There is a warmth in Jacky Terrasson's piano playing on Push not unlike that which pervades his previous work. But in combination with the playful charm he exudes throughout this disc, along with the simpatico relationship evident with his accompanists, the sensation runs deeper than in the past.
The Yard Dogs Road Show make the Flaming Lips seem tame, but their blend of acid-tinged absurdity is bolstered by impeccable musicianship that propels the show without hint of a miscue.
This past week from June 24-June 27, the second annual Northside Festival took over countless Williamsburg, Brooklyn venues, packing them with blooming local indie-rock acts such as Twin Sister and Shark?, as well as more seasoned musicians like Les Savy Fav and Sondre Lerche.
With Expo 86, Montreal’s Wolf Parade has expanded their electro-pop indie rock in size and scope while delivering danceable efforts that their fans will devour. Guitars and keyboards sound grandiose over wordless choruses; large enough to fill up some arenas that band is on the road to headlining. Dan Boeckner and Spencer Krug are the most cohesive as song writers they have been in this bands career, coalescing easily throughout and making it more difficult to recognize who wrote which song.
New Orleans was lit up recently by a full moon hovering over the city, creating an enchanting ambience to an evening filled with music from one of today’s biggest stars. Backed by the divine Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, former Police front man Sting cradled and released compositions from his vast oeuvre of songwriting accomplishments.
This Brooklyn Sextet hopes to have created your electronica-pop soundtrack to the summer with Travel Book. Motoring in multiple directions, the album has a mission to build, layer and sift through tweaks, sonic-yelps and bleeps while tying everything together with head-bobbing rhythms. The best tracks start simple, piling on sound and beats before letting the combination blossom under Sam Tyndall’s vocals.
The dream originated in 2004 when Eric Clapton decided to gather the top guitarists in the world to share the same stage for a hot summer weekend festival in Dallas, Texas. Since then, Crossroads has returned every third year, the last happening at Toyota Park in 2007 and back again at the same venue now in 2010. Having collaborated with so many amazing musicians over the years and honoring many of the legendary blues guitar heroes from long ago, Clapton has paid tribute to those who have influenced him throughout his career and those whom he admires. The day-long festival is a benefit for The Crossroads Centre in Antigua, a treatment center for chemically dependent persons, founded by Clapton himself in 1998. With the help of his friends and peers, Eric Clapton once again succeeded in assembling some of the best collaborative performances on the greatest of stage, and it’s all for a good cause.
One of 2010’s most buzzed-about bands has been The Morning Benders, a group of trendy, Urban-Outfitted prepsters that resemble the unsigned younger cousins of Vampire Weekend. Nattily dressed in cardigans, skinny ties, and Sperry’s, the band has been riding the success of their release Big Echo and parlaying it into a plush opening spots for Black Keys and Broken Bells and late-night appearances on Jimmy Fallon and Carson Daly.
It’s summer, so you might guess that Sunshine Collective should have something good for your ears. And yeah, it’s true, their first album, Wanna Play?, is all you need for a sunny day.
You’ve got me down on the floor,” coos Grace Potter on “Paris (Ooh La La),” the sultry opening track on her self-titled third album with the Nocturnals. And just as she’s revealed more leg and less Hammond B-3 with each album, Potter has also courageously taken those bold steps to mingle her sexuality with her soulful pipes.
