Reviews

What was billed as “A Night of Musical Fireworks and Improvisations, The Waterboys in their First Continental North American Tour in Six Years” began in Boston’s intimate Wilbur Theatre for the U.S. leg.  Much like two old friends who had not spoken in years, the band and sold out audience were initially reserved with much […]

The Civil Wars eponymous second record, likely exemplifying the irony of their band name better now than ever, is an intensely melancholy and yet genre-expanding contribution from a band we may never hear from again.

[rating=7.00] The Blind Boys of Alabama have been recording albums for over 60 years, and been together for over 70, so they are clearly doing a few things right. One of those things is maintaining the same spirit and fervor for gospel music that has characterized the band for so long, even if only one […]

[rating=8.00] Gov’t Mule has never made a record that sounded more like a Warren Haynes solo album than it previous studio work, By A Thread. In contrast, the band’s debut on Blue Note Records, Shout!, is a seamless piece reminiscent of their best work on stage and in the studio. In fact, The Mule almost […]

[rating=7.00] Philadelphia indie rockers Man Man have always sought to push the envelope. With the release of their fifth full-length album, they do that by taking their music in a direction no one expected: the mainstream. To say that On Oni Pond is the band’s most accessible work is putting it mildly. The band that […]

Not every show will be a sell-out, but how a band responds to a less-than-stellar turnout shows a true test of its character. After taking the stage at The Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, the members of Ra Ra Riot seemed visibly disappointed by the low turnout, approximately a third of the venue’s 1,200 seat capacity. […]

From the band’s established singles to their fresh debuts, Kate Boy’s energetic and hip brand of electro-pop delighted and showed-off their ability to write and perform evocative and quality music distinctive from that of other Swedish electronic groups.

[rating=6.00] Austin indie rockers Okkervil River have just released their seventh full length studio album, The Silver Gymnasium. (ATO) Like most of the inclusions in the OR discography, The Silver Gymnasium is a concept album. But lead singer and chief composer Will Scheff isn’t your average front man. Any fan of the group can tell […]

Pixies purists fear not. Everything is going to be just fine. After a two-year hiatus, alternative-rock legends Pixies are back with a vengeance. Armed with an arsenal of new songs—and bassist—the band kicked off its world tour with five sold-out shows in Los Angeles, including a secret performance at the tiny club The Echo, followed […]

[rating=6.00] First, a word on that jacket cover: is this a band selling, or a band for sale? The sign hanging above the pictured consignment shop/hair salon — Stylz Unlimited — suggests a bit of both. And in the foreground, MGMT’s Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser appear open for business, content with mingling among the […]

Grand Point North offers the usual benefits of a festival by offering music lovers the opportunity to hear a selection of artists, known and unknown, in a setting that’s cost-effective and fan friendly otherwise as well. The layout at Burlington’s Waterfront Park included amenities of diverse unusual refreshments and art exhibits, far enough away from […]

Like its Northeastern cousin festival, Gov’t Mule’s Mountain Jam, Grace Potter& The Nocturnals Grand Point North has grown by leaps and bounds in each successive year of its three-year existence. Once executed as a combination homecoming and adieu to summertime touring as the Vermont-based band elevated its profile nationwide, the event has approached maturity in […]

Flash floods disrupted Violent Femmes 18 minutes into their set Thursday in Central Park, and ultimately halted the band’s first New York show since 2007. After playing only five songs, and waiting 20 minutes for the lightning strikes to pass, they were told to cut the performance short. “It’s nobody’s fault; it’s the law,” bassist […]

Versions sounds both familiar and new, both surprising and self-evident; the songs here aren’t rebuilt from scratch so much as refined, clarified, crystallized. Only time will tell whether Versions is the end of the first chapter of the Zola Jesus discography or the beginning of the second, but it’s a worthwhile and fascinating effort in either case.

The pioneers of metal, Black Sabbath, returned to Southern California for the first time in eight years, to perform one of the most anticipated live shows of the summer. The sold out concert featured three of the four original members. The band is in the middle of a global tour in support of their first […]

When the last notes of the 2013 Hopscotch Music Festival finally decayed and there was time to reflect on the raucous weekend in Raleigh, it became clear that both the event and the city have come incredibly far. 10 years ago, downtown Raleigh was among the last places one would name to hold a cutting-edge, […]

[rating=8.00] Rambling around those swampy crossroads of punk/soul/rockabilly Barrence Whitfield and The Savages are creating that garage lo-fi R & B that just rattles and shakes like 50’s boogie-woogie on a three day bender. The Boston based collective throws down with abandon, teetering on the edge of the stage, but never collapsing off of it. […]

[rating=6.00] Ben Shepherd has spent his career in the shadows. He spent most of his career as almost an afterthought in Soundgarden, the steady bassist always upstaged by Chris Cornell’s soaring vocals and Kim Thayil’s rapid-fire guitar solos. Perhaps it’s fitting then that Sheperd’s debut solo album is under the cryptic moniker HBS. One thing […]

[rating=7.00] During a break from recording and touring, Acoustic Syndicate’s trademark patchwork of bluegrass, rock, jazz, and reggae must have still been evolving somehow. After semi-disbanding in 2005, the band began playing shows again a few years later. It seemed for a while that playing occasional southeastern shows would be whole of the band’s future. […]

Day three at the Lockn’ festival on the sprawling Oak Ridge Estate started out just as beautifully as the previous ones. Clear skies and sunshine, with a steady breeze set the backdrop for the day that some festival goers had truly been waiting for. The afternoon started off with a set from Love Canon, a […]