The state of New Jersey seems to have several unshakable stigmas attached to it: It’s dirty, full of gangsters and is the possible resting place of John Gotti. As off-base as those notions might be, one thing is certain: Jersey is a breeding ground for great working-class music, from Bruce…
Arena rock is making a comeback. Thanks to bands like My Morning Jacket, Wilco and North Carolina’s the Avett Brothers, the spirit and tradition of the ’70s is swelling and helping to conjure up images of rock and roll when it was at it’s purest, most visceral and most likely…
The city of Austin is a musical island surrounded by a sea of big belt buckles, songs about whiskey, and George Strait. Although the rest of the state’s country-music influence seeps into the city’s borders, for the most part, Austin bands have found ways to remain creative and original. Papermoons…
Rumor has it that when Ryan Adams recorded his new album, he only listened to hip-hop, the idea being that his vision wouldn’t be tainted by any of the modern trends in music. Sonnenblume takes this notion a step further, claiming not to listen to any modern music. As a…
Florida’s Fake Problems may be proof that evolution is real — musically, anyway. The quartet, which has since added cello and trumpet to its live show, was, at its earliest inception, often compared to its Florida brethren in Against Me! This prompted one unnamed Gainsville rocker to refer to the…
When Johnny Hill first picked up a guitar, he probably never figured that being murdered would end up being a boon to his career, much less that he would enjoy the experience. “It was fun,” declares the Skyfox frontman. “We got covered in blood, meat and poo.” Cleary, Hill isn’t…
Some scars are forever, some fade with time. For the members of the Rouge, who all have matching cigarette-burn scars on their arms, it doesn’t matter how long the mark stays, as long as the feeling of camaraderie that caused them to do it in the first place lasts forever. …
Gregory Alan Isakov, Bela Karoli, the Widow’s Bane and the Blue Maddies Saturday, May 15, 2009 Fox Theatre Better than: A real “folk punk” show surrounded by a bunch of sweaty dudes in denim vests. Amy Ray from the the Indigo Girls once erroneously dubbed Gregory Alan Isakov’s music “punk…
Following in the tradition of artists like Elliott Smith and Nick Drake, Gregory Alan Isakov has the ineffable ability to convey a wide variety of emotions without ever raising his voice above a whisper. Save for “Dandelion Wine,” in which his poetic croon soars just slightly above understated strings and…
“I promised the band that I would stay sober for this interview,” declares Houses frontman Andy Hamilton before taking a gentle pull off a glass of ice and whiskey. “Now that you’re here, I guess I can start drinking.” For the moment, Hamilton seems relaxed in the comfort of the…
The last time the Bronx played at the Larimer Lounge, singer Matt Caughthran rode up to the stage on a motorcycle, nearly running over the capacity crowd. Although the same can’t be promised for this return trip, the band’s high-energy, cutthroat punk should make the show dangerous nonetheless. The Bronx…
The last time the Bronx played at the Larimer Lounge, singer Matt Caughthran rode up to the stage on a motorcycle, nearly running over the capacity crowd. Although the same can’t be promised for this return trip, the band’s high-energy, cutthroat punk should make the show dangerous nonetheless. The Bronx…
It’s tough staying punk-rock. Although the ideal itself has never officially been defined, die-hard supporters of the genre have long claimed that to be a true punk-rocker, you must shun mainstream music and always remain a dark, oily stain on its bright shiny surface. What if, in spite of a…
It’s tough staying punk-rock. Although the ideal itself has never officially been defined, die-hard supporters of the genre have long claimed that to be a true punk-rocker, you must shun mainstream music and always remain a dark, oily stain on its bright shiny surface. What if, in spite of a…
Jessica Lea Mayfield, whose music has been featured on such shows as Gossip Girl and CSI:NY, has been turning heads with both her haunting voice, which hovers like a vulture circling a dying calf in a dimly lit, frost-covered field, and her own unique brand of “ghost country.” Discovered by the…
After a brief hiatus, Sound Bites, our economy-sized album reviews, is back. In this first edition, Andy Thomas weighs in on five recent national releases from Ben Nichols from Lucero (pictured left), O Pioneers, Two Cow Garage, Portugal. The Man and Jessica Lea Mayfield with Blasphemy after the jump…
When looking at a disassembled car engine, it may seem improbable that all those tiny pieces of scrap metal could one day be constructed into something powerful. The same can be said looking at the pieces of TaunTaun. With acts such as the Gamits, Rocky Votolato, Sleeper Horse and Uphollow…
Ever wonder what the musicians you listened to growing up listened to growing up? If you were a fan of Hot Water Music or Avail, the Revival Tour will answer that question. The show features those bands’ frontmen, Chuck Ragan and Tim Barry, along with Lucero’s Ben Nichols, together on…
It takes a lot of balls for a band to play in matching Christmas sweaters. Although Eyes and Ears has done that, “ballsy” may not be the best way to describe the act’s sound; after all, one of the members is a girl. What Eyes and Ears lacks in testicular fortitude,…
