Posts by Shane Handler

If you know anything about Wayne Coyne and Steven Drozd-  colorful front-man and talented multi-instrumentalist/musical director for The Flaming Lips – you know that there’s no musical suit they won’t fit on. Whether it’s covering Pink Floyd, King Crimson albums in their entirety, recording four separate albums meant to be played simultaneously or playing eight […]

In a return of form to the improvisational music era of Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong, Tea Leaf Green is going single length statement instead of album-length statement in 2014.  As part of their recent Coyote Sessions recordings, the SF Bay area band is releasing a new song as a free download the last Wednesday of […]

Steely Dan may not be attracting any younger fans to their shows, but then again, that isn’t to say Donald Fagen and Walter Becker’s music hasn’t aged well. Still relishing in the posh sheen of their urbanized funk, everyone from rappers to EDM artists have dropped a Steely Dan sample or groove — from assorted […]

When it came for the notoriously reclusive and introverted Ray LaMontagne to choose a backing band for his current Supernova  summer tour, one might wonder if you’d even want to be chosen.  Although LaMontagne’s music is insightful and powerful, the bearded one’s onstage personality is far from radiant, allowing a broken beat or note to […]

In the eleventh year of the annual festival, Wakarusa taking place June 5-8, 2014 in Ozark, Arkansas has continually earned its claim as one of the “can’t miss” music festivals of the year and for good reason – it’s also annually one of the first of the summer season. Tucked into the tree filled Arkansas […]

Some things never change. Despite not releasing a big seller in over ten years (but who actually does nowadays?), Dandy Warhols front man Courtney Taylor-Taylor still boasts his band as – “the last rock & band in the world.” This shoot from the hip egotism has always been part of the Portland band’s prowess.  In […]

There is no shortage today of artists who operate their musical entity with a rotating cast of musicians as a band name in lieu of their own name. Whether it’s The Album Leaf, Califone, Eels, Toro y Moi, Neon Indian, Phosphorescent, Sea Wolf or Youth Lagoon, there is always a new musical magician with a […]

You got to be kidding yourself if you even think for a minute the McDowell Mountain Music Festival carries the prestige of a Coachella, Bonnaroo or even a Northwest String Summit.  But those titles matter to nobody, since that’s obviously not the goal with this annual Phoenix area music festival put together by the good […]

When it’s time at the end of the year to round up the best albums of 2014,, we already know Beck and St. Vincent (and well deservingly) will be on those lists more than, but let’s not forget Fanfarlo’s smart and danceable Let’s Go Extinct. Recorded by the band and David Wrench in a tucked-away […]

Illinois-born musician, Andrew Belle, has focused his career on songwriting with a lush atmospheric pop sound that would be reminiscent if Chris Martin of Coldplay went solo. His recent release Black Bear, has received rave reviews and was placed on the iTunes Best Of list for the singer-songwriter category in 2013. Belle spoke with Glide […]