Choice Concerts
Ponytail's Molly Siegel explodes like a vigorously shaken can of pop let loose all over the stage. Her ecstatic shouts and whirs - she usually avoids singing actual words - punctuate the virtuosic two-guitar-and-drum attack of her band mates. But the group's intricate guitar work isn't without soul. The Baltimore
Choice Concerts
When that disembodied voice on the radio talks about "the hits of the 70's, 80's, 90's, and today," it's almost certain that "today" includes the All-American Rejects. The band lept to fame in the early aughts by way of "TRL"-climbing hit "Swing Swing" and the success of its platinum self-titled
Choice Concerts
The hot, dry air of Southern California tends to evoke a certain wistfulness in its musicians. The beach-side sunshine of Brian Wilson and the bourbon-soaked back-alley-ballads of Tom Waits have proven to be two such SoCal goldmines. In that landscape, Cold War Kids found their own musical niche, a blues-inspired
Choice Concerts
The connection between comedy and music is a natural one. Though it might seem like Weird Al Yankovich (or more recently, Zach Galifianakis) enjoys a corner on the market for funnyman songs, the truth is people have been sharing bawdy ditties at least since the ancient Greeks. So it's a
Choice Concerts
The Felice Brothers were birthed in a Catskills nest only about a half hour from Woodstock, NY. Even closer to their home is the spot where The Band laid the foundation for "Music From Big Pink." Of course, these are big bears for the young quintet to wrestle with -
Choice Concerts
One of my great surprises last year was finally catching Mother Mother live. I'd been hearing about the Canadian five-piece, but it took a friend dragging me to a late-night showcase at last year's CMJ festival to finally make it happen. While the industry-pumping fest tends to earn the cynicism
Choice Concerts
Mrs. Skannotto comes from a planet where slick dudes in porkpie hats shuffle into dance halls; on stage, superhero frontmen belt out tales of woe and last week's parties; oh, and the crowds dance. Skannotto verdantly carries the Third Wave torch - that's the mid-90's sing-along ska you wish they'd
CD Reviews
As far as charity benefits go, "Dark Was The Night" takes an approach diametrically opposed to that of "We Are The World." Instead of great musicians banding together for one cloying, repetitive song, the artists here band together for many uncloying, inspired, artistic, and beautiful songs. A swarm of the
CD Reviews
Americana-guitar whiz M. Ward spent most of the past two years recording and touring with songwriting partner and bonafide indie sweetheart Zooey Deschanel as She & Him. Now, finally, Ward settles down to wax his glimmering guitar and distant singing voice on a proper followup to 2006's "Post-War." If that
Choice Concerts
As one of Santa's original eight reindeer, Blitzen wasn't much help in the ice storm of '91 - I mean, you don't need a luminescent red nose to shovel out the mailbox. Or maybe I'm getting my stories mixed up. Both in name and sound, Portland sextet Blitzen Trapper fosters
