Posts by Shawn Donohue

Beans is more Artist then Master of Ceremony and End It All is more art installation that you visit once and ponder then favorite album you play everyday.      

The first thing that jumps out at you is the stunning cover art of Generation Debt; taken from a George Jartos painting as the Bellingham, WA group featured a hometown artist on their album.  The second thing that is noticeable is the running time of the tunes, these songs stick around for a while as there are no quick ditty’s on Acorn Project’s newest offering. 

It is amazing how pure distortion can sound when it is distilled through 6-strings at high amplification.  Yuck know this and continually present guitar tones that cradle the brain on their self titled first release. 

The Celtic storytelling and all-for-one union drive is flowing like a pint of the dark throughout Going Out In Style.  The album unfolds like a screenplay and when it wraps up with the groups cover of the classic “Irish Rover” you realize Dropkick Murphy’s have crafted one of their fullest and most fulfilling albums of their career. 

What seems like an annual rite of spring in Manhattan rolled into town from Ireland again as The Pogues brought their reels and whistles to Terminal 5 with Jersey’s Titus Andronicus opening the festivities. 

The electropunk gets shifted to overload with Parts & Labor’s newest release Constant Future.  Out of the gate the first two tracks amp the art-rock keyboard blasts beyond the sonic limits, frying speakers with electricity overloads. “Fake Names” and “Outnumbered” are chaotic pieces that seem like a Technicolor installation, opening the ears for the catchier fare to follow.

With the passing of their father the Dickinson boys, Luther and Cody teamed back up with bassist Chris Chew and released this heartfelt collection of southern rock that they “Produced for Jim Dickinson”. 

This Austin four piece has released its fourth full length self titled album and it opens with rising guitar lines and vocals just as high on “Angel-ess”.  The group is fronted by twin brothers Nathan Campbell on vocals/guitar and Aaron Campbell on lead guitar; think of them as a humor removed Dean and Gene Ween.

The Philadelphia five-piece has created a hazy indie-pop gem with See Through.  Pete Stewart, Justin Seitz, Chris Wirtalla. Kate Stewart and Cara Stewart have managed to sprinkle parts of major artists throughout the 11 tracks but never overpower any of them with mimicry. 

Cases of Abita and Pat O’Brien’s Hurricane mixed were shipped in to turn the sold out Westside club into the closest approximation of a French Quarter haunt as two New Orleans acts (and friends) brought the jambalaya flavor north.  The night was ‘hosted’ by “The Rent Is 2 Damn High” guy himself, Jimmy McMillian who launched into his catch phrase multiple times to the delight of the fans in attendance.