When a song strikes just the right chord, it builds an empathic connection between the musician and the listener. Darlingside establishes that bond better than any band I’ve heard recently. The harmonious folk-rock quartet from […]
Category: Music Reviews
Album and song reviews
Baile An Salsa’s Celtic And Latin Blend Is A Recipe For Dance
With St. Patrick’s Day coming up, it’s the perfect time to introduce you to my new favorite Celtic band – Baile an Salsa. Baile an Salsa is a musical experience. The band fuses Celtic traditional […]
Palm Welcomes New Listeners To ‘Rock Island’
If you just let go, Palm may make sense. Palm opens the door and pulls new listeners into its own world of weirdness with the band’s latest album “Rock Island” released Friday, Feb. 9. Using […]
Tune-Yards Show All On ‘I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life’
You can hear how guilty Merrill Garbus feels singing some of the lyrics on the latest Tune-Yards album. Released Friday, Jan. 19 on 4AD records, “I can feel you creep into my private life” has […]
Anderson East Pours His Soul Into ‘Encore’
When it comes to music, I go with my gut. Sometimes I have to listen to an album a couple times in order to get it, but really I’m a love it or leave it […]
Pharrell Revives N.E.R.D For ‘No_One Ever Really Dies’
It’s been seven years since N.E.R.D. released an album. But, this music has always been there for me when I needed it. In high school, songs like “Rock Star” helped bridge the gaps in my […]
The Highest Of The High Note – My 17 Favorite Albums Of 2017
I’m a big fan of albums. Does that sound as weird to you as it does to me? But I like the complete package; from the album art and the liner notes to the order […]
The Highest Of The High Note – Favorite Songs Of 2017
There are a lot of lists being thrown around now that it’s the end of the year. Looking back on 2017, it’s hard to create a comprehensive list of songs that I loved throughout the year. […]
Kamasi Washington Is Making Jazz Cool Again
Kamasi Washington is giving people a reason to listen to jazz. As America’s oldest music format, jazz has not held a prominent place in pop culture since bop-obsessed beats wrote about Charlie Parker. Of course, […]
Mordecai Puts It All Into ‘It’s Never Enough’
Blending complex and emotional beats with deep, introspective lyrics, the Portland-based band Mordecai has created a strong debut album, “It’s Never Enough.” The duo of multi-instrumentalist Andrew Alexander Endres and violinist Kate Kilbourne create an […]