AltWeeklies Wire
Avett Brothersnew
Scott and Seth Avett have bluegrass in their blood, but the pair actually cut their teeth on old-fashioned rock ’n' roll. Their fifth and finest album, Emotionalism, bears hallmarks of folk, rock,pop and even punk, filtered through the brothers' heart-on-the-sleeve aesthetic.
Gambit |
Noah Bonaparte Pais |
04-24-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Strange World of Bat for Lashes Is a Lot Like Oursnew
Hype and fans like Bjork and Thom Yorke notwithstanding, bat girl Natasha Khan's musical world is often a solitary and strange place.
Boston Phoenix |
Daniel Brockman |
04-23-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
C'mon, Del, Give Us Something to Care Aboutnew
Del the Funky Homosapien—probably the first rapper to ever sport a nose ring and a lip ring—has long had a peculiar way of traversing the hip-hop world, and his latest effort isn't any different.
INDY Week |
Eric Tullis |
04-23-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Detroit Rap's Fastest-Rising Star Creates Her Sonic Calling Card from Activism and Dissentnew
Invincible is one of the best emcees in the country, as many will tell you, gender notwithstanding, though the odds are stacked against her. Politicking in a pop world often spells fiscal failure.
San Antonio Current |
Brian Smith |
04-22-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Torche Takes on Metal with an Unlikely Arsenal of Pop Hooksnew
It's a little difficult imagining Torche's eureka formula of unalloyed metal power and unabashed pop hooks not winning over susceptible converts everywhere the Miami/Atlanta-based trio brings it. But to hear drummer Rick Smith tell it, Torche's hybrid appeal hasn't made things as easy as you might think.
Baltimore City Paper |
Lee Gardner |
04-21-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
West African Music Comes to Bouldernew
Kwasi Ampene's West African Dance Ensemble moves beyond the traditional drumming to give you the modern Afro Pop Africans listen to at clubs and on the commute to work.
Boulder Weekly |
Dylan Otto Krider |
04-19-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Mirah Returns with a New Albumnew
With 12 varied releases notched in her belt, Mirah's music has developed over the years from lo-fi bedroom fuzz to welling, multi-layered thunderstorms. But even with so many recordings, Mirah's newest album (a)spera is only her fourth full-length solo studio album.
Boise Weekly |
Tara Morgan |
04-17-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Horrors Dig Vinyl and Other Old-School Music Formatsnew
The five young Londoners in The Horrors say they play music largely because of their mutual love for many of the same things adored by rabid music fans like you and me.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
04-16-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Maria Muldaur Merges Swamp-Funk and Political Passionnew
She’s a playa, not a preacher, but Maria Muldaur can’t resist speaking out on the state of the world in her most recent album, Yes We Can!.
Monterey County Weekly |
Paul Wilner |
04-16-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Black Keys: Loud, Simple, and Directnew
Despite their angsty, dolefully themed anthems conjuring sweaty images of hardship and sun-soaked Alabama blacktop, the two white boys from Akron, Ohio, that make up the Black Keys have long insisted they are not a blues band.
East Bay Express |
Matthew Green |
04-15-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Josh Wink Is Huge in Europe. So Why Can't the Turntable Legend Get Love at Home?new
Twenty years after his first album, Wink has released his When A Banana Was Just A Banana LP and embarked on another extended European tour. But he's torn between the Philly he calls home and the continent that has catapulted him into another stratosphere on the international house music scene.
Philadelphia Weekly |
Christopher Wink |
04-13-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Vetiver Hits the Roadnew
With a new album out on Sub Pop and a lengthy stretch of 49 shows this spring, Vetiver is garnering attention far beyond its San Francisco home, and transcending the freak-folk label the band has casually endured.
Tucson Weekly |
Eric Swedlund |
04-08-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Meet the Vivian Girlsnew
There's something immensely charming about the raw pop-punk of the 2-year-old band the Vivian Girls, a harmonizing pop-punk trio from Brooklyn who trade in short, sharp songs.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
04-08-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: indie rock, Vivian Girls
The Life and Times Hits the Road with a Joyful New Albumnew
The band proves that three dudes from the Midwest who grew up on Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin can produce music that, while not as commercially successful as their idols', is no less transcendent.
The Pitch |
Jason Harper |
04-08-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Kelly Hansen Joins 'Hot Blooded' Rockers Foreignernew
After more lineup changes than the average Astros season, Mick Jones reconvened Foreigner in 2004 and enlisted Kelly Hansen, formerly of the '80s L.A. heavy-metal band Hurricane, to sing lead.
Houston Press |
Chris Gray |
04-08-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
