We love Neil Young. Great musician. Belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of singer-songwriters. But it seems like Neil has a bee in his bonnet about Apple, the iPod and iTunes. Did they ruin the music business? Is Apple evil? Maybe. Maybe it was the Internet. But Apple didn’t invent MP3 READ MORE >
This is what we’re spinning at the Boathouse this week and it’s a gem. Ray LaMontagne’s third album Gossip in the Grain “touches upon a range of styles and musical settings– spanning pastoral folk, railroad blues, front porch country, and plangent balladry.” One iTunes reviewer says he “writes like Dylan, READ MORE >
A wonderful debut from two of our favorite artists and people, From There to Here is a stripped-down surprise full of rich melodies and emotive lyrics. If an autumnal drive up the New England coastline had a soundtrack, this would be it. Check it out on iTunes.
Anthemic Irish rockers The Frames’ latest effort is nothing if not consistent. The ever-present swell and release of emotion turns the album into a rollercoaster through the human spirit. The constant rise and fall of the songs would be exhausting if handled by a lesser band, but in the hands READ MORE >
After achieving Nineties stardom with Blur, Damon Albarn settled into a head-down, hardworking life of adventurous projects like Gorillaz and his new band, the Good, the Bad and the Queen. The group is an odd mix, to say the least: Clash bassist Paul Simonon, Verve guitarist Simon Tong and Africa 70 drummer Tony Allen, plus READ MORE >
This is one of the most heart-felt, sombre and tasteful batches of songs I’ve ever heard. You’ll find hints of Dylan, Gram Parsons, Roy Orbison and Arthur Lee, yet it’s original and in its own league. Each track is quite moving but doesn’t leave a sappy residue: the epitomy of stellar singer/songwriting.
More than three years after Chutes Too Narrow, James Mercer and his mates have finally followed up that indie-rock touchstone. Because Mercer is adored for his musical facility, not his thematic depth, anything short of a Metal Machine Music homage will be ecstatically received, and Wincing the Night Away certainly is that. READ MORE >
Initially a British folk-rock combo called Tyrannosaurus Rex, T. Rex was the primary force in glam rock, thanks to the creative direction of guitarist/vocalist Marc Bolan. Bolan created a deliberately trashy form of rock & roll that was proud of its own disposability. This 23-track disc really is an “ultimate READ MORE >
Hayseed Dixie is a U.S. band that has been described as “A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC” recording cover versions of hard rock songs in their own distinctive cross of bluegrass and rock which some have termed “rockgrass.” The band’s sense of humor is evident in their name, a play on READ MORE >
Smothered by the indulgence of his rock star ranking, Jack White steps into the eccentricities of the supergroup, and at first glance this seems to be a band where White’s imposing presence could overshadow the rest. Not the case with these Raconteurs. Teaming with fellow Detroit songwriter Brendan Benson, along READ MORE >