Reviews

Steve Morse: Major Impacts 2

Kenny Bohlin February 20, 2004 No Comments

Steve Morse is the guitar virtuoso behind Deep Purple, the Dixie Dregs, and the Steve Morse band. He

Matt Nathanson : Washington University, St. Louis, MO

Jason Gonulsen February 20, 2004 No Comments

As soon as Matt Nathanson walked onstage at Washington University

Edie Brickell: Volcano

Heather Handler February 19, 2004 No Comments

One strum of a guitar and then Edie Brickell

Liars: They Were Wrong So We Drowned

Shane Handler February 19, 2004 No Comments

The only promise these tunes can deliver is one for the cult lavish, who enjoy their music on the dirty and dark side. It’s been said the Liars frenzied live performances are quite the catch on the New York scene, so hopefully that energy is a bit more cohesive than the one preserved on record.

Carrie Newcomer : Betty

Jason Gonulsen February 18, 2004 No Comments

Betty

Robert Randolph and the Family Band 1/11/2004: Memorial Auditorium- Burlington, VT

Shane Handler February 16, 2004 No Comments

Just 72 hours prior to Robert Randolph and the Family Band

Chuck D 1/10/2004: John Carroll University, Cleveland, OH

Aaron Mendelsohn February 16, 2004 No Comments

For the past 14 years, Public Enemy

Ryan Cavanaugh Trio: Live from Nowhere

Dan Bliss February 11, 2004 No Comments

Before changing their name to the Ryan Cavanaugh Trio earlier this year – due to the departure of percussionist Chris Dougherty – Space Station Integration released Live from Nowhere. Fusing the traditional banjo with high-energy, jazz-fusion, Cavanaugh and company heighten the bluegrass bar by further adding elements of rock, bluegrass, funk, Celtic and Indian to the mix. All done of course with a definitive focus on improvisation.

Transit 0/31/2004: Monkey House – Winooski, VT

Shane Handler February 10, 2004 No Comments

Transit’s sound is a crunchy testament to a time of simplicity, attaining the essence of improvisational originality, while capturing the moment’s true conscience – both the sunny and dark. It is this electric telepathy between the trio on stage that enables Transit to deliver this gritty passage of raw emotion that reflects in their cozy, coffeehouse stage settings.

Mindy Smith: One Moment More

Dean Barnett February 9, 2004 No Comments

Backed by remarkably accomplished musicians, including acoustic guitar role model Bryan Sutton and steel guitar master Dan Dugmore, Ms. Smith seems satisfied with pretty acoustic arrangements that only rarely give way to more aggressive expressions. It’s not a bad formula, as shown in “Angel Doves,” but it dominates the disc until the listener’s stupor is interrupted by the processed vocals of “Hard to Know,” a near-rocker that would be far more convincing if Ms. Smith’s tenuous voice could carry the voltage she wrote into the tune.