CD Review: Brown Bird “The Devil Dancing”

I’ve seen Brown Bird twice now, and both times they have completely blown me away. Whether it’s just front man David Lamb and string player MorganEve Swain, or the full band, Brown Bird is always on top of their game. I am not a huge folk-junkie, other than classic Dylan tunes, but something about this [...]

CD Review: John Mayer “Battle Studies”

Sorry everybody whose Facebook status has been something about the new John Mayer album — truth is it’s not very good. His first two albums were okay, and “Continuum” was incredible, making Mayer the only one of the big four bro bands (Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz) that I can respect. He’s [...]

Review: New Moon Soundtrack

Okay, so I know what you’re thinking but this CD is actually really good. Thom Yorke slays everyone with an awesome track, The Killers sound good for once and OK Go, the most gimmicky band ever, contribute one of the most artistically creative songs on the album. The movie will probably be shit, but if [...]

The Arctic Monkeys: “Humbug” Review

Generally speaking, change is a good thing when it comes to music. If an artist is stagnant in their songwriting attempts from album to album it is almost always a bad sign. However, quite often bands who take risks will completely fail, leaving them at the classic crossroads of “I only like their early stuff” [...]

CD Review: The Dead Weather “Horehound”

As far as I am concerned Jack White is in so many bands he now constitutes a genre. Jack White’s ability to make grimy, blues-infused garage rock is nothing short of godlike. He is a 21st century musical pioneer who is already being ranked amongst greats like Jimmy Page and Keith Richards. With all that [...]

Movie Reviews: Year One and The Taking of Pelham 123

Partly because of all the rain we have been getting lately (although the sun has been out the past couple days), and partly because there are a lot of awesome movies coming out this summer, I have two more movie reviews for everybody. They are very much polar opposites, but both were very good movies. [...]

Asher Roth: “Asleep In The Bread Aisle” Review

It’s been about a month since Asher Roth’s debut album hit stores on the ironic date April 20 (4/20). The emcee, who has already achieved national stardom with his hit single “I Love College,” makes an honest effort with “Asleep in the Bread Aisle,” however the album fails to truly display what makes Asher great.

MSTRKRFT: Fist of God

“Fist of God,” the second album from electronica duo MSTRKRFT (pronounced “Master Craft”) can be defined in one word: collaboration. The band, which is often mentioned in the same realm of the recent electro greats like Justice, Digitalism and Boys Noize, has crafted yet another classic dance album that delivers the kind of quality electronica [...]

The Decemberists: The Hazards of Love

For most established artists, a concept album can make or break your career. Luckily, The Decemberists have met the challenge head-on and crafted a beautifully cohesive and emotionally diverse album. The Hazards of Love, the fifth studio album from the Portland, Oregon based indie rockers, weaves an intricate story of forbidden love, forest dwelling creatures, [...]

Earl Grey Demos — Honey Clouