than her own material (ten are covers and two originals). But she's far more of a classic showbiz type singer than the sultry and sophisticated-sounding Jones. On the single "The Closest Thing to Crazy," for instance, Melua's phrasing is pure show tune. But it works for her, as it did for Lena and Liza before. The only weak link resides in a few straightahead blues songs, notably the 12-bar stomp "My Aphrodisiac Is You." Melua has the talent, she just lacks the soul to put oomph into a song that namechecks the Kama Sutra (this is as it should be, of course, as she's a teenager, but the choice of material is suspect nonetheless). Melua is a great torch singer who deserves the spotlight; odds are you'll eagerly await her next album before you're even done listening to this one all the way through. --Mike McGonigalsales rank : 13476Customer Rating : 62.5% | Price : $13.98 (new)$3.48 (used)

Call off the Search

Call Off the Search was released in the U.K. in November 2003 to deserved acclaim, alongside countless declarations that this 19-year-old British music school-educated, Russian-born singer is "the next Norah." There are similarities--Melua does work within a jazz/blues idiom, is talented beyond her years, and concentrates more on classics than her own material (ten are covers and two originals). But she's far more of a classic showbiz type singer than the sultry and sophisticated-sounding Jones. On the single "The Closest Thing to Crazy," for instance, Melua's phrasing is pure show tune. But it works for her, as it did for Lena and Liza before. The only weak link resides in a few straightahead blues songs, notably the 12-bar stomp "My Aphrodisiac Is You." Melua has the talent, she just lacks the soul to put oomph into a song that namechecks the Kama Sutra (this is as it should be, of course, as she's a teenager, but the choice of material is suspect nonetheless). Melua is a great torch singer who deserves the spotlight; odds are you'll eagerly await her next album before you're even done listening to this one all the way through. --Mike McGonigalsales rank : 13476Customer Rating : 62.5% | Price : $13.98 (new)$3.48 (used)

In Search of

The electro-powered grooves of the writing-production team the Neptunes have abetted fine-to-great tracks by everyone from Jay-Z and Ol' Dirty Bastard to Britney Spears. On their debut as performers, they display an irresistible knack for hooky tracks rooted in the eclectic listening habits they developed while growing up in the multiracial Virginia Beach, Virginia, neighborhoods they still call home. Fusing album rock and rap more forcefully and convincingly than Kid Rock or Durst-style aggro bands (the latter of whom they seem to lampoon on "Rock Star"), N.E.R.D. whip up a creamy yet slammin' mix. Main men Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo coax apropos guest shots from Kelis (the get-your-freak-on "Truth or Dare," the sexiest thing here aside from the ménage-a-wow plea "Tape You") and a handful of up-and-coming members. The live instrumentation that replaces the machine-tooled tracks of an earlier import version of In Search Of retains the tunes' syncopation while rendering it palatable for less eclectic rock fans. While not a commercial blockbuster on the order of many of their clients' discs, this venture is nonetheless one of 2002's standout releases. --Rickey Wrightsales rank : 32575Customer Rating : 87.5% | Price : $14.99 (new)$5.58 (used)

The Search

Five albums into Son Volt's career--and a pair into the band's rebirth following leader Jay Farrar's several solo ventures--it's time to bury the encumbering "alt-country" moniker that has dogged Farrar since his days in the genre-setting Uncle Tupelo. While the inexhaustible songwriter relied on guitars to drive 2005's rock-heavy Okemah and the Melody of Riot, Son Volt amends its familiar arrangements on The Search, balancing the instrumentation with piano, organ, and dabbles in a horn section. "Feels like drivin' 'round in a slow hearse," Farrar pleads over repetitive piano and East Indian guitar loops in "Slow Hearse." It's a pensive opener that suggests something is askew, but the horns that kick off "The Picture" literally scream it from the Stax vaults. Farrar dives in and out of genres, tingling the ivories to add subtle alterations to both the gorgeous "Underground Dream" and Imagine-like "Adrenaline and Heresy," turning his band into Gang of Four for the 134-second rocker "Satellite" and singing alongside Shannon McNally on the soulful "Highways and Cigarettes." While it may be impossible for this Son Volt to ever reach the pinnacle of their 1995 debut, no one can accuse Jay Farrar of going through the motions. --Scott Holtersales rank : 7066Customer Rating : 75% | Price : $9.97 (new)$7.49 (used)

In Search Of...

If Fu Manchu were in search of the lost Black Sabbath riff, they've struck gold. Their debut CD is so chock full of lumbering Sabbath-powered riffs and Blue Cheer-pinched guitar licks that it's a bit unnerving. The el cheapo recording and utterly distorted guitar sound help further this connection even more. This record is about riffs, pure and simple--big fat ones that'll curl your nose hairs and punch you hard in the gut. Devastating sludge: an absolute must-have for fans of Monster Magnet and Kyuss. --Adem Tepedelen sales rank : 35266Customer Rating : 87.5% | Price : $8.98 (new)$5.25 (used)

