CD Review: Tori Amos — Night of Hunters

Tori Amos Night of Hunters Deutsche Grammophon By Ellen Eldridge Those who know of Tori Amos may think she is eternally covered in pixie dust, destined only to a convoluted, yet lovely, web of spun song-children. With Night of Hunters, Amos’ stirs the emotions of long-time fans, and attracts new ones with the concept of […]

CD Review: Staind — Staind

Staind Staind  Atlantic/Roadrunner (for 9-13-11 release) By Ellen Eldridge The turn of the century laced listeners’ ears with the sounds of Staind from its debut Dysfunction in 1999 to the band’s 2001 release, Break the Cycle, that debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200. Shortly thereafter, Shades of Grey (2003) and Chapter V […]

Q&A with Superchunk’s Jon Wurster; Playing The Buckhead Theatre, September 8

By Ellen Eldridge Superchunk’s latest release Majesty Shredding comes across like a blast of fun jams; songs one would want to hear on the radio while driving to the beach for spring break. Making “Learned to Surf” the single proves a great idea as its ambience captures the feeling of the album. The guitar intro […]

Live Review & Picture Book: The Accidents, Coliseum, Corrosion Of Conformity at The EARL, August 3

Review and photos by Ellen Eldridge Full gallery after the jump. The Accidents posted their bluesy-rock set, which introduced their newest vinyl EP, on YouTube. William Duvall (Neon Christ, Alice In Chains), who produced the EP, joined his friends on stage for the finale, “Big Girls,” and then Coliseum took over. Both openers fit well […]

Picture Book & Live Review: Furthur at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, July 31

Review and photos by Ellen Eldridge. Full gallery after the jump. The scene out in front of the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre held a magical nostalgia with too-young-to-be-hippies camped out with babies and dogs waving fingers in the air to signal the need for a free ticket in. To a casual observer, it would appear a […]

CD Review: Weird Al Yankovic — Alpocalypse

Weird Al Yankovic Alpocalypse Volcano By Ellen Eldridge Weird Al Yankovic pissed me off when I was very young. He mocked Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” with a disgusting jab-in-the-gut called “Eat It.” At the time, I didn’t get it; I didn’t understand parody or even sarcasm. As an adult, well-versed at sarcasm, I can appreciate […]

CD Review: The Book of Knots — Garden of Fainting Stars

The Book of Knots Garden of Fainting Stars Ipecac Recordings By Ellen Eldridge The Book of Knots begins with the birth of “7-pounds 11 ounces of sin” in “Microgravity” and, after posing the question, “Will they survive this microgravity?,” the band embarks on its third concept album; this one dedicated to the absence of expected […]

CD Review: The Melvins — Sugar Daddy Live

The Melvins Sugar Daddy Live Ipecac Records By Ellen Eldridge The pleasingly sharp flavor of an old favorite arouses the taste buds during The Melvins’ latest release Sugar Daddy Live. This biting collection of songs reminds punk fans of the reasons to get rowdy on a Saturday night. The Melvins take listeners into the sweet, […]

CD Review: Plain Jane Automobile — Your Tomorrow; Playing Vinyl, May 11

Plain Jane Automobile Your Tomorrow Self-Released By Ellen Eldridge In a style U2 fans will find familiar, Plain Jane Automobile begin again with album opener “You Were Only A Song,” which recounts sentimentality of the loss of a friend to war. Admittedly, vocalist/guitarist Duke Crider felt compelled to tell the stories of WWII heroes and […]