RYAN ADAMS IS HIMSELF ON SELF-TITLED ALBUM – FOR BETTER OR WORSE
By Emily Votaw Ryan Adams has finally put out a self-titled record, which, from a fan’s perspective, seems like nothing but a beam of hope. After years of incredibly prolific releases – some hit, som...
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HALF JAPANESE GET HAPPY WITH ‘OVERJOYED’
By Emily Votaw Half Japanese is doing just fine. Months after finishing up a number of dates with Neutral Milk Hotel in late 2013 and a little more than a year after the re-release of “Half Gentlemen...
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PHISH’S “FUEGO” MIGHT BE BAND’S BEST ALBUM
By Michael Lello One of the most unfortunate results of the constant comparisons of Phish to the Grateful Dead is the assumption that the band is only worth paying attention to in the live setting. ...
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CONOR OBERST SHOWS MATURITY ON “UPSIDE DOWN MOUNTAIN”
By Max McKeon Boy genius. The next Bob Dylan. Conor Oberst has dealt with these claims head-on in his lengthy career, and rightfully so. Since performing and recording at the ripe age of 13, Oberst h...
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BLACK KEYS CHANGE DIRECTION WITH TRANSITIONAL ALBUM
By Max McKeon Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are at the cross roads. The two core members of the Black Keys have developed a defining sound that listeners instantly recognize. Stumbling out of the...
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HOWLIN’ RAIN CONJURES ’70s ROCK HEROES ON LIVE ALBUM
By Michael Lello What if your classic rock station started playing new songs one day? Raw, bluesy, ballsy stuff in the tradition of Led Zeppelin, Free and Mountain? Well, don’t hold your breath. B...
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TUNE-YARDS TACKLES THE ODDITIES OF EXISTENCE
By Emily Votaw Merrill Garbus has made a lot of odd records that somehow manage to mesh the ever-important aspects of catchiness and playful weirdness into something that is incredibly gratifying and...
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GHOST OF A SABER TOOTH TIGER’S FLOYDIAN FREAKOUTS
By Michael Lello Psychedelic rock comes in many forms, from heavy freakouts to out-there folk and everything in between. The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger on its new album “Midnight Sun” traffics in ...
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ANIMAL COLLECTIVE’S AVEY TARE DELIVERS MEMORABLE ALBUM
By Emily Votaw In late 2012, Animal Collective satiated eager fans with “Centipede HZ,” the follow up to 2009’s “Merriweather Post Pavilion,” an album that had received overwhelmingly positive review...
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SIMONE FELICE’S UNINTENDED FOLK PARODY
By Emily Votaw The bombastic, bloated folk rock genre that preys on miseducated high schoolers and middle-aged women is powerful. Mumford & Sons aren’t rock ’n’ roll, and they obviously aren’t t...
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