Call off the Search

Call Off the Search was released in the U.K. in November 2003 to deserved acclaim, alongside countless declarations that this 19-year-old British music school-educated, Russian-born singer is "the next Norah." There are similarities--Melua does work within a jazz/blues idiom, is talented beyond her years, and concentrates more on classics than her own material (ten are covers and two originals). But she's far more of a classic showbiz type singer than the sultry and sophisticated-sounding Jones. On the single "The Closest Thing to Crazy," for instance, Melua's phrasing is pure show tune. But it works for her, as it did for Lena and Liza before. The only weak link resides in a few straightahead blues songs, notably the 12-bar stomp "My Aphrodisiac Is You." Melua has the talent, she just lacks the soul to put oomph into a song that namechecks the Kama Sutra (this is as it should be, of course, as she's a teenager, but the choice of material is suspect nonetheless). Melua is a great torch singer who deserves the spotlight; odds are you'll eagerly await her next album before you're even done listening to this one all the way through. --Mike McGonigalsales rank : 2718Customer Rating : 62.5% | Price : $12.99 (new)$3.50 (used)

The Search

Five albums into Son Volt's career--and a pair into the band's rebirth following leader Jay Farrar's several solo ventures--it's time to bury the encumbering "alt-country" moniker that has dogged Farrar since his days in the genre-setting Uncle Tupelo. While the inexhaustible songwriter relied on guitars to drive 2005's rock-heavy Okemah and the Melody of Riot, Son Volt amends its familiar arrangements on The Search, balancing the instrumentation with piano, organ, and dabbles in a horn section. "Feels like drivin' 'round in a slow hearse," Farrar pleads over repetitive piano and East Indian guitar loops in "Slow Hearse." It's a pensive opener that suggests something is askew, but the horns that kick off "The Picture" literally scream it from the Stax vaults. Farrar dives in and out of genres, tingling the ivories to add subtle alterations to both the gorgeous "Underground Dream" and Imagine-like "Adrenaline and Heresy," turning his band into Gang of Four for the 134-second rocker "Satellite" and singing alongside Shannon McNally on the soulful "Highways and Cigarettes." While it may be impossible for this Son Volt to ever reach the pinnacle of their 1995 debut, no one can accuse Jay Farrar of going through the motions. --Scott Holtersales rank : 5541Customer Rating : 75% | Price : $9.97 (new)$7.49 (used)

The Search

Five albums into Son Volt's career--and a pair into the band's rebirth following leader Jay Farrar's several solo ventures--it's time to bury the encumbering "alt-country" moniker that has dogged Farrar since his days in the genre-setting Uncle Tupelo. While the inexhaustible songwriter relied on guitars to drive 2005's rock-heavy Okemah and the Melody of Riot, Son Volt amends its familiar arrangements on The Search, balancing the instrumentation with piano, organ, and dabbles in a horn section. "Feels like drivin' 'round in a slow hearse," Farrar pleads over repetitive piano and East Indian guitar loops in "Slow Hearse." It's a pensive opener that suggests something is askew, but the horns that kick off "The Picture" literally scream it from the Stax vaults. Farrar dives in and out of genres, tingling the ivories to add subtle alterations to both the gorgeous "Underground Dream" and Imagine-like "Adrenaline and Heresy," turning his band into Gang of Four for the 134-second rocker "Satellite" and singing alongside Shannon McNally on the soulful "Highways and Cigarettes." While it may be impossible for this Son Volt to ever reach the pinnacle of their 1995 debut, no one can accuse Jay Farrar of going through the motions. --Scott Holtersales rank : 5541Customer Rating : 75% | Price : $9.97 (new)$7.49 (used)

Call off the Search

Call Off the Search was released in the U.K. in November 2003 to deserved acclaim, alongside countless declarations that this 19-year-old British music school-educated, Russian-born singer is "the next Norah." There are similarities--Melua does work within a jazz/blues idiom, is talented beyond her years, and concentrates more on classics than her own material (ten are covers and two originals). But she's far more of a classic showbiz type singer than the sultry and sophisticated-sounding Jones. On the single "The Closest Thing to Crazy," for instance, Melua's phrasing is pure show tune. But it works for her, as it did for Lena and Liza before. The only weak link resides in a few straightahead blues songs, notably the 12-bar stomp "My Aphrodisiac Is You." Melua has the talent, she just lacks the soul to put oomph into a song that namechecks the Kama Sutra (this is as it should be, of course, as she's a teenager, but the choice of material is suspect nonetheless). Melua is a great torch singer who deserves the spotlight; odds are you'll eagerly await her next album before you're even done listening to this one all the way through. --Mike McGonigalsales rank : 2718Customer Rating : 62.5% | Price : $12.99 (new)$3.50 (used)

In Search of

The electro-powered grooves of the writing-production team the Neptunes have abetted fine-to-great tracks by everyone from Jay-Z and Ol' Dirty Bastard to Britney Spears. On their debut as performers, they display an irresistible knack for hooky tracks rooted in the eclectic listening habits they developed while growing up in the multiracial Virginia Beach, Virginia, neighborhoods they still call home. Fusing album rock and rap more forcefully and convincingly than Kid Rock or Durst-style aggro bands (the latter of whom they seem to lampoon on "Rock Star"), N.E.R.D. whip up a creamy yet slammin' mix. Main men Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo coax apropos guest shots from Kelis (the get-your-freak-on "Truth or Dare," the sexiest thing here aside from the ménage-a-wow plea "Tape You") and a handful of up-and-coming members. The live instrumentation that replaces the machine-tooled tracks of an earlier import version of In Search Of retains the tunes' syncopation while rendering it palatable for less eclectic rock fans. While not a commercial blockbuster on the order of many of their clients' discs, this venture is nonetheless one of 2002's standout releases. --Rickey Wrightsales rank : 8237Customer Rating : 87.5% | Price : $13.99 (new)$4.75 (used)