AltWeeklies Wire
California Honeydrops Brings a New Sensibility to Old Styles of Musicnew
Unlike mainstream revivalist acts like Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, or Raphael Saadiq, of late, the Honeydrops aren't dredging up old trends in order to make a concept album or a nostalgia-based soundtrack.
East Bay Express |
Rachel Swan |
12-10-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: California Honeydrops, Soul Tub!
New York's Longwave Just Wants to Have Funnew
It's a surprise just to hear how much Longwave has changed since the days of its 2001 debut Endsongs, when the band was stylistically lumped into the New York scene with emerging garage-rock superstars The Strokes, but the bigger surprise might be that this record exists at all.
Chicago Newcity |
Andy Seifert |
12-10-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Longwave, Secrets are Sinister
Max Ochs Still Works and Sings For Social Justicenew
By all rights, Max Ochs should be bitter. His college buddies, John Fahey and Robbie Basho, had more well-known and critically lauded musical careers. And the rare instance when Ochs does receive attention from the press, there's always an obligatory reference to his more famous cousin, Phil.
Baltimore City Paper |
David Dunlap Jr. |
12-09-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
NOBUNNY Loves Younew
Several years ago, NOBUNNY was hoping to travel the country as an animal Elvis impersonator. "I figured I could fill the animal niche since there's already like a Thai-Elvis and an extreme-Elvis and all that stuff," he explains.
Weekly Alibi |
Simon McCormack |
12-09-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
New Lineup and Album Introduce a 'Kinder, Gentler' New Grenadanew
The Detroit band is about to release Energy Shortage -- its first record since Nicole Allie's departure from the band and subsequent divorce from frontman John Nelson.
Metro Times |
Laura Witkowski |
12-09-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Soulful Sharon Little Goes Large and Gets Dirtynew
"In Philadelphia, I'm like nobody," says Little. "Nobody knows who I am." That's going to change. Her voice is too big, her momentum too strong, for her to stay incognito for long.
Philadelphia City Paper |
M.J. Fine |
12-09-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Athens' Dead Confederate Locks In on 'Wrecking Ball'new
The group's scorching new sound boasts killer rock tracks and layered guitars -- heavy and lumbering without being overbearing, accented by the Cobain-gone-South drawl of singer Hardy Morris.
Pittsburgh City Paper |
Chris Hassiotis |
12-08-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Zach Harjo Makes a Record He Actually Likesnew
Like Tom Waits, or the criminally under-referenced Randy Newman, Harjo mostly sidesteps the usual singer-songwriter trappings of personal confession, instead creating scenes and characters plucked from the dustier fringes of Americana.
Seattle Weekly |
Brian J Barr |
12-08-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
After Tackling 'Politics,' Sebastien Tellier Gets Deep into 'Sexuality'new
Back in 2004, French singer-songwriter Sebastien Tellier released Politics, an album that took on what most people see as a critical topic. But with the release of Sexuality, his latest recording, Tellier says he's found a more important one.
Westword |
Michael Roberts |
12-08-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Sexuality, Sebastien Tellier
Hip-Hop Ex-Pat Wafeek Celebrates Paradoxes with New Albumnew
How does he reconcile the fact that he's backhanding the hype machine with one hand while hitting up one of the best-known hip-hop blogs for some cross-promotional buzz with the other?
Riverfront Times |
Keegan Hamilton |
12-05-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Mercury Rev's Strange Attractionsnew
The New York State band invokes animal spirits and alchemical magic to make two new albums.
Montreal Mirror |
Lorraine Carpenter |
12-05-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Dressy Bessy Finally Finds a Decent Drummernew
After various trials, Dressy Bessy lead Tammy Ealom is comfortable with her new drummer and happy to be performing live.
Tucson Weekly |
Linda Ray |
12-04-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Wu-Tang's Raekwon Discusses Reuniting and Reconnecting with Fansnew
The individual members of Wu-Tang are involved in so many projects, some of them might not even be aware of each other's work. For instance, Raekwon said he wasn't aware of the latest album billed to Wu-Tang: Soundtracks From the Shaolin Temple, which was released Oct. 7, even though he appears on it.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
12-04-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Blue Mountain Reunites, Toursnew
Alt-country pioneers Blue Mountain have been through it all in the nearly two decades since they formed in Oxford, Miss.
Jackson Free Press |
Michael Patronik |
12-04-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Blitzen Trapper Refines its Sound and Garners National Attentionnew
Furr is the most straightforward release yet from the Portland band that marries spindly Appalachian folk, blitzkrieg synth explosions, and riff-tastic Southern rock.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
12-04-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Blitzen Trapper, Furr
