Music
▼ National Reviews
Against Me! @ The Rail
Ostensibly, I was at this show to review the Henry Clay People’s performance, but the poppy Californian party-rockers literally played their last notes as I entered the venue. My disappointment was short-lived, as Against Me!, one of my favorite bands of all time, was set to take the stage next. The early start time meant I’d be home by 9:00 and able to keep my strict, geriatric-lite sleep schedule and be in bed by 11:00. Score. … read more
National CD Reviews – July 2010
This month we feature reviews of new music from Against Me!, Band of Horses, Brimstone Howl, Damien Jurado, Integrity, Kaskade, Morcheeba, Noctiferia, Ratatat, Starkweather, The Tony Danza Tap Dance Extravaganza and many many more.
Andy Bell – Non-Stop review
While comparisons to his active role as one half of Erasure are inevitable (they’d have to be) Andy Bell—one of the world’s most underrated vocalists—has captured the magic on his second solo album, the sublime Non-Stop. The secret here, besides Bell’s ability to always create a hummable chorus, is his willingness to experiment with his vocals. … read more
National CD Reviews – June 2010
Reviews of new releases from Acid Tiger, Devin the Dude, Exodus, The Fall, The Gaslight Anthem, The Hold Steady, MGMT, Minus the Bear, The New Pornographers, Off With Their Heads, Sage Francis, Sharon Jones and many more are featured.
Fear Factory @ Club Sound
Fear Factory is one of those bands I’d do anything to see live, no matter how many times I’ve seen them before. I started listening to Fear Factory as a teenager, and despite some lackluster albums, line-up changes and even a period of being officially broken up, I’ve always been a fan for reasons that I cannot fully comprehend. … read more
Coheed & Cambria @ The Great Saltair
I watched as the techs did their instrument and sound checking and prepared the stage for the main event. And then, there it was: fog, spewing up from the stage floor. The techs scurried off the stage, the lights went black and the gigantic movie screen (set behind the stage)became illuminated. Sound began to flood my ears. The music became subtly more intense, until, at last, C&C took the stage to a frenzied crowd of devoted followers. … read more
Mynabirds – What We Lose In The Fire.. Review
It’s not often that I stumble upon a new talent that overwhelms me, but when I do I want to share it with everyone that I know. When I received The Mynabirds’ debut, the heavenly What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood to review back in February, I was first intrigued by the title and then absolutely blown away by the sound. … read more
Yeasayer @ Club Sound
I remember seeing Yeasayer at Kilby Court two years ago, as the opening act for MGMT. Back then their self-applied genre, Middle Eastern-psych-snap-gospel, still fit. Times have changed. Yeasayer is headlining these days, playing to people who probably know nothing of Man Man (the last band Yeasayer toured with, and opened for). … read more
National CD Reviews – May 2010
New releases from 108, Avi Buffalo, Black Breath, Black Francis, Coheed and Cambria, Elliott Smith, Goldfrapp, Leatherface, Psalm One, Univox and many more are reviewed this month.
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National CD Reviews – April 2010
New releases from The Dillinger Escape Plan, Felix Cartal, GBH, Lair of the Minotaur, Ludicra, Red Sparowes, The Slackers, Titus Andronicus, The Weakerthans and many, many more are reviewed. … read more