Fanfarlo Rooms Filled with Light Atlantic Records By Al Kaufman The indie-pop world took notice when Fanfarlo released their debut, Reservoir, in 2009. Now, three years later, Fanfarlo has gone back about 30 years to create their new sound. In listening to Rooms Filled with Light, one would not be unreasonable to believe the band […]
Bruce Springsteen Wrecking Ball Columbia By Al Kaufman The Boss is back. I honestly never thought I would get a chance to write those words. A Springsteen fan since before my teen years, I have watched as Bruce slowly grew into a caricature of himself. It was like he had read all the hype about […]
Heartless Bastards Arrow Partisan Records By Al Kaufman Heartless Bastards answer the all important question: What if Adele was backed by a Texas band? Erika Wennerstrom, the vocal storm behind the band, has penned 11 songs that show off all her abilities. The soulful “Marathon” is followed by the poppy “Parted Ways,” until the song […]
Cloud Nothings Attack on Memory Carpark By Al Kaufman Almost every band for the past five years has made the lead of song for their album, if not their best one, at least one that reaches out and grabs, that pulls the listener in. Dylan Baldi, the man behind Cleveland, Ohio’s Cloud Nothings, does just […]
Ben Kweller Go Fly a Kite Noise By Al Kaufman If Nick Lowe was the Jesus of cool of the 20th century, then Ben Kweller appears ready to take over the role for the new millennium. Kweller writes pure pop for now people. It’s tight and crisp without being trite. Every song on here sounds […]
Red Wanting Blue From the Vanishing Point Fanatic Records By Al Kaufman Red Wanting Blue plays slick, mainstream pop-rock songs. That could be the whole review right there, but it would leave the layout for this review wanting. It’s like Train or Hootie and the Blowfish, or, to a lesser extent, Counting Crows. It’s that […]
Amy LaVere Stranger Me Archer Records By Al Kaufman Turbulent times often leads to great art. Such is the case with Amy LaVere. While preparing to make her third album three years ago, her producer and mentor, Jim Dickenson, died of complications from triple bypass surgery. Then her guitarist, Steve Selvidge, left to join The […]
By Al Kaufman Fountains of Wayne is not your typical success story. The New York-based band came up with the name after driving by a yard art store in Wayne, N.J., then quickly signed with Atlantic Records in 1996. They were subsequently dropped after their first two albums did not sell up to Atlantic’s expectations. […]
Eric Taylor Live at the Red Shack Blue Ruby Music By Al Kaufman Eric Taylor is like that cool uncle you had. You know, the one who lived out in the woods in a cabin he built by himself. He talked a little saltier than your mom approved of, he didn’t care if you flipped […]
Dare Dukes and the Blackstock Collection Thugs and China Dolls Starland Records By Al Kaufman When Savannah’s Dare Dukes released his debut, Prettiest Transmitter of All, in 2008, he established himself as a gifted songwriter who could write a catchy (but not obvious) hook. But, most importantly, he demonstrated that he has a penchant for […]
Gary Clark Jr. The Bright Lights EP Warner Brothers By Al Kaufman In Austin, Texas, blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan is God. His likeness overlooks the heraled Barton Creek, defending it against the evils of cheap pop music. Gary Clark Jr, who grew up in Austin, often hears his name bandied about in the […]
Black Keys El Camino Nonesuch By Al Kaufman It surprises nobody anymore that a couple of white boys from Akron, Ohio (Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, to be precise) can pack their music with so much blues and soul, but the fact that with El Camino, their seventh album, they continue to get better and […]
R.E.M. Part Lies Part Heart Part Truth Part Garbage 1982-2011 Warner Brothers By Al Kaufman For many people outside of Georgia, R.E.M. broke up about 15 years too late. They should have called it quits after Bill Berry retired and before Michael Stipe started bitching in his songs. R.E.M. had a few lean years in […]
Various Artists The Twilight Saga — Breaking Dawn Part I Soundtrack Chop Shop/Atlantic By Al Kaufman While the Twilight movie series caters to teenage girls who find nothing more romantic than sleeping with 500-year-old vampires who wear glitter, the soundtracks aim for a wider audience. Past releases have helped aid the careers of the likes […]
She & Him A Very She & Him Christmas Merge Records By Al Kaufman Kind of like in Rilo Kiley, when Blake Sennett barely got a word in edgewise against the more engaging Jenny Lewis, so it is that M. Ward scarcely shows up on this Zooey Deschanel showcase. The pair have made a couple […]
Have Your Say (Latest Comments)