Shane Handler

The Helio Sequence: Eyes Forward (INTERVIEW)

On the full mend from shredded vocal chords following six months of tours in the U.S. and Europe with Blonde Redhead, Modest Mouse, Kings of Leon, and Secret Machines, Brandon Summers had the chance to chat with Glide about their latest record.

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The Magnetic Fields: Distortion

Magnetic Field fans will find Distortion a must hear, but curiosity seekers should see it as a free art opening – stop by and decide for yourself whether to linger or jet.

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U2 3D: The First Live Action 3D Concert Film

$14.50 for a movie isn’t exactly cheap, in fact you can pick up a DVD at Best Buy for less.  But a 3-D IMAX film billed as the first live-action movie shot, produced and exhibited solely in digital 3-D, $14.50 for a thrilling hour and a half front-row concert seat is a deal.  And if you’re a U2 fan and Bono’s inflated persona jumping into your Goobers doesn’t weird you out, than U2 3D is as good as it gets.

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Drive-By Truckers: Brighter Than Creation’s Dark

Drive-By Truckers may inevitably be hindered by their “southern rock” categorization – it’s unavoidable given their below the Mason Dixon Line album themes – but at these 19 tracks Brighter Than Creation's Dark is what it is…solid, convincingly strong rock and roll.

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Grace Potter & The Nocturnals: Mogollon Brewery, Flagstaff, AZ 1/25/08

Roots rockers from upstate Vermont must have felt quite at home landing a gig in a Flagstaff, Arizona brewery in late January: laid back town, snowy mountains, pony tails and appreciative music fans. After all it was just a little over three years ago Grace Potter and the Nocturnals were regulars at cozy dining/drinking holes like Halvorsons and Nectars in their hometown of Burlington.

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Cat Power: Jukebox

The final song, Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” captures the essence of Jukebox: sultry, soft and emotionally fatigued. But predictable is one thing this record is not, as Marshall has made this “covers” Jukebox her very own.

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His Name Is Alive

By the time you’re finished reading this, Warn Defever of His Name will have probably recorded a new album. The experimental rock band from Michigan have been around since 1990, landed on a handful of different labels (Silver Mountain Media, 4AD, Ryko, Sony, High Two, Kill Rock Stars, Warner Bros) and have released ten albums, including two in 2007 – Xmmer and High Two; the later is the band's tribute to free jazz saxophonist Marion Brown.

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The Whigs: Mission Control

Previously known as the “the best unsigned band in America” by Rolling Stone, The Whigs have found a home with Dave Matthews’ ATO Records. Their ATO debut, Mission Control combines the arena rock accessibility of The Foo Fighters and the beer fueled garage rock of The Replacements.

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Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble: Pride and Joy

You may remember Stevie Ray Vaughan as arguably the greatest electric blues guitarist, but do you know him as a video giant?  No, probably not, because SRV was no Michael Jackson. And the Texas boy would be more likely playing dance punk chords (as he did for Bowie’s “Lets Dance”) before looking pretty in a video. Stevie was more about sound than image; although you have to hand it to him for always looking cool with his flat brimmed hat, poncho and SRV initialed Statocaster.

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Control: Directed by Anton Corbijn

Director Anton Corbijn recreates Curtis’ struggles in Control, basing the script on the autobiography, “Touching From a Distance,” by Curtis’ widow. The urban decay and paranoia of late 1970’s Manchester, England is conjured vividly from the film makers black and white imagery, which later gave birth to the “Madchester” scene a decade later.

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