Reviews Archives - Page 852 of 1000

Pissed Jeans: Honeys

Ron Hart March 5, 2013 No Comments

Allentown, Pennsylvania, was once known as one of the foregrounds of American industrial manufacturing, especially in the silk and textile markets, not to mention Mack Trucks. But while they closed many of the factories down, as Billy Joel once fastidiously proclaimed in his ode to the blue collar metropolis on 1982’s The Nylon Curtain, the spirit of the town’s metal-on-metal spirit lives large in the DNA of their local sons Pissed Jeans, who may have since relocated to more contemporary digs in Philadelphia but hasn’t lost an ounce of the post-hardcore edge they’ve branded into their creative psyche since 2005.

Son Volt: Honky Tonk

Doug Collette March 5, 2013 No Comments

Jay Farrar and his reconfigured Son Volt lineup draw upon the elemental genre of country music for Honky Tonk. Without a shred of contrivance, they achieve and maintain an ever-so-precarious balance of euphoric music offset by deceptively despairing lyrics.

Pickwick: Can’t Talk Medicine

Chris Calarco March 4, 2013 No Comments

When Sharon Van Etten joins Pickwick for a cover of Seattle indie-rock icon Richard Swift’s “Lady Luck,” their debut LP Can’t Talk Medicine reaches its zenith. The collaboration coalesces into a stone cold neo-soul classic. With a nod to Hall and Oates’ falsetto harmonies, “Lady Luck” is pitch-perfect; a patient rendering that exemplifies Pickwick’s triadic harmony of rock n’ roll, indie-blues, and classic soul.

Shout Out Louds: Optica

Jeff Strowe February 27, 2013 No Comments

For their fourth album, Stockholm-based Shout Out Louds tried that common “take a step back in order to take a step forward” approach so often attempted by artists stuck in a rut. Although 2010’s Work found Adam Olenius and Co. playing to some on some of their biggest and brightest stages, the vibe just didn’t seem to gel, and the band’s brightly colored musical palette turned a bit more muted and ill fitting.

The Punch Brothers: Calvin Theatre, Northampton MA 2/15/13

Sheryl Hunter February 27, 2013 No Comments

How often do you hear bluegrass, Bach, and Radiohead played at the same show? The answer is never unless of course you are talking about the Punch Brothers. In an almost two hour show at the Northampton’s Calvin Theatre, the five piece band dazzled with a musically adventurous mix in which they melded classical, jazz, folk, and rock into their progressive bluegrass sound.

Turtle Island: SRB, Brooklyn, NY 2/14/13

Shawn Donohue February 27, 2013 No Comments

Turtle Island has a punk rock spine with two electric guitarists, standard rock drummer and bassist who are the motor of the band. The core rockers keep things upbeat as extra drummers, vocalists and flute players add a spiritual vibe that is palpable. Speaking minimal to no English and singing in a foreign language didn’t limit the band at all, as energy, honesty and power don’t need to be conveyed in words.

The Who: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA 1/30/13

Joe Raniere February 25, 2013 No Comments

From the pummeling bash-and-groove of “The Real Me” to the dramatic conclusion of “Love Reign O’er Me,”the performance was surreal, vibrant, and fantastic. Bright lights dazzled and big screen images complimented the musical storytelling. The hypnotic sound of crashing waves crept in and out between songs, connecting them all as one as Daltrey and Townshend took no chat breaks. Aside from some typical arena/big room echo that occasionally made the vocals hard to understand and muddled some of the music, it was a smooth production. At the end of the night, Townshend said he played “a few bum notes,” but if he did, they were hard to catch.

Jim James: Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 2/19/13

Jeff Strowe February 22, 2013 No Comments

The release of James’ solo album, Regions of Light and Sound of God, has afforded him the opportunity to bring his eclectic musical sound-scapes back to those smaller venues, giving him the freedom and intimacy to try new ideas and providing onlookers (which tonight included The Roots drummer Questlove and Mad Men/Community star Allison Brie beaming from the side of the stage) a close-up view of the action.

Rufus Wainwright: 9:30 Club, Washington, DC 02/12/2013

David Hoffman February 22, 2013 No Comments

One leaves a Rufus Wainwright concert torn between the terrible choice of giving in to their desire to listen to songs they just heard as album versions set against the stark reality that the version they heard live will almost certainly cause the audio version to pale in comparison– and this goes even for solo shows like the one at the 9:30 Club.

Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors: Good Light

Nathan Rodriguez February 20, 2013 No Comments

Good Light succeeds in flashes of minimalistic beauty, but falls short of delivering a knockout punch. The simplest explanation is the lyrics leave little to the imagination (See “I love you, I do”). By avoiding imagery and metaphor almost entirely, Holcomb does a fine job describing where he’s at, but falls short of transcending a particular context. This saccharine, heart-on-the-sleeve style of songwriting is kind of like a stick of gum: nice, kinda refreshing, but of fleeting resonance.

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