AltWeeklies Wire
'The Martyrdom of a Catastrophist' is Superbnew
The Boston metal band Junius, whose superb The Martyrdom of a Catastrophist has the frustrating distinction of arriving too late to qualify for any best-of-year lists, is indeed among the more precise and scientific of recent hard rock bands.
Philadelphia City Paper |
J. Edward Keyes |
01-05-2010 |
Reviews
Gary Barrett and the Notions Plug Ahead With Their Idiosyncratic Guitar Popnew
As the frontman of Gary B and the Notions, Gary Barrett has been refining the expression of his personal quirks and neuroses with the accompaniment of jangly guitar riffs for the past five years. He knows exactly how to project his own personality and unique way of looking at the world.
Baltimore City Paper |
Al Shipley |
01-05-2010 |
Profiles & Interviews
Former Seattle Weekly Editor Aja Pecknold’s a Fleet Foxnew
As the paper's former clubs editor, Aja Pecknold churned out blurbs for The Short List, maintained her "Behind the Scenes" column, and penned some lively features. She now serves as point person for all things Fleet Foxes.
Seattle Weekly |
Brian J. Barr |
01-04-2010 |
Profiles & Interviews
West Coast Music: Devotion to the Same Heronew
This odd pairing has made a record interesting enough to not only spark more curiosity in Kerouac, Big Sur and the album's accompanying documentary, but also how and why American artists across generations keep approaching the same themes.
Tucson Weekly |
Eric Swedlund |
12-31-2009 |
Reviews
Wild Guitar Tamer: Loren Dircks' 'Killing the Magic'new
This singer-songwriter, who for years led Gila Bend, is exploring other music influences — and his new the album couldn't be more interesting.
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
12-31-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Killing the Magic, Loren Dircks
Addition by Subtractionnew
After two albums of wispy, hushed folk with electronic atmospherics, only vocalist John Orth and guitarist Jeff Hays remained in Holopaw - yet after recruiting a handful of new members and a smattering of additional players, the band has released album of magnificent heights and gorgeous depths.
Tucson Weekly |
Michael Petitti |
12-31-2009 |
Reviews
Making More Lists: Our Critics Keep Naming the Best Music of 2009new
Our annual saga of music Top 10 lists kicked off recently, and now we present to you the thrilling conclusion of Our Favorite Albums of 2009. One of the albums named: Vic Chesnutt's At the Cut.
Tucson Weekly |
Jarret Keene, Curtis McCrary, Michael Petitti and Stephen Seigel |
12-31-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Year in Review
Music Interview: The Clockmennew
As a band, The Clockmen is a perfect example of the punk-rock conformist contradiction, and the music that comes from that tug of war. Punk has always championed the new, the different, the unique. But as a movement, that's nearly impossible to sustain. The Clockmen accept the challenge.
City Newspaper |
Frank De Blase |
12-30-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Awkward Hit-Makers: Berkeley's The Cataracsnew
There's a studied, left-brained pragmatism to The Cataracs' approach: Perhaps because they don't have classical backgrounds or industry connections, they've spent years examining and analyzing what it takes to make a hit and applying this knowledge to every new track.
East Bay Express |
Ellen Cushing |
12-30-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Our Dismal Decade: A Highly Subjective Look at the Decade in Musicnew
The decade was imminently forgettable. But with great tribulation comes great art, and music saved my soul. It's no wonder this list is dominated by dour, dark music — as a mirror of emotion, it's practically flawless.
Dig Boston |
David Day |
12-30-2009 |
Music
Born Under a Blues Sign: Lurrie Bell Carries on a Family Legacynew
Lurrie Bell's nomination for a Grammy Award earlier this month was the latest confirmation of the blues inheritance that sustained his career and even saved his life. His father, Carey Bell, was nominated for his own Grammy three decades ago.
Colorado Springs Independent |
Bill Forman |
12-29-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Chieftains' 'Bells of Dublin' is the Greatest Christmas Recording Evernew
There's something for everyone: For traditionalists there are wonderful, inspired versions of standards like God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, O Come All Ye Faithful and O Holy Night, as well as Marianne Faithfull, who sounds like she's been hitting the egg nog pretty hard.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Rodney Anonymous |
12-29-2009 |
Reviews
Top 10 Dance Albums of 2009: Club-Land Crossovernew
2009 was a banner year for core e-music grooves. If one thing marked 2009 on the dance floor, it was a new sense of eclecticism. Cool-kid indie DJs played trance, trance jocks name-checked MGMT, dance stars went pop, pop stars went dance.
L.A. Weekly |
Dennis Romero |
12-28-2009 |
Reviews
2009: The Musical Year In Reviewnew
What follows is 10 of my obsessions from this past year. This is the stuff that I couldn’t get out of my head, starting with Hypnotic Brass Ensemble's self-titled album.
L.A. Weekly |
Randall Roberts |
12-28-2009 |
Reviews
Alan Palomo Scores With Neon Indian's Hazy Soundsnew
Mapping out a universe of spongy synth leads and canned beats, Dallas-bred knob-tinkerer Alan Palomo has managed an offbeat triumph in Psychic Chasms, the debut of Neon Indian, his mostly one-man bedroom project.
Dallas Observer |
Doug Wallen |
12-28-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
