Reviews

The aptly named Southern Soul Assembly is South of the Mason Dixon line artists, Luther Dickinson, Marc Broussard, JJ Grey and Anders Osborne. Well known for their respective musical pursuits the four are presently touring in a singer-songwriter, showcase format. From the band’s website which consists of a single page to performing on a bare […]

[rating=9.00] Bobby Bare Jr. practically oozes swagger, and on his first new record in nearly 4 years, his sound is more defined than ever. Undefeated brings his effortlessly cool vocals to the forefront amidst his seamless hybrid of country and alt rock. At times quirky like the country-folk and oh-so-dark banjo pluck-er “My Baby Took […]

Touring behind his new self-titled solo album, longtime New Yorker Dean Wareham returned to The Bowery Ballroom Saturday night to face an eagerly awaiting packed house. With a career now entering its’ fourth decade, Wareham is no stranger to these parts or the road for that matter, having toured hard and heavy with his previous […]

For their first show of the Spring tour, Amos Lee and his band treated the capacity crowd of Orlando’s Plaza Live to a performance that was energetic, eclectic, and intimate, showcasing all the traits that made fans fall in love with Lee following his 2005 debut. It was a relaxed set, with Lee telling a […]

Glen David Andrews swaggered on to the red-lit, burgundy leather walled stage of Rockwood Music Hall in NYC to the crescendo of his backing band looking like a prize fighter ready to defend himself.  Launching into “Moving Up, “ he quickly stripped down from his shades, gold chains, hoodie and cap, to a simple black […]

[rating=8.00] On their latest record, Himalayan, the Band of Skulls, now with three albums on the shelf, continue sewing the thread of what has made both Baby Darling Doll Face Honey and Sweet Sour widely accepted records: dark tempered songwriting, the ability to quickly reveal an aggressive edge and the openness to unite vocal styles […]

After a three year absence, Widespread Panic returned to the City of Angeles for a pair of sold-out shows at the historic Orpheum Theatre to close out its Spring Tour and West Coast swing. As the six members took their spots to start the show, each did some last-minute tuning of their instruments before lead […]

As the second set of Umphrey’s McGee’s Wednesday night Winston-Salem show came to a close, it appeared that Brendan Bayliss tossed his copy of the night’s set list into the audience. It might have been with a bit of disdain, as the band had just missed a few key turns on the way to what […]

So far, 2014 is looking to be a good year for the jazzy-pop quartet, Lake Street Dive. Since releasing its third album, “Bad Self Portraits” in February the band has appeared on “The Colbert Report” and Letterman and garnered high praise from Rolling Stone. On the surface, they look to be an overnight sensation, when […]

Athens, Ohio sits on the rolling, rocky edge of Appalachia. Ohio University is the heart of the modest city, a quaint main street community overflowing with bars, restaurants and boutiques. Motorists passing through the historic burg’s narrow core pause for the usual student foot traffic, the tides of academia pouring out of stately, worn brick […]

Far from home, but not from fans, British alt-folk-pop band Fanfarlo hopped the Pond to share its melodic, eclectic folk sounds with an intimate crowd at The Troubadour in West Hollywood, Calif., in support of its latest release Let’s Go Extinct. However, rather than overwhelm the audience with new and less familiar music, the group’s […]

[rating=6.00] John Frusciante comes full circle with Enclosure, completing what he calls a “musical statement” that began four years and several experimental recordings ago. Now half a decade removed from Red Hot Chili Peppers, the band he quit in 2008, Frusciante has exorcised the abstract-electronica monster he struggled to free upon his own liberation. He […]

[rating=6.00] Trafficking in gnarled punk, energetic rock squalor, and frenetic aggression, Cloud Nothings make a lot of aggressive noise and certainly leave a mark on the senses. With throttled determination, their music throws itself at the listener, demanding not just attention, but your complete involvement and focus. Equally suitable to soundtrack your workout as it […]

You got to be kidding yourself if you even think for a minute the McDowell Mountain Music Festival carries the prestige of a Coachella, Bonnaroo or even a Northwest String Summit.  But those titles matter to nobody, since that’s obviously not the goal with this annual Phoenix area music festival put together by the good […]

[rating=7.00] With Band of Outsiders, Mike Dillon made an album in a manner most befitting his maniacal quartet: all four members in one room, playing live, with a straightforward production approach. It’s hard to imagine that their barely contained maelstrom of funk, punk, jazz, and high-minded composition could have been captured any other way. To […]

The first show of Black Sabbath’s 2014 world tour went down in Brooklyn at The Barclay’s Center, filled on this night with hordes of black shirted, black jeaned metal fans of all ages. The group opened with the classic “War Pigs” as Ozzy Osbourne ran back and forth across the stage letting the crowd know […]

Alan Paul creates the chronological narrative of One Way Out: The Inside History of The Allman Brothers Band by interweaving excerpts of interviews with band members, family and friends, business partners and acquaintances, with much the same intricacy the band itself improvises. In doing so, he, more often than not, illuminates familiar topics and uncovers […]

It’s always great to get the old gang back together.  Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the release of their debut, self-titled album, the three original members of G. Love & Special Sauce are back together to share the music from the album that started it all in its entirety. The reunited trio of G. Love […]

[rating=8.00] If Bob Dylan in the 80’s: Volume One proves anything, it’s that even in his most fallow periods, the Bard of Minnesota has been capable of brilliant songs (if not always brilliant recordings–that’s a different thing). The revelations are few and far between here, but readily apparent: Hannah Cohen suffuses “Covenant Woman” with a […]

[rating=7.00] Despite some weather to the contrary, it is in fact true that baseball season is upon us. It’s that hopeful time of the year where fans of each of MLB’s 30 teams can believe that yes, “This could be the year we win the pennant”, where smaller towns can bask in the regional pride […]