Posts by Shane Handler

Kansas

Dublin’s The Thrills delivered a shiny retro sound with their California influenced debut

Unearthing a side project that borders on spectral instrumentals and acerbic pieces, Joel Peterson

Just weeks before one of New England’s premier music venues shut its doors
permanently, Winooski, Vermont’s Higher Ground pronounced their last month standing would be a memorable run. Therefore, it was only fitting that two bands that have played some of the most memorable shows in the club were invited back to draw the Higher Ground curtain one final time – Amfibian and The Seth Yacavone Band.

Built around the soothing rhythms of Cort Farris

Playing a large amount of songs from their latest -It

Toots Hibbert entered the collaboration game, but left the teenyboppers and exposed boobs off the lineup, opting for a more mature, authentic all-star cast to join him on True Love. The result is far from a Maytals reggae classic, but it

Where The Beta Band

It’s hard to imagine, but there was actually a period in the 70’s when the music establishment ignored Little Feat. With their eclectic blend of styles and surreal lyrics still rocking crowds today, perhaps these California rockers were just ahead of their time.

Based on the best selling book of the same name,Touching The Void recreates a 1985 mountaineering expedition that explores a man

Calexico manages to place their patented romantic gypsy artistry throughout most of this 6 song EP, featuring 3 distinct covers. With their hints towards jazz, world, experimental and rock, Calexico continues to earn their well due cult praises.

In the same vein as the Pickin

Like Marvin Gaye

The latest from Tortoise – It’s All Around You -moves in slow transcendental fashion, with a swirling, new age psychedelic force that is hypnotic, but as a result carries non-stimulating results.

By making music out of a bit of everything, with the assistance of loops galore, TV On The Radio meld woozy break beats with cryptic energy that hits hard in the originality department.

With a handful of new musicians added since their last album five years ago, Leftover Salmon has returned with a more mature edge, that blends their unique bluegrass with new spicy ingredients.

Singer-songwriter Gary Jules has recently hit the top of the charts with Michael Andrews and their remake of the Tears For Fears song, “Mad World.” However, Jules

Grown Backwards, stems from a “top down” approach to songwriting, with David Byrne developing melodies first and then figuring out which chords and structures best fitted his vivid imagination. It wasn

Weir Here is a two-CD retrospective, the first being a chronological journey through his studio work, the second a collection of essential Weir moments caught on stage. And yes, two full albums of Bobby tunes comes with more yelps, hollers and high-pitched screams than you can shake a pair of tight shorts at.

Scott McCaughey has been blazing pop and rock since the early 80