Posts by Shawn Donohue

[rating=7.00] The English born, “New Orleans bred”, Grammy winner Jon Cleary is stepping out on his own, releasing his first solo record, captured during a night of unfiltered playing.   showcases Cleary’s love for his adopted hometown and brings the listener intimately into one of his Tuesday night piano set’s from the New Orleans famed Mid […]

[rating=7.00] Following up 2014’s solid …Honor Is All We Know is Trouble Maker, the ninth studio album from the long reigning Berkeley punks Rancid. Once again produced by Brett Gurewitz, the group shows they are still trucking along with the best of them as they plow through 17 tracks with consistent concise energy, passion and […]

On June 5th a full house packed into the back of the Rough Trade Record Shop in Brooklyn, New York to see Benjamin Booker and friends celebrate the release of his second album Witness. Opening the show was High Water the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Will Epstein. The four-piece worked their way through experimental numbers that […]

[rating=8.00] The St. Louis-based retro rocker Pokey LaFarge has updated his obsessive roots sound for his newest release Manic Revelations., just not yet into the 2000’s. While most of his past songs were comfortable in the early half of the last century, he now injects gorgeous horns, backing vocals and a sense of early sixties […]

[rating=7.00] Benjamin Booker’s 2014 debut album was a blast of energizing, hip shaking rock and roll. On Witness his follow-up, Booker expands his sound, searches for new muses and struggles to sound grand. There are growing pains to be sure, but pleasant ones that prove the artist is not trying to be pigeonholed as a […]

The Williamsburg section of Brooklyn was bustling on a picture perfect spring Saturday night this past May 20th as a New York City guitar legend was back in town with his new band playing theThe Music Hall of Williamsburg. Thurston Moore returned to New York City with his Thurston Moore Group only a few blocks […]

Just last week Luther Dickinson was bouncing around New Orleans, playing a variety of sets to coincide with that city’s Jazzfest, but now, with a new album on the horizon, he has teamed back up with his brother Cody and gotten their main band, the North Mississippi Allstars back on the road. On May 11th […]

[rating=8.00] The Nashville five-piece Los Colognes third studio album The Wave is a pristine work of bright indie/dream pop that brightens any speakers it flows through. It is an ear-catching, complete artistic work from a group that is clearly gaining in confidence.   There are many touch points for the ten track musical travelogue but […]

[rating=9.00] In an interview with Salon a few years ago, Thurston Moore stated: “What I do as a songwriter, sitting alone with my guitar writing a song, it’s going to come out a certain way and sound a certain way. And I’m not going to try to change that just so it’s not recognizable. In […]

[rating=7.00] The fourth studio album from wonder trombone/trumpet player Troy Andrews aka Trombone Shorty is also his first for the iconic Blue Note label. Rather than go the classic jazz route on Parking Lot Symphony Andrews melds all of the styles (blues, funk, hip-hop, R&B, pop) that he excels at it into a gumbo that […]

On a mild spring Tuesday night in lower Manhattan, Craig Finn performed a one-off show on April 4th that was the record release party for We All Want the Same Things. The quaint City Winery played host as the older crowd mixed dinner and drinks with a night of intimate music. To open the night […]

[rating=8.00] The Brooklyn-based seven piece, self-proclaimed “rat rock” band, Evolfo are releasing their first full-length album Last of the Acid Cowboys and it is a fun ride. The players offer up a mix of garage rockin’ soul that has a clear DIY punk ethos flowing forth, from the first notes this excellent effort vibrates full […]

The Los Angeles based ska/funk/freak-outfit Fishbone have been touring the last few years with various line-ups and to various sized crowds. For their most recent trek around the country the group has brought back some of their original members and decided to forgo classic numbers by digging dug deep into their catalog. The band never […]

“I have to write songs”, that was one of the first sentences Frank Migliorelli spoke when we sat down together for IPA’s and Stout at the New York City dive bar institution Peter McManus in Chelsea. What followed was a long and winding discussion about music and life as Frank Migliorelli & The Dirt Nappers […]

[rating=7.00] We All Want The Same Things is the third solo album from Craig Finn and the man who is best known as the frontman of The Hold Steady has been putting lots of effort into his solo career with a few hits and misses mixed in. His first, Clear Heart Full Eyes (2012) had songs […]

[rating=9.00] The Grammy winning bassist-composer-singer Thundercat has come out with his biggest, most ambitious and best release to date. Drunk fuses Stephen Bruner’s (aka Thundercat) humor, bleakness, self-doubt, and modern age technique with retro love for early 80’s pop and digital beats over a long and winding road, bringing in perfect guests with zero hangover. […]

At this point, New York City (and particularly the fantastic Brooklyn Bowl) is a second home to the New Orleans-based Soul Rebels Brass Band. The group came into town last weekend and sold out three nights in a row, bringing the Southern hot funk to the freezing North with style while also paying homage to […]

[rating=9.00] Not only is Chicano Batman’s newest album the most soulful, emotionally moving/political album of their career, it is also their most complete. Freedom Is Free finds the group continuing their South American rock influences but also diving head-first into classic American R&B with grace and passion. Opener “Passed You By” effortlessly flirts with dreamy […]

[rating=7.00] The singer/songwriter/trombonist Natalie Cressman has already had a whirlwind career and she is just twenty-five years old. Having been a key member of the Trey Anastasio Band Cressman has sung and played trombone everywhere from Red Rocks to Madison Square Garden and now she releases her newest EP titled Traces. On past offerings, Cressman […]

On a February night that shockingly felt like springtime in New York City on February 23rd,  two rock and roll acts pulled into the west side of Manhattan. With their recent release Near To The Wild Heart Of Life the Japandroids booked their largest venue to date in New York and while Terminal 5 was […]