Producer Jimmy Sutton’s precise attention to past details is Mad Men–esque in its re-creation of rockabilly guitar tones, plunking upright jazz bass, and the way it captures Jonathan Doyle’s tenor sax and McPherson’s voice, which is the kind of durable instrument that made an army of slick-haired, suit-wearing bandleaders famous in the 1950s. It’s more […]
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You say Hello
It comes as a surprise that power poppers Hellogoodbye formed more than a decade ago. Forrest Kline — chief songwriter, lead singer and sole remaining original member — started the band in 2001 as he was finishing high school. He never expected to be featured on MTV’s The Real World, have smash radio singles like […]
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Prehistoric powerhouse
Mastodon is great at naming things. Now touring behind its fifth album, The Hunter, Atlanta’s reigning prog-metal act stomped its way to critical-darling status by virtue of more than just formidable song sorcery. One can feel writers’ glee by reading reviews of the band’s sludgy, heady, unrelenting approach to rock that manifests in album titles […]
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Rev up
One of good spirits and consciousness raising, Emma’s Revolution came to life in 2002, driven by the creative and romantic partnership of Pat Humphries and Sandy Opatow. It took eight years for the fire to spark, but when it did, Humphries was blown away. “I was really struck by the tremendous ease with which we […]
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Still urgent
Legendary rock group Foreigner has been chugging along for almost 40 years, fueled by a host of hit singles like “I Want to Know What Love Is,” “Cold as Ice” and “Feels Like the First Time.” Despite spending the bulk of every year on the road, it’s still not getting old. “Every night is really […]
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Double R — Dr. Digital
Crazy, but good. It’s totally sporadic and unpredictable, which would be a detriment elsewhere, but works here. It’s like swimming in his id: a sunny, jazz-inspired melody here; a swampy, Gothic hook there. These indulgences are overwhelming and exciting, especially in the darkest of moments. It’s your best, worst nightmare. Double R works as much […]
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Giving them hell
You’ve heard The All-American Rejects’ mythology before. Talented small-town Stillwater high schoolers’ album gets scooped from the trash by a record label intern: music videos, hit singles, major-label deals, high-grossing worldwide tours and dalliances with celebrities ensue. In short, all the stuff that constitutes the first half of an episode of VH1’s Behind the Music: […]
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Kam they do it?
Oklahoma City rockers The Kamals recall many bands on first listen; some moments sound like Queens of the Stone Age, while others like vintage Black Keys or, even more old-school, Robert Johnson. If there’s one descriptor that ties it altogether, it’s sweat, and the five-man crew shed a lot of it recording its debut EP, […]
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Independence 76 — Magpie Parables
Its imaginative storytelling qualities are effective at times and overwrought at others, as narrator g. Eddison — it’s unclear whether Mr. Eddison is an actual person or just a fictional device — cries woe over the generation his junior. Woody Guthrie’s an obvious influence, as the bluegrass band tackles the taboo with obvious language and […]
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Alison Krauss and Union Station — Paper Airplane
If you haven’t heard of her, you probably don’t like bluegrass. If you have heard of her, you know what you’re going to get when she puts out an album. If you haven’t heard of her and you like bluegrass, you need to fix that with “Paper Airplane.” Her gorgeous voice and down-home fiddle lead […]