Its loyal listeners wanted to know how to help, and that’s what they have been doing — loudly and visibly — ever since, because of all the things the alternative station offers its listeners that they can’t get elsewhere locally. “It has good music,” said Peyton Suitor of Skating Polly. “That’s something that most other […]
Music Features
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Luke Rathborne — Dog Years E.P./I Can Be One E.P.
You know, just another week in the life. If any of you aren’t very interested at this point, the rest of this review probably won’t help you. For those of you who are (like me) totally floored at this point, here’s the skinny: Luke Rathborne has a golden voice, a brilliant songwriting style that draws […]
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Kurt Vile — Smoke Ring for My Halo
Your bros went down to 35 Conferette in advance of their SXSW trip. It was a long week, so you didn’t feel like driving fast to catch up with them. You just want to chill. If it was last year, the mood from Beach House’s “Teen Dream” would be washing over your room, but it’s […]
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Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx — We’re New Here
I was summarily confused when I found a remix of Scott-Heron’s work by Jamie xx (percussionist for the aforementioned band) on my desk. In my opinion, The xx could stand to be remixed by Scott-Heron (adding some heart and soul), not the other way around. Jamie xx makes Scott-Heron into his own personal sampling bank […]
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Simon and Garfunkel — Bridge Over Troubled Water: 40th Anniversary Edition
Columbia’s new edition to commemorate the watershed work’s four decades in existence certainly make that case. The post-“Graduate” album — and arguably, the duo — is best known for its title track, which remains a transcendent listening experience, hitting soaring heights late in the five-minute track that make for spine shivers, not to mention quite […]
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Adebisi Shank — This Is the Second Album of a Band Called Adebisi Shank
The positive prog-rock movement that Fang Island helped break last year has been a blast to listen to. With Adebisi Shank’s “This Is the Second Album of a Band Called Adebisi Shank,” listeners are treated to more of the mostly instrumental, relentlessly fun, technical rock. The Irish trio made a pretty long album, as these […]
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Billy Joel — Live at Shea Stadium: The Concert
Knowing these were to be the final musical performances at the Shea, Joel pulls out all the stops, playing to the crowd like it’s one big party. So what if they’re a little slow to pick up on which hit the band tackles before exploding into gracious applause? At least they’re appreciative. Joel even toys […]
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OKC to SXSW
After humble beginnings in 1987 as a Austin, Texas-based music festival, SXSW now annually hosts almost 2,000 bands, thousands more industry professionals, a film festival and an interactive festival. This year’s music portion takes place March 15-20. How important is SXSW? Two years ago, this unknown band called Mumford & Sons played a pizza parlor […]
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Elephant Revival — Break in the Clouds
It helps that all five members contribute songs, taking the stress off one songwriter. The band takes the term “folk” seriously, sticking to tunes that could have been culled from the Appalachians in the 19th century or earlier. Thankfully, the production isn’t rustic. The songs sport a sprightly, well-produced sheen landing just short of being […]
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What a Drag
As it heads to the South by Southwest music conference, the heavy psych band from Iowa plays at 9 p.m. The group has supported The Black Keys and Sleepy Sun in the past. Royal Thunder and local rockers The Pretty Black Chains are also on the bill. Tickets for the all-ages show are $7. For […]