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Josh Ritter The Animal Years (V2) V2 isn’t the most likely home for Idahoan singer-songwriter Josh Ritter, but he certainly intends to make an impression.
Rye Bread
Rye Coalition Curses (Gern Blandsten) Dave Grohl-produced outing features the tireless Foo’s affinity for muscular man rock. Label home of Mooney Suzuki? You’re kidding!
B see, B.G.
B.G. The Heart Of Tha Streetz: Vol.2 – I Am What I Am (Koch) Slowly maturing MC has some ideas about how we should view him.
On your marks, Presets, go!
The Presets Beams (Modular/Fontana) The latest wave of Australian imports beckons, and The Presets long to knock you about the head with their keyboards. Crikey!
Les Habitantes
The Sainte Catherines Dancing For Decadence (Fat Wreck) Montreal has been in the spotlight too long to still be the latest hotspot, though it sure gave the indie world a brilliant run. Tottering out at the end of the bar is The Sainte Catherines, who’ll have none of that arty pandering. Three chords and a […]
Hans, not Franz
Hans York Inside Out (Hazzazar) German folkie Hans York lends a distinctly continental flavor to the staid realm of singer-songwriters.
Say Anything review
Say Anything Beat Kitchen, Chicago Friday, April 7, 2006 Over the last few years, pop punk has gotten a bad name — at best a guilty pleasure and at worst a cred-destroying scarlet letter in your iPod, bright red against a backlit screen. Which is a large part of why Say Anything are a refreshing […]
Mates Of State, Maria Taylor Live!
Mates Of State, Maria Taylor Metro, Chicago Thursday, April 6, 2006 The initial effect Mates Of State have on people is how much sound the two of them produce — though their giddily happy marriage is a close second. So when opener Maria Taylor and her five-piece band joined them onstage prior to the encore, […]
UB40 Live!
UB40 House Of Blues, Chicago Friday, April 7, 2006 It would be easy to dismiss UB40 as an adult-lite version of true roots reggae, and their Friday performance at HOB wouldn’t have won over skeptics, as they performed nearly all their tried-and-true hits. Modern roots reggae in the U.S.A. still lives in the shadow of […]
Mat Kearney Live!
Mat Kearney Park West, Chicago Wednesday, April 5, 2006 Mat Kearney made a second appearance in Chicago within a few days, playing the House Of Blues on April 2nd, with a detour to Kentucky for a performance, and then back to the Park West. Although the singer-songwriter has never called Chicago home, he provided more […]
Edith Frost Preview
Edith Frost Old Town School Of Folk Music, Chicago Saturday, April 15, 2006 Edith Frost’s disappearance from recording studios after 2001’s Wonder, Wonder (Drag City) was much like Built To Spill’s: unexpected. Frost, who had quietly built a substantial three-album catalog for the label, always swam with some big, creative fishies — Will Oldham, Royal […]
Crüefest Chicago Preview
Crüefest Chicago Saturday, April 15, 2006 Pop’s, Roselle On your Easter weekend, why not spend your Holy Saturday, the day between fasting and worshiping, rocking? Maybe it would be worshiping? Worshiping at the altar of Mötley Crüe.
Spank Rock Preview
Spank Rock Logan Sq. Auditorium, Chicago Tuesday, April 18, 2006 They obviously know who Afrika Bambaataa was, but Spank Rock and “Planet Rock” are light years apart.
Candi Staton CD Review
Candi Staton His Hands (Astralwerks) Beyond cottage industry at this point, the return-to-recording phenomenon brings us back to soul veteran Candi Staton.
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