Reviews
The past few weeks have brought hints of spring to the Bay Area. Crystal blue skies and near-70s temperatures in San Francisco spark thoughts of baseball and brunch under the sun and afternoons spent in Dolores Park. And most importantly, concerts in the beautiful outdoors. Outside Lands and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass are still a few months away, but UC Berkeley’s outdoor haven The Greek Theatre is kicking off their season later this month.
After listening to the beginning of The 4onthefloor's new album, Spirit of Minneapolis, I had very mixed feelings. I put these feelings aside to listen to and write about this band on a non-biased opinion. I cannot find too much information about the bands’ musicians as much as I can about their concerts, tours and origins. The band members are; Gabriel Douglas, James Gould, Mark Larson and Chris Holm.
The Magic Beans step on to the stage and come out swinging with Jabu Jabu’s Belly, the bouncy feel-good tune that the crowd warms up to immediately. Scott Hachey is sporting his notorious smirk and a brand spanking-new guitar, a sexy ‘Singing Mountain” acoustic built of bone and abalone down in Pinecliffe, Colorado.
Kurt Vile's fifth long player is a humble opus if there’s such a thing. His lyrics could be hopeful, could be melancholy, it’s tough to tell – the almost-eponymous opening track (substitute “Day” for Daze in the title) sums it simply, it’s hard to explain, (my love) in this daze. Vile’s vocals throughout Wakin On A Pretty Daze are soft and flatline, yet they tend to hint at a humble crispness around the edges. As warning, his melodies keep alongside his voice, slow and meandering with only the slightest deviance.
While every state has their bevy of Grateful Dead cover bands, Colorado is proud to put Shakedown Street at the top of their list. Playing shows all over the Front Range and Rocky Mountains, they’ve built themselves into the beloved act they are today. Even Rob Eaton of Dark Star Orchestra plays with members on occasion when jamming around Colorado.
The date was March 30th, 2013. Or was it October 9th, 1977? Either way, the city of Denver held camp to the throngs of Deadheads along Colfax. On our way into McNichols Arena, I mean The Ogden Theater; there was a buzz in the air that only a live concert can produce.
The young D.C. trio going by Mission South is set to release their sophomore extended play, Migration Vol. 2. No doubt, these boys are rather proficient (and workers, too, as their extensive touring schedule can attest to).
Minneapolis-based band Night Moves is drawing fans in for a number of reasons, whether it’s the addicting, breezy hooks that pepper their debut album Colored Emotions; singer John Pelant’s distinct, gritty warble; or even their ode to Bob Seger.
With TAUK, it's best to ignore the foursome's wordy pandering (We really wanted this new album to be a statement... Homunculus has everything to do with how we as humans interpret ourselves and our surroundings. It acknowledges the inherent duality that exists between our mental and physical beings and to me that's where it relates to our creative process... Cool, Zhongfeng, now enough with the koans, please) and just listen to the music. Yes, these fellows are formally trained one-and-all.
I was very impressed with the message and playing abilities found on this second studio album released by the band WhiteWater Ramble. The band’s name specifies the style; beautiful, fluid, flowing music rambled with determination.
