In case you might be interested, zip over to Culture Bully to read my review of When The Devil’s Loose by A.A. Bondy.
Aug 25 2009
An Interview with Sally Shapiro
Hot on the heels of my review of the excellent My Guilty Pleasure, I had the privilege of chatting with Sally Shapiro via e-mail. I hope you enjoy.
First of all, I’ve really been enjoying My Guilty Pleasure. That record is chock-full of music that forces my wallflower self off the wall and onto the dance floor. What did you like most about creating this record?
Thanks! The singing as such, I think, and hearing the final result.
Continue reading “An Interview with Sally Shapiro”
Aug 25 2009
Telegraph Canyon – The Tide and The Current
Telegraph Canyon
The Tide and The Current
Velvet Blue / Spune; 2009
Despite the fact that there isn’t a singularly accepted definition for the term “alt-country” (much less any singer or band copping to being an alt-country act; yes, I’m looking at you Wilco/Tweedy), I’m going to put forth the assertion that we are currently in the midst of the highly misunderstood genre’s second wave. When a quartet of flannel- and beard-bedecked gentlemen with a penchant for wispy melodies and four-part harmonies are able to dominate “Best of 2008” charts crafted by both mainstream music critics and A-List music bloggers (yes, I’m referring to Fleet Foxes), you have to acknowledge that alt-country has experienced a fresh rebirth in the past few years. Certainly, some people might disdain this idea and claim that I’m vainly grasping at straws, pointing rightly at the fact that not only have bands have been tunefully combining country, rock, and folk long before Uncle Tupelo and Whiskeytown (much less The Byrds) came into the picture, but Ryan Adams and Conor Oberst have kept this tradition alive to critical acclaim for much of this decade.
Continue reading “Telegraph Canyon – The Tide and The Current“