Rebecca Loebe Mystery Prize Self-released By Scott Roberts If you had to use one word to describe Mystery Prize, the winning new CD and third release from Atlanta singer/songwriter Rebecca Loebe, “genuine” would be a perfect choice. Some performers just have a certain knack for emanating a quality that makes listeners instantly want to be […]
Spoon Transference Merge By Al Kaufman Driven by the horn-fueled single, "The Underdog," Spoon went from twitchy indie kids to mainstream successes with 2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. Transference does not offer anything as remotely radio-friendly as "The Underdog," but it more than makes up for it with its deliciously friction-filled songs. The Austin band […]
Vampire Weekend Contra XL By Al Kaufman With their sunny, eponymous debut CD in January 2008, Vampire Weekend became the darlings of the indie crowd. By the end of that year, however, the band's demise seemed secure. People quickly tired of their quirky beats and African-lite influences. Happy music just doesn't have the depth and longevity […]
Editors In This Light and on This Evening Epic/Fader By Eileen Tilson In the music industry, the third time is definitely is the charm. By a band’s third album, they should have formally gelled creatively, perfected their live show, and understand their own talent enough to expand their music to the next level of fans. […]
The Villains The Villains DCM Records By Al Kaufman Remember the '70s? For those who don't, it was a sort of weird time musically. It was the time when country and rock began to merge. It was led by a band from California of all places, The Eagles. If the Eagles formed today, they would […]
The Head Puckered By Al Kaufman Teen musicians are usually poster ready heartthrobs who sing songs other people wrote and require a lot of vocal tweaking in the studio. The Head are about to change that notion.
By Micah McLain Band of Horses celebrated the arrival of 2010 the same way they did the arrival of the two years previous – with a sold-out two-night stand in Atlanta. The venue this time around was downtown's Tabernacle and the band was able to secure the Dynamites featuring Charles Walker to help them ring […]
By Jhoni Jackson There’s something about country-based music that makes one year for a stiff drink, preferably – considering current below-freezing temperatures – one that warms both the soul and the body. Just as I was wondering why Atlanta bars don’t serve hot toddies in winter, Maryland’s Cotton Jones took the stage. The early show […]
Gills and WingsGills and Wings By Al Kaufman Freddie Mercury lives. Gills and Wings, a five-piece band from Richmond, Va., must have an iPod loaded with "Bohemian Rhapsody." In their wonderfully theatrical rock style, they sing of losers and loners. On "Dealer," their sympathetic paean to the neighborhood drug dealer, lead singer and synth player […]
'Tis the season… to put together "Best of the Year" lists. So we thought we'd get into the spirit in our own way, with a few of our favorite promoters, booking agents and talent buyers telling us what their favorite show of the year at their venue was, brought to you by Ticket Alternative, of […]
Sondre LercheHeartbeat RadioRounder During the summer in Bergen, Norway the sun stays out for 24 hours; in the winter months, however, you are lucky to squeeze out an hour of daylight. The extra dosage of Vitamin D has clearly done Norwegian transplant Sondre Lerche some good; his sixth album Heartbreak Radio, released in September, is […]
By Scott Roberts; photos by Sue Volkert “It sucks to lose your stuff.” Headliner Amy Ray succinctly proclaimed this during her rocking solo set at The EARL last Tuesday at the benefit for Magnapop guitarist/all-around swell person Ruthie Morris who lost, among other things, thousands of dollars worth of musical/recording equipment, the entire first pressing […]
The Bravery Stir the Blood Island By Chris Homer The Bravery’s third album, Stir The Blood, is packed with the sort of noisy synth-pop you’d expect from the New York band. Despite not departing dramatically from the sound showcased on their 2005 self-titled debut and 2007’s The Sun and the Moon, The Bravery still put […]
Tegan and SaraSainthoodSire By Al Kaufman It's got to be hard for twins to be taken seriously in the music business, especially twins that look robotic, dress to compliment each other, and wear pixie cuts. It's too easy to dismiss them as a cute novelty act. Tegan and Sara Quin are no novelty act. They've […]
Serena RyderIs It O.K.Atlantic By Al Kaufman Ontario's Serena Ryder won the 2008 Juno (Canada's version of the Grammy) Award for Best New Artist for Is It O.K.. Granted, Canada is home to the likes of Bryan Adams, Anne Murray, Celine Dion and Corey Hart, but Neil Young, Daniel Lanois, Feist and Leonard Cohen call […]
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