Brooklyn’s Twin Shadow, AKA George Lewis Jr., is a throwback genius, and it took him only one record to achieve this status. His debut LP, Forget, calls on, nay commands, the listener to remember (and desperately long for) the late seventies / early eighties heydays of the new wave and post-punk genres. Twin Shadow channels … Read more
Well, look who’s all grown up. LouFest (September 7th and 8th) has hit a grand slam with its amazing 2013 lineup, one that features headliners The Killers, Wilco, The National, and Alabama Shakes. This year’s event will feature three stages in St. Louis’ Forest Park, with one stage “tucked into the trees.” Previously, the fest … Read more
If there is a musical equivalent to the heroin bender – I’m teetering on the edge of overdose. And the scary thing is, I started 2k13 out clean as a whistle. All up on that wagon, riding chin up down an indie-rock-purist-road. But fuck if I didn’t take a little taste of this 80’s/90’s pop … Read more
Twin Shadow (AKA George Lewis Jr.) has announced the upcoming arrival of his sophomore LP, Confess, with a bang. “Five Seconds,” the new record’s lead single, features Twin Shadow’s signature synth-driven rock and is as sharp as George’s perfectly styled hair. Sweeping synth swaths and steady racing drums serve as the backdrop for interjections of … Read more
For those of you who’ve never had the pleasure of spending an extended amount of time in Asheville, NC – lemme set the scene for you. Imagine every person that fits a musical image you’ve ever known, congregated in one place. We’re talking every pot one could be categorized in – hippie chicks, alt-country washtub … Read more
Vinyl, CD, MP3, Spotify, etc. Take your pick, bust most of us around here prefer vinyl whenever possible, only because when we listen to a song like Brandi Carlile’s “Hard Way Home,” we can really feel it via our turntables. What’s important, though, is that you find music that suits you. And here are the … Read more
Artwork credit: Alyssa Shapkoff Well, here we are again. To say we’ve listened to every release in 2012 would be a lie. We probably haven’t even listened to every genre. But, still, we feel lists are important because of discovery, and not because of what we think is best, or what you think is better. … Read more
The initial list of names for Raleigh’s Hopscotch Music Festival was announced this morning, and holy shiz, we are excited! The Flaming Lips, GBV, and DBT lead the pack for the main stage, but there is a solid list of small-club headlining bands as well. And if things work they way they did last year, … Read more
Photo by Graham Tolbert “Baby Missiles” perfectly illustrates everything I adore about musical juxtaposition. ’80s synth pop mixed with country-rock? Yes, please. I’ll have that. The War On Drugs frontman, Adam Granduciel, has a purposefully wobbly delivery on “Baby Missiles” that reminds me a little bit of Mark Knopfler on Dire Straits’ “Walk of Life.” … Read more
Goooood Lawd! This little blog cannot BELIEVE it is almost the start of September – that means the 2011 Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh, North Carolina is quickly approaching! Two out of the four of us just celebrated the dawning of LouFest II in Saint Louis. Now, it’s time to start doing liver calisthenics, training … Read more
For everyone who has seen Purple Rain, there is a scene where Prince walks into First Avenue, sees Morris Day & The Time on stage and is blown away by what’s going down. It’s one of those iconic movie moments that perfectly encapsulates the feeling of a musical movement in its infancy. I literally lived … Read more