Archive: 2014

More fun guest stars — ‘HIMYM’ is trying to make a callback to every past episode this season, it seems — but do we need even more episodes about Ted’s love for Robin? Fortunately, this seems to be the final one.

[rating=8.00] After the Disco, the follow up recording to Broken Bells’ self-titled release in 2010, could be as much a reference to a state beyond happiness as one of a state beyond loneliness. Using that as a thematic base for songwriting has yielded, again, a great unison of brilliant melody and dark infused lyricism. One […]

Arctic Monkeys took the Hard Rock stage obscured by a dense fog and lighting that cast the band in silhouette. The ambiance created a somber mood that lasted until the first crunching drum beat of the set-opening “Do I Wanna Know?” There are two types of Arctic Monkeys fans — those who accept the band’s […]

KONGOS is comprised of four Arizona-based brothers (by way of London and South Africa, who fuse “classic rock elements, African rhythms and Balkan beats” to combine for a sound that’s truly alternative and instantly memorable. Lunatic, out now, is the stunning 12-song Epic debut for the siblings, born to popular ’70s South African/British singer-songwriter John […]

With the emergence of CD box sets, two specialties seem to be rising to the top like natural selection. Perhaps one’s a direct result of the other, who knows, but we now have the best label compilations (Island, Vertigo, Harvest, Dandelion, Dawn etc.) along with current labels compiling genre anthologies. Just released by Grapefruit Records, […]

The disappointing but inevitable turning point initiated by last week’s episode continues with resilience in “Only Child,” pitting Hannah and Caroline against each other in what essentially is a battle of selves.

The Grammy Award–winning, multi-platinum selling trio Nickel Creek—Chris Thile (mandolin/vocals), Sara Watkins (fiddle/vocals), and Sean Watkins (guitar/vocals)—officially reunites for the first time since its 2007 self-described “indefinite hiatus” with a US tour this spring and summer, with shows in Nashville, New York, Boston, Washington, Chicago, and Oakland, as well as at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival […]

What makes this performance so stellar is that it never feels like imitation, even really good imitation.

From the swampy opening notes of Damon Fowler’s new CD, Sounds Of Home, you get the feeling that this is going to be good. Not exactly a greenhorn but still fresh enough to be pulling out some exciting new licks, Florida bred Fowler is finally getting the recognition he deserves as his third Blind Pig […]

Full disclosure: this reviewer walked into the Neptune theater in Seattle the other night entirely expecting to enjoy Josh Ritter’s set. As one of many people who would call his latest release, The Beast In Its Tracks, one of the best albums of 2013, it seemed a fairly safe bet. Ritter, on an acoustic tour […]