Reviews

Forget about the sports bars, born-again Christians, golf and Arizona, Alice Cooper is still a tried and true rock and roller. In Austin on Thursday Cooper exorcised his demons through a 90-minute set that encapsulated why he is one of the most influential performers to ever hit the stage. Sure, the set was a romp […]

[rating=7.00] Near the close of the 1990’s and at the peak of their success, the gentlemen of 6 String Drag packed up their instruments and called it a day. Although respectively hailing from various Southeastern locales, the group called Raleigh, North Carolina their home, and for a few years proved to be one of the […]

[rating=8.00] Until fairly recently only fans of the Carolina Chocolate Drops knew that the group’s multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Rhiannon Giddens had one of the most amazing voices in the contemporary music world. That all started to change in 2013 when Giddens sent jaws dropping with her stand out performance at a star studded New York City concert […]

[rating=8.00] Once the Dodos wrapped recording on 2013’s Carrier, the San Francisco duo realized that they still had a lot more to say. Wanting to capture the momentum, they immediately began laying tracks for their sixth album, Individ. After spending their first several years crafting their distinct and instantly recognizable sound and the last few […]

Unseasonably warm weather and the promise of a really big rock show made Umphrey’s McGee’s first ever arena headlining date one to remember. The band is no stranger to large crowds, having sold out Red Rocks and stormed the main stage at Bonnaroo last year, but their first big indoor spectacle hadn’t fully manifested until […]

[rating=8.00] On his debut album for Paradise of Bachelors label, North Carolina’s Jake Xerxes Fussell has assembled a fascinating and often sublime collection of songs adapted from the songbook of obscure, near-forgotten and amazing old-time music. A native of Georgia, Fussell has spent a thorough portion of his life discovering and unearthing these old tunes. […]

[rating=8.00] As somewhat of a chameleon, Josh Tillman can be a daunting character for fans and critics to examine. His snarky quips and blunt provocations contrast often with his gleaming sincerity and rapt attention to the complexities and confusion of our 21st century lives. “White people problems” as the kids these days say, can often […]

On a frigid night in snow-blanketed Allston Village Damien Jurado confidently held court at Brighton Music Hall, quietly taking charge and transmuting the brick walled room into the haze of a warm, intimate folk club. Drawing from an extensive song catalog, Mr. Jurado delivered a lengthy set packed with crowd pleasers, peppered with semi obscure […]

1952, Queens, New York. Young Johnny Genzale is born and raised by his mother and older sister after his father decided to keep on with his wanton ways. Johnny is a cool kid, playing baseball, hanging out with friends. And then he discovers rock & roll and his new aura starts to sprout up like […]

[rating=8.00] Paul Kelly’s extraordinary gifts as a songwriter are rooted in a musical expertise, virtues that  turn what was originally a series of 7-inch singles released into a full length album that’s deeply affecting from start to finish. On The Merri Soul Sessions, a gracious humility allows Kelly to become part of a band populated […]

An arctic blast and bitter wind chill may have contributed to the quiet pre-show atmosphere when two British trios, headliner London Grammar and opening band Until The Ribbon Breaks, hit the iconic Philadelphia music venue, The Electric Factory on January 30. A small crowd had gathered to stake their claim to spots in front of […]

[rating=8.00] With their new, bold and powerful release, San Francisco’s Two Gallants have created an album which glares – not peers – into the abyss and draws on its contents to create songs of serious emotional weight. We Are Undone is an excitingly diverse collection of songs that exceeds in upsetting expectations right from the […]

[rating=7.00] The Packway Handle Band got much more than they bargained for when they asked beloved blues singer-songwriter Jim White to produce their new record. What began as a simple request turned into more than just your average collaboration, with White joining the band and adding his own songs, too, for Take it Like a […]

Jack White is one of the few rock stars doing it right these days and on a freezing Friday night in the heart of the Big Apple he displayed his chops but also paid homage to New York City Hip Hop. It started with the opening act, as Run The Jewels were asked to perform […]

[rating=9.00] Indiana-bred band Murder By Death is the epitome of alternative rock, in the sense that they never stop evolving and playing with alternative sounds. Their new record Big Dark Love is both big and dark, and finds the band exploring everything from country rock to folk rock, pop rock, punk rock, classic rock, Southern […]

[rating=8.00] Nashville soul singer, Mike Farris has a multi-faceted musical career starting as a front man for a 90’s rock band, Screaming Cheetah Wheelies but over the last decade his career as a soul singer has what has brought him legions of fans, music awards, and critical acclaim.  Farris live performances at Bonnaroo, SxSW Festival, […]

Oxford, Mississippi holds a special place in the history of Umphrey’s McGee. As it was revealed last week, the band gets its name from a distant cousin of guitarist and lead singer Brendan Bayliss, a lawyer from Oxford named Humphreys McGee who he met at a family wedding. Bayliss remarked, however, that it had been […]

The mother of the original New York Punk music scene sauntered into Santa Barbara Tuesday night, January 27th, to play a very special concert downtown, at the elegant Granada theater. The concert began shortly after the red carpet opening of the 32nd Santa Barbara International Film festival, just across the street at the Arlington Theater. […]

[rating=7.00] Polished and clean vocals and instrumentals are what you’ll find on the new record from folksy darlings Run Boy Run. Something to Someone is light and sweet, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in depth or certainty. Made up of brother and sister Matt and Grace Rolland, sisters Bekah Sandoval Rolland and Jen Sandoval, […]

Iconic British blues rock guitarist Kim Simmonds rolled into the sedate central California coastal town of San Luis Obispo, with his seminal rock group Savoy Brown, to perform at the SLO Brew Company. The Brew House, is a gem of a venue, offering an upstairs restaurant and bar, and a downstairs live music room. The […]