The Morning Benders Bring Sunny Cali-Pop Back to a Wintry Atlanta By Alexandra Edwards The last time the Morning Benders came through town, it was a balmy October and they were the first band of the night, playing in support of Ra Ra Riot. Since then, the four-piece from Berkeley, Calif. has toured the country, had […]
Pierce PettisThat Kind of LoveCompass Records by Al Kaufman Pierce Pettis came out of that '80s folk movement that brought us the likes of Suzanne Vega, Tracy Chapman and Bill Morrissey. Like the three aforementioned songwriters, Pettis does not waste his time navel gazing or spouting platitudes. He writes honest little stories and slices of […]
By Ben Grad Though The Killers are associated with Las Vegas in their album art, promotional materials, and stage props, their sound is more international, purposefully divorced from the little musical gestures that normally add the prefixes "West Coast," "Southern," or "Midwest" to a band's biography. If anything, their musical roots are closer to […]
Funeral Party The Bootleg EP Independent Label Group By Alexandra Edwards Funeral Party, a four-piece from working class East LA, have released a promising three-song EP that showcases their considerable popularity as a backyard-party band. The Bootleg EP may not reinvent the genre, but it definitely proves they have an aptitude for post-punk dance music.
Modern Skirts All Of Us In Our Night Self-released By Julia Reidy Athens, Ga.’s Modern Skirts will never not make pop music, no matter how hard they try. Their sophomore full-length, entitled All Of Us In Our Night, is just that — albeit an exercise in pop with a good bit of the […]
The Virgins January 25, 2009 The Drunken Unicorn By Alexandra Edwards It was LA meets NYC on the staging ground of the Dirty South this past weekend at the Drunken Unicorn, and it was more fun than a crowd should be allowed to have on a Sunday night. Starting things off around 9 p.m. — […]
The Love WillowsHey! Hey!Decca by Al Kaufman It must be the dour economic times that makes people want to listen to unabashedly happy music. Last year we had the Submarines out of LA, and this year it's time for Atlanta's Love Willows. The duo of singer Hope Partlow and multi-instrumentalist and singer Ryan Wilson are […]
Ying QuartetDim SumTelarc **** by Al Kaufman Ah, these Ying kids. Three brothers and a sister make up a classical quartet consisting of two violins, a viola, and a cello. But this is not the classical music your stodgy old grandmother listens to. The CD is named Dim Sum because, like the food, these are […]
Sharon RobinsonEverybody Knows ***1/2 by Al Kaufman In her over 20 years in the music business, Robinson has penned songs for some of the biggest names; including Diana Ross, Don Henley, and Rufus Wainwright. Her biggest success came when she co-wrote the Patti LaBelle recorded "New Attitude" for Beverly Hills Cop. But if anyone in […]
Ray Davis / LocksleyVariety PlayhouseDec 2nd 2008By Stephanie Roman The chilly December night at Variety Playhouse began with a welcome warm-up from Locksley–the Brooklyn-invasion mod squad who kicked off the evening quite well for their young fans and the Ray Davies crowd. Groovy backbeats and garage-rock guitars dominated the band's hits: "All Over Again", "Why Can't I Be You" (not The Cure song), and "Don't Make […]
Patty LarkinWatch the SkyVanguard ** 1/2 by Al Kaufman It's easy to imagine folkie Patty Larkin walking into the studio. Her eyes light up as bright as her fiery red hair as she views all the shiny knobs and buttons. She cuts her song (playing all the instruments herself), then plays with all the controls […]
Dare DukesPrettiest Transmitter of AllStarland Records **** by Al Kaufman A musician always takes a big risk by opening his CD with his best song. Sure, he captures the listener's attention right away, but then he puts himself in the unenviable position of having to retain it. Dare Dukes has no problem with this. Prettiest […]
Alison Brown QuartetEvergreenCompass Records **** by Al Kaufman Every year around this time some of the bigger artists release their Christmas CDs. Then they store them away in January and pull them back out again in November. It creates a guaranteed seller for at least one month out of the year. This year is no […]
George DukeDukey TreatsBPM/Heads Up International 4 stars by Al Kaufman George Duke is to be excused if he chooses to revisit the days of yesteryear, for he was a major player back in the day of old school funk, and if anyone can make it fresh again, he is the man. Duke is a titan […]
The Gay BladesGhosts4 Never Records/Triple Crown 2 stars by Al Kaufman Everyone knows people who are smart, but not nearly as smart as they think they are. These people also tend to not be nearly as funny as they think they are. But they sure as hell think they are smarter and funnier than you. […]
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