Reviews

[rating=8.00] As founding members of Drive-By Truckers and long before that, as songwriting foils and kindred spirits amongst the Georgia and Alabama musical scenes, Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley, circa 2014, are survivors. Together, they’ve logged countless miles in planes, vans and buses, traded inordinate amounts of Jack Daniels swigs from the famous brown bottle, […]

1977 was an exemplary year for music: Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Meatloaf, Elvis Costello and Billy Joel released groundbreaking albums, while the Sex Pistols ignited a grenade that changed the face of rock & roll; at least for a little while. But overall, 1977 was breezy and harmless as showcased by the artists up for […]

Vibrate does contain some of his very best songs, and for the devoted fan, the deluxe edition is unbeatable. It’s a celebration of the unique, mournful, self-deprecating music of Rufus Wainwright, and, if you’re unfamiliar with his work, not a bad place to start.

One of the most anticipated new releases of 2014 aside from Beck and Broken Bells has to be Cibo Matto’ Hotel Valentine (Feb 11th), their first new album since 1999’s Stereo ★ Type A. Hotel Valentine was self-produced over a two-year period by Cibo Matto founders and co-conspirators Miho Hatori and Yuka C. Honda and […]

[rating=6.00] Similar to the start of a one-night stand, Michael Ian Cummings met Josh Hubbard in 2011 at a party on a summer night in Los Angeles. Contrary to most intoxicated encounters, the relationship they formed would last much longer than just one night. Cummings and his friend, Noah Rubin, had been in a LA-based […]

[rating=6.00] It’s appropriate that the gentlemen of The Far West all hail from different corners of the country because the sound they all make together represents a hearty scope of the land’s musical heritage. With members emanating from Chicago, Texas, upstate New York, and Los Angeles, the five-member band can certainly pass as an act […]

Goodnight Tender is a gutsy, creative, and complete effort that showcases a developed and mature sound, honest, meaningful lyrics, and a more personal side of Ray that will undoubtedly please her followers and open their ears to new realms of music.

When Heart was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2013, Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell called them, “Two Joan Of Arcs, standing up front, kicking total ass, backed by a surprisingly powerful and unique band.” Although he was speaking about the original incarnation of the group, Ann and Nancy Wilson are still rocking […]

Clark’s new album arrives with the same vigor, verve, and unique style that we’ve come to expect from a St. Vincent record, only here those qualities are turned up and carefully honed, resulting in a collection of songs that are among her most audacious and intriguing to date.

The Fillmore in Charlotte was originally intended to be the next-to-last date of Trey Anastasio Band’s brief but meaty Winter Tour. That is until Winter Storm Pax dumped inches of snow and ice in the Queen City last week, worrying many fans that the show would simply be cancelled or perhaps made up months later. […]

The most immediately recognizable difference between Angel Olsen’s debut album and the follow-up, Burn Your Fire For No Witness, is an exhilarating confidence woven through each song. The tremendous benefit of Olsen’s newfound poise is an inviting, personal album that encourages subsequent spins and features songs you want to explore.

After a long drive to New England, during a snowstorm no less, the Wild Feathers landed at Brighton Music Hall. They shook off the cold and delivered a foot stomping, harmony rich and rollicking set for a near-capacity crowd. The band didn’t waste any time during their set. The band hit the dimly-lit stage and […]

[rating-6.00] Scott H. Biram’s newest release on Bloodshot Records (his fifth for the label) contains his usual mix of raw hill country blues and folk with splashes of punk and metal a pretty unique combo. Nothin’ But Blood rolls out over 10 tracks plus a few bonus gospel cuts as Biram is equally at home […]

There is something to be said when you pull up to a 19,000 plus seat arena and feel excitement to see a band that you love. But what if that amazing band is just one man? How could one man possibly fill all of those seats? How could one person rule a genre of music […]

Dreams can come true. They can at least for those wishing to be stuck inside a 1980’s movie soundtrack. With a sound that seems straight out of a John Hugh’s movie, Jean-Philip Grobler and his band St. Lucia delivered a night of ‘80’s-inspired dreamy dance-pop for the first of two sold-out crowds at LA’s El […]

During the week America celebrated the 50th anniversary of The British Invasion, a hallowed hall saw an impressive invasion by an Australian.  On February 3, 2014, The John Butler Trio delivered a raucous and satisfying guitar-driven music experience at The Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York. Some musicians are simply cooler than others.  […]

[rating=7.00] The first release from Les Claypool’s Duo De Twang, Four Foot Shack, sounds like it was recorded in the titular setting, perhaps situated far from civilization. It’s a no-frills album featuring Claypool on bass and vocals with longtime pal Bryan Kehoe handling guitar duties. Together, they weirdly work through 15 tracks of selected Claypool […]

To ease the burden on the audience of remembering her name, Conway introduced herself as “the girl in the red pants.” This was fine for the anxious members of the sold out St. Lucia show at San Francisco’s The Independent.

[rating=6.00] “It’s a totally selfish effort,” Tom Petty once remarked of making albums apart from his band, the Heartbreakers. Not so for Benmont Tench, Petty’s resident pianist, who for his own solo effort, You Should Be So Lucky, welcomed guests and put much of his project in their hands. Tench’s friends didn’t exactly wait for […]

A hip young crowd packed the world’s most famous arena on Saturday night as the Arctic Monkey’s played their first headlining gig on New York’s brightest stage. Smoke and anticipation mixed as the group strolled out and begun their pulsing “Do I Wanna Know” in front of a giant A and M light rig. The […]