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 […]

Following their eighth album Rave Tapes that came out in the U.S. January 21st via Sub Pop, Scottish post rockers Mogwai celebrated its release by announcing their own whiskey, RockAct81w, a limited edition Scotch. For a band that has never had lyrics  and still always maintained a creative precedent like few other musical entities, it’s […]

There are artists like Damien Rice that immediately conjure a level of cinematic lust atop narrative acoustic guitar, that invites you in and keeps you listening throughout the entire song cycle.  Peter Brady Adams is one of those artists.  The film composer turned singer/songwriter  released his fifth solo record The Mighty Storm, February 4th on […]

If there is any band in the improvisational music scene that can capture the super charged energy and charisma of their lives shows in the studio, it would have to be Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe. Having re-colored The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers with their own brand of high energy soul on a past tour, along […]

Spanish dance rockers Delorean returned with Apar,  their first album in three years last September  The 10-track recording, which includes a collaboration with Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek, has been described as a bit of a comedown album from 2010s boisterous and blessed out Subiza. Frontman Ekhi Lopetegi is quick to admit this time around, they were […]

Amy Stroup is the perfect example of Nashville being represented from not country music but the eclectic nature of a festival that is 60 or so miles south in I-24 – Bonnaroo. With shades of Lucindia Williams, Phantogram and Regina Spektor, Stroup’s solo debut Tunnel dabbles in tasteful tracks of perceptive lyrics, lush arrangements and […]

A little over ten years ago just prior to full on EDM artists converging on the scene, a Soulive concert was considered one of the rowdiest sweatahons aside from a String Cheese Incident show (Phish was on hiatus at this time). My how things have changed; not that Soulive still doesn’t rip it up as […]

Originally from Seattle, Motive, a four-piece alt-indie hybrid have relocated to Brooklyn, NY and are quickly building some serious interest. These musicians have shared the stage with buzzing bands such as The Vaccines and Walk The Moon and they’ve been featured on MTV2’s show ‘120 Minutes’ with Matt Pinfield, New York Times, NYLON guys and […]

Some things you just expect every year:  Jim James or My Morning Jacket performing at Bonnaroo, teases of another Led Zeppelin reunion show and Keller Williams releasing a one word and syllable titled album that reflects his current creative soul.  Williams’ music – although most widely appreciated by the free-spirited outdoorsy kind – has previously […]

“This record I wasn’t really into anything,” says Tom Hamilton about his latest American Babies record Knives & Teeth.  “The only thing I really listened to regularly was Alice In Chains. They were such a brilliant band. Honest and powerful. That’s what I wanted this album to be. Honest and powerful.” The anguish of Layne […]

Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac and Queens of the Stone Age are two bands that one might not link aside from their bluesy dips and stabs at menacing riffs that  helped define their own musical eras. But for blues rock outfit Butchers of Sky Valley, it’s two of their biggest influences, as these Brooklyn musicians create […]