Archive: 2013

This ’73 show features one of Zappa’s most versatile line-ups.

A few songs into their set at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg last Sunday night, Dodos’ drummer Logan Kroeber said what was on most of the audience’s mind: “Thank you guys for coming out on the same night as the finale of Breaking Bad. We weren’t sure how many people to expect.” As the roar […]

Portland, Oregon via Alaska based experimental rockers Portugal. The Man visited Charlotte’s Fillmore on last Wednesday, and gave the near capacity crowd exactly what they came for: recognizable songs, jams, and a few covers thrown in for a good buzz. The band took the stage after opening act Crystal Fighters warmed things up and the […]

[rating=8.00] Like an eulogy in reverse, a dreary organ hums the first notes of Mazzy Star’s first work in 17 years. During that time, Hope Sandoval and David Roback never stopped writing and recording together. This much is clear in the dreamy hour of loneliness that follows on Seasons of Your Day, a gently numbing […]

Did Thom Yorke and company do Gaye justice?

This year, it was announced the entire band would be performing on a global tour. But I still feel as if that chapter of my life is closed.

Check out John Keith’s recap/review of ‘Bitchcraft,’ the campy and brilliant premiere of ‘American Horror Story: Coven.’

Portugal. The Man performs in Charlotte, NC

[rating=6.00] If you are looking for background music and aren’t too interested in paying attention to vocals or lyrics, then Innocents is probably going to be your cup of tea. Moby’s latest record is ultra-serious, incredibly moody, and—to its discredit—sounds largely like the same song played over and over. There isn’t a ton here that […]

If you go all the way back to the beginning, when rock & roll was new and exciting, when a guitar solo was the epitome of Jimmy Page in dragon pants and you harnessed that cataclysmic feeling by just thinking what kind of band you could create in your adulthood. “When we finished our song, […]

Secret ingredient: granola.

The true headliner for each show will be determined by a coin toss.

This past spring, Daptone Records had just announced the August release of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings’ Give the People What They Want when Sharon Jones was diagnosed with cancer. The scheduled release and supporting tours were immediately put on hold and all efforts were quickly shifted to her treatment and recovery. It brings great […]

Once the Arctic Monkeys walked out on-stage, they did not disappoint.

Jeremy Garrett, fiddler for The Infamous Stringdusters and board member of the International Bluegrass Music Association, told the board that they needed to create a “bluegrass frenzy” in Raleigh for their annual event’s first year in North Carolina. Garrett and the rest of the IBMA must have been giddy with the results of their work, […]

[rating=6.00] The problem with The Speed of Things is not so much in how it sounds. For all intents and purposes, it is the sort of album that fans of electro pop and ‘80s-era pop should have no trouble enjoying. There are definitely moments where you can dance to some of the songs and enjoy […]

Despite an unusual amount of overcast on the coastal shores of Southern California this summer, the sun shined brightly for the first day of the Beach Ball Festival on the world-famous Santa Monica Pier. Along with the wonderful weather, the first day of the inaugural event featured fantastic performances from legendary pioneers, today’s biggest stars […]

Warren Haynes has announced that his 25th Annual Christmas Jam will return to Asheville, NC’s US Cellular Center on December 13th and 14th for an epic two-night Silver Anniversary celebration marking this special milestone. One of the greatest and longest running live concerts in the U.S., the shows will benefit the Asheville Area Habitat for […]

[rating=7.00] VII could very well be subtitled, “How Blitzen Trapper got Their Groove Back.” The band took a certain amount of flack from media and longtime fans for their last release, American Goldwing, because of everything from selling out to being drenched in sentimentality. The reasons—whether justified or not—seemed to be endless. VII feels more […]