Authors: James Orme
Review: The Chapin Sisters – A Date With the Everly...
What began as a labor of love for the Chapin Sisters has become a terrific installment to their catalogue, and even though the entire record is made up of Everly Brothers tunes, its almost as if the record is a collaboration of the two groups. … read more
Review: The Brains – The Monster Within
Psychobilly has an inherent problem in that the genre is a formula. Punk mixed with rockabilly decorated with horror imagery. Now by the time most bands have achieved those three elements they don’t seem to look beyond them, and that’s where the genre has become stagnant. Very few bands have been able to break the mold like The Brains. These Canadian psychos play at break neck speeds, but in some unholy way are still able to keep their songs highly melodic. … read more
Review: The Civil Wars – Self-Titled
The Civil Wars have been the breath of fresh air country music dreadfully needed … read more
Review: The Devil Makes Three – I’m a Stranger Here
Few bands can capture the imagination like Devil Makes Three. They invoke deep-woods medicine shows, jumping blues juke joints and midnight hootenannies by moonlight. … read more
Review: The Gaslight Anthem – The B-Sides
If you haven’t at least gone through Gaslight’s more polished releases, this is not for you, and is not designed to be your first Gaslight experience. They take a shot at The Rolling Stones’ “Tumbling Dice,” which is an uphill battle they manage quite well. … read more
Review: Swingin’ Utters – Fistful of Hollow
Swingin’ Utters = The Replacements + US Bombs … read more
Review: Southern Culture on the Skids – Dig This
For years, Southern Culture on the Skids have been one of those Americana bands that are such a well-built hotrod of a band that, when it comes to any of the genres that they tackle, they can naturally shift from country to surf to R&B and every bit sounds as authentic as it is original. … read more
Review: Scout Paré-Phillips – Heed the Call
Scout Paré-Phillips = Björk + Yoko Ono … read more
Review: Schooner – Neighborhood Veins
Spooky country songs bleed into ’50s rockers and soulful harmonies accent slow ballads. Like I said before, this is what indie should be: With every chance they get Schooner exercise the freedom they’ve cultivated for themselves. … read more
Review: Scott H. Biram – Nothin’ But Blood
Songs like his cover of “Backdoor Man” will put you on your ass. Biram, to me, has become the Southern roots music modern Hemingway, expressing honestly the dark parts of this life like only he can. … read more