Posts by Shane Handler

Scott Tournet has recently let his hair down again: in more than one way. After 13 years with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals as a founding member and lead guitarist, Tournet is now exploring a place rhythmically and lyrically that would never have appeared had he not made a change. While Grace Potter and the […]

“We call this the greatest hits part of the show, even though we only have two albums,” stated a sweaty Paul Janeway halfway through his sold out show on September 15th at Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix. The Paul of St. Paul and The Broken Bones has the pipes to make any song a wower, so […]

Don Gallardo’s new album Hickory might sound a tad familiar if you appreciate the good stuff- the stand by artists and albums that never let you down: Wilco, Beatles, The Band, Neil Young, Bob Dylan. There is enough complicated listening out there and our ears deserve something that’s righteous, honest and ballsy in just the […]

 For a full 11 days in July, downtown Québec City plays host to the biggest, most eclectic and hands down the greatest value festival in all of North America (11 Days for $75 USD)  This year’s edition of Le Festival d’été de Québec (aka Quebéc City Summer Fest) will feature 300 shows taking place in 10 venues […]

Over the last ten years the Quebec City Summer Festival (Le Festival d’été de Québec) has grown into an international success, attracting some of the biggest and most prestigious artists anywhere. When looking at most other festivals in North America, each lineup has begun to look like as identical as Walmart shelves. By examining past […]

Lakou Mizik may not sound familiar to U.S. ears, but the epic tragedy (2010 Haiti earthqauke) the band was formed in the wake of, will forever be recollected. Lakou Mizik is a diverse collection of musicians representing a cross section of generations, faiths and musical styles, that on April 1st released their debut album Wa Di […]

Following a crisp and honest take on the obscure original gem, “My Hometown,” four songs in to his performance at the Scottsdale Center for Performing Arts on June 16th, Joe Jackson had a word with the sold-out room. Following the performance of this number from 1968’s Big World, Jackson realized his hometown of Portsmouth, England […]

If you haven’t seen the live event known as Royal Southern Brotherhood in a club near you – seriously, you are truly missing out. Sure most live bands can fire it up on the stage, but putting those songs on record and making the recordings sound as poignant and timeless? Royal Southern Brotherhood triumphantly pulls […]

Minneapolis’ We Are The Willows recently celebrated the double vinyl release of Picture (Portrait) parts 1 and 2 on March 25th. Fans of The National, Sufjan Stevens and Basia Bulat will appreciate the sounds of this collective that offers unique vocals and discrete arrangements on non traditional instruments. Derived from a series of 350 letters written by […]

Philadelphia’s The Lawsuits released their second full length Moon Son on May 13th –  11 songs of unadulterated rock that pushes boundaries of genre defintion while remaining experimental and exciting: on a plateau just below that of the great My Morning Jacket. Guitars, keys and synth fill the album and feature the give and go trade-off […]