CD Review: Ben Sollee –Inclusions; Playing Eddie’s Attic, June 22

Ben Sollee Inclusions Tin Ear/Thirty Tigers By Al Kaufman Ben Sollee is a classically trained cellist. Wait, keep reading. He is also a man with strong pop sensibilities and a heart throb voice. It’s a voice full of yearning and longing, but sensitive enough to say he only wants to cuddle. Women’s hearts have fluttered […]

CD Review: Death Cab for Cutie — Codes and Keys; Playing Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, August 11

Death Cab for Cutie Codes and Keys Atlantic By Al Kaufman Thanks to iTunes and other sites, the concept of the album is all but gone. Bands still release CDs, but they are just afterthoughts. They put their “reach out and grab you” song first, usually something a bit different as the third or fourth […]

CD Review: Crash Test Dummies — Oooh-La-La and Demo-Litions; Playing Smith’s Old Bar, May 22

Crash Test Dummies Oooh-La-La Deep Fried Records Crash Test Dummies Demo-Litions Cast-Off Recordings 1996-97 Deep Fried Records By Al Kaufman Back in 1993, Canada’s Crash Test Dummies, led by Brad Roberts — whose throaty bass-baritone sounded like he had washed down a hive of bees with a bottle of whiskey — released  their second CD, […]

CD Review: Fleet Foxes — Helplessness Blues; Play The Tabernacle, May 14

Fleet Foxes Helplessness Blues Sub Pop By Al Kaufman Like Low Anthem, or their Rainy City compatriots, Cave Singers, Fleet Foxes create tiny bits of baroque, indie magic. Their songs shimmer, shine, and dance in the light. As on their 2008, self-titled, debut CD, the sextet harmonizes like the best Crosby, Stills and Nash songs, […]

CD Review: The Kills — Blood Pressures; Playing Masquerade, April 23

The Kills Blood Pressures Domino By Al Kaufman The White Stripes started a movement. A lot of duos are coming out now featuring anvil-heavy blues guitar licks over a passionate voice. But few are doing it as well as The Kills. And that would make sense, since lead singer Allison Mosshart tackled the vocal chores for Jack […]

CD Review: Vivian Girls — Share the Joy

Vivian Girls Share the Joy Polyvinyl By Al Kaufman Finally, the world gets to find out what it would sound like if Beach Boy Brian Wilson and the late Joey Ramone had three daughters. For their first two CDs, Vivian Girls showed that they were a pretty good garage-rock band. More passion than talent, the […]

CD Review: Greymarket — Some Orbits Will Never Decay; Playing Under the Couch, March 11

CD Review: Greymarket — Some Orbits Will Never Decay; Playing Under the Couch, March 11

Greymarket Some Orbits Will Never Decay By Al Kaufman L. Cave McCoy has had his share of moonage daydreams concerning David Bowie. McCoy, the songwriter, guitarist, vocalist and programmer behind Greymarket (which also includes drummer Michael Gargiulo) is fascinated with space, as the bird-winged space shuttle on the front cover will attest to. McCoy also […]

CD Review: Bright Eyes — The People’s Key; Playing the Tabernacle, March 4

CD Review: Bright Eyes — The People’s Key; Playing the Tabernacle, March 4

Bright Eyes The People’s Key Saddle Creek By Al Kaufman “How sad it is to know I’m in control,” sings Conor Oberst on “Triple Spiral,” a melancholy song of loss with an upbeat melody. Indeed, Oberst and his accomplices, Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott, have never sounded more in control than they do on this, […]