Shane Handler, Author at Glide Magazine

Iron and Wine: The Shepherd’s Dog

Shane Handler October 8, 2007 No Comments

On his third Iron and Wine full length, The Shepherd’s Dog, Beam sticks with his token formula of hushed melodies and moving lyrics as the ground-work, but goes in a whole new direction above. Like his flowing mane and beard, Beam grew out the production level on The Shepherd’s Dog, that includes African rhythms and expanded instrumentation of courtesy of Joey Burns and Paul Niehaus from Calexico, Califone’s Jim Becker and Tin Hat Trio’s Rob Burger.

The New Pornographers: Rialto Theater, Tucson, AZ 9/21/07

Shane Handler October 4, 2007 No Comments

With Neko Case and Dan Bejar playing live with The New Pornographers, artists that had two of 2006’s best albums (Fox Confessor Brings the Flood and Destroyer’s Rubies), the evening’s performance in Tucson could have been billed as: The New Pornographers feat: Neko Case and Dan Bejar.

Mark Knopfler: Kill to Get Crimson

Shane Handler October 2, 2007 No Comments

Like a good book, Kill to Get Crimson needs some time to get comfortable with, but it’s worth the effort.

Into the Wild: Directed by Sean Penn

Shane Handler October 1, 2007 No Comments

it’s only fitting that with 2007 welcoming the 50th Anniversary of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, that Christopher McCandless’ journey to a destination unknown made it to the big screen. McCandless’ two year adventure was documented in the 1996 best seller Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, and has since served as modern-day thesis for self-discovery.

Junior Senior: Hey Hey My My Yo Yo

Shane Handler September 25, 2007 No Comments

This Danish duo Junior Senior creates a pop nightmare on Hey Hey My My Yo Yo incorporating enough sugary disco revival to make Scissor Sisters sound like Christian rock. Hard to believe this effort was partly recorded at Muscle Shoals Studios, as the only soul on it is the soul searching you’ll do if you listen to it more than once.

Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds: Live at Radio City

Shane Handler September 19, 2007 No Comments

Say what you want about the Dave Matthews Band, and their rah rah “Ants Marching,” frat rock clap-a-longs. Stripped to the bone, you’ve got one of the best singer-songwriters around. Live at Radio City is further proof.

Earlimart: Mentor Tormentor

Shane Handler September 16, 2007 No Comments

if Elliott Smith was the front-man for your band, they’d surely sound like Earlimart’s bag of introspective indie pop bliss. On their follow-up to 2004’s critically acclaimed Treble & Tremble, L.A.’s Earlimart revamp their ELO meets west coast indie on Mentor Tormentor.

Rilo Kiley: Under the Blacklight

Shane Handler September 11, 2007 No Comments

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.

Okkervil River: The Stage Names

Shane Handler August 22, 2007 No Comments

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.

Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Shane Handler August 15, 2007 No Comments

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.

Shane Handler

View posts by year

Recent Posts

New to Glide

Keep up-to-date with Glide

Twitter