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Getting Off
Attorney Tyler Flood says he wins 80 percent of his clients' DWI trials, even if they were 100 percent drunk as a skunk.
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Houston's Choice for Mayor
Black Guy, Rich White Guy, Lesbian or Hispanic Republican
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City of Coffee
Is Houston about to become America's coffee capital?
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Looking for a Bull Market
Killen's Steakhouse in suburban Pearland is probably best during boom times.
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Burgers and Hash
Lola, a modern diner in the Heights is dishing up some top-notch Texas short-order cooking.
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BBQ Buffet
Korea Garden Grille offers a stellar selection of barbecue items in unlimited quantities — and new and interesting ways to eat them.
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Getting Off
Attorney Tyler Flood says he wins 80 percent of his clients' DWI trials, even if they were 100 percent drunk as a skunk.
-
Looking for a Bull Market
Killen's Steakhouse in suburban Pearland is probably best during boom times.
-
Burgers and Hash
Lola, a modern diner in the Heights is dishing up some top-notch Texas short-order cooking.
-
Houston's Choice for Mayor
Black Guy, Rich White Guy, Lesbian or Hispanic Republican
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National Features >
City PagesYou don't need to read Sarah Palin's book to hear the ravings of a mad woman. By Matt SnydersMiami New TimesThe rise and fall of a chubby sex-cult leader. By Natalie O'NeillRiverfront TimesTom was a hot-tempered cross-dresser with a garage full of guns--and then he became Rachel. By Nicholas Phillips
The Swell Season, Rachael Yamagata
Published on November 10, 2009 at 2:07pm
Although Strict Joy may be a bit of an odd title for the sophomore effort from The Swell Season, it points to the direction the band has taken this time around. Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová have fleshed out the spare, introspective sound of their eponymous debut and their Oscar-winning material from the film Once, resulting in music that marries the emotional sweep of the band's songs with an equally rich sonic palette. The sparse arrangements and tepid tempos are largely replaced by lush strings, punchy guitars and a strong sense of momentum. Of course, there are certain elements of the Swell Season sound that can't be made brighter by a little bit of instrumentation and some up-tempo arrangements, but the lovely fragility of Irglová's voice and the often somber bent of the lyrics act as excellent foils to the peppier sound. The push and pull serves as an extended metaphor for the duality of all things, with the notions of joy and despair highlighting and playing off of one another just as the contrasting moods of the music do the same. Rachel Yamagata offers a nice accompaniment, with a mix of introspective singer/songwriter and harder-edged rock material.
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