Album Review: Going to Hell by The Pretty Reckless

Rebellion is part and parcel of rock & roll, but few rockers have had it harder than Taylor Momsen. A child star who appeared in Ron Howard's grotesque 2000 adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas and came to stardom as Jenny Humphrey in the 2000s series Gossip Girl, Momsen needed to work hard to be considered on her own merits, something that was especially difficult because she specialized in an overdriven '90s grunge showcased in MTV's forgotten mid-decade show SuperRock. Momsen worships at the altar of Courtney Love but doesn't quite care to push buttons; she rebels in a vacuum, pushing the buttons of parents who came of age in the '50s.

Full Review >>

Review Summary: From porn star to harmonica, and all points in between.Talented or otherwise, entertainers who dabble in both acting and music are ultimately on a hiding to nothing. For every cool cat like Bowie, Waits and Sinatra, there are train-wrecks such as Keanu, Crowe and Joaquin. Cynics would rather perceive these multi-faceted artists negatively, no matter how many Grammys Justin Timberlake wins, or Oscars go to Jared Leto.

Full Review >>

This New York band's brash second album rages with the upbeat, beat-wise humor that hard rock has suppressed ever since grunge. "Heaven Knows" and "Why'd You Bring a Shotgun to the Party" are full-on glam stomps about troubled teens; other tracks steal back what Carrie Underwood country and Marilyn Manson industrial took from hair metal. Titillation's part of the game, for sure, but singer Taylor Momsen – best known for her acting on Gossip Girl – also belts out reams of Catholic guilt.

Full Review >>