Posts by Shawn Donohue

A successful New York institution is hanging it up in 2014 after a year-long farewell tour, and no this review has nothing to do with Derek Jeter. Black 47, who have been playing New York City’s finest drinking establishments for over 30+ years, are turning on the lights and shouting last call as they close […]

[rating=7.00] This is the second time that The Flaming Lips have decided to tackle an all-time classic album, the first being 2009’s interpretation of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon, and with both releases the first question that should be asked is, why? Both LP’s are ingrained in any music fan’s brain already and […]

[rating=7.00] Prince is an artist on a level few others will ever achieve but even his staunchest supporters will admit his output in the late 90’s and 2000’s has not been awe inspiring and at times simply tepid. Art Official Age is the artist’s 33rd studio album (which is a testament in itself) and there […]

Reigning Sound, the garage rockers from Memphis like to play NYC as often as they can and there was a good turnout for them in the Big Apple as the band played a show in support of their newest release Shattered. The band’s new songs have a distinct soul feel to them, so having a […]

[rating=7.00] J Mascis’ second solo record for Sub Pop finds him again going (mostly) acoustic but where 2011’s Several Shades of Why skewed minimal, Tied To A Star explores a bounty of sonic textures. The guitarist is getting older and discovering how to use the studio and acoustic instruments to create the dynamics he used […]

[rating=9.00] On his first self titled release Benjamin Booker comes storming out of the gate with stripped down infectious rock and roll that you can feel in your bones and shaking hips. The New Orleans based guitarist/singer has turned heads with his playing and for good reason as these songs shake rattle and boogie all […]

[rating=7.00] Stoner/psych fans are sure to get some pelvic region blood flowing from this unique pairing of six-string wizards and a jamming rhythm section are captured in this one time only improv set from the 2012 Roadburn Festival titled Earthless Meets Heavy Blanket/In a Dutch Haze. The players involved are Heavy Blanket’s axemen J Mascis  […]

Punk rock works best when emotions are heavily involved. It is why teens gravitate to it. The simple aggressive structure allows for a release that they may not otherwise know how to express. Growing up instills even more complex, strong emotions and a scene that you helped build can be a comforting return point. Such […]

The 2014 Governor’s Ball was a big time success thanks to sublime weather, peaceful crowds, a killer lineup and a festival setup that ran like clockwork. Below are our three standouts, three let downs and a crowned champion from the first 2 days of the 2014 version of Governors Ball which is easily becoming a […]

[rating=9.00] The newest release from the constantly retro looking showman Jack White is titled Lazaretto which is a quarantine station for sailors. White has stated in recent interviews he would like to be locked up so he would be forced to stop creating/working as he finds himself doing something 24/7. The album reflects that: feeling […]

Finishing up a four day run that saw this particular collection of Phil Lesh & Friends play Central Park and The Capitol Theater twice, Saturday’s outdoor show was an easy going celebration amongst the participants. These days it is obviously all about who Phil plays with and this lineup saw that the New York City […]

Every year there are just so many choices for late night shows during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival naturally things are missed, but if you weren’t involved with the magic emanating from Saturn Bar on late Saturday/early Sunday you sure missed one hell of a burner. Opening the show was drum/guitar duo The […]

[rating=9.00] Once again The Black Keys duo of Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach have teamed with producer Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) to craft an album of textured rhythms mixed with sonic tricks and experiments while still keeping their blues roots grounded, especially in the real of personal lyrical expressions. This is the fourth collaboration […]

[rating=6.00] With their last release, 2012’s Great Ideas In Action, Archie Powell & The Exports put out one of the catchiest indie/pop rock albums of the year. Safe to say shit got real for the band as Back in Black showcases a raw shouting, harsh take on inner human emotions…mostly the pissed off kind. Instantly […]

[rating=6.00] The Damn Choir’s collection of songs on Creatures of Habit stem from frontman Gordon Robertson’s childhood in fundamentalist homeschooling. Tracks are packed with sins, praying, preachers profit, bones and graves. Things aren’t dour and dismal, quite the opposite; Robertson’s songs question and yearn while the music behind him stays constantly (almost to a fault) […]

[rating=6.00] Is the LP finally dead? The most intriguing element of the Pixies’ newest album Indie Cindy may prove to be its release style. The album was offered originally as three separate EPs, released four songs at a time across a six-month span. This method allowed the band to stay relevant before ultimately compiling those […]

For a band that has played large festivals, arenas and theaters it was nice to catch them in their old natural surroundings: a small bar on a Friday night. The Hollow in Albany might have been an undersized venue but The Hold Steady put on a show that was huge, clocking in at 24 songs […]

The first show of Black Sabbath’s 2014 world tour went down in Brooklyn at The Barclay’s Center, filled on this night with hordes of black shirted, black jeaned metal fans of all ages. The group opened with the classic “War Pigs” as Ozzy Osbourne ran back and forth across the stage letting the crowd know […]

[rating=6.00] With the promos and lead up to The Hold Steady’s newest album Teeth Dreams, the group has talked about taking their time and returning with “Big Rock” aspirations. While the songs seem to go down that path, the band paired for the first time with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Rush, Evanescence) who admittedly had not […]

[rating-6.00] Scott H. Biram’s newest release on Bloodshot Records (his fifth for the label) contains his usual mix of raw hill country blues and folk with splashes of punk and metal a pretty unique combo. Nothin’ But Blood rolls out over 10 tracks plus a few bonus gospel cuts as Biram is equally at home […]