AltWeeklies Wire
Rodrigo y Gabriela Strum and Pluck with Extreme Originalitynew
Rodrigo y Gabriela could have been just another heavy metal garage band from Mexico City and you'd never have heard of them. But a fateful decision to sell their equipment and buy nylon-string guitars and plane tickets to Ireland changed everything.
Charleston City Paper |
Stratton Lawrence |
03-10-2010 |
Concerts
A Review of the Country-rock Mason Dixon Band's Debutnew
Every classic country album needs a sappy romance song, and "Unspoken Promises" delivers it with a slow tempo and whining steel guitar in the background. "Ain't Dead Yet" is the best track because it sounds more like a snippet from life on the road than just another folk diddy.
Charleston City Paper |
Patrick McGinn |
12-16-2009 |
Reviews
Mirror Universe Tapes Helps Revive Interest in a Once-Dead Formatnew
It's hardly worth declaring a cassette revival, or even to say tapes are the new vinyl. But the recent success of the Charleston-based cassette-only record label Mirror Universe Tapes seems to indicate otherwise.
Charleston City Paper |
Bryan Reed |
10-14-2009 |
Music
Andrew Bird Has Many Talents, but Have You Heard Him Whistle?new
Bird's whistling is the shining diamond embedded in the gold band of song he's been developing since he played a sideman's role for the Squirrel Nut Zippers in the '90s.
Charleston City Paper |
Bryan Reed |
10-07-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
St. Vincent Embraces the Excitementnew
Her alter ego may have plenty of hipster, too-cool-for-school fans, but behind the Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter St. Vincent is Annie Clark, a charmingly unassuming young woman who conducts phone interviews from her mom's mini-van.
Charleston City Paper |
Andrea Warner |
10-07-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Ghostface Killah Goes R&B on 'Ghostdini'new
Like his excellent 2006 LP, Fishscale, Ghostdini demonstrates Ghostface's uncanny ability to take a single thematic unifier and present it from different angles over the course of an album. What Fishscale was to drug narratives, Ghostdini is to sex jams.
Charleston City Paper |
Bryan Reed |
09-30-2009 |
Reviews
Drivin' N Cryin' Release Their First Studio Album in 12 Yearsnew
"We're really enjoying the fact that people are excited that there's a new record out, and we're really excited that we get to do this again. We don't have any plans to write or record anything in the future. We're just enjoying this moment for what it is."
Charleston City Paper |
Doug Walters |
09-30-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Singer/Guitarist Eric Lindell Makes Space for Soulnew
Gulf Coast Highway finds Lindell reaching new musical ground. As passionate as ever, he sounds as strong on the mic and through the guitar amp as he did on previous albums. But there's a fine layer and extra polish on this new batch.
Charleston City Paper |
T. Ballard Lesemann |
09-23-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Eric Lindell, Gulf Coast Highway
Groundation Jams on More Than Just Reggaenew
For over 10 years, frontman Harrison Stafford has led his spiritualized reggae ensemble from their earliest days in the northern California scene through a world-wide musical journey that continues to aim far.
Charleston City Paper |
T. Ballard Lesemann |
09-09-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
O.A.R. Tries to Keep Things Interestingnew
Well before landing a major record label deal, the band aimed for major commercial success, worked hard on the road and on the web, and eventually earned it.
Charleston City Paper |
T. Ballard Lesemann |
08-19-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Doug Walters' Solo Debut Digs Deepnew
Unexpectedly polished and carefully produced, Doug Walters' ambitious new solo album Into the Light reveals a different side of his usual rock 'n' roll spirit.
Charleston City Paper |
T. Ballard Lesemann |
05-27-2009 |
Reviews
Kings of Leon Fine Tunes the Vibes and Takes Risksnew
Over the course of recording their latest album, the Kings of Leon worked from a new blueprint. And the end result allowed them to transcend the indie-rock underground to the top of the rock charts with great success -- and they did it on their own artistic terms.
Charleston City Paper |
T. Ballard Lesemann |
05-06-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Record Store Day Arrives in Charlestonnew
Ironically, after almost 10 years, the plot of Empire Records has never been more current. Just as the film's titular shop faces extinction, so do the last remaining mom-and-pops still stocking discs. But in Charleston, things aren't so gloomy.
Charleston City Paper |
Bryan Reed |
04-15-2009 |
Music
A Tent, a Stocked Cooler, and a Smokin' Suite of Music Festivalsnew
For live music lovers in a rough economy, there's no better investment than a festival. Bring your own beer, sleep out under the stars, and relax or dance away the evenings to an array of talented acts.
Charleston City Paper |
Stratton Lawrence |
03-25-2009 |
Music
Tags: music festivals, South Carolina
Gaslight Street Unleashes Their Smooth But Dirty Southern Rocknew
No member of Gaslight Street has ever smoked salvia divinorum. None claim to be influenced by the music of Widespread Panic. Give a listen to "Black and Blue Salvia" on their brand-new full-length album, Blue Skies for Fools, and you might wonder otherwise.
Charleston City Paper |
Stratton Lawrence |
01-28-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
