Archive: 2017

Sting has been on the rock music charts since 1978 when The Police released their debut album, Outlandos d’Amour featuring the hit singles “Roxanne,” “Can’t Stand Losing You” and “So Lonely.” With their breath-of-fresh-air reggae rhythms and punk undertones, the trio of Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland soared high through five studio albums and […]

The actor discusses his latest film and how he works to bring relatability to morally grey characters.

Whitney Rose has hit her stride. The Austin-based songwriter has had a banner year, releasing two excellent, distinct, thematic collections that have expanded her sound and amplified her profile worldwide. Rule 62, the most recent album, is a bold, brass-accented coming-to-terms with the people and challenges that threaten to derail life’s best-laid plans. The album […]

Sounding Arrow is the first solo project from Scott Kinnebrew, singer and lead guitarist of roots rockers Truth & Salvage Co., and former ringleader of Smoky Mountain indie faves Scrappy Hamilton. Sounding Arrow’s new album Loving Is Breathing was released on September 22, 2017, on California Country Records. After ceaseless touring with Truth & Salvage Co. between 2009 to 2014, the band […]

Portland-based folk-rock band The Builders and the Butchers released their fifth full-length album, The Spark, earlier this year. The new album features a wider array of sounds and shorter, hard hitting songs, while remaining a Builders’ record at heart. They spent the last five years writing the music and a year mixing, drawing on influences ranging […]

John Moreland’s devastatingly beautiful songs are best enjoyed at a live show, if you’re so lucky. Moreland released the phenomenal Big Bad Luv back in May, and has been on a steady stream of gigs since. And while he’s always amazing with just his Tom Waits-ian rasp and his acoustic guitar, his current tour pairs […]

[rating=8.00] Prolific, acclaimed and consistent; Stephen Wilkinson’s Bibio project has garnered somewhat of a cult following over the years and has become a sort of quiet royalty alongside the likes of Aphex Twin, Mount Kimbie and Four Tet in the electronica and ‘IDM’ scene. The whole intelligent dance music idea may be more than a little facile, […]

After more than a few stumbles this season, The Walking Dead nearly stands up straight.

Angus Young may have been AC/DC’s primary showman, dressed in his ever-present schoolboy garb and stalking about the stage, but his big brother Malcolm, who died Saturday from complications due to dementia, was the band’s ever-present rhythmic anchor and source of sturdy riffing support. In contrast to his diminutive sibling, Malcolm stoically stood his ground […]

Greta Van Fleet Leads Must Needed Hard Rock Revival (INTERVIEW)

Dallas Moore’s old-school country sound developed honestly, following over 20 years of sharing stages and studios with his honky-tonk heroes. Satellite radio support, paired with a willingness to perform over 300 shows a year, finds the seasoned veteran positioned to reach the Americana masses with his forthcoming album Mr. Honky Tonk. Recent career strides caught […]

Leah Calvert is many things, among them a singer-songwriter and in-demand Atlanta-area fiddler and vocalist. Over the years, she has shared the stage with award-winning artists including Amy Ray (Indigo Girls), Kristian Bush (Sugarland) and renowned songwriter Radney Foster. In addition to her work as a solo artist, she is a member of Atlanta acts […]

Cattle Decapitation has always existed as an outlier in the extreme metal scene of the last twenty years. Defining exactly what they are is a challenge. From their earlier grindcore releases to their newest albums, which made up the majority of their setlist at Come and Take It Live on November 15th in Austin, they’ve […]

AC/DC founder and rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young has died at age 64 after suffering from dementia for the past three years. Malcolm provided the hard-charging riffs which formed the backbone of all of AC/DC’s songs, giving the band the bluesy riffage that defined the band’s sound. Malcolm was replaced by his nephew Stevie Young in 2014. […]

It’s hard to believe that this was the Magpie Salute’s third trip to New York this year. After all, they just started playing as a bad at the Gramercy Theatre in January.  By their summer tour, they’d gelled and opened up their setlists. Now, as they finish off a year of touring, they returned to […]

[rating=8.00] With her recent series of albums, Mavis Staples has successfully completed the transition from her earlier status as a soul and gospel icon to an artist who remains as contemplative, contemporary and vital today as she was when she was while part of her family band, The Staple Singers, five decades prior. She still […]

1977 was a milestone year for the iconic and legendary British rock and roll band, Queen. The band had recorded another exciting, eclectic album that featured rock, blues, punk and even Latin-influenced tracks. It also boasts two monster singles, “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions”. Both of which have topped the charts […]

[rating=8.00] Perhaps it’s because (sole) drummer Bill Kreutzmann’s kit is so prominent throughout the audio mix of Dave’s Picks Volume 24, spanning the stereo spectrum in Owsley Stanley’s recording from the Berkeley Community Theatre. Or maybe it’s the unusually taut, wiry nature of Jerry Garcia’s guitar work on “Cold Rain and Snow,” where he and […]