AltWeeklies Wire
The Genre Identifier of Indie Supergroup Monsters of Folk Isn't Exactly Accuratenew
There are windswept harmonies and hushed confessions aplenty, but there's also a palpable sense of trying really, really hard to achieve something that's more than just the sum of its parts.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Julie Seabaugh |
09-24-2009 |
Reviews
A Night Inside NYC's Amateur Music Scenenew
For the most part, the acts playing every night at venues like The Red Lion, Pianos and Arlene's Grocery aren't doing this just for fun. But does this bar scene offer a step up the ladder, or is it just a way for the management to make money?
New York Press |
James Mulcahy |
09-24-2009 |
Music
Pearl Jam's 'Backspacer' is Most Impressive for Not Making Concessionsnew
With Pearl Jam experiencing a renaissance of late -- aided by 2006's eponymous return to form and a well-deserved live reputation -- the group is moving forward with its loosest album to date.
Tucson Weekly |
Michael Petitti |
09-23-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Backspacer, Pearl Jam
Phonograph Straddles the Americana/Post-Rock Fencenew
Bands that escape being pigeonholed are often fun and interesting, but in the case of Brooklyn's Phonograph, perhaps only the latter is true.
Tucson Weekly |
Jarret Keene |
09-23-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Okno, Phonograph
The Dodos' Latest Album is Light and Wickednew
Time to Die sounds careful and calculated, pleasant enough to draw in the listener, but sadly not delivering much else once you're inside.
Tucson Weekly |
Eric Swedlund |
09-23-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: The Dodos, Time to Die
Pink Martini Seeks to Meld World Influences With the Beauty of Old-School American Culturenew
Of his 12-piece band Pink Martini, Thomas M. Lauderdale likes to say, "If the United Nations had a band in 1962, we would be that band."
Tucson Weekly |
Gene Armstrong |
09-23-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Mason Jennings Releases His Most Intense Record Yetnew
With the release of Blood of Man, longtime fans can breathe easy once again. In a dramatic shift, Jennings has returned to a more free-spirited form, recording all of the songs on his own, leaving them unfinished and raw, and (OMG!) plugging in an electric guitar.
City Pages (Twin Cities) |
Andrea Swensson |
09-23-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Blood of Man, Mason Jennings
Played Live, Bon Iver's Sparse Songs Breathe With a New Intensitynew
Often muted and spare on record, Bon Iver burns with an entirely different intensity live, a gathering storm of percussion and surging guitars all held together by Justin Vernon's singing, the high and often spooky howl that stamps his music with such a tremendous feeling of isolation.
East Bay Express |
Eric Swedlund |
09-23-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Texas Pickers Strum Germans to Set Recordnew
On an August afternoon hotter than Jerry Jeff Walker's temper, two extraordinary things transpired: I played two songs with 1,867 other guitar pickers to set a Guinness world record. And I rekindled a subliminal inner joy buried for years.
The Texas Observer |
Robert McCorkle |
09-23-2009 |
Music
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
Smokey Robinson's First CD in Three Years is Well-Timed but Misses the Marknew
Though Robinson's name is practically synonymous with Motown, its signature soul and pop sounds are nowhere to be found on this work, which skews toward contemporary R&B and smooth jazz.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Ben Westhoff |
09-22-2009 |
Reviews
Slaughterhouse's Four MCs Display Pure, Old-School One-Upmanshipnew
Composed of critically respected but commercially unheralded underground MCs Joell Ortiz, Royce da 5'9", Crooked I and Joe Budden, the group's self-titled debut serves mainly as a platform for each man to attempt to one-up the others through punchlines, dexterity and flat-out velocity.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Ben Westhoff |
09-22-2009 |
Reviews
Dan Sartain Wonders into Darker Terrain With His Latest Releasenew
On the A-side, "Bohemian Grove" glows with skeletal, moonlit arrangements. Adam Renshaw lays down drums over a minimal and motorik piano plod courtesy of Jack White. There's a devil-as-crooner quality to it all, and what really gives the song girth is White's glassy production.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Chad Radford |
09-22-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Dan Sartain, Bohemian Grove
Finally Punk's Debut Full-Length Features No-Wave Aestheticsnew
Jagged sounds and riot grrrl sneers provide the backbone to Casual Goths.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Chad Radford |
09-22-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Casual Goths, Finally Punk
Killer Mike Lets a Diverse Group Loose on 'Underground Atlanta'new
The two-disc set is charming and solid all the way through, and features highlights from such lesser-known talents as Rich Kidz ("Bowling") and Prynce Cyhi ("Don't Go Outside"), as well as winners from veterans including Pastor Troy and Trillville, whose "I Be Off Dat" recalls the group's crunk-era glory.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Ben Westhoff |
09-22-2009 |
Reviews
