Jenny Owen Youngs Transmitter Failure Nettwerk by Al Kaufman What sets Jenny Owen Youngs apart from the other girls with guitars is her versatility. She can get all potty-mouthed like Liz Phair one second, then snuggle up on your lap and ask you to stroke her hair the next. She’s tough and vulnerable, glib and confessional. […]
The Happy Hollows Spells By Alec Wooden Two tracks into my maiden spin through The Happy Hollows Spells, I wanted to be sure a couple mistakes weren’t made, so I made it a point to remind myself (literally, on paper): “You are not reviewing The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s.” Five minutes later, that was changed to […]
Last Chance Runaround Alter Idem Turtle’s Pace Records By Leila Regan-Porter First impressions are not everything. A glance at Last Chance Runaround’s record Alter Idem evokes ideas of folksy Celtic rock, which is cemented by the image of Sue Volkert (one half of the LCR duo) with her beautiful harp on the back cover of […]
By Kevin Griggs Lloyd’s Rocksteady Revue consist of a diverse group of musicians from the U.S., Jamaica and St. Lucia. In addition to Jonathan Lloyd on lead vocals and trombone, “LLR” is: Andy Bauer on guitar and keys or drums, April Duncan on vocals, Chris Case on organ, Kneah Francois on guitar and vocals, and […]
George Winston Love Will Come: The Music of Vince Guaraldi, Vol 2 By Eric Chavez Looking for that little something to calm your nerves and put a smile on your face? Grammy-award winning solo pianist George Winston knows a thing or two about how to tickle the ivories for that effect. The disc, a collection […]
Josh Harty A Long List of Lies By Eileen Tilson After one listen to North Dakota’s Josh Harty’s A Long List of Lies, it would not be a huge shocker if you confused it with a Sun Records production. Harty’s music has that steady-as-a-train beat that would be on any of Carl Perkin’s playlists. With […]
By Eileen Tilson Riddle me this: What do you get when you combine the mystic force of Led Zeppelin, the fierceness of the Foo and Nirvana, and the sexy swagger of Queens of the Stone Age? A band so powerful, you will need a stiff drink to swallow this pill. Put on you dirtiest tongue […]
Taylor Moore Band Taylor Moore & The Bordeaux Brothers EP By Sam Parvin Taylor Moore is good at fooling people. While his sounds are obviously blues-influenced, do not expect the usual three-chord B-Side Blues here. His guitar skills are reminiscent of a well-seasoned musician; with tricky riffs, tempo changes, and seamless harmonies. But the kid […]
Cold Cave Love Comes Close By Eileen Tilson Back in the day, before you were even allowed to set foot in unwelcoming club The Chamber in Atlanta, it was crucial to make sure your dark synth pop knowledge was about as up to date as your black platforms and pleather outfit. Descending into the dark […]
Mayer Hawthorne A Strange Arrangement Stones Throw Records By Eric Chavez The legacy of Diana Ross & The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, and other Motown favorites are alive and well in the heart of Mayer Hawthorne. His sound so emulates that of classic Motown, you can almost picture him with a form-fitting sequent gown and a […]
Sade Soldier of Love Sony Music By Eric Chavez Good music is like good sex, when it’s good, it lasts, and when it’s bad, you want it over, yesterday. On that thought, Sade’s new album Soldier of Love delivers the best lovemaking music since, well, her last record, Lover’s Rock. It’s been nearly a decade […]
Alejandro Sanz Paraiso Express WEA Latina By Eric Chavez From “El Alma al Aire” to “Corazon Partio,” his classics aren’t just hits, they are moments in Latin music history. Sanz’s music has always been musical mango, sweet and solid. Even his filler material is listenable because his performance simply demands it. With atmospheric, airy romantic […]
Stevie Monce The Broadcast By Al Kaufman In his press release, it says that Stevie Monce is “compared to artists like Ryan Adams, Snow Patrol and Kings of Leon.” Good company to be in, no doubt. And I’m sure Monce has a lot in common with them. They are all humans, all musicians, they may […]
By Jennifer Gibson Anyone remember uber-geek Waldo from the Van Halen video for “Hot for Teacher”? Well, if I didn’t already know Justin Townes Earle was the eldest progeny of former junkie and sometime-musician Steve (sorry, but his records have been hit or miss for me for the past decade), I’d swear he was sired […]
Ellis Paul The Day After Everything Changed Black Wolf Records By Al Kaufman Boston’s Ellis Paul has been writing contemporary folk for almost 20 years. You don’t do that by just strumming a guitar and acting all sensitive. Paul is a gifted, poetic writer with with a flair for crisp melodies. His voice, which resembles […]
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