CD Review: Elbow — The Seldom Seen Kid

CD Review: Elbow — The Seldom Seen Kid

ElbowThe Seldom Seen KidGeffen Epic and sweeping are words often used in music criticism, but they are words vital for describing Elbow's repertoire. The moving string arrangements paired with the tender lyrics and caressing vocals of Guy Garvey make the band just as sensual as their name (inspired by the reasoning from BBC show "Singing […]

CD Review: Courtney Fairchild — 11 Chances

CD Review: Courtney Fairchild — 11 Chances

Courtney Fairchild11 ChancesStanley Recordings By Al Kaufman In 2006, Courtney Fairchild divorced her husband, left her friends, and moved from her hometown of Dallas, Texas to Philadelphia, Penn. The result was her 2007 album, Quit. The following summer, sequestered in her friend's guest house with huge amounts of bourbon and a high fever, she realized […]

CD Review: The Noisettes – Wild Young Hearts

CD Review: The Noisettes – Wild Young Hearts

The Noisettes Wild Young Hearts Mercury By Chris Homer With their second album and debut for Mercury Records, The Noisettes continue their unique blend of soulful pop and electro-dance music. Judging from the five song press sampler of Wild Young Hearts alone, it is easy to see the UK trio’s versatility. Vocalist Shingai Shoniwa has […]

CD Review: Wilco — Wilco (The Album)

CD Review: Wilco — Wilco (The Album)

Wilco Wilco (The Album) Nonesuch Records By Eileen Tilson Perhaps it’s the fact that there is a camel named Alfred on their latest album appropriately titled, WIlco (The Album), that gives the indication that after 15 years of migraines, drugs, band fights, anxiety and depression, Wilco has finally decided it is time to lighten up. […]

Sam Holt, Sonia Leigh, Stovall and More for Smith’s Georgia Theatre Benefit This Wednesday Night!

Sam Holt, Sonia Leigh, Stovall and More for Smith’s Georgia Theatre Benefit This Wednesday Night!

Smith's Olde Bar is hosting a benefit show for Athens' historic Georgia Theatre, which recently suffered extreme damage from a massive fire. The show is this Wednesday night, tickets are only $10, and you'll be getting some excellent music and the knowledge that you are helping a great institution get back on its feet. There's […]

Music Man–All Grown Up

Music Man–All Grown Up

In September of 2007 I was a panelist at the Atlantis Music Conference in Atlanta. It was basically a session where several colleagues from different labels and I shared with the attendees our knowledge of the industry; everything from what we look for in a band, to how to find a good manager to how not […]

CD Review: Destroyer — Trouble in Dreams

CD Review: Destroyer — Trouble in Dreams

DestroyerTrouble in DreamsMerge Records By Micah McLain Dan Bejar makes unique music – whether it be flawless indie rock as a part of the New Pornographers, challenging avant-garde pieces with Swan Lake or laid-back orchestral pop under the cover of Destroyer. Trouble in Dreams, Destroyer's eighth release on the Merge imprint, picks up right where […]

CD Review: Elonzo — All My Life

CD Review: Elonzo — All My Life

ElonzoAll My Life By Eileen Tilson Dan Bourdeau, drummer for South Carolina band Elonzo, explains that a lot of the inspiration his wife and brother-in-law received in putting together their debut album, All My Life, comes from the post-Victorian home on E. White St. in Rock Hill, S.C., that the three of them live in: […]

CD Review: Drew Smith — Drew Smith’s Lonely Choir

CD Review: Drew Smith — Drew Smith’s Lonely Choir

Drew SmithDrew Smith's Lonely ChoirFat Caddy Records By Al Kaufman Austinite Drew Smith is everything that's right with CDs, both musically and aesthetically. For the visual sense, this is a gorgeous CD. Dave Schwab's intricate pen and ink drawings are whimsical, and the artistry on the liner notes is brilliant. This is a wonderfully packaged […]