Archive: 2017

Levitation celebrates 10 groundbreaking years with its return to downtown Austin, TX for 2018. For the past ten years, the independent gathering has grown from a small word-of-mouth event to an internationally acclaimed, full weekend destination — offering once-in-a-lifetime lineups with programming spanning continents and decades. 2018 PHASE ONE LINEUP: SLOWDIVE THE BLACK ANGELS ELECTRIC […]

Jersey City’s Low Doses have been making their home state proud since 2013 with their own brand of kinda poppy, kinda sloppy rock. Their sound is the result of what happens when former high school classmates, in this case Ryan Masterson and Vin Russoniello, reconnect and form a band based on a shared love of back to […]

An obsession with money, an unfaithful lover, an accidental pregnancy, misogyny, loneliness, death… This is just some of the lighthearted subject matter that make up LONER––the darkly comedic second album from songwriter/producer Caroline Rose, out February 23rd via New West. Armed with an arsenal of new instruments and equipment, an ever-growing sense of “ahhh f**k […]

Charleston, S.C.’s Stop Light Observations has quickly garnered a following with their potent blend of Southern rock that incorporates elements of psychedelic, electro, reggae and hip-hop. If you listen to the band’s newest album Toogoodoo you’ll quickly realize this is catchy stuff with a wide-ranging appeal. The album is loaded with powerful anthems that balance […]

[rating=7.00] Twenty-seven years ago, Van Morrison penned a tune, “I’m Not Feeling It Anymore.”  Yet, now more than ever he refuses to just “phone it in.” It seems that “It’s Too Late to Stop Now” is Morrison’s mantra with Versatile, as at the age of 72 he is back to his multiple annual output of […]

When a show is billed as “An Evening with David Rawlings,” you know that you are going to be treated to Americana at its most genuine. Rawlings is one of the most revered practitioners of the genre and his two hour plus show at Northampton’s Academy of Music on November 28th featured spirited bluegrass, raucous […]

For the second year in a row, The Hold Steady threw a positive jam, multi-day party at Brooklyn Bowl in their adopted hometown. The venue and band is a perfect match as the beer from the neighboring brewery fuels the huge singalongs and light-hearted pogoing. A chilly first of December continued the proceedings; the third […]

Thor Platter named his debut album well. Take Time is an album that’s patient, empathetic and introspective in a way that most listeners would be wise to learn from. In most cases, the music matches the mood. The best tracks on Take Time are characterized by relaxed banjo or guitar work and an equally relaxed […]

In Vinyl Lives we spotlight and profile record stores around the country who offer music lovers an experience that goes beyond an iTunes purchase or a Spotify playlist. For this month’s installment of Vinyl Lives we are doing something a little different by turning over the column to Nashville troubadour Boo Ray, who just teamed […]