The first time I heard the name Dr. Dog – I think it was at a festival – and I just assumed they were a jam band. Then I heard some tracks off Fate and decided they were not a jam band. I got an advanced copy of Shame, Shame and over time was [...]
Queens of the Stone Age unleashed a precise and brutal attack on Atlanta’s Center Stage Theater (formerly Earthlink Live) Monday night. QOTSA kicked off this mini tour in support of the re-release of their eponymous debut album at SXSW a few days ago. Usually I’m not big on re-releases, especially when the original release was [...]
OK. This show was weird. Not crazy or anything, but the presentation was kind of stilted and incongruous. Broken Social Scene sounded great and worked a thorough playlist that included “7/4 Shoreline,” “World Sick,” “Texico Bitches,” and “Lover’s Spit,” but lead singer, Kevin Drew, was battling laryngitis or lung issues and made it known. His [...]
Chicago’s Smith Westerns are gaining plenty of acclaim and buzz around their latest album, Dye it Blonde. They have Chi-Town sound in their 70’s guitar rock approach with the indie twist of subtly downplaying a sound that could be much larger in favor of hooks and bright melodies. Orlando music aficionado , Bao, compares them [...]
Upon entry I was greeted by Portland, Oregon’s Billygoat in the middle of their set. It was gorgeous, haunting, ambient music created with drums, guitar and the vocalist working a synthesizer and an array of other electronic equipment. This was set and synchronized to some of the most stunning digital animation I’ve seen at a [...]
On Tuesday night the godfathers of indie rock swept into The Social on the heels of Rain-a-geddon – more commonly known as a thunderstorm in these parts – and proved why they maintained their status for over 20 years. They embody everything that “indie” stands (stood) for. Besides being eligible for a pension from Matador [...]
Ernest Green called the show about 5 or 6 songs into their set Saturday night. “I’m having some problems with my computer if you haven’t already noticed,” he bemoaned. I guess he couldn’t get Garage Band open. Beach ball! This time around he brought out a band: a rhythm section, and another dude on [...]
At the urging of a friend I went to see North Carolina band Lost in the Trees. I never heard their music and was glad I got to check them out. Their symphonic indie folk was elegant and brooding. Singer / songwriter, Ari Picker’s ghostly falsetto was supported by his acoustic guitar (with distortion), 2 [...]
Orlando Alt Rock powerhouse, Plain Jane Automobile, dropped by their home base venue this past Saturday. The band recently emerged from being sequestered in a downtown Atlanta basement as they recorded their upcoming album, Your Tomorrow. Although band members mentioned needing to hit the road to tighten up, they sounded pretty damn good as they [...]
Over the past 20 years or so The Black Crowes carved a niche as the quintessential American rock n’ roll band. They did this by studying and practicing to receive an honorary PhD from the School of Rock. The Crowes are students of the trade, learning from the songwriting nuance of bands like The Beatles, [...]
