The Cranes Are Flying Banging My Head Independent By Chris Homer The musical project of Columbia, S.C. resident Trevor Lee, The Cranes Are Flying presents a unique take on electronica with its second EP Banging My Head. While it sounds contradictory, the best way to define Lee’s style is one of folk-electronica. He often injects […]

Megafaun Gather, Form and Fly Hometapes By Julia Reidy Megafaun’s albums feel like a flocking of musical ideas rather than a linear expression of them. Good thing for the Durham, N.C. trio, then, that the migration it has made compositionally takes it in all kinds of fascinating directions; ones that perhaps aren’t visible without binoculars. […]

The Dead Weather Horehound Third Man By Eileen Tilson In Latin, Lucifer means “Day Star” and is linked with pre-Christian story that Lucifer rose early and was the shiniest star in the sky, outshining Jupiter and Saturn, and then would disappear before the Sun came up. The story, of course, has evolved into Lucifer as […]

Craig Jackson Damn The Roses Green Records By Scott Roberts Proverbially speaking, a book cannot be judged by its cover. The same cannot be said as often or as confidently about judging a CD by its cover. If you see a guy with a tight t-shirt and a cowboy hat on a cover, or four […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Company of ThievesOrdinary RichesWind Up Records By Eileen Tilson Oscar Wilde was one of the greatest celebrities of his time. He ran with the upper circles, hobnobbing with the rich through his status of famed playwright. He had an uncanny ability to remain in-tune with his culture and upper-class society, and yet made fun of […]

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. […]

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 […]

T Bird and the BreaksLearn About It By Al Kaufman T Bird and the Breaks bring the funk. They bring the soul. The bring the horns, the soul, the swagger, the sweat and everything else that comes with being a 10-piece soul/funk ensemble. While critics have been drooling over themselves trying to come up with […]

Dave DanielsJust Like Ghosts By Al Kaufman Atlantan, by way of Florida, Dave Daniels has a cute little story in the liner notes of his CD. It seems he was arrested for jaywalking and when the jail guard asked him what type of music he played, he couldn't answer him. The angry guard locked him […]

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: […]

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 […]