AltWeeklies Wire
Eric Johnson is Happy to Join the Shins, but He Won't Give Up His Musical Babynew
"There was kind of this idea that people were like, 'Well now you don't have to do that Fruit Bats thing anymore. Good for you! You're off the hook!,'" Johnson says.
Santa Barbara Independent |
Aly Comingore |
02-02-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Still Black After All These Yearsnew
Otis Taylor might not know a lot about the Blues, but he's good at being black.
Boulder Weekly |
Dylan Otto Krider |
02-01-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
West Coast Sound: Kaki Kingnew
Kaki King on Timbaland, playing solo and being frightened by the Cure.
L.A. Weekly |
Randall Roberts |
01-30-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Kaki King, folk music
Loose Control: Matthew Shipp's 'Harmonic Disorder'new
Harmonic Disorder is something of a flip through the jazz yearbook for connoisseurs, and for initiates it’s a glimpse of the piano’s range within the genre. For both parties, though, it serves notice of the lies behind both the title and the name above it: Shipp is a musician of scholarship and precision, harmonic and otherwise.
Washington City Paper |
Michael J. West |
01-29-2009 |
Reviews
Viva la Vinyl: Local Bands and Labels Propel the Resurgence of an Old Formatnew
More than one hundred years after the invention of the gramophone, twenty years after major labels tried to kill records with compact discs, and ten years after Napster incited the age of digital music, vinyl is making a comeback.
East Bay Express |
Nate Seltenrich |
01-28-2009 |
Music
Tags: vinyl, media formats
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
Jesse Boykins III's 'The Beauty Created'new
Jesse Boykins III has created an album that blends the jazzy adventurousness of his mentor Bilal, the languid romanticism of the Isley Brothers, and the loose songwriting of Dwele.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
L. Michael Gipson |
01-28-2009 |
Reviews
Melinda Doolittle's 'Coming Back to You'new
You want it to be good, because she's so damn likeable. Unfortunately for former "American Idol" contender Melinda Doolittle, her debut album is only listenable.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
L. Michael Gipson |
01-28-2009 |
Reviews
Matt and Kim's 'Grand'new
Brooklyn duo/couple Matt and Kim's latest, Grand, sounds a bit gimmicky upon first listen. But Grand remains as satisfying on the tenth spin as the first.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Ben Westhoff |
01-28-2009 |
Reviews
The Pine Leaf Boys: Home Sweet 'Homage'new
In the past, the Pine Leaf Boys tempered Cajun tradition with touches of roots-rock, swamp pop and neo-Americana, but Homage au Passe is thoroughly and delightfully old-school, with smoking fiddle and reeling accordion sounding like a sweaty, stomping good time at a Eunice dance hall on a Saturday night.
The Finer Points of Outstaying Your Welcome, Starring Scott Weiland and The Gamenew
Rock 'n' roll wraith Scott Weiland and embattled gangsta rapper The Game have one thing in common: Each has overstayed his welcome but continues to enjoy mainstream success by luck, or by the grace of God. In terms of both studio alchemy and tabloid foibles, neither brings anything especially crucial to the cultural table.
Baltimore City Paper |
Raymond Cummings |
01-27-2009 |
Music
Hard-Traveling, Well-Connected Emcee Big Stat Goes Solonew
It has been said that the road to success is a long and winding one. Connecticut emcee Big Stat has seen his fair share of obstacles on his, from the murder of his mother, when he was only 12 years old, to coming to the decision to dissolve the duo he spent the past half decade building.
New Haven Advocate |
Adam Bernard |
01-27-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Lesbian Hip-Hoppers Yo Majesty Are Looking for an Alternate Route to Successnew
It's hard enough being a woman in hip-hop. The misogynistic lyrics from the male MCs. The objectifying audiences who keep coming back for more. Being a lesbian in hip-hop? That's double trouble, a minority within a minority.
Philadelphia City Paper |
A.D. Amorosi |
01-27-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
William Elliott Whitmore Stretches the Definition of Hardcorenew
Although William Elliott Whitmore typically performs solo, with just a guitar or a banjo to keep him company, he got his start opening shows for the "craziest hardcore bands you've ever heard."
Westword |
Michael Roberts |
01-26-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Despite Four Grammy Nominations, Adele Is Figuring Out How to Be Herselfnew
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, who performs under only the first of her four names, has earned plenty of plaudits for 19, an album whose title corresponds to her age at the time of its release. As a result, she's earned four Grammy nominations.
Westword |
Michael Roberts |
01-26-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
