CD Review: Regina Spektor — Live in London

CD Review: Regina Spektor — Live in London

Regina Spektor Live in London Sire By Al Kaufman Regina Spektor is an acquired taste. While most often compared to that other weird piano playing diva, Tori Amos, Spektor comes across as more appealing, and possibly slightly wackier. Spektor’s CDs have always been a mix of sheer beauty, idiosyncrasies, and sometimes downright annoyances. Live, the […]

CD Review: David Mayfield — The Parade; Playing Eddie’s Attic, December 8

CD Review: David Mayfield — The Parade; Playing Eddie’s Attic, December 8

David Mayfield The Parade By Al Kaufman David Mayfield has a voice as warm and friendly as a James Taylor smile. If The Parade were full of mid-tempo soft rockers it would be pleasant enough, but Mayfield is more than a Sweet Baby James clone. The bass player who grew up on bluegrass music is […]

CD Review: Girl Talk — All Day; Playing The Tabernacle, January 21

CD Review: Girl Talk — All Day; Playing The Tabernacle, January 21

Girl Talk All Day Illegal Art By Sam Parvin Gregg Gillis, more commonly known by the moniker Girl Talk, has recently released his fifth full-length album, All Day, a behemoth of mash-ups of songs ranging from Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop” to Dorrough’s “Ice Cream Paint Job.”

CD Review: Aloud — Exile; Playing Smith’s Olde Bar, December 14

CD Review: Aloud — Exile; Playing Smith’s Olde Bar, December 14

Aloud Exile Lemon Merchant Records By Al Kaufman To those in the know in Boston, Aloud was Henry Beguiristan wailing on the guitar and Jen de la Osa screaming out vocals, as well as a rhythm section that thundered along with them. The key word in that last sentence is “was.” Gone is the rhythm […]

Live Review: Joanna Newsom at The 40 Watt, November 18

By David Courtright Over the course of Joanna Newsom’s short but impactful career, critics have clamored to define her, to harness the wild strands of her style and composition into separable, ornate distinctions. Her early work borders on unlistenable, depending on what kind of ears you have. As her career has progressed, her work has […]

CD Review: The Posies — Blood/Candy; Playing The Loft, November 20

CD Review: The Posies — Blood/Candy; Playing The Loft, November 20

The Posies Blood/Candy Rykodisc By Al Kaufman A shade over 20 years ago, when everyone else in Seattle was donned in flannel and singing about slitting their wrists, The Posies released Dear 23, and, for some people in Seattle, the rain stopped, the clouds lifted, and the coffee tasted a little less bitter. The few […]

Live Review: OVO by Cirque du Soleil at Atlantic Station, November 3

By Nick LeMay; photo by Ninh T. Chau At an invitation only event, Cirque du Soleil previewed their insect-themed production dubbed OVO last Wednesday, November 3rd. The performance was held under The Grand Chapiteau, a series of elaborate tents near Atlantic Station where these artistic gymnasts would cultivate a level of discipline over the body […]