Maria Taylor LadyLuckNettwerk By Alexandra Edwards There's something about LadyLuck, Maria Taylor's third solo album, that makes you think she's trying to go more mainstream. Maybe it's the cover art: scrubbed up and featuring a close shot of Taylor's face, the title written in a girly cursive and adorned with flowers. It looks like it'd […]
Tom NorthropDestination Love by Al Kaufman Tom Northrop loves his wife and child. Of that, nobody can deny, at least not after listening to Destination Love. Paeans of love abound in this CD, including a song for his new son Justin, called, of all things, "My Baby Justin." In fact, Justin is the reason Northrop […]
By Samantha A. Parvin Pendulum, the drum 'n' bass/rock/electronic four-piece from Perth, Australia, was an appropriate booking for a Wednesday night at Center Stage; there didn’t seem to be many “9 to 5-ers” in the crowd who would need to get up early on Thursday morning. Pendulum’s fan base is undeniably eclectic, and the […]
Late of the PierFantasy Black ChannelAstralwerks By Leila Regan-Porter Late of the Pier are all over the place. And it seems they like it that way. From metal guitars to post punk keyboards to glam vocals to electro beats to severe dance tendancies to avant garde stylings, the band from Castle Donnington, England have a […]
By Alexandra Edwards Playing the Loft can be a mixed bag. The venue is wonderful, to be sure: spacious, with more than decent sightlines, friendly bartenders, and comfy couches to chill on. But some nights, the drum mix sucks. Sadly, this was the case at Tuesday night's Glasvegas show. From the moment the drums came […]
Michelle MaloneDebrisSBS Records By Al Kaufman The first four songs on Moanin' Michelle Malone's new CD, Debris, are the four best blues songs you'll hear this year. It is, quite possibly, the best four-song combination ever put together in a blues album. If someone teaches a Modern Blues 101 class, that person should start with […]
Damion Suomi Self Titled P is for Panda By Julia Reidy Atlanta art/music/charity label P is for Panda presents its first signed artist’s first full-length release: 38.4 minutes of Damion Suomi’s satisfying, alcohol-soaked tenor crooning over a traditional Americana guitar band. Though the pool hall orchestrations (“San Francisco” is a barn stomper and “Oh, Won’t […]
The day started off with a late lunch at the legendary Hut's Hambugers, a joint that features burgers named after folks like The Big Bopper, Alan Freed, Fats Domino and Ritchie Valens (got me a Hut's Favorite with mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, bacon and American cheese and an amazing chocolate milkshake. Lush). After the protein-heavy nutrition, […]
Glenn Tilbrook & the FluffersPandemonium EnsuesE1 Music By Al Kaufman Glenn Tilbrook's voice is mellifluous. It is both familiar and exciting. With Chris Difford in Squeeze, he created pop songs so ingenious it drew the band comparisons to a little songwriting team known as Lennon and McCartney. Alone, Tilbrook still has the voice, and he […]
As would be expected, my second day of SXSW got off to a late start. But a good start nonetheless, with a rollicking great set from Death on Two Wheels (pictured above) at the Paste/Vanguard/Sugar Hill/Russell Carter party. The Atlanta band thrashed away happily in the sun with full rock and roll drive. With wailing […]
Having just landed in Austin at 10.30 a.m., I dove straight into the Texas culture with a well-needed lunch at Iron Works, one of the best and oldest BBQ joints in the city. The joy of SXSW is that it’s not just about the music. Yes, it’s an awful lot about the music, as […]
White Lies To Lose My Life Geffen By Eileen Tilson White Lies, a band made up of a trio of school mates, are quickly selling out dates in the U.K., as well as parts of Canada and the U.S., and have been gathering steam since as early as summer of 2008 – quickly becoming a buzzed about band playing […]
By Ben Grad Arish Khan (aka King Khan) recorded an EP in Germany with Black Lips a few weeks ago, shortly after the Lips were forced to flee India by government censors. Like Black Lips, Khan's bands (The King Khan & BBQ Show, King Khan and the Shrines) have a reputation for riotous, bodily-fluid-infused performances. […]
Bell X1 Blue Light on the Runway Yep Roc By Eileen Tilson On a recent interview on a local New York radio station, Paul Noonan, of Ireland's favorite "art-pop" band Bell X1, tells the story of a boy and girl who met randomly in Ireland with the intentions of meeting one day in New York […]
North Elementary Not For Everyone, Just For You Eskimo Kiss By Julia Reidy Not For Everyone, Just For You is a workout in recent redux. Chapel Hill band North Elementary’s fourth full-length recycles, albeit quite competently, so many of the now clichéd sonic styles found in ‘90s alternative, recalling the likes of Vertical Horizon, […]
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