When a band sells out their esteemed hometown club, in this case, First Avenue in Minneapolis, it’s a sign that proclaims –“yeah, we made it.” Such is the theme of the Hold Steady DVD/CD combo – A Positive Rage – where the crowds get bigger and the band is running fast on momentum.
Over the last few months George McConnell has been going back to the glory days of rock and roll releasing “Virtual 45’s” complete with B-Side’s. Come to think of it, that is pretty close to the glory days of today an I-tunes, but either which way McConnell decided to combine all his individual tunes into this full length titled, appropriately enough, Singles Only
If The Knife were described as the sounds of thunder and lightning, then Karin Dreijer Andersson must be the commanding eclipse that carries Olof Dreijer’s flashes of electricity. While The Knife are on hiatus, sister Karin Dreijer Andersson has focused on the slower, darker side of the duo’s distinct sound to release a self-titled album under the name Fever Ray.
Hmmm, the cello, it’s such an under-rated instrument in rock circles these days. But for Other Lives, a quaint quintet from Stillwater, OK, the cello's sorrowful sound makes the band “complete.”
Medeski Martin & Woods' Radiolarians II suggests that each of the three musicians are taking turns setting the tone for the respective installment of the series. John Medeski takes precedence here, but not to the detriment of his partners or the music they create together.
Les Claypool is a rare beast. After being asked to score music for a videogame (“Mushroom Men”) and a horror film about a mutant pig (“Booneville Stomp”) he decided to keep the weird juices flowing and put out a full length album. Maybe he should have slowed his roll a bit. Of Fungi and Foe is a scattered, loose effort that feels like Les is reheating some leftovers.
If you’re a fan of Maria Taylor’s first two albums, 11:11 and Lynn Teeter Flower, then her newest release, LadyLuck, will seem like an old friend. If you’re new to Taylor’s hushed vocals and overall somber reflections on relationships and life, then these ten new tunes might take some time getting used to.
If you saw Neil Young on tour last year or read about his eco-friendly car in the news, you probably saw this coming. Heck, if you have been following Young’s career for the past 40 years, you probably saw this coming. It’s no secret he does what he wants, when he wants to do it; and he’s done it again
Everything Burns kicks off as a fairly typical post-emo mainstream rock album. There are bits of alt rock and emo tidied up in a nice, easily digestible package and yet…there's something else, something deeper going on with this record.
Omaha’s Cursive really only has one recognizable pace—fast and furious. And minus a bit of moderate cruise control during the latter half of their newest album, Mama, I’m Swollen, this unflappable identity is once again on successful display.
