Reviews

Bypassing his usual beer and occasional shot of whiskey, James McMurtry’s glass of red wine was symbolic of the evening’s show.  Touring with his band in support of his first studio album in six years, “Complicated Game” McMurtry delivered an intimate, perfect volume and relaxed set to a jam-packed Johnny D’s.  Perhaps due to the […]

In contrast to its black and white/sepia tone cover graphics, Trilogy is full of colors, primary, pastel and all shades in between. And that’s not surprising as the three piece group of pianist Chick Corea, percussionist Brian Blades and bassist Christian McBride is that most unusual of units: players of virtually equal technical and improvisational […]

[rating=9.00] Sallie Ford is the ultimate garage rock dream girl, maintaining her effortless badassness and sexy demeanor with every note she sings. Her voice is soulful and quivering, but strong and full-bodied. On her first record without her beloved band the Sound Outside, Ford is joined by a killer all-woman band she assembled as part […]

The layout of Higher Ground’s Showcase Lounge doesn’t much recall the late Bill Graham’s Fillmore East, but the triple bill of Anders Parker’s Cloud Badge, Blood Oranges and Waylon Speed called to mind the halcyon days the now-defunct New York venue as a haven for true music lovers. The bands  on this Halloween evening bill […]

What Festivals Can Learn From the Voodoo Experience It’s nearing the end of festival season, a changing of the guard now so regimented that it’s ushered in via SXSW and dispersed in a bewildered cloud of Rock the Bells and scant, smaller events. Someday that vacillating gap between large-scale live music’s downtime and its uptick […]

[rating=7.00] With 2012’s Take the Kids Off Broadway, Foxygen made a bold statement with a debut album that was delightfully quirky while unabashedly derivative. The ambitious release was equal parts a genuine album and a fun game of Spot the Influence. The album was original in its ability to meld so many different musical styles, […]

It wasn’t long into Lettuce’s sold out appearance in Higher Ground’s ballroom on October 25th that the septet fully reaffirmed the impression they left on their last appearance at the Vermont venue in September of 2013. That is, precisely because they’re so versatile as a band and the arrangements of their material so open to […]

[rating=7.00] “Make You Better” first appeared a week ago, when Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy teased the track and announced the band’s new album, What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World , through a street-busking performance in Brooklyn, but the studio version hit the internet on Monday. The song strays away from the country-folk of 2011’s The […]

[rating=7.00] Upon first listen to Sam Amidon, you may feel transported to a sepia-tinged past. There’s always been something really old world about his composition and singing style, and since last year’s gorgeous Bright Sunny South, he’s truly honed this sound even more. On his new record, Lily-O, he collaborates with the legendary guitar player Bill Frisell […]

It’s Monday morning, “Tela” and “Wilson” are being paged in the Las Vegas airport, and all is well in the universe of Phish. Wrapping up the 2014 fall tour last night with their third consecutive strong show in a row, it is now as clear as can be that something special took place over the […]

The week of CMJ Festival in New York City is one of discovery and excitement, as independent and promising young artists from throughout the world take the stage to put their talents on display. It was thus fitting that Here Lies Love, an off-Broadway musical production by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim (Norman Cook) held […]

The post show glow from Halloween had not peeled off any fans faces as they entered the MGM Grand Garden Arena last night. The obvious question was how would Phish follow up one of the most memorable performances of their career on Saturday night in Las Vegas? Would the band come out a little tired […]

On the heels of three solid shows in San Francisco, Phish rolled into Las Vegas last evening and delivered a Halloween masterpiece. Known for dawning musical costumes to celebrate the holiday, Phish broke with tradition last year to offer a set of original music. No one knew for sure what was going to be offered […]

On their first of three sold-out evenings at Port Chester’s Capitol Theatre, Wilco could have opened with virtually anything from their expansive discography. But somehow, “Wilco (The Song)”— a love letter of sorts to fans—seemed appropriate. What followed was a continuation of that nod to Wilco aficionados; a 30 song set that took concertgoers on […]

Oftentimes, and especially in the fall months, sports and music will overlap. For fans of both, this means having to sacrifice the viewing of a baseball playoff or a Monday Night Football game when a good band is in town. Or perhaps it’s the opposite: eating purchased tickets to watch your team play. Fortunately, last […]

[rating=6.00] Pale Hands almost have something that could work for them musically as they drift between retro trance and indie pop on their debut full-length album Spirit Lines. The name for the album came after the husband and wife duo was inspired by Navajo weavers who, for symbolic purposes, place intentional errors in their weavings […]

Wednesday marked the ninth time Phish has played a sold out show in San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Much to the delight of fans, the band offered three well-played shows over the course of the past few days. Each show showcased diverse moments of brilliance that outshined any lowlights over the course of the […]

The tenth annual Art Outside music festival took place last weekend in Rockdale, TX. The visual and auditory art was more abundant than the majority of festivals across the country can provide, and not just in quantity but, also quality. Throughout the weekend spectators were entertained by DJs, live bands, hybrid livetronica and artists of […]

For a majority of Phish fans, last evening was the clear highlight of the fall tour.  Even though the San Francisco Giants did not win the World Series, the disappointing energy exuded from the lot had no bearing on the show. Or did it? The show was far from perfect, as if there’s such a […]

The book cover of Joe Perry’s new autobiography is perfect: He looks like a true rock god but you get the impression this legend doesn’t say a lot. His music has always done all the talking and why not? With a flamboyant mouthpiece like Steven Tyler fronting his band, he had the luxury of just […]