AltWeeklies Wire
Elvis Costello, Presented in Big-Wheel Fashionnew
Elvis Costello never followed the traditional trajectory of normal pop stars. As a showman, he's a unique class act. Song-wise, his eclectic library of work is massive. And that's what is exciting about this week's concert at the PAC.
Charleston City Paper |
T. Ballard Lesemann |
07-14-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Jimmy Thackery Keeps Winging Itnew
Jimmy Thackery is a great modern blues artist. Or at least that's how he's perceived, though he's forever frustrated by the narrowness of that notion. It's just part of his legacy as a founding guitarist for seminal Washington, D.C., bar band the Nighthawks.
Charleston City Paper |
Chris Parker |
07-12-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Jimmy Thackery
David Gray Renews His Soul With a Renovated Soundnew
There's hardly a musician who wouldn't love to have the success David Gray enjoyed with his 1998 multiplatinum album White Ladder and its breakthrough hit, "Babylon." After languishing in obscurity for his first three albums, the self-financed release became an international sensation characterized by a mix of acoustic folk and electronic elements.
Charleston City Paper |
Chris Parker |
06-29-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: David Gray
Shonuff Puts a Funky Spin on Rock and Reggaenew
Madison Ruckel can hardly control his giddiness about this week's Shonuff shows. "I don't know which one I'm more excited about," he says. "Between the Marley and the Pour House, they're both just going to be great."
Charleston City Paper |
Jared Booth |
06-28-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Shonuff
Chris Mills Celebrates a Decade of Musicnew
Americana-pop artist Chris Mills is keeping busy these days, touring in support of his greatest hits disc Heavy Years: 2000-2010.
Charleston City Paper |
Chris Parker |
06-16-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Chris Mills
It's All About Chemistry for Primusnew
The tools of the trade may have changed, but the rock-band basics are pretty much the same for guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and his Primus bandmates.
Charleston City Paper |
T. Ballard Lesemann |
06-07-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Primus, Larry LaLonde
Same As It Ever Was Embrace the Music of the Talking Headsnew
When Curtis Gergen put Same As It Ever Was together, he didn't want to have anything to do with fronting a lousy cover band. He wanted to respectfully and wholeheartedly have a blast playing the unique music of the Talking Heads.
Charleston City Paper |
T. Ballard Lesemann |
06-01-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Talking Heads, Same As It Ever Was
Nashville Pussy Cranks Open a Good Timenew
Nashville Pussy's combination of boozy bluster, backwoods boogie, and arena-ready roar suggests a Southern-fried AC/DC, though others might hear it differently.
Charleston City Paper |
Chris Parker |
05-31-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Nashville Pussy
Minus the Bear Embraces the Audacity of Changenew
For Seattle's Minus the Bear, their soul-inspired new album Omni changed the formula and provoked the worst critical reviews of their career. But the band seems to have rediscovered an older sound on their latest recordings.
Charleston City Paper |
Chris Parker |
05-25-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Minus the Bear
Ryan Bingham Deals With Sudden Successnew
The last year and a half has been almost dizzying for songwriter Ryan Bingham. Capitalizing on Crazy Heart's popularity, his third album, Junky Star, came out last summer.
Charleston City Paper |
Andrea Warner |
05-25-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
James Justin Burke May Have Created a New Genrenew
Musically, James Justin & Co.'s new album Dark Country pays homage to the same classic rock, Americana, and soul styles featured on last year's Southern Son, So Far. A similar sense of backwoods nostalgia comes through as well.
Charleston City Paper |
T. Ballard Lesemann |
05-19-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: James Justin & Co.
The Love Language Delivers a Big-Hearted Soundnew
With a Phil Spector-esque wall-of-sound production quality, N.C. band the Love Language's Libraries has become an underground hit with new fans and critics chiming in along the way.
Charleston City Paper |
T. Ballard Lesemann |
05-18-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: The Love Language
Jason Isbell Rests His Casenew
Always a deeply personal writer, Jason Isbell delivers more introspective songs on Here We Rest, which continues his recent theme of yearning for understanding and home.
Charleston City Paper |
Jared Booth |
05-11-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Garage a Trois Explore Unmarked Territorynew
What exactly is Garage a Trois? Jazz fusionists? Jam band improvisers? Moody cinematic instrumentalists? Experimental rockers? Attempts to categorize this musical supergroup are doomed to failure.
Charleston City Paper |
Chris Parker |
05-10-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Garage a Trois, Skerik
Plain White T's Prove There's More to Life Than 'Delilah'new
Though the Chicago-born band Plain White T's seemingly came out of nowhere in 2007 with "Delilah," their success was hard-earned. They'd formed a decade earlier and had already released several albums. They returned last December with Wonders of the Younger.
Charleston City Paper |
Chris Parker |
05-10-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Plain White T's
