Austin – There is something kind of off-putting about a performance that is too practiced. But in Austin last Saturday, the rock band Cage the Elephant revealed that being prepared doesn’t mean you cannot also be exciting. An obviously well rehearsed performance, the band managed to be both genuine and deliberate in their execution of
New York – After a quick holiday lull, all things music are back with a burst out of the gate, full of renewed energy, but also the need for more quiet moments of reflection. This past week’s coverage and new releases are exactly that. Bridget punked out with Scotland’s PAWS (shown above) at Barboza in Seattle, as
New York – Tuesday night at the Mercury Lounge in Brooklyn was an intimate affair. Following a dynamic set by Ski Lodge, the energy at the venue was ready to boil over as Brazos took the stage around 10:45 PM. Yet, the show Brazos was about to deliver scaled down the frenzied atmosphere and reassembled
Seattle – Tim Cohen is at it again. This time, however, San Francisco’s lo-fi poster child is mixing it up a bit. With his project Magic Trick, Cohen released Rivers of Souls – an immensely emotional album, which I supposed you can probably tell from its title alone. Rivers of Souls opens with the warm invitation to “Come Inside;”
Nashville – Adam Stockdale is the fingerpicking virtuoso behind Albatross. I met up with Adam at Fido’s coffee shop in Nashville to talk with him about everything from immigration law to his ties with Mumford and Sons. The earnestness in Adam’s music is evident in his low-key personality. As he puts it, “I’m not doing
Austin – “The first thing I saw was a mirage”. So goes the opening line of the enveloping tune, “Dreamer’s Song”, by the alt-rock quartet, Dinosaur Bones. Accordingly, these were the first words sung by frontman Ben Fox as he and his band mates bathed in the quirky image projections of Austin’s Empire Control Room.
New York – Lush is best way to describe Gardens & Villa. True to their name, these guys make music that is naturally striking, full of life and blissful to revel in. Their sound is one toxic indie-band cocktail. Start with all the crooning of Caveman, mix in the boundless energy of Generationals and add
New York – Sometimes, it helps to be reminded that no matter how different things may be in another city, in another country, on another continent, people are still inherently the same. There will always be worries, victories, loneliness, isolation, trying to express individuality and bucking societal norms while living within them, belonging and not
New York – It was past 10:40 on Monday night when Here We Go Magic took the stage at the Brooklyn venue Baby’s All Right, beers in every hand like a troop of champs. Broken-off bottoms of colored bottles makeup the backlit mural of the stage. Against this backdrop, the band stood boldly silhouetted by
London – The west coast of Ireland isn’t necessarily synonymous with happy-go-lucky garage pop. Indeed, at this time of year, the Emerald Isle can be somewhat weather beaten. However, despite the meteorological challenges, Galway’s Dott have already garnered a reputation for being pretty damned uplifting. After forming just last year, the band has already performed