// Category Archive for: Music

Music Review: Dr. John, The Atco/Atlantic Singles 1968-1974

By Melissa Bratcher

If there’s one thing Dr. John does well (though he does loads of things well), it’s setting a scene and creating a vibe. In listening to Omnivore Recordings’ Dr. John collection The Atco/Atlantic Singles 1968-1974, there is such a rich, immersive feeling—a deep swamp that reaches slippery fingers up to pull you down—that it is like taking a trip to the Bayou, sans surprise alligators. Dr. John’s mix of blues, funk, and psychedelia is inimitable, much like his trademark boozy vocal yawp. He’s a one of a kind.

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Music Review: Angéline, Back to Pike Place

By Tyler Hodg

Angéline is the type of singer-songwriter that is impossible to not find inspiring. Her music is soulful and true, and her latest release, Back to Pike Place, is no exception. The EP compiles five beautifully-written songs (and one intro) that are all unique in their own ways. While the music may not necessarily make you want to jump up and dance, it will, however, make you want to cheer for its honesty.

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Music Review: Duran Duran, Paper Gods

By Jeffery X Martin

Duran Duran has been around for a holy crappin’ 37 years. Is that possible? How old am I? Never mind that question. The amazing thing is they’ve never been out of the public eye in all that time. Well, there was one album, Medazzaland, that just sort of fizzled, but we’ll just give that time period a miss, shall we?

It’s possible that the band is on the verge of their third career resurgence with the release of Paper Gods, a schizophrenic dance album for those with bad backs and broken hearts.

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Concert Review: Sloan At Massey Hall

By Tyler Hodg

Photo shamelessly stolen from Sloan’s Facebook page

September 11, 2015
Toronto, ON

For only the second time in their career—and the first time since 2000—Sloan brought their talent to the legendary Massey Hall in Toronto on September 11. As singer/guitarist Chris Murphy pointed out, the band “never really got massive,” but the venue was packed with their die-hard, loyal fanbase. For those who were in attendance, it was a night to remember. For those who weren’t in attendance, it will be a night you will hear about for a long time.

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Music Review: Holly Golightly, Slowtown Now!

By Melissa Bratcher

The new Holly Golightly album, Slowtown Now! is a complete delight from start to finish. There’s a relaxed affability and a charming retro-ness to the songs, and Golightly’s voice is wonderful. She sings with an ease and grace, clearly enjoying the material, which ranges from girl group harmonies, to smart jazz, to throwback garage rock. It’s such a fun album and compulsively listenable.

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Music Review: Jason Heath and the Greedy Souls, A Season Undone

By Melissa Bratcher

Jason Heath and the Greedy Souls bear the trappings of the catch-all Americana label: banjos, mandolin, a gruff-voiced lead singer, excellent guitar with the occasional wildcard instrument (accordion, horns, kazoo—it’s been a very good year for the kazoo, musically). But the strain of Americana they play is filtered through the sometimes harsh light of L.A. There’s a grittiness to the music, a feeling of mid-1980s Sunset Strip crawling in the heavy guitar solos, and an anthemic quality that permeates many of the tracks on their second release, A Season Undone.

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Music Review: WSTR, SKRWD

By Tyler Hodg

Pop-punk is a genre of music that is probably past its glory days of popularity, yet to those who grew up with it, it remains a familiar and comforting sound. Newcomers WSTR (Waster) bravely fly pop-punk’s often forgotten flag with their debut EP, SKRWD, and give a unique reason to revisit the sounds of yesteryear. Although WSTR attempts nothing revolutionary with their first release, they have still created something that is sure to stir up nostalgic feelings and counteract the lack of edge in your playlist.

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DVD Review: The Hee Haw Collection

By Melissa Bratcher

It would be all too easy to be cynical about Hee Haw, if you were that sort of person. Corny jokes, country music, Buck Owens wearing his overalls backward (he said it was in silent protest of the cheesiness of the show, but he cashed the checks just the same), all the animated dancing pigs (so many animated dancing pigs, kicking in a chorus line through musical performances, sometimes wearing bikinis. The mind simply reels). But to be cynical about Hee Haw would cause you, the viewer, to miss out on a great TV show, indeed a capsule of a moment in time (or several moments, because Hee Haw aired for 21 years).

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Music Review: Buckcherry, Rock ‘n’ Roll

By Tyler Hodg

Seasoned veteran rock ’n’ roll band Buckcherry have returned once again to deliver their seventh album, simply titled Rock ’n’ Roll. The band’s music of late has been less than desirable for a lot of fans and could be described as generic at best, so is Rock ’n’ Roll a return to form or another disappointing outing? Aside from being riddled with cliches, the album actually brings some much-needed energy back into the fading band. Buckcherry is a hit-or-miss ensemble that has ended up on the
hit side of the equation this time around.

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DVD Review: Glen Campbell… I’ll Be Me

By Melissa Bratcher

Though it is incredibly wrenching, the documentary I’ll Be Me is such an important film. By allowing filmmaker James Keach unbridled access to himself and his family, Glen Campbell’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease is starkly delineated, from diagnosis to decline. It’s intimate and human and so hard to watch.

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