Reviews

 “I had no idea that Chris was a voyeur when I met him,” Debbie Harry writes in the forward to her bandmate’s new book. “How could I know? His mother told me when we met that his personality was fully intact as a tiny baby.” She’s joking. Maybe. With another foray into the photographic world […]

[rating=9.00] Coping with a loved one who is undergoing treatment for cancer is heavy stuff. It’s happening to someone in all of our lives at this very moment, be it first, second or third hand. And for those along for the ride in the thick of the chemo treatments,  hospital trips and moments that intersect […]

See Also: RIOT FEST PHOTO GALLERY! Originally scheduled to take place at May Farms in Byers, Colorado, this year’s Riot Fest moved its location to the Mile High City. Last year’s Riot Fest brought over 13,000 fans to the rural town of Byers in Arapahoe County.  After the permit was revoked earlier this year, the event […]

An anticipatory buzz arose from the bearded boys in trucker hats and free spirited women who packed the House of Blues in Boston on 9/11.   With an array of acoustic strings, mandolin, fiddle, banjo and guitar the audience was eased into the sparse and subtle, “Ghosts” from Trampled by Turtles’ seventh studio release, Wild Animals.” […]

[rating=7.00] Ten years have passed since the Toronto bass and drums duo Death from Above 1979 released its debut LP, the high-octane You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine. For a good while, it seemed that record would be the only full-length release the duo would put out, following an extended hiatus that began in 2006. […]

[rating=8.00] Goth beach is the type of bizarro moniker that can at one turn feel like a salty acid trip or a meandering moonlit stroll along the water. It’s a descriptive phrase that supposedly comes the closest to defining SoCal outfit the Growlers. They’ve latched onto it to a certain extent because everyone needs a […]

As Conor Oberst has grown up from the emotionally vulnerable and hugely talented singer-songwriter once lauded by fans and the music press as the next Bob Dylan, he has found himself in a comfortable place. This place is one of creative freedom and getting to handpick musicians to make the music he wants to make. […]

[rating=9.00] “You can call me a madman/But I’m spoken for”, sings Sean Rowe on the title track of his latest record Madman, and immediately we are pulled in by that deep, stirring voice that’s unlike anything else. Folk mastermind Rowe is an artist that continues to surprise and intrigue listeners with every new record, and […]

Justin Townes Earle has gone through some changes over the last couple of years, and when he played to a packed room at Stage 48 in NYC on September 9th, he didn’t seem totally in his element. He mentioned right off the bat that he was playing with a new band these days, and though […]

The Baseball Project, one of the best kept secrets in Indie music, came to Santa Barbara to play on a sleepy Sunday night at Velvet Jones nightclub. The band is the brainchild of former R.E.M. guitarist Scott McCaughey, and Steve Wynn, who is most well known as the leader of the 1980s “Paisley Underground” band, […]

[rating=8.00] One New Orleans legend salutes another here as Dr. John bounces his way into the Louis Armstrong catalog, bringing with him the funk, R&B, and soul for Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch. From the first song you notice this isn’t going to be your normal tribute album. Tackling the most well known Armstrong offering […]

After 10 hours of music and food, it was tough to decide who won Farm Aid 2014. Was it Jack White or the chocolate sea salt pie? Perhaps Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, or the bratwurst with BBQ sauce glaze? More likely, it was the farmers and organizations that benefitted from the concert’s charitable cause. […]

A band like Rubblebucket attracts an interesting crowd. At their record release party at Rough Trade in Brooklyn on August 27th, a massive crowd filled the room to help them celebrate. Their third full-length album Survival Sounds is a warm mix of bodacious horns, Annakalmia Traver’s emotional howl, and a softer sound than what came […]

Humphreys, one of the most spectacularly beautiful and most relaxing outdoor concert venues in the country, was invaded by a small army of English retro rockers, Thursday night, Sept. 5th. The Retro Futura tour, featured five acts that saw their biggest hits in the 1980’s New Wave movement. The show began early, just before a […]

In the space of just four years, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals have fine-tuned the concept of their Grand Point North Festival (not to mention streamlining operations and offering all the amenities an attendee might want or need) by placing high-profile names next to rising stars, then setting them alongside any number of names from […]

[rating=9.00] In an expression of their collective confidence, the opener of Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood’s Juice sets the tone for an album conceived of the foursome’s exploration of Latin-influenced music. The quartet slip so easily into the lightly syncopated groove of  Eddie Harris’ “Sham Time,” it’s as if they gave no forethought to what […]

[rating=5.00] Four years since Penny Sparkle, an album that seemed to shine about as much as a tarnished penny would itself, the 1990’s, Blonde Redhead has released their ninth album, Barragán. If Penny Sparkle knocked them down, then Barragán is Blonde Redhead limply tottering back to their feet. But instead of turning back the way […]

[rating=5.00] Boy, how the mighty have fallen. Once one of the world’s biggest and mightiest bands, U2 have stumbled upon hard times lately. Not financially nor commercially, of course, as their latest release will certainly attest, but definitely from a critical perspective. The first two decades of the band’s career saw them expertly walk the […]

For the fifth year of the Hopscotch Music Festival, the event expanded to include three big shows at Raleigh’s downtown City Plaza – up from two – along with the usual slew of club, theater, and street events. Each year the festival seems to tighten its grip on downtown Raleigh a little more, and this […]

Lockn’ Music Festival began its journey last year with a stellar lineup and the pristine Virginia setting. Over 30,000 people gathered this past weekend to experience all that Lockn’ had to offer. This year, they offered closer camping to the venue, a more extensive shakedown street, more stages, and even more delicious food and beer […]