Singer-songwriter David Ramirez needs only an acoustic guitar to perform his heartrending tunes. Since he can fit all his gear in the front seat of a sedan, his tour expenses are low, meaning he can tour often. But living on the road ensures some gigs will be out of the ordinary. “I was at this […]
Stephen Carradini
Posted inArts & Culture
‘Curse’ words
Well, perhaps not universally. Adam Mowery made his own stage of doom in “Curse of the Crescent Isle.” Except in his version, if you stand on the single block too long, it breaks. And you die. “I grew up playing on NES. I thought, ‘No one’s ever done anything since, like, Mario 2.’ So I […]
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97’s in ’11
Rhett Miller, songwriter and vocalist of Old 97’s, thinks you can try to be a rock star, or you can try to be a musician. “When we started out, we wanted to do this years from now, and be proud of our music and the albums we’ve put out,” Miller said. With almost 20 years […]
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No dummy
Although Jack’s Mannequin won’t be touring behind a new album this summer, listeners can get excited for fresh tunes at its show Friday at Diamond Ballroom show. The piano-pop group will debut tracks from its upcoming third release, “People and Things” all season long, even if the disc won’t be in hand for a while. […]
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Lip service
It started when Ryan Drake, who runs the podcast with Allan Pellegrin, mentioned Coyne in a tweet. “I think it was around the time he joined Twitter,” Drake said. “I don’t think he knew how to use Twitter, and he accidentally followed me because I said something about him.” Several tweet conversations later, Coyne agreed […]
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Radio daze
The hype has yet to become a eulogy for any medium. The latest chapter in the saga pits traditional terrestrial radio against online radio, and metro broadcasters have cast their bets on both sides. Listener-supported KOKF-FM 90.9 — aka 91 FM — lived on the knob from 1985 to 2006, when national brand Air1 Radio […]
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Graham Wright — Shirts vs. Skins
Then some research revealed that Graham Wright is not actually the lead singer or guitarist of the Toronto foursome. He’s the keyboardist. Oh. “Shirts Vs. Skins,” while bearing a passing resemblance to its hyperkinetic indie-rock forebears, is primarily a power-pop album in the vein of The Cars, Fountains of Wayne and other mildly aggressive but […]
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Matt the Electrician — Accidental Thief
His entirely unironic songwriting would fit in neatly next to The Avett Brothers on a tour bill or a playlist. Artifice isn’t in his bag of tricks, which means that “Accidental Thief ” positively bursts with immediate hooks. Opener “All I Know” is a jaunty, charming tune that sways and skips along easily. It borders […]
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James and Evander — Constellating EP + 2
In its stead, I’ve sought out other gentle electronica projects in hopes of filling my Gibbard/Tamborello-shaped hole. Most acts fall short by appropriating the sound, but not writing great pop songs to match. Enter James and Evander. On the surface, it seems to be everything I want in a Postal Service replacement: two dudes churning […]
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The Ladybug Transistor — Clutching Stems
They adhere closely to what the band’s press dubs “formalist” structures, which is to say that the verse/chorus/verse format isn’t just used, but praised. The songs aren’t gimmicky, nor are they hip. They’re just really solid, enjoyable tunes. In that way, they’re pretty much the quintessential Merge band at the moment: Been around since the […]