Category CD Reviews

Magic WandsMagic Love & Dreams By Eileen Tilson With a name like Dexy Valentine, from the leader of a band called The Magic Wands, you are most likely to expect a scene out of a Hogwarts prom, and truth be…

Elizabeth & the Catapult Taller Children Verve Forecast Elizabeth & the Catapult's fearless leader Elizabeth Ziman has some serious credentials on her musical CV. Born and raised in Greenwich Village, she was introduced to music through classical piano, leading her…

Wayne HancockViper of MelodyBloodshot By Al Kaufman You won't hear Wayne Hancock on country radio. That's because Hancock is too country for today's country radio. Hancock is an unabashed throwback to the days of Jimmie Rodgers and Ernest Tubbs. This…

Nerd ParadeThe Span of a Life By Alexandra Edwards Hearkening back to the days when the American South was inextricably tied to rock 'n' roll, Nerd Parade's The Span of a Life contains the kinds of big sounds and inventive…

Casper & the Cookies Modern Silence HHBTM Records By Scott Roberts You might not expect “serious” music from a band called Casper& the Cookies. Even leader and principal Cookie Jason NeSmith comes across as ambivalent and almost apologetic about the…

David Berkeley Strange Light Straw Man Music By Samantha Parvin It’s a shame that physical compact discs are going out of style, because David Berkeley’s third studio album, Strange Light, is beautifully packaged.  And luckily for him, the audible art…

PJ Harvey & John ParishA Woman a Man Walked By Island By Eileen Tilson Polly Jean Harvey is an artist that you pledge your allegiance to, are secretly scared of, don’t quite understand, but still find yourself diving into her…

The Airborne Toxic EventThe Airborne Toxic EventMusebox By Eileen Tilson When a band from Los Angeles comes along with a name like The Airborne Toxic Event, it makes sense to assume they are probably some dirty punk band, a product…

Paul ThornA Long Way from TupeloPerpetual Obscurity Records By Al Kaufman Paul Thorn is a man's man. Back in 1988, he went six bloody rounds with the legendary Roberto Duran. But he is also sensitive enough that he hugged his…

Tom GossBack to Love… By Al Kaufman As You Tube sensation Susan Boyle demonstrated, you can't judge a singer by his or her looks. On the cover of Back to Love…Tom Goss looks like a slight, New Agey guy with…

PT WalkleyMr. Macy Wakes Alone By Eileen Tilson Once upon a time, musical troubadours would travel around town to town singing the news of distant lands. They were the pied pipers of their time, drawing in their audience with a…

New York Dolls ‘Cause I Sez So Atco By Noel Wurst It’s strange to compare the New York Dolls latest album, ‘Cause I Sez So, to the music of Randy Newman, but it’s pretty easy to do so. Both acts…

Ida MariaFortress 'Round My HeartMercury Records By Alexandra Edwards What is the fortress around Ida Maria's heart? Perhaps it's the frantically fun beat, the enjoyment of the night of with no thought of the morning after. The songs are stories…

Miniature TigersTell It to the VolcanoEpic By Alexandra Edwards In recent years, a particular subgenre of indie cinema has developed: cute and quirky films centered around offbeat, slightly strange boys who defy all previous tenants of masculinity. Think Zach Braff's…

The DexateensSinglewideSkybucket Records By Alexandra Edwards Alt-country has never really enjoyed a revival of popularity since its blip on the college radio map in the mid-'90s. Sure, individual bands or albums may enjoy some time in the spotlight, but there's…