One of the beacons of heart-warming, soul-searching and downright beautiful musicianship continues to be Tift Merritt, whose writing has never shied away from approaching difficult subjects with honesty and willingness to engage, but never has she been so vulnerable and calm than on her new record Traveling Alone.
While four-letter words like “road” and “town” have never strayed far from Steve Earle’s songbook, his latest trip veers from the familiar to the expected. On The Low Highway, Earle sounds strained, even gruffer than usual, on predictable travel themes that otherwise serve up welcome surprises from his wife Allison Moorer and longtime live band, The Dukes.
Dennis Dunaway was there at the beginning and co-wrote some of Alice Cooper's most notable songs, including "I'm Eighteen" and "School's Out". He ran track with pre-Alice Vince Furnier in high school and prodded him to start a band after seeing the great guitar slinger Duane Eddy. And it is Dunaway who is the keeper of the memories, a title that makes him laugh when I call him this during our interview earlier this year. But his stories of days-gone-by belie his denial as they are vividly clear, told with surprising detail and in such a way that the listener is kept spellbound as if the event happened yesterday, as if you were actually there with bass player Dunaway, drummer Neal Smith, guitarists Michael Bruce and Glen Buxton (who passed away in 1997) and ringleader Cooper.
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Paramore is one of the more interesting bands in music today. This power pop rock band has been churning out rock hits for a handful of years now, and more than its fair share of band drama as well. With the departure of the Farro Brothers at the end of 2010, fans have been split about whether the band could really continue on as a trio after losing so much talent. But Hayley Williams & Co. pressed on, and three and a half years after releasing Brand New Eyes, they are back with an eponymous record which takes them in a bold new direction.
Last week (4/16), The Zappa Family Trust released a vinyl version of Frank Zappa’s Finer Moments, which was recorded in the early 1970s, but not released until 2012. In June,
Following a disappointing cancellation during the 2010 Vans Warmed Tour stop in Minnesota, Sum 41 had finally found its way back to The North Star State, performing at Mill City Nights amidst an ongoing tour to commemorate the 10th anniversary of their 2012 album Does This Look Infected?
The Uncluded (Aesop Rock and Kimya Dawson) are excited to unveil the details of their upcoming US tour which will begin on May 28 in Washington DC and will find
