Posts by Shawn Donohue

The oppressive heat has smothered the East Coast turning New York City sidewalks into frying pans.  So on Tuesday night some singer songwriters and minimally-dressed fans tried to cool off in the dark Bowery Ballroom.  It worked. The relaxed tones and minimalist presentation broke the heat and soothed the ears.

It is hard to get this review started without shouting from the written rooftop that The Raconteurs just may be the most exciting live rock and roll act playing today…so I will just come out and admit it – they are. 

The Black Keys (Dan Auerbach,Patrick Carney) brought their no-frills blues rock straight from Akron, Ohio to the big city last night, packing a gorgeous venue on the west side with six string blasts and kick drum bombs.

Authentic. It is a word that singer-songwriters either are naturally or strive toward their whole life, AA Bondy has it. His album American Hearts garnered some buzz at the end of 2007, but is being re-released on Fat Possum Records now with hopes of gaining the wider audience that these songs deserve.

There were no boots on the piano, and his time on stage was about 40 minutes, but the final run of “Sweet Little Sixteen,” “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lot of Shaking Going On” is what everyone came to see and The Killer delivered, requesting the ladies shake it for him and letting them know, even if he was old, he can still give it to them.

When Broken Boy Soldiers was released, the hype surrounding Jack White’s first venture into a side project was massive, yet there has been almost no advance hype surrounding Consolers of the Lonely, the Raconteurs’ second release (sent to Press and Public at the same time and day) and I am sure they couldn’t be happier with the silence.

or those fans who loved Dr. Dog’s throwback sound, with last years We All Belong, this years retro-style-indie-rock-almost-hippie release from the Hymns, Travel in Herds will be a warm sunbeam fighting back a cruel winter.   There’s a down home vibe to the tunes contained on Travel in Herds and it stems straight out of seventies folk-rock.

At the Zombieville VIII party at the Knitting Factory, a variety of styles and acts were on display, but the talented up and coming musicians owned the spotlight.  Hymns, were a delicious throwback to 70’s country-rock and blues. 

A gorgeous 77-year old palace of a theater and 62-year old enigmatic rocker combined forces Sunday night, churning out a 25-song set that showcased the majesty both still emanate. 

Fort Nightly, the White Rabbits first full length album, keeps popping up on the endless stream of “Best of 2007” lists and it is fairly easy to see why, particularly with the genre-hopping sound and stout song writing.  This six piece (Keys, bass, 2 guitars, 2 drummers) have been earning rave reviews around the country with their energetic live show. Tonight they headlined a bill in their adopted home town of NYC.