Woody Guthrie was a masterful writer, a talented musician and a brilliant visionary. For many, like performer Jimmy LaFave, it’s a shame he’s not always remembered as such. “There’s a real treasure here,” said LaFave, who performs Friday at the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, which runs today through Sunday. “There’s been a real injustice done […]
Music Features
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Zombieland
Rob Zombie wears many hats: metal icon, horror-film auteur, comic-book scribe and … laundry detergent commercial director? “I was not thinking about doing TV commercials. I was intrigued, but didn’t feel like pitching myself,” he said of the new spot he shot for Woolite, through the lens of his scary screen work. “An ad agency […]
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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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Stretch Marx
He’s sold 30 million albums and written 13 No. 1 Billboard singles. Still, Richard Marx is likely most memorable for his haircut. However, he’s spent the better part of the last three decades forging a humble legacy in pop history as a musician, producer and, most notably, a songwriter. “I’m so excited I still get […]
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Paul revered
Folk musician Ellis Paul has faced a lot of audiences over his two-decade career. His new foray into children’s music has him facing the toughest one yet. “It’s like painting with primary colors: no subtle shades,” he said. “You’ve got to get their attention quicker, use exciting language. It’s a lot more demanding. I really […]
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Heart of Holland
Imagine you could experience emotion like those with synesthesia, who perceive sounds as having color or shape. Would you witness love emanating from strangers like exquisite rose blooms, or depression trailing behind in a wake of dark clouds? This idea approaches the aesthetic of Jolie Holland, whose wavering alto comes out of her with such […]
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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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Washed Out — Within and Without
The end products, discovered on his MySpace page by excited bloggers, established Washed Out as a distinct house beat-driven sub-style in chillwave, contemporary to the likes of Toro Y Moi and Neon Indian. They also earned Greene a deal with Sub Pop. So not long after the former dropped his excellent “Underneath the Pine” and […]
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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 […]