CD Review: Will Kimbrough- Sideshow Love

By Al Kaufman Like his friends Todd Snider and Hayes Carll, Will Kimbrough is a man who can tell a magical story about everyday people doing everyday things in four minutes or less.  Sometimes the story is funny, sometimes it is sad. Sometimes it is both. But it is always insightful. It is always clever […]

CD Review: Chadwick Stokes — Simmerkane II; Playing The Loft, September 28

Chadwick Stokes Simmerkane II Ruff Shod By Al Kaufman Chadwick Stokes is a busy guy; so busy he uses more than one name. Under the name Chadwick Urmston, he fronts the indie rock band Dispatch, and the alternative, politically-charged State Radio, a band not afraid to throw some reggae and funk into the mix. As […]

CD Review: Scott H. Biram — Bad Ingredients; Playing Star Bar, September 29

Scott H. Biram Bad Ingredients Bloodshot By Al Kaufman Scott H. Biram doesn’t give a shit. The Austinite simply wants to wail on his guitar and belt out some hillbilly blues, which is what he does on Bad Ingredients. There’s no spit-shine polish here. No long-haired, pony-tailed guy twisting knobs in the studio. It’s just […]

CD Review: John Hiatt — Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns; Plays Callaway Gardens October 9th

  John Hiatt Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns New West By Al Kaufman In the world of Americana music, John Hiatt is royalty. He is quite simply one of the damn best songcrafters working today. Bonnie Raitt (“Thing Called Love”), Suzy Bogguss (“Drive South”), and Aaron Neville (“It Feels Like Rain”) have all had big […]

CD Review: Hotel Lights — Girl Graffiti; Playing Vinyl, September 9

Hotel Lights Girl Graffiti Bar/None By Al Kaufman Girl Graffiti is so full of hushed tones that when the band finally breaks into the mildly upbeat “Dave Sharkey to the Dance Floor,” (with its “Sweet Jane” guitar intro) it feels like an all out frenzy, albeit the most reserved frenzy in music history. Darren Jessee, […]

CD Review: The Greencards — The Brick Album; Playing Eddie’s Attic, September 9

The Greencards The Brick Album Darling Street Records By Al Kaufman The Aussies are doing everything they can to out-American the Americans in music. Kasey Chambers continues to make country music better than anything heard on country radio north of the equator. And, since 2003, Aussies Carol Young and Kym Warner have helmed a four-piece […]

CD Review: The Front Bottoms — The Front Bottoms; Playing WonderRoot, September 5

The Front Bottoms The Front Bottoms Bar/None By Al Kaufman One thing is sure; Brian Sella and Mathew Uychich, who play acoustic guitar and drums respectively, and make up the folk-punk band The Front Bottoms, have had their hearts ripped out through their noses a few times. It’s a safe bet to assume that this […]

CD Review: Hercules and Love Affair — Blue Songs; Playing Aaron’s Amphitheatre, August 23

Hercules and Love Affair Blue Songs Moshi Moshi Records By Al Kaufman Hercules and Love Affair never got memo issued some 30 years ago that simply stated, “Disco is dead.” This is a band that likes its music to pump and thump and bump. Listen to “Answers Come in Dreams” and listen to what can […]

CD Review: Bon Iver — Bon Iver; Play Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, July 28

  Bon Iver Bon Iver Jagjaguar By Al Kaufman Most fans know the story by now. Justin Vernon, a sensitive (bearded, naturally) guy from Wisconsin holed himself up in a cabin in the woods with his guitar and wrote a painstakingly beautiful and intimate album about a break-up. He gave himself the moniker Bon Iver, […]

CD Review: The Downtown Fiction — Let’s Be Animals; Playing Six Flags Over Georgia, July 23

The Downtown Fiction Let’s Be Animals Photo Finish By Al Kaufman It’s probably Green Day’s fault for making punk so popular and accessible. But at least Green Day still has a chip on their shoulder. They’re still fighting the man, even if they are doing it from Broadway. All The Downtown Fiction wants to do […]

CD Review: Taking Back Sunday — Taking Back Sunday; Playing Center Stage, July 13

Taking Back Sunday Taking Back Sunday Warner Brothers By Al Kaufman Everything old is new again. Taking back Sunday started in 1999 when a bunch of friends from Long Island got together to play their post-hardcore, emo rock. They had a few personnel changes, but released their first CD, Tell All Your Friends, in 2002. […]

CD Review: Ramajay Intercoastal — Work in Progress; Playing Old Crow Tavern and Grill, July 9

Ramajay Intercoastal Work in Progress Self-released By Al Kaufman “Ramajay” means many things; from “party” to “show off.” But the definition that is most relevant for our purposes is an improvisational competition between pannist (or steel drummers). And, of course, these competitions often lead to showing off and party-like atmospheres. The party atmosphere is what […]