CD Review: Broken Bells — Broken Bells; Playing Center Stage, June 10 and the 40 Watt, June 11

CD Review: Broken Bells — Broken Bells; Playing Center Stage, June 10 and the 40 Watt, June 11

Broken Bells Broken Bells Sony By Micah McLain When Brian Burton (AKA Danger Mouse) and The Shins’ lead singer James Mercer announced their collaboration in 2009, fans of both artists were no doubt excited about the wide range of sonic possibilities. While both artists come from very different backgrounds, their trajectories have been moving closer […]

CD Review: Justin Currie — The Great War

CD Review: Justin Currie — The Great War

Justin Currie The Great War Ryko By Al Kaufman You know Justin Currie. He was singer and songwriter behind Del Amitri, the ’90s Scottish pop-rock band that had a knack for playing instantly familiar tracks, such as “Always the Last to Know” and “Roll to Me;” songs that everyone knows, but nobody knows who sings […]

CD Review: Plants and Animals — La La Land; Playing The EARL, June 5

CD Review: Plants and Animals — La La Land; Playing The EARL, June 5

Plants and Animals La La Land Secret City Records By Chris Homer La La Land, the second album from Montreal trio Plants and Animals, marks a major shift in the band’s sound. While Plants and Animals’ 2008 debut, Parc Avenue, was anchored by quiet folk melodies interspersed with huge choir choruses, blasts of brass horns […]

CD Review: Findlay Brown — Love Will Find You; Playing Variety Playhouse, May 15

CD Review: Findlay Brown — Love Will Find You; Playing Variety Playhouse, May 15

Findlay Brown Love Will Find You Verve By Jim Simpson Looking like the love child of K.D. Lang and Morrissey — like that’d ever happen; maybe he’s Jesus, miracle birth and all — the young Brit has been touted as this century’s Roy Orbison, Truth be told, Findlay Brown sounds more like Nick Lowe crooning […]

CD Review: Cinetrope — Once I Ruled the World; Playing 500 Songs For Kids at Smith’s Olde Bar, April 30

CD Review: Cinetrope — Once I Ruled the World; Playing 500 Songs For Kids at Smith’s Olde Bar, April 30

Cinetrope Once I Ruled the World Zombino By Al Kaufman Cinetrope think big. The Atlanta band, whose name means “film music,” have created a concept album about a man-made plague that ends the world (turning people into zombies, of course), the guilt the creator of the plague goes through, and the creator’s ultimate redemption by inventing […]

CD Review: Brett Harris — Man Of Few Words; Playing Kavarna with Nick Niespodziani and Ken Will Morton, April 22

CD Review: Brett Harris — Man Of Few Words; Playing Kavarna with Nick Niespodziani and Ken Will Morton, April 22

Brett Harris Man Of Few Words By Leila Regan-Porter It’s been said before of amazing undiscovered gems, and we’re going to say it again: It is a wonder that Brett Harris is not a bona fide pop star. His tunes should be heard on every episode of “Bones,” every commercial for a Toyota Prius, at […]

CD Review: Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers — Agridustrial; Playing The EARL May 8

CD Review: Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers — Agridustrial; Playing The EARL May 8

Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers Agridustrial By Eileen Tilson Known for their ability to shake redneck country, punk, and hillbilly blues into a whiskey-infused shot of sin, Nashville-based Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers are back with their release of Agridustrial on their own Colonel Knowledge Records.  The band comes back guns blazing with just a few changes […]

CD Review: Everybody Was In The French Resistance … Now! – Fixin’ the Charts Vol. 1; Playing The EARL May 17

CD Review: Everybody Was In The French Resistance … Now! – Fixin’ the Charts Vol. 1; Playing The EARL May 17

Everybody Was In The French Resistance … Now! Fixin’ the Charts Vol. 1 By Jennifer Gibson Art Brut’s Eddie Argos and his girlfriend Dyan Valdes of The Blood Arm may have made one of the most intellectually-stimulating records in recent memory. Stimulating, that is, for music geeks. For everyone else, it’s just one of the […]

CD Review: Evelyn Evelyn – Evelyn Evelyn

CD Review: Evelyn Evelyn – Evelyn Evelyn

Evelyn Evelyn Evelyn Evelyn Eleven Records By Al Kaufman Thankfully, nobody on the planet flies their freak flag higher than Amanda Palmer, and even she needed to find a longer pole for her latest endeavor, Evelyn Evelyn; ukulele-playing conjoined twins who share “three legs, two arms, two hearts, three lungs, and a single liver.” Palmer, a […]

CD Review: Gift Horse — Mountain of Youth

CD Review: Gift Horse — Mountain of Youth

Gift Horse Mountain of Youth By Alec Wooden In many ways, Athens-based Gift Horse began the push behind its debut full-length, Mountain of Youth, with the odds stacked against them. Gift Horse has become something of a must-see on a local and semi-regional level, developing a worth of mouth buzz with a distinctive brand of […]

CD Review: Nneka — Concrete Jungle; Playing The Tabernacle, June 12 with Nas and Damien Marley

CD Review: Nneka — Concrete Jungle; Playing The Tabernacle, June 12 with Nas and Damien Marley

Nneka Concrete Jungle Epic/Decon By Jim Simpson Hope. Love. Peace. Political awareness. Passion. Intelligence. Singer-songwriter Nneka exudes all these things and much more. With the release of Concrete Jungle, her U.S. debut, she’s been touted as the next big thing, despite having critical success in Europe since 2007, and drawing high praise from critics and […]

CD Review: The Temper Trap — Conditions; Playing The Loft, April 9

CD Review: The Temper Trap — Conditions; Playing The Loft, April 9

The Temper Trap Conditions By Eileen Tilson Apparently there is more to Australia than Vegemite and AC/DC. Out of Melbourne comes The Temper Trap sailing high above the kangaroos and kuala bears, setting their sites on the U2-like dreams of grandeur. With their debut album, Conditions, music producer Jeff Abbiss, (Artic Monkeys’, Editors, Kasabian) cleverly […]