Shawn Donohue

The White Stripes: Icky Thump

Shawn Donohue June 26, 2007 No Comments

You’re staring at a record that has enough spit and polish to be mainstream; enough off-kilter punk blues for diehards; enough sonic experimentation to cover up the groups’ normal shortcomings (Meg’s elementary drumming); lyrics that come from the wise and fun loving ventricle of Jacks heart (“And lots of other situations where I don’t know what to do/at which time God screams to me/“There’s nothing left for me to tell you”)…and you’re staring at the album of the year.

Dinosaur Jr.: Fillmore New York At Irving Plaza, 6.7.07

Shawn Donohue June 15, 2007 No Comments

Simply stated, this was the loudest-fucking-concert I have ever been too.

Generals and Majors: Generals and Majors

Shawn Donohue June 6, 2007 No Comments

At a breezy 28 minutes, the self-titled demo from Generals and Majors is a lo-fi high-time.

Arctic Monkeys: Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY 5/10/07

Shawn Donohue May 24, 2007 No Comments

Now touring behind their second offering Favourite Worst Nightmare, the Monkeys from a Sheffield England suburb, made their way onto the Hammerstein stage for their cask tight hour and fifteen minute set which begun with pre-recorded violin strings before being replaced by scratching guitars and Yorkshire accents.

Dinosaur Jr.: Beyond

Shawn Donohue April 27, 2007 No Comments

From the SST looking cover to the first fuzzed bass and ripping guitar lines in the opener “Almost Ready,” it seems like 1988 all over again.

Dr. Dog: Head Shaking & Tail Wagging

Shawn Donohue April 2, 2007 No Comments

Blogs, NPR, The New York Times have all been singing the praises of Philly’s Dr. Dog and now they have some hard evidence. We All Belong is one of the 2007’s strongest releases, combining tight arraignments with picturesque vocals and a lazy fall afternoon BBQ vibe; Dr. Dog has crafted a winner to go along with their energetic live show.

Tom Waits: Orphans

Shawn Donohue March 19, 2007 No Comments

Waits’ Orphans brings to mind Bob Dylan’s The Bootleg Series 1- 3, in that both are career defining outtake albums that give fans a view of the wizard behind the curtain, awakening them to a new level of greatness within the artist. Both collections should be experienced after listeners are more then just casual fans.

Mooney Suzuki/Generals and Majors: Rebel, New York, NY 2/15/07

Shawn Donohue February 21, 2007 No Comments

In the Rock-Paper-Scissors game of life, Cold can’t stop Rock. This was proven in the gothic halls of Rebel NYC, where Generals and Majors and the Mooney Suzuki took flight in an aerial show of guitars and whiskey.

Primus: They Can’t All Be Zingers

Shawn Donohue February 13, 2007 No Comments

The cult of Claypool has worshipped for years at the alter of Primus’s unique sound but greatest hit packages are never for the die-hards, they serve as an intro or a recap of a band you may have missed over the years, in either of these roles …Zingers succeeds.

Cold War Kids : Pianos 1/10/07 & Mercury Lounge 1/24/07 – New York, NY

Shawn Donohue February 1, 2007 No Comments

A unique bi-costal tour popped up at the end of the last year. It was announced that the indie buzz band, the Cold War Kids, would be playing intimate New York venues three Wednesday nights in January, before flying cross-country each Friday night to play their hometown L.A. clubs. This approach might infuriate the dozen or so people living in the vacant prairie land between New York and Los Angeles, but it’s a strategy that solidifies the band’s foothold in the two U.S. music Mecca’s in a very short period of time.