Will Hermes
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With a new record, the band Arcade Fire is trying to top their 2011 release, which won a Grammy for Album of the Year. Critic Will Hermes says that on Reflektor, they turn to dance music to try to reinvigorate their sound.
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Even the compilers of a new funk collection don't fully know who William Onyeabor is.
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The duo incorporates many genre influences to fit its hard-edged pop sound. Critic Will Hermes says the formula still works on Bitter Rivals, which finds the two musicians trying to expand their boundaries even further.
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The duo, which sounds like Tom Petty after some Red Bull-and-vodkas, hones the scream to an art.
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Van Etten's new album, Tramp, is titled after the touring artist's time of essential homelessness. It's full of unresolved restlessness, infinite-loop longing and expansive vocals.
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The Brazilian artist's new album, Sem Nostalgia, is a tribute to the spirit of the traditional bossa nova movement in Brazil.
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The San Francisco band's latest is called Father, Son, Holy Ghost, but the reverence it displays is more musical than spiritual.
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Carll's new album gets its name from the military slang for abandoning a mission. But on KMAG YOYO and Other American Stories, the Houston country rocker sounds as committed as ever.
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Superchunk's new album, Majesty Shredding, fits the textbook definition of indie-rock: the pomp and spectacle of marketplace rock 'n' roll turned inside out to show the seams, revealing the men and women behind the curtain who aren't much different from the rest of us.
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Lady Gaga's rebellious personality, outrageous fashion sense and outsize way with a chorus have earned her a huge and diverse fan base. Last week, she played three sold-out hometown shows at New York's Madison Square Garden. Critic Will Hermes recently took his niece to one of the concerts.