Ed Note: Abby’s Back! At the only German gig in his 5 stop European mini-tour, Knox Road favorite Radical Face (Ben Cooper) was in typical form. Armed with his Jacksonville, Florida-based band, he delivered, per usual, a tome of stories plucked from a variety of his records released since 2007. It seemed to be over… Continue reading Radical Face @ Kesselhaus in der Kulturbrauerei, Berlin
Category: Live Reviews
Colorful Electricity: The Naked and Famous
In 2011, New Zealand’s The Naked and Famous released their synth-pop debut Passive Me, Aggressive You; which included the sugary electro-pop anthem “Young Blood,” which hit the radio like a runaway train carrying a cargo of starburst choruses, metallic synths, and soaring vocals. With comparisons to early MGMT floating around the blogosphere (which wasn’t fair,… Continue reading Colorful Electricity: The Naked and Famous
The Kate Boy Collective
The sheer scope of vision involved in creating and executing concept art requires an incubation process that in today’s music industry, is almost impossible to accomplish. While concept albums are churned out at a feverish pace (even John Mayer dabbles in the space; which should annoy you), a group or a solo artist that symbolizes… Continue reading The Kate Boy Collective
Federale: Spaghetti Western and Beyond
Seven musicians crowd onto the stage at Mississippi Studios in north Portlandāthey’re dressed in cowboy hats and bolo ties, a hipster take on the wild west. The frontman, a guy with light brown hair that swoops across his face, all the way down to his chin, steps up to the mic. He looks to the… Continue reading Federale: Spaghetti Western and Beyond
Otis Heat Burns Up On a Frigid Portland New Years Eve
In a sudden twist of fate, my New Year’s plans were cemented. I’ve been staying in St. Johns, in northwest Portlandāa funky little neighborhood with all the weird charms you come to expect in PDX. As it happens, Otis Heat, a band I wrote about back in 2009, is playing a four-band show down the… Continue reading Otis Heat Burns Up On a Frigid Portland New Years Eve
Stars @ Webster Hall
Photo via Brooklyn Vegan by Amanda Hatfield I show up and the doorman is the nicest I’ve ever encountered. I’d never been to Webster Hall before surprisingly, so I’m a little confused about where to enter. He unhooked the red velvet rope for me and said I had my own entrance; I could get used… Continue reading Stars @ Webster Hall
Band of Horses @ House of Vans
Photo via Brooklyn Vegan by David Andrako Due to the propensity that Brooklyn has for flash rainstorms, I was late to the show, which infuriated me. A monsoon erupted right around the time I got off work, and I managed to get caught in it not once, but twice. But, I was going to see… Continue reading Band of Horses @ House of Vans
Sweetlife Festival 2012 – The Recap
The Sweetlife Festival was a memorable day of great music and great grilled cheese. And, when it comes down to it, aren’t those two things what life is really all about? I’m going to break this recap down into two parts, first reviewing the performances at the Treehouse Stage, and then talking about the headliners… Continue reading Sweetlife Festival 2012 – The Recap
Interview with Of Monsters and Men
If you havenāt heard of them yet, you will soon enough. On Wednesday, Of Monsters and Men graced the home page of Pitchfork and Spotify with a massive banner advertisement for their debut album, My Head Is An Animal.Ā Animal hit as high as number two on the top-selling iTunes albums of the day, right… Continue reading Interview with Of Monsters and Men
Jonquil & Keep Shelly in Athens (but mostly Jonquil) @ Glasslands
By superstar contributor Caitlin WhiteĀ [photo by Tom | GoldFlakePaint] It seems that everything Hugo Manuel touches turns to gold. From Chad Valley to Jonquil, I am head over heels for this man’s voice, in its myriad of forms. Manuel switches effortlessly between a soft lullabye vocal and the lovable British yell singing that still… Continue reading Jonquil & Keep Shelly in Athens (but mostly Jonquil) @ Glasslands