They Might Be GiantsHere Comes ScienceDisney Sound By Al Kaufman Since the band's inception in 1986, many have accused geek rockers They Might Be Giants (namely, John Linnell and John Flansburgh) of being a kids' band. Between silly songs, such as "Purple Toupee," they put songs about American history, like "James K. Polk," or social […]
Blue Mother TupeloHeaven & Earth By Al Kaufman Ricky and Micol Davis are so happy and in love that you just want to smack them upside the head. He sings to her, "I like it when you smile," and she returns to him, "You make my life worth while," on the track "Tupelo." Their liner […]
Gordon Gano and the RyansUnder the SunYep Roc by Al Kaufman In 1983, when the Violent Femmes put out their self-titled debut album, they changed music. Their folk-punk sound, Gordon Gano's staccato whine, and his lyrics that mixed sex, violence, humor and God equally spoke to almost every alienated (read every) teenager. The Femmes didn't […]
Pete Yorn & Scarlett JohanssonBreak UpAtco By Al Kaufman Actress Scarlett Johansson's CD of Tom Waits' covers, 2008's Anywhere I Lay My Head, met with mixed reviews. Be that as it may, kudos should be given to Johansson for choosing the way-too-talented-and-cool-to-be-commercially-successful Waits as the artist she wished to cover. She plans on doing it […]
Chris KnightTrailer IIDrifter's Church By Al Kaufman Usually when an artist returns to the well that brought him success, the water does not taste as crisp. For Americana musician Chris Knight, that is most certainly not the case. When Knight released The Trailer Tapes, solo acoustic demo tracks he laid out in 1996 before he […]
Mark KnopflerGet LuckyReprise By Al Kaufman Mark Knopfler has come a long way since “Sultans of Swing.” The 1977 hit for Knopfler’s band Dire Straits created that trademark fuzzy guitar sound that would serve Knopfler well for the next 30 or so years. Yes, Knopfler has grown and changed over time. His music often has […]
Frank Sinatra Seduction: Sinatra Sings of LoveReprise By Kevin C. Madigan You can never have too much Sinatra. This fine collection happens to coincide with the new Twyla Tharp production Come Fly With Me, which opens this month at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre. The album features a cross-section of impeccable Sinatra standards built around the theme […]
Circulatory System Signal Morning Cloud Recordings By Julia Reidy Circulatory System’s Signal Morning embodies everything that’s great about Athens’ famed Elephant 6 collective — the experimental streak, the grumbling soundscapes, the ‘60s pop throwback vocals and guitar work (complete with backwards records), the psychedelia — without everything it risks. Will Cullen Hart (formerly of The […]
Venice is Sinking Okay By Sam Parvin I was rather excited to get my hands on the latest from Venice is Sinking, especially after a nearly three-year dry spell after their second full-length album, AZAR. The Okay maxisingle, released in response to AZAR, hit websites and stores in March. Okay’s packaging is modest, and through […]
WighatThe Hum of All ThingsSelf-released By Eileen Tilson Wighat’s latest album, The Hum of All Things, is as confusing and complicated as its cover. The EP contains a booklet that looks like it came right out of the pages of singer Rubi Cuautle’s journal, and is encased in a weblike envelope with a skull cut […]
Slaraffenland We’re On Your Side Hometapes It’s a rare find, but Denmark’s Slaraffenland truly sounds unlike anyone else. The all-male vocal harmonies on the band’s second U.S.-released LP bring to mind a men’s choir or barbershop quartet, bass-heavy, on-pitch and gorgeous. But see, then they mix that skill with rock n’ roll sensibilities; We’re On […]
BombadilTarpits and CanyonlandsRamseur Records By Leila Regan-Porter Life. Death. Love. Marriage. Pretty big themes to tackle, yet Bombadil take them all on for their latest work, the glorious Tarpits and Canyonlands. In fact, the four themes seem to make up one gigantic theme that runs throughout the whole record like a fierce winding river as […]
Imogen HeapEllipseRCA By Eileen Tilson One of my favorite movies from when I was young was Disney’s Fantasia. I always found myself mesmerized by the colliding of sounds and the swirling orchestras. The music was so visual, you could close your eyes and imagine a colorful waltz playing inside your head. It was moving and […]
Sarah Bettens Never Say Goodbye Cocoon Records By Al Kaufman The idea of putting out an unplugged acoustic CD is nothing new, but few are able to utilize the form to its full effect the way Sarah Bettens. A superstar in Europe, especially Belgium, Bettens is essentially known in the US for the song "Not […]
Drive-By TruckersThe Fine Print (A Collection Of Oddities and Rarities 2003-2008)New West By Micah McLain Although the Drive-By Truckers have made seven critically-acclaimed albums over the last 13 years, they have yet to properly release a collection of tracks that didn't make the final album cuts – until today. When one of the hardest working […]
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