Spoon, “The Underdog” If you’ve never listened to Austin, Texas’ favorite sons, you’ve been missing out. Spoon make minimalist pop for the indie set — and do it very well. Vocalist Britt Daniel’s lyrics often make little sense and are accompanied by rather basic instrumentation, but to great effect. The prominent horn section on “The [...]

Lady Gaga, “Paparazzi” Lady Gaga is probably the new Madonna. I’m 95 percent sure about this. Consider the facts: She’s neither especially pretty nor ugly, but still possesses a vibrant sexuality that makes some uncomfortable; She simultaneously wears some of the most groundbreaking and ridiculous fashions; She is a master of self-promotion and re-invention; And [...]

Imagine Dragons, “I Need A Minute” It seems each decade has a defining band or, at the very least, a small handful of them. But who defines the ’00s? With the decade nearly out, we have failed to find our Nirvana or U2 — a band that, regardless of technical merit, comes to embody an [...]

Jay-Z (feat. Alicia Keys), “Empire State of Mind” I believe it was LL Cool J who once called himself the G.O.A.T., or “Greatest Of All Time.” Unfortunately for Mr. Cool J, the total desecration of his credibility coincided with his appearance in the 2005 cinematic crapfest that was Stealth. Even more unfortunate for LL is [...]

Counting Crows, “Mrs. Potter’s Lullaby” The Song of the Day feature makes its less-than-triumphant return after a Labor Day weekend (and then some) break. Apologies to anyone who actually came looking for their daily dose yesterday to no avail; It’s just always so tough to get back into the swing of things after a vacation. [...]

Manchester Orchestra, “Wolves At Night” We don’t normally delve too much into the “emo” genre here at Rhombus, but we’ll make an exception today. Yet it still doesn’t feel quite right to paint with such a wide brush, because Manchester Orchestra really aren’t a “emo” band at all in the traditional sense. Sure, frontman Andy [...]

Mudbison, “Suburbia” We’ve been on a bit of a local kick here at Rhombus the past couple days and there’s no Provo artist we love more than Mudbison. Boasting some of the most innovative songwriting you’ll find here or anywhere, the band’s sound is profoundly eclectic and unlike pretty much anything else. Principle songwriter-vocalist Spencer [...]