Photo by Jason Gonulsen Gonna leave the pain behind Gonna put the fools in line… Those were the first lyrics Neil Young decided to sing. He hadn’t delivered them live in 17 years. Fitting for me, since I recently left my job of 17 years. Funny how that works out. “I’m still living the dream … Read more
All photos by Jason Gonulsen Meet me in the place of no goodbye I’ll be there, you can’t miss me It’s 2018, and Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius have been busy. They’ve already played 12 shows in New Zealand and Australia with Pink Floyd legend Roger Waters, part of the Us + Them tour, … Read more
Photo by Tony Woolliscroft Written by Katie Moulton We had nothing much to worry about, and it hurt. It was the New Millennium, and we listened to Jimmy Eat World. We were devastatingly good kids. Sure, there were basement parties and sneaked-in booze and boys. There were fences scaled and scuffles under streetlamps that left no … Read more
Last Friday night was not only a fabulous night of music at Local 506 in Chapel Hill, it’s also the night I learned no matter how good your camera is, it cannot compete with a low light situation where LED lights flash and smoke machines poot out wafts of condensed water vapor. Nice concert settings, I … Read more
All photos by Joe O’Toole Words and photos by Joe O’Toole As this groggy Monday night crowd waited for The Hold Steady to take the stage, the house DJ played “I Don’t Like Mondays” by The Boomtown Rats, and the crowd seemed to collectively groan in agreement. We all needed a pick-me-up, and we needed … Read more
The first time you see a band, especially a young/buzzy band, is a lot like a blind date. The hours leading up to your shared meeting are filled with the realization that this shit could go either way. The evening could end with either an emblazoned love of a band you’ve bought into enough to drag yourself … Read more
All photos by Jason Gonulsen And she only looks like you In a certain kind of light When she holds her head just right I remember the late summer/early fall nights the most. The way they made me feel, the way the thick heat slowed everything around me — like an immediate fog had warped … Read more
All photos + words by Jason Gonulsen Matthew Houck of Phosphorescent isn’t who you think he is, even when you’re certain you have him figured out. There was the glowing vibe surrounding “Song For Zula” last year, vaulting Houck into the category of one of those songwriters who hit gold — and for the right reasons: … Read more
All photos by Agatha Donkar This fall my friend Josh noted that it is sometimes nice to go years without seeing a musician you love play live, so when you finally do, you can see the changes and the growth sharply in their performance. I’ve thought on this a lot, because I believe that, say, … Read more
Photo by Jason Gonulsen New glass in the window New leaf on a tree New distance between us you and me Neil Young once sang “new closeness” instead of “new distance” during live performances of “From Hank To Hendrix,” and something always told me that was temporary. Or maybe it just really bothered me — … Read more
All photos by Louis Kwok Now our lives are changing fast Now our lives are changing fast Hope that something pure can last Hope that something pure can last There was the time Arcade Fire won a Grammy for the album without a hit. The Suburbs was “Album of the Year,” in fact, and an … Read more
Photo by Jason Gonulsen “I’m old enough to know that I could probably get away with it still,” Brian Roberts of Ha Ha Tonka sings on “Dead To the World,” the lead track from their latest album, Lessons, released on Bloodshot Records. To get away with anything isn’t the point these days for the band … Read more
Somehow, the band from Festus, Missouri made it through. But it’s not like The Bottle Rockets have gone completely under the radar. In 2007, Stephen King (yes, the guy who wrote Carrie) called them “America’s premier bar band . . . often categorized as alt-country — by people who need categories.” They’ve toured extensively with … Read more
Jeff Tweedy of Wilco | All photos by Louis Kwok Before launching into “Born Alone,” a track from Wilco’s latest album, The Whole Love, Belleville, Illinois native Jeff Tweedy spoke about recent loss in the area, and expressed hope that music was as helpful to the audience as it was to himself. He then dedicated … Read more
All photos by Jason Gonulsen The room is quiet, but Jillette Johnson prefers to be much more than that. Her voice is not subtle, and this trait suits her songs well; she often sings words that yearn for engagement. “You guys are so far away,” she says. “But you don’t feel so far away.” That’s … Read more
Photo Credit: Jonathan Weiner | Provided by Warner Brothers Records If there’s anything to be expected from folk rock group, Delta Rae, it’s that they are a powerhouse of beautiful voices and unique instruments. Joining heavy piano and percussion along with 4 voices has crafted a sound that will keep a buzz in your ears … Read more
Much like “hair grunge,” “arena punk” makes about as much sense as buying a pair of Jordans for a double leg amputee…at first glance. But after witnessing the sheer spectacle of Diarrhea Planet’s wall of shredding guitars, I can honestly say that I can now see Eddie Van Halen and Iggy Pop making beautiful music … Read more
Well folks, religion failed me once again. See, I was handed this story from some divine being, which I quickly transcribed and posted to this very blog, recounting the fated evening when Jesus peer-pressured Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger into imbibing irresponsibly, having sex, thus producing offspring that would one day form Foxygen. Much like most stories … Read more
All photos by Dylan Newcity I’ll be laughing out loud I’ll be laughing with everyone I see Can’t believe how strange it is to be anything at all The reverence surrounding Jeff Mangum is daunting. His once cult following has become more akin to a legitimate religious cult, whose zealotry has only grown more fevered … Read more
All photos by Agatha Donkar Tame Impala’s Lonerism is a complex album, there’s no doubt about that; but since its release late in 2012, I’ve felt, every time I listened to it, that it was a complex and contained record, definitely neatened off at the edges, perhaps, or simply just produced with a measure of conspicuous control … Read more
Photo by Jason Gonulsen “Sing, motherfuckers!” That’s what the woman was yelling behind me, midway through Explosions in the Sky’s opening set for Nine Inch Nails on Tuesday night at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis. Oh, ma’am. I know they’re not singing any words. But, they do sing. And, yet, I know exactly how you … Read more
All Photos By Aggie Donkar Walking into the large, beautifully converted river-mill space that is The Haw River Ballroom, you almost forget where you are. And the now completed journey you just made along with 700 like-minded, similarly dressed pilgrims from civilization, seems like one of those feverish dreams you startle yourself awake from. The crowd seemed … Read more
Photo by Lauren Ross On the morning of her surgery to remove polyps from her vocal chords, Tristan Prettyman wrote one of her best songs to date: “Say Anything.” The notion is simple — to speak up, to listen to your heart, to move on. Say anything. If only it were that easy. Except, it … Read more
Photo by Jason Gonulsen The drought was the very worst When the flowers that we’d grown together died of thirst Just last week, a dog named Marvin was lost. There were flyers posted. There was his distraught owner walking the neighborhood, barely able to spit out a complete sentence before he became emotional and started … Read more
ALL PHOTOS BY TIM BOTTCHEN You’re irresistible when you get mad Isn’t it sad, I’m immune Sometimes I don’t know what it’s gonna take. The steps from the car to the venue, the hours waiting, the hoping — that maybe they’ll play this song or that one — that it might really be better than … Read more