For the love of music
Nils Aellen contacted me directly after reading my review of Sophie Hunger's The Danger Of Light album. Aellen is also Swiss and from the Lausanne district, although so far as I can make out that's where any connections between him and Sophie Hunger end. A musician so far unknown outside the Swiss gig circuit, he's made an album that could bring … [Read more...]
As a farewell to winter, New York's Bowery Ballroom hosted the unique melancholic space pop of Efterklang. Having wowed NY in September at the Metropolitan Museum of Art performing alongside the Wordless Orchestra, the city was clearly ready for another fix. Performing with a lineup featuring childhood friends; Casper Clausen, Mads Brauer and … [Read more...]
A Life in Transit is a triumph over adversity recorded over two years in various parts of North America and completed with the help of friends when Nathan Leigh suffered a collapsed lung after being beaten by the NYPD during an Occupy protest. Contributions from over 20 artists create a rich tapestry of styles and voices. “Family of Ghosts” … [Read more...]
Hello Adam! It’s great to hear back from you and to find out more about your new album Candela and your plans for 2013. What’s next on your To Do list? Do you mean the Mice Parade to do list? Rest for a bit and then hit Japan, Hawaii, & USA west coast in May / June. Find a replacement singer for our last two shows as I just found … [Read more...]
Since forming The Soft Boys in the late 70s Robyn Hitchcock has remained a prolific song writer and recording artist. His 19th solo album Love from London features a bit of London, a lot of love and a giant green eye on the cover. That’s typical of Hitchcock’s music; sounds and themes that are familiar mixed with the surreal and … [Read more...]
Although billed as a solo album, The Godforsaken Voyage is the work of a collective of English folk musicians led by Phil Odgers. His band The Men They Couldn’t Hang have drifted on and off the scene over the last three decades but the bonds between members have remained strong. Bandmates Tom Spencer and Jon Odgers appear on the album as does … [Read more...]
Usually, duets (and collaborations in general) yield intriguing results. In the case Dally Bon Idyll, the newest creation from Billy Rousseau & Dahlia Gallin Ramirez (calling themselves Billy & Dolly here), the end product is full of quirky yet touching songwriting and delicate and thoughtful production. There’s a great sense of … [Read more...]
Canadian singer-songwriter Patrick Watson released what is surely the best album (so far) of 2012, Adventures In Your Own Backyard. Soul crooner meets Jeff Buckley, Watsons' music is a backdrop to the grainy road footage of our mind. Adventures In Your Own Backyard is his fourth album, released on April 16th through Secret City/Domino … [Read more...]
When I reviewed guitarist Sam Moss’s Eight Constructions for Delusions of Adequacy a little more than a year ago, I made a point to address his keen application of restraint to what could have otherwise been a piece of gratuitous showmanship. When virtuosity becomes a heedless exercise, what was once a spellbinding demonstration of unthinkable … [Read more...]
By now, it’s well-known just how much music requires a steady balance to fully take hold of. For his well-being ways, M. Ward has always been a charming musician because of his magnetic voice, as well as his stellar songwriting skills. As a crooning, soulful voice that sounds just as all-encompassing as it sweeps you away, Ward’s been involved … [Read more...]