AltWeeklies Wire
Wintersleep's Paul Murphy Wants to Convert Younew
Canadian songwriter Paul Murphy isn't worried about suffering an identity crisis anytime soon. As the frontman for the nomadic indie-rock quintet Wintersleep, he wants to provoke reactions from new audiences across North America and beyond.
Charleston City Paper |
T. Ballard Lesemann |
05-04-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Paul Murphy, Wintersleep
Da' Gullah Rootz Keep the Reggae Beatnew
Steeped in roots reggae vibes, laid-back Rastafarianism, and a Lowcountry perspective of African-American culture, Charleston's long-running Da' Gullah Rootz is something of a local musical treasure.
Charleston City Paper |
T. Ballard Lesemann |
05-04-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Reggae, Da' Gullah Rootz
Boombox Makes Music for the Massesnew
Improvisational duo Boombox experienced plenty of word-of-mouth success and built a strong following along the festival circuit where their loose-limbed sounds can be heard late into the night supported by legions of grinning, blissed-out fans.
Charleston City Paper |
Chris Parker |
04-29-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Boombox
A Little Bit of Southwestern Soulnew
Amos Lee makes great use of a Calexico connection.
Charleston City Paper |
T. Ballard Lesemann |
04-25-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tea Leaf Green Isn't Just a Bunch of Sad-Sacksnew
San Fran band Tea Leaf Green's forthcoming album Radio Tragedy!, due on June 7, encompasses their most challenging life experiences. Trevor Garrod tells the tale.
Charleston City Paper |
T. Ballard Lesemann |
04-20-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Tea Leaf Green, Radio Tragedy!
Mayday Parade Asserts a New Sense of Independencenew
Florida band Mayday Parade's current tour kicks off in Charleston and heads to the massive Bamboozle Festival in N.J. The mini-tour celebrates the release of their new EP Valdosta, a mostly acoustic, six-song collection.
Charleston City Paper |
T. Ballard Lesemann |
04-20-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Mayday Parade, Valdosta
Kickstarter Helps Leslie Fund their Latestnew
Charleston rock band Leslie spent the last two years figuring out how to release their new album, Lord, Have Mercy, a nicely polished collection of melodic power-pop gems, pulsating hard-rock anthems, and guitar-driven rockers.
Charleston City Paper |
T. Ballard Lesemann |
04-13-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Leslie, Kickstarter
Not Wasted in Margaritavillenew
Key West eventually became synonymous with Jimmy Buffett's music and lyrical themes. "I think it's all about escapism," says Margaritaville veteran Chris Hambrook. "When Jimmy first wrote 'Margaritaville' it was about a state of mind, not a particular place."
Charleston City Paper |
T. Ballard Lesemann |
04-13-2011 |
Music
The Drive-By Truckers' Patterson Hood on Capote, Waits & a Brutal Murdernew
Patterson Hood is not afraid of the dark. In fact, the Drive-By Truckers leader is compelled to write songs that tell tales of violence, greed, and the abuse of power. On Go-Go Boots, their latest album, Hood and the gang turn down the amps and, once again, embrace their classic story-driven style.
Charleston City Paper |
Jared Booth |
04-13-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Drive-By Truckers, Patterson Hood
Cary Ann Hearst Charms National Public Radionew
The real story: A friend of hers that she met in Charleston years ago now works at NPR, and he suggested the singer/songwriter for the show. An e-mail later and Hearst was on the air on April 3, talking about her dog, Townes Van Zandt, and life after her song "Hell's Bells" appeared on an episode of True Blood last summer.
Charleston City Paper |
Susan Cohen |
04-11-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Roddy Walston Bangs the Twangnew
Growing up in southeastern Tennessee, singer/keys man J. Roddy Walston was always surrounded by pianos. The experience helped shape his approach to mixing rock 'n' roll with related styles of Southern music.
Charleston City Paper |
Jared Booth |
04-07-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: J. Roddy Walston, Roddy Walston
Fitz and the Tantrums Dig the Retro Vibenew
Michael Fitzpatrick is wowed by his indie rock 'n' soul band's whirlwind ascent from DIY upstarts in 2009 to SXSW's reigning fairy-tale royalty in 2011. If you haven't heard of L.A.'s Fitz and the Tantrums yet, you will. Judging by the retro-soul band's trajectory, mainstream success could be days away.
Charleston City Paper |
Andrea Warner |
04-07-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Randall Cox Plays Ringleader to a Curious Indie Rock Collaborationnew
After a lousy gig at the Village Tavern in February, local singer/songwriter Randall Cox realized that his indie-rock project the Green and Bold needed a quick kick.
Charleston City Paper |
T. Ballard Lesemann |
04-06-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Randall Cox, singer/songwriters
The Infamous Stringdusters Begin to Break Out of Genre Prisonnew
Musicians and bands frequently spend their early years imitating their primary influences. It's why third albums are often watershed moments. Full of assurance from prior studio efforts and years on the road, record number three is when a band or artist emerges into their own -- from Born to Run to London Calling to OK Computer.
Charleston City Paper |
Chris Parker |
04-06-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Sharon Jones Draws From the Best of Soulnew
No-nonsense vocalist and bandleader Sharon Jones comes across as sassy and cheerful. She sounds surprisingly energetic, considering how much time and effort she's put into promoting her latest studio album, I Learned the Hard Way.
Charleston City Paper |
T. Ballard Lesemann |
03-22-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
