Posts by Shane Handler

Under the Blacklight is fun and catchy, yet for a band renowned for intricate songcraft and interesting melodies, they have made themselves sound unoriginal and contrived.

When most first heard of Okkervil River through their breakthrough 2005 release Black Sheep Boy, they nodded, but it was soon to be tossed aside The National's Alligator and forgotten by 2007. However, Okkervil front-man Will Sheff wants to be remembered long-term when he ambitiously created his band’s fourth full-length – The Stage Names.

Like a 90 minute comedy film, its been argued that a ten song album is the perfect length. If you oppose, give Kid A, Loaded, The Queen is Dead or Sticky Fingers a spin. Spoon front-man Britt Daniel, a notorious perfectionist, went full stride with ten songs on Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Spoon's six full-lenghth. Although there’s no argument about the dreadful album title, Daniel nailed Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga’s inner contents: ten songs of confident style shifting and melody.

New Maps of Hell is direct, short, catchy and attacking – what more can you ask for in a good punk album?

After a couple of less than stellar solo albums (hear: Shine, Bar 17), some rather underwhelming tours and one Photoshop destined mug shot, Trey Anastasio has been cementing his legacy with more head shaking than nodding. With The Horseshoe Curve, the former Phish frontman tries on a familiar concept – the instrumental big band, courtesy of his Trey Anastasio Band that toured between 2002 and 2004. Revisiting the works of that highly regarded dectet, it comes to no surprise that now is the perfect time for Anastasio to play it safe.

Every Panic fan knows the band’s legacy, has felt the tragedies, knows the song rotation cold, can talk album shop, and for the most part, has accepted Jimmy Herring as their mighty new lead guitarist. However, what few know is that that Bell (JB to most) is perhaps even more humble than most would assume.

Although it’s unfair to compare Our Love to Interpol’s powerful debut, Turn on the Bright Lights, it’s easy to be disappointed. even it still holds that 4:00 am Interpol vibe.

Where most bands seem to hit a creative dead end after five albums, Era Vulgaris marks a creative high-point for Homme. Era Vulgaris isn’t thinking man’s rock ala Wilco or Radiohead, but it’s a ton of bad-ass riffs and melodies that makes for the perfect summer soundtrack.

f there’s one thing you can’t knock the Hold Steady for – it’s being sloppy. Booking arguably the “best bar band in America” on a Saturday night in a small rock club, things are bound to get rowdy. The Paste Magazine cover boys were in the midst of the fifth night of their spring/summer tour, having made the six-hour voyage east from San Diego to Phoenix’s sweaty Brickhouse.

fter striking out with his past two studio albums (2002’s Big Swing Face and 2004’s Halycon Days), it was time for Bruce Hornsby to try something new. Dating back to a 2000 collaboration on a Bill Monroe bluegrass tribute album, Hornsby and Ricky Skaggs had continually discussed collaborating together. Backed by Skagg’s band Kentucky Thunder, the two Grammy winners have released Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby, an unlikely mingling of jazzy piano and bluegrass.

From the early 90’s to the early part of this decade, Leftover Salmon coined the term “"Polyethnic Cajun Slamgrass", while enriching the word “festival.” But perhaps nobody combined top-notch musicianship with unbridled enthusiasm and playfulness as well as this once hard-touring band from Colorado.

Where the Billie Holiday and Kate Bush comparisons are easy, there are contemporary touches from those of Imogen Heap and Cat Power that make The Reminder a very “present” recording. The one failing of The Reminder is that it doesn’t live up to Let It Die, but in Feist’s terms, she’d rather be intimate than play “can you top this.”

So what if both the Silversun Pickups and Smashing Pumpkins share the same acronym, have cute chick bass players and lead singers that sound sing alike and have singles that are somewhat identical (“1979” and “Lazy Eye”).  The Pumpkins are long gone, as Corgan tries to reinvent the cherub rock with Jimmy Chamberlain, but the Silversun Pickups are now, and they certainly are gaining some steam following their Coachella appearance.

You gotta wonder how many guys have admitted – “I’d give my left nut to sing like Chris Cornell.” The former Soundgarden/Audio Slave front-man holds a Rock-God voice that ranks up with Robert Plant, Steven Tyler, Axl Rose and Roger Daltrey. Touring in support of his forthcoming second solo CD, Carry On ( June 5), Cornell played an intimate show at the Celebrity Theater, comprised of songs from three bands, two solo albums and a few special rarities.

Cassadaga flourishes in the contributions of longtime band member and producer Mike Mogis (guitar, mandolin, pedal steel) and newcomer Nate Wolcott (keyboards, strings) giving this recording a true heartland/Omaha feel. Mark Cassadaga down as a profound step in Bright Eyes’ artsy-folksy long-hair period.

It’ll come as no surprise that the best moments on Page McConnell’s solo debut are the ones that sound the most Phish-y.

Although Neon Bible is a slight come-down from Funeral, a one-of a kind dark majestic vibe surrounds, making this effort another winner.

Who would have thought when Modest Mouse were recording off-kilter indie rock albums like The Fruit That Ate Itself and Building Nothing out of Something, they’d eventually top the Billboard album charts.

If there are three words to best describe Apples in Stereo – its unfortunately 'cutesy indie pop.' Associated with the Elephant Six Collective – a group of bands which also includes Neutral Milk Hotel, of Montreal and The Olivia Tremor Control – New Magnetic marks the Apples' first release in five years, and first on Yep Roc records. Is it for everyone? No.

Lucinda Williams has never been shy about being personal in her music and her latest confessional opus – West – is no exception. Almost a carbon copy of 2001’s Essence in melody and lyrics, West is a notebook of slow moving hymns that run through themes of both losing and finding love.