Eli Scheer

Rogue Wave: Asleep at Heaven’s Gate

Eli Scheer December 5, 2007 No Comments

he problem with making a really great sophomore album is that the question later becomes, "How long can they keep this up?". Unfortunately for Zach Rogue and Co.,the two years since the release of their stellar second album, Descended Like Vultures, were not only rough on their personal lives, but it also resulted in a sprawling, less focused third effort, Asleep at Heaven's Gate.

The Album Leaf: Into the Blue Again

Eli Scheer December 18, 2006 No Comments

From the sound of the opening track "The Light" on The Album Leaf's new, album Into the Blue Again, it would be forgivable to expect a sort of reigned in Sigur Ros. But when track two rolls around, listeners are instead greeted with a dark electropop offering vaguely reminiscent of Pedro the Lion.

Ben Kweller: Ben Kweller

Eli Scheer December 5, 2006 No Comments

Ben Kweller writes pop songs. They're cheerful and they fly by in a way that belies the forty-minute clock of his new self titled album. Sure, there are the overly sweet and sentimental lines (“Until I Die”) and the guitar riffs that hearken to his teenage days in the post grunge trio Radish (as on album closer “This Is War”). But they're all pop songs at heart and the nice thing about Kweller is that he makes no apologies for this.

Eric Bachmann: To The Races

Eli Scheer November 22, 2006 No Comments

It's hard to write about Eric Bachmann and his new solo effort To The Races without comparing it to his previous work with Archers of Loaf and Crooked Fingers. However, it is worth a shot, simply for the reason that while this is still the same Eric Bachmann, but it is very stripped down so that it is just Eric Bachmann.

Harvey Danger: Live at Great Scott’s

Eli Scheer October 16, 2006 No Comments

Although Harvey Danger is still in their

Centro-Matic: Fort Recovery

Eli Scheer August 25, 2006 No Comments

While the fuzzed out guitars can get a little overpowering at times, the melodies are strong enough that they

Josh Ritter: The Animal Years

Eli Scheer August 2, 2006 No Comments

The Animal Yearsis a great listen, with little to no filler and a lingering feeling that makes you wonder where those forty-nine minutes snuck off to.

Matt Costa: Songs We Sing

Eli Scheer June 1, 2006 No Comments

A solid debut that leaves me looking forward to the summer, to the future, and especially, to Costa

Flickerstick / Spiraling : Middle East, Cambridge, MA 5/01/2006

Eli Scheer May 8, 2006 No Comments

Waiting in the Middle East Upstairs as the roadies finished setting up for the fourth band of the night, I was reminded of Flickerstick's connection with the 2001 VH1 reality show Bands on the Run by those standing around the nearly filled 200-capacity club. This VH1 fame must surely get mentioned in every article that has since been printed about them, and for better or worse, this one will be no different. When the band finally took the stage at just past eleven o'clock, I understood, at least in part, why they won the four band, fight to the death competition based nearly completely on their live show.