Album Review: The Black Keys, Attack and Release
Before Attack and Release, The Black Keys had never recorded an album outside of their Akron, Ohio, basement. They had never worked with a producer and had always recorded and mixed all of their own …
Reviews
Album Review: Ludo, You’re Awful, I Love You
I discovered St. Louis rock quintet Ludo quite by accident a few years ago when I brought family and friends to see suburban darlings The Dog And Everything at the Metro in Chicago. I was …
Album Review: She & Him, Volume One
There is always a certain amount of justifiable skepticism involved when approaching a record performed by an actor or actress. Sure, some of these folks are probably more extensively (and arguably better) trained than a …
Album Review: Aloha, Light Works
Now that those years are said and done, it seems like Isberg has decided to shift focus for good, and we couldn’t be happier about it. Both of his electronica projects have delivered: The International …
Album Review: Biirdie, Catherine Avenue
There are two major schools of thought when discussing bands in terms of their elements: one faction contends that there is infinite possibility in music — that each time a guitar is picked up, originality …
Album Review: The Black Crowes, Warpaint
A long-time Crowes fan through the missteps that were the years 1998 through 2006, save a couple of damn decent solo records from frontman Chris Robinson and the 2000 collaboration/tour LP with Jimmy Page, Live …
Everything About Song About Everything: Paul Kotheimer and the MP3 CD
If Illinois is Renaissance Italy, Urbana’s Paul Kotheimer is the Leonardo Da Vinci of the home studio. Originally from Chicago, he’s been making his home in Urbana for nearly fifteen years. A little story about …
Hurricane in a Whiskey Bottle: The Avett Brothers with Jessica Lea Mayfield
The Canopy Club, Feb. 28th, 2008 William: Opening with a vigorously plodding country number, Jessica Lea Mayfield’s opening set soon accumulated rock mass, with bowed upright bass and jagged electric guitar. The result is a …
Irvin Mayfield and The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra; Krannert Center – 2/26/08
The scene last night at the Tryon Festival Theatre at Krannert Center was nothing like the small, smoky underground clubs from which the art form of jazz came. In fact, it was interesting to place …
Album Review: Headlights, Some Racing, Some Stopping
There is something to be said for growth and maturity. Whereas Headlights’ debut album Kill Them With Kindness sounded like a band still shedding atmospheric remnants of influence from the band member’s former creative outlet, …