Photo by Louis Kwok Call it one drink too many Call it pride of a man But it don’t make no difference if you sit or you stand ‘Cause they both end in trouble and start with a grin Yeah they both end in trouble and start with a grin Forget about being ready. These … Read more
Photo by Chris Lay They’re playing our song They’re playing our song Can you see the light? Can you hear the hum? I still have chills, so let’s start at the end. It was the only encore of the evening, and Israel Nebeker politely asked us to halt our conversations so we could be together. … Read more
***UPDATE: Ticket info has been released, including a pre-sale on Thursday: On sale to General Public: Start: Sat, 12/03/11 11:00 AM CST Internet Presale: Start: Thu, 12/01/11 10:00 AM CST End: Fri, 12/02/11 10:00 PM CST Price Range All Reserved tickets are $32.00, which includes a $3 facility fee. *** As we mentioned earlier, Ryan … Read more
A few years ago, my friend played me The National’s “Daughters of the Soho Riots” at a party, causing a few people in attendance to groan and request something “faster.” Granted, it was a party, people were drinking, probably making out in closets, but I would have none of it. I had never heard of … Read more
Photo credit: Santiago Felipe/Village Voice “And every chorus was written for us to recite/ Beautiful melodies of devotion every night…” Those lines, lyrics taken from the Ms. Lauryn Hill’s rap on “Turn Your Lights Down Low,” (a “duet” with the late Bob Marley) carry new meaning today, after seeing her performance last night at The … Read more
Photo by Zoran Orlic Let me take you back to the first time I saw Wilco. It was in 2001 at The Pageant, the band’s first performance at the venue they’ve now played seven times over the past decade, all of which have been sellouts. But their first time, well, it was a little weird. … Read more
Sudden popularity and music is sometimes an odd mix. In Matt Nathanson’s case, one song, “Come On Get Higher,” has vaulted him into the “radio-friendly” artist realm, and in some respects, he is still riding some of the wave that his hit off his last album, Some Mad Hope, gave him. To be clear: I’m … Read more
Photo by Chris Lay Let’s start with the obvious: Lucinda Williams is one of the best songwriters of her generation. Yeah, I know. That’s easy. It’s as obvious as choosing her best album: Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. Like many of you out there, Car Wheels was my first introduction to Williams’ music, and … Read more
Photo credit: Marcelo Biglia Rough seas they carry me wherever I go… The more I listen to Josh Ritter’s latest album, So Runs the World Away, the more I’m convinced it’s about one simple thing: refusing to stand still. So many times in my life I’ve struggled with this notion — to rest on my … Read more
Photo Credit: Katie Guymon A lead singer and an athlete are not the same. An athlete can easily cover up an injury or sickness and deliver a legendary performance. Hell, one of Michael Jordan’s best games came in a playoff-pressured situation where he needed multiple IVs because of the flu. A musician having a cold … Read more
All Photo Credit: Agatha Donkar “Hello everyone. We’re very excited to be playing for you in North Vagina. That’s funny because it sounds like Carolina…” This was the first thing uttered through a microphone Sunday night as Yuck took the stage. As far as I could tell, there was no laughter. Sunday night shows are … Read more
Photo Credit: Chris Lay When trying to come up with a mission statement for Over the Rhine, songwriter Linford Dertweiler joked that the band kicked around a few ideas. “We make sad people happy,” Detweiler said from stage at The Old Rock House, “and happy people sad.” “We skipped the Prozac and went straight for … Read more
The Decemberists sound check at The Pageant / All photos by Katie Guymon Last Wednesday, I attended my first ever sound check. Yes, I, along with approximately fifteen others, had the privilege (courtesy of my favorite indie radio station, KDHX) to witness The Decemberists, along with Nickel Creek’s Sara Watkins, gear up for that evening’s … Read more
Photo by Sarah Cochran Yes, there were balloons. And confetti. But, I want to talk about the balloons. They didn’t fall from the ceiling; they weren’t even pre-blown. They were tossed out into the audience by Matt and Kim, in their flimsy, rubber state, all multi-colored and new (well, I’m hoping they were new). They … Read more
Photo by Aggie Donkar/Brand New Kind of Photography Chapel Hill’s historic Franklin Street is the cultural epicenter of the town, along with the University that anchors it. A myriad of restaurants, bars, and boutiques litter the tree-lined street, but one new addition has become a source of not only great chocolate, but also great stage … Read more
I ainʼt living in the dark no more it’s not a promise, Iʼm just gonna call it Yeah, I remember hearing about Justin Vernon of Bon Iver for the first time. A friend had emailed me with the subject line, “I told you to be patient.” The message? A link to his MySpace page (of … Read more
It’s the summer of 2001 that I miss the most. I still went to record stores often. I didn’t have an iPod. There was no Facebook or Twitter. I gladly waited for everything, and I didn’t care about the urge to broadcast every little moment that I experienced (something that I’m trying to care less … Read more
Photo by Jason Gonulsen UPDATE: Download a recording of the show in FLAC or MP3! Links are at the end of the review. If God’s up there he’s in a cold dark room The heavenly host are just the cold dark moons He bent down and made the world in seven days And ever since … Read more
I am not a musician, but I cannot begin to imagine how frustrating it must be to hear a music fan or critic say these words: It all sounds the same. Of course, there are many other damning words that can be said to describe music that doesn’t leave a favorable impression, but when it … Read more
The Pitchfork Music Festival will take place on July 15th – 17th in Chicago, Illinois. The first batch of bands has got us rabid with unbridled anticipation: Animal Collective, TVOTR, Fleet Foxes, Cut Copy, Deerhunter, Ariel Pink, Destroyer, James Blake, Yuck, and others… Tickets go on sale at noon HERE. We will be there. Will … Read more
Photo by Jason Gonulsen Some people get religion Some people get the truth I never get the truth I never get the truth I want to get this out of the way, even if I’ve already said it numerous times: Brandi Carlile is ridiculously good at what she does. If you haven’t found her songs, … Read more