Meghan CoffeeSongs to Sail Byself-release by Al Kaufman Every female singer/songwriter pianist that comes out these days inevitably draws comparisons to Tori Amos and Regina Spektor, and so too shall local girl Meghan Coffee. Her piano swirls and twirls with raw emotion, as does her voice. But, despite her lack of years, Coffee’s songs are […]
Theresa AnderssonHummingbird, GoBasin Street Records by Al Kaufman In most cases, mixing Sweden with New Orleans doesn’t work. Try to imagine Dr. John singing Dancing Queen. Not a pretty picture, is it? Theresa Andersson grew up in Sweden, but moved to New Orleans when she was 18. Thus it would only seem natural that her […]
Aimee Mann@#%&! SmilersSuperego Records by Al Kaufman Aimee Mann has a great sense of humor. Yes, she was the intense blonde screaming, "He said, ‘shut up!’ He said, ‘Shut up." in a theater on MTV for her Til Tuesday breakthrough video, "Vioces Carry." And, yes, many of her songs have been vents about evil record […]
Love PsychedelicoThis Is Love PsychedelicoHacktone Records by Al Kaufman When you’re a music critic, a lot of crap comes before your desk. Every once in a while the crap is so fantastic you can’t not listen to it. Love Psychedelico is such crap. Their press release labeled the Japanese duo as "insanely catchy garage pop" […]
The ArchitectsViceAnodyne Records by Al Kaufman Who says the concept album is dead? In this time of downloads and and itunes, the hard rocking Architects prefer theme albums. 2006’s Revenge was full of songs about, well, revenge. And this year’s Vice, is all about, well . . . let’s just say that subtlety is not […]
Brandi ShearerClose to DarkAmoeba Records by Al Kaufman Brandi Shearer has a voice you like. It has the soulful sweetness of a Norah Jones, with the smoldering sexuality and seductive darkness of Cowboy Junkies’ Margo Timmins, only with a little less darkness (hence the title?). It is a voice with which you’ll want […]
Jimmie’s Chicken ShackFail on CueFowl records by Al Kaufman Behind Matt Jones’ churning guitar, Jimi Haha begins his midle-age crisis on "17," the opening track of Fail on Cue. "The earth keeps spinning, but we’re not moving," he sings, as he moves on to talk about driving around and making out like he did when […]
by Al Kaufman All testosterone will be left at the door Tuesday night, as the past, present, and future of women’s music invade Eddie’s Attic. Yet the music of Ferron, Bitch, and Rachael Sage is so good that it transcends gender in much the same way Jackie Robinson and Muhammed Ali transcended sports. Ferron is […]
Tyler Ramsey A Long Dream about Swimming across the Sea Echo Mountain Records By Al Kaufman Talk about your apt titles. Tyler Ramsey’s A Long Dream about Swimming across the Sea sounds just like what one thinks it should sound. It’s moody and atmospheric, ethereal and melancholy, pretty and delicate. Ramsey’s beautiful guitar strums and […]
James McMurtry Just Us Kids Lightning Rod Records By Al Kaufman If Bruce Springsteen had grown up in Texas, and not become a disgustingly rich superstar, he would have been James McMurtry. McMurtry knows his way around a six-string, and he sings of people who are disillusioned, on the fringe, growing older, and just […]
RomanticaAmerica2024 Records By Al Kaufman Ben Kyle may have been born and raised in Ireland, and he may pine for games of cricket and girls named Fiona, but he is also the quintessential American, if only for the reason that America is a virtually flawless Americana album. Yes, the sound may sometimes be confused with […]
Alex NackmanStill Life MovesLong Road Records By Al Kaufman With his pin-up good lucks and yearning vocals, a la John Mayer and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Alex Nackman is a teenage girl’s dream. He seems like the type of guy who, on a first date, would hold hands during a romantic walk to the pier, then […]
BoDeansStillHe and He LPBy Al Kaufman For over 20 years, Kurt Neumann and Sam Llanas, the core of the BoDeans, have been doing what they do. They play their Wisconsin rock and roll with a lot of melody, some harmony, a little twang, and a whole lot of sweat. Call it rock from the heartland, […]
Sarah BettensShineCocoon RecordsBy Al Kaufman Back in the ‘90s, Sarah Bettens fronted the Belgian alt-rock band, K’s Choice. Their biggest US single, “Not an Addict,” celebrated sobriety so darkly that it would only seem upbeat to heroin addicts. Since that time Bettens has made more than a few transformations. The band broke up (although plans […]
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