Reviews

Lake Trout: Not Them, You

Brian Gearing September 13, 2005 No Comments

After years of mere subsistence on the scraps of electronic, jazz and rock influences, Baltimore

Richard Thompson: Front Parlour Ballads

Jason Macneil September 13, 2005 No Comments

Richard Thompson has released several albums over the years, so it’s puzzling that this record is a first. However, this enjoyable, folksy, laidback effort is Thompson

Bumbershoot 2005- Seattle Center, Seattle WA 9/4 & 9/5/05

Timothy Stout September 12, 2005 No Comments

With all the summer music festivals across the country, it

John Hammond: Higher Ground – South Burlington, VT

Joe Adler September 9, 2005 No Comments

Listening to John Hammond is like stepping into a college level course on the History of the Blues. Hammond gives you the inside skinny on the musicians who created the blues style, before showing you why the music is so special and historic. From Skip James to Jimmie Rodgers, Buddy Guy to Howlin

Herbie Hancock: Possibilities

Nicholas Smith September 9, 2005 No Comments

“The possibilities are endless,” writes Herbie Hancock in his latest liner notes to Possibilites. The album features ten inspired Hancock collaborations including: John Mayer, Santana and Angelique Kidjo, Christina Aguilera, Paul Simon, AnnieLennox, Sting, Jonny Lang and Joss Stone, Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan, Raul Midon, andTrey Anastasio.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Howl

Shane Handler September 8, 2005 No Comments

Prior to the release of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

North Mississippi Allstars: Electric Blue Watermelon

Chad Berndtson September 8, 2005 No Comments

A funny thing happened to the North Mississippi Allstars on their way to international acclaim: they became a nuanced, multifaceted and wholly experimental blues rocker unit

Xavier Rudd: Solace

Darren Susin September 7, 2005 No Comments

By now, you

Death Cab for Cutie: Plans

Shane Handler September 6, 2005 No Comments

Plans fails to pick things up a notch in the rock department where Transatlanticism teased us in believing DCFC would be the next great experimental guitar band. There is a load of keyboard sap and wish washy ballads to deal that makes Plans a rather soft affair.

Maybe next time instead of recording in New England in the dead of winter, these west-coasters should stay in overcast Seattle and stick with a familiar formula. The true Death Cab sound is still here at times, but at the end Plans leaves you asking, “what is all the fuss about?”