Reviews

[rating=5.00] Somewhere in the new millennium it became really cool to be both a stand-up comic and an indie darling. I’m guessing Sub Pop has a lot to do with that, since that seminal indie label pushed out comedy albums from indie stalwarts such as David Cross, Patton Oswalt, and Eugene Mirman. Sarah Silverman has […]

The crowd was abruptly hushed when Alex Sauser-Monnig took the stage at Rough Trade in Brooklyn on September 18th opening for Hiss Golden Messenger. Monnig’s more traditional Appalachian folk sound is sparse and hauntingly beautiful, and her crystal clear voice cut through the room stifling even the faintest whispers. One third of the folk trio […]

Each year more music festivals are popping up in cities, both large and small, across the country. For every Bonnaroo, Coachella, and Lollapalooza, there is a two or three day affair that takes over a couple neighborhood blocks and offers its’ citizens the opportunity to support local business enterprises, sample eclectic foodie creations, and most […]

Philly band War On Drugs are basically on top of the scene right now. The band’s third full-length album, Lost in the Dream, came out in March and has since emerged as one of the few albums released this year that has found nearly unanimous praise from music snobs and critics. Even this critic is […]

[rating=7.00] King Tuff is now entering its plugged in phase. Never one to sit still, the Vermont act is in good company on opening eponymous track “Black Moon Spell”. Fellow inexhaustible rocker Ty Segall lends a percussive hand as King Tuff kicks it into high gear. Given Segall’s insane output and similar demeanor, it consistently […]

[rating=7.00] Kyle Cox is cute as a button, and his new record The Plan, The Mess reflects that. Best described as alt-pop, Cox also incorporates elements of country and indie rock into his songs, mixing steel guitar with his smooth and sweet voice. You can hear influences from all of these styles of music in […]

Carlos Santana first exploded into the public consciousness with his searing performance at the original Woodstock in 1969. Adding touches of Latin and African styles into psychedelic rock and roll, Santana played with a fiery, passionate intensity not unlike that of Jimi Hendrix, and if you watch his set in the documentary on the fabled […]

[rating=6.00] Let’s be honest, prolific singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams does not need to prove anything to anyone. And her new record, a lengthy double album titled Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone is proof of that. No doubt a few eyebrows were raised questioning why at this point in her career, Williams can’t pare 20 […]

[rating=7.00] With the one-minute bare bones’ acoustic guitar and vocal opener, “If I’d Waited” which sounds nothing like any other track, Holy Ghost, is a successful work of misdirection.    Based on both his history and his abilities you would expect former Black Crowes’ guitarist Marc Ford’s latest solo effort to be blistering leads over layers […]

On a hot, muggy night inside a solemn Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, a sophisticated, eloquently-dressed Karen O walked slowly from the back of the room to take the stage amid near silence. While many may know O more for her flashy outfits and outgoing persona as lead vocalist of the rock group Yeah […]

[rating=7.00] Who exactly does Gary Clark Jr. think he is, releasing a double-disc live album after only three full-length studio albums? Isn’t a double live album supposed to be reserved for musical legends and those with extensive catalogs from which to pull? Clark’s live album, simply called Live, doesn’t fit into that mold because it’s […]

A near sell-out crowd packed Soho restaurant and nightclub in downtown Santa Barbara, on a sleepy Monday night. The reggae genre has long been celebrated in the local community here, with a tradition of special nights dedicated to the dance trance rhythms inspired by the Caribbean beat. In the last few decades, a new younger […]

Spend your time listening to what passes for “hip” and mainstream these days and you’ll be left with a void that you may not be able to pinpoint. For all of the sexy “singers,” voices autotuned to perfection, and sexy Instagram feeds, there lacks a sense of real emotion – humanism – which ultimately translates […]

The crowd was certainly into it at Kansas City’s recordBar on Thursday night. Singer/songwriter and Into It. Over It. front-man Evan Weiss has a full band on the tour in which they are supporting Mineral on their 25+ show reunion tour. St. Louis natives Foxing opened the evening with a shorter set. The alternative group […]

[rating=8.00] For many artists, it can take years to forge a clear identity in their music, but J.P. Harris makes it look easy. Leading his incredibly tight band the Tough Choices, Harris is a rising country artist with a voice you won’t soon forget. It’s deep, it’s smoky and it’s perfectly suited to his honkytonk […]

[rating=8.00] Julian Casablancas and the Voidz look like The Warriors.  They sound like John Carpenterminator.  Tyranny is the sound of 80s New York sewer grime and gristle, Mean Streets remade into a cacophonic opera with a chorus of blood-speckled Travis Bickles screaming arias.  When Eli Roth or Ty West remakes They Live and Roddy Rowdy Piper […]

[rating=6.00] Little Machines, the third LP from Canadian singer Lights, is a hook-laden collection of warm electropop that provides steady dance floor beats and enough variety to keep things interesting. The Canadian singer (real name: Valerie Ann Boxleitner Bokan) melds various pop influences with the electronic rhythm backing, combining huge sing-along choruses with floor-shaking beats. […]

[rating=9.00] Joe Fletcher’s come a long way since his last record, literally. He relocated from home state Rhode Island to Nashville, and he’s been on the road touring almost nonstop. His new record, You’ve Got the Wrong Man, is a kind of cataloguing of those experiences with its gritty Americana vibe. Blues guitar shows up […]

[rating=7.00] Mike Doughty’s latest project is billed as an exploration of modern hip-hop. The concept is certainly apparent, but Stellar Motel is not a complete departure for Doughty. There are several songs that sound much like the rhythmic, hyper-linguistic pop we’ve come to expect from him, and those who have followed his considerable career won’t […]

[rating=8.00] This is not what The Drums are known for, but it is perhaps some of their best work. After two members of The Drums left, the band almost fell apart. Founding members, Jonathan Pierce and Jacob Graham were left to pick up the pieces and carry on. Their third album, Encyclopedia, is a reflection […]