Von IvaGirls on FilmStickfigure RecordsBy Eileen Tilson Rumor has it that Von Iva, grandmother of Jillian Iva and the band’s namesake, was one of the most seductive snake-charmers of her time. She captivated her audience, mesmerizing them with her control of her body; Walking on stage in her short shorts and heels on Von Iva’s […]

Magic WandsMagic Love & Dreams By Eileen Tilson With a name like Dexy Valentine, from the leader of a band called The Magic Wands, you are most likely to expect a scene out of a Hogwarts prom, and truth be told, you would not be that far off. With their four song EP, Magic Love […]

Elizabeth & the Catapult Taller Children Verve Forecast Elizabeth & the Catapult's fearless leader Elizabeth Ziman has some serious credentials on her musical CV. Born and raised in Greenwich Village, she was introduced to music through classical piano, leading her to fall in love with composers like Debussy and Chopin, and discovered a talent that […]

Wayne HancockViper of MelodyBloodshot By Al Kaufman You won't hear Wayne Hancock on country radio. That's because Hancock is too country for today's country radio. Hancock is an unabashed throwback to the days of Jimmie Rodgers and Ernest Tubbs. This is old fashioned roadhouse, honky-tonk, country, with a yodel or two thrown in for good […]

Nerd ParadeThe Span of a Life By Alexandra Edwards Hearkening back to the days when the American South was inextricably tied to rock 'n' roll, Nerd Parade's The Span of a Life contains the kinds of big sounds and inventive daring that rock music should be about. The songs would, in fact, make the perfect […]

Casper & the Cookies Modern Silence HHBTM Records By Scott Roberts You might not expect “serious” music from a band called Casper& the Cookies. Even leader and principal Cookie Jason NeSmith comes across as ambivalent and almost apologetic about the name in the band’s press kit: “We thought of better names, but this one stuck […]

David Berkeley Strange Light Straw Man Music By Samantha Parvin It’s a shame that physical compact discs are going out of style, because David Berkeley’s third studio album, Strange Light, is beautifully packaged.  And luckily for him, the audible art matches its visual counterpart. David Gray meets Ryan Adams circa Demolition meets Gavin DeGraw’s country-insinuating […]

PJ Harvey & John ParishA Woman a Man Walked By Island By Eileen Tilson Polly Jean Harvey is an artist that you pledge your allegiance to, are secretly scared of, don’t quite understand, but still find yourself diving into her music to find the hidden meanings. She is a modern day Caravaggio; enigmatic, fascinating, rebellious […]

The Airborne Toxic EventThe Airborne Toxic EventMusebox By Eileen Tilson When a band from Los Angeles comes along with a name like The Airborne Toxic Event, it makes sense to assume they are probably some dirty punk band, a product of their environment, but you would be wrong. Instead TATE, presents themselves as a society […]

Paul ThornA Long Way from TupeloPerpetual Obscurity Records By Al Kaufman Paul Thorn is a man's man. Back in 1988, he went six bloody rounds with the legendary Roberto Duran. But he is also sensitive enough that he hugged his idol both before the bout and after (when they were both in the emergency room […]

Tom GossBack to Love… By Al Kaufman As You Tube sensation Susan Boyle demonstrated, you can't judge a singer by his or her looks. On the cover of Back to Love…Tom Goss looks like a slight, New Agey guy with a reed-like voice. What he actually is, is a pop tunesmith with gritty, somewhat nasally vocals […]

PT WalkleyMr. Macy Wakes Alone By Eileen Tilson Once upon a time, musical troubadours would travel around town to town singing the news of distant lands. They were the pied pipers of their time, drawing in their audience with a plot filled with twists and turns, and intricate characters. In PT Walkley’s first solo project […]

New York Dolls ‘Cause I Sez So Atco By Noel Wurst It’s strange to compare the New York Dolls latest album, ‘Cause I Sez So, to the music of Randy Newman, but it’s pretty easy to do so. Both acts have been around a gazillion years, both have had really great songs, and they’ve both […]

Ida MariaFortress 'Round My HeartMercury Records By Alexandra Edwards What is the fortress around Ida Maria's heart? Perhaps it's the frantically fun beat, the enjoyment of the night of with no thought of the morning after. The songs are stories of bars and boys, but with little sense of lament. Even on "Queen of the […]

Miniature TigersTell It to the VolcanoEpic By Alexandra Edwards In recent years, a particular subgenre of indie cinema has developed: cute and quirky films centered around offbeat, slightly strange boys who defy all previous tenants of masculinity. Think Zach Braff's character in Garden State, pretty much any role Michael Cera has ever played on the […]