Posts by Shawn Donohue

[rating=9.0] With The National’s last release High Violet, mid-life dread was floating everywhere; it was the perfect “hip white people’s problems” disk.  The band apparently scrapped thousands of hours of music to get the right sonic tone and texture and in that department there are few (if any) indie bands that can rival them (Spoon […]

Coming from their hometown of New Orleans, Dumpstaphunk have steadily expanded their sound to achieve global funk success.  Dirty Word is the latest from the band and shows off the professional funkateers in winning fashion. 

In interviews regarding her new album Love and Forgiveness, Courtney Jaye has been quoted as saying “I’ve always wanted to find a way to not be afraid of pop.  I’m done apologizing for writing big songs.”  Jaye (with a helping hand from producer Mike Wrucke) has certainly done that here as fans of 70’s folk-pop will instantly enjoy their surroundings.

Two Hours Traffic is content slurping soda-pop love songs keeping things short, upbeat and sweet. 

On their first three releases Frightened Rabbit have more closely resembled an outfit fronted by a budding songwriting/front-man with backup players than a full band; that is not the case with Pedestrian Verse as it has all come together for the group with this release.  

Wahlfedlt and crew have crafted a layered goth/pop, industrial-light release that could have kids breaking out the black leather and massacre as soon as they spin Crusher.

Sure you know that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band play marathon shows and at their age it is impressive, but have you ever heard of this little trio of elderly men from Dublin who play just as long as the Jersey boy?  Meet The Wolfe Tones, the quintessential Irish Rebel Band who kept going and going into the early morning at Connolly’s while a Guinness fueled festive crowd sang along. 

Turtle Island has a punk rock spine with two electric guitarists, standard rock drummer and bassist who are the motor of the band.  The core rockers keep things upbeat as extra drummers, vocalists and flute players add a spiritual vibe that is palpable. Speaking minimal to no English and singing in a foreign language didn’t limit the band at all, as energy, honesty and power don’t need to be conveyed in words.      

Lost Animal has connected with something here, much in the same way the Christopher Owens was able to touch a nerve when Girls first arrived. There may even be a digital age Leonard Cohen mixed in there as Quarrell has crafted a swirling first release that keeps rewarding.     

Coming straight out of a dusty lava lamp that has been buzzing four days straight in a So-Cal garage, Blackfeet Braves confidently strum and jangle displaying their retro wares proudly.  

Playing three shows in as many days, the New Orleans outfit the Stooges Brass Band was giving the Big Apple a taste of the Big Easy. The January 12th set at Brooklyn Bowl was short, funky and too the point. 

Ahh the elder Punk…what becomes of him or her? Most 12 years old slam-dancers want to grow up to be Mike Ness but that can't be everyone's path.  You can keep on the Hey Ho Let's Go! route until you die like godfathers The Ramones, or you could find yourself in some sort of mid tempo vortex of middling hell ala The Scenics with Dead Man Walks Down Bayview

kyline Drive is what happens when 60 Watt Kid guitarist Derrick Thomas downshifts from art-rock to Americana folk. Topanga Ranch Motel is the first offering from the Thomas lead group that drips cinematic, heartfelt, mid tempo, modern day folk numbers.

To celebrate their 50th anniversary the Preservation Hall Jazz Band took their show on the road to one of the most famous stages in the world, Carnegie Hall. Inviting friends along for the event the group played their hot style of jazz and blues to a receptive crowd on a cold New York City night and their newest release St. Peter & 57th St. is a live recording of that eventful night.

The bands sound and tone is reminiscent of a less wordy version of The Weakerthans in their style of making things seem happy even when singing about a “black spot in your heart”.  There is no new ground broken by The White Wires on WWIII, but the songs are pleasant if firmly one note romps with solid production behind the garage band aesthetic.    

When Band of Horses announced they would be playing two shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom on the same night, one acoustic and one electric, it had the feeling of a special event.  When the band decided to play their entire catalog over the course of those two shows it upped the ante even more giving fans everything they could have possibly wished for from the group. 

As the band evolves it will be interesting to see if they take a more standard “rock” road or move into the ether.  Either way An Aside is a firm first step. 

The small Webster Bank Arena usually hears the roar from its Sound Tigers (whatever the hell one of those are) but on this night the thundering came from an old rumbling Crazy Horse. Riding on the back of the outfit’s newest offering Psychedelic Pill, the band was pulling this successful tour to a close on this night in Connecticut.

What is quickly becoming a Thanksgiving tradition Robert Randolph and the Family Band has found a warm hospitable venue to stretch out pre and post turkey stuffing’s around the holiday. Brooklyn Bowl plays host to multiple nights of feel good performances as the venue seems to mesh perfectly with the artists on stage.  Now in its second year, the shows are chock full of long improvisations, guest stars and a palpable sense of familial joy. 

To celebrate one of the seminal indie rock albums Dinosaur Jr. (along with friends) pulled out all the stops in an epic show at NYC’s Terminal 5 last Saturday night.  J Mascis Lou Barlow and Murph’s stone cold classic You’re Living All Over Me, turned 25 this year so to commemorate the disk the band advertised that they would be playing YLAOM in its entirety and other music spanning their career at this show only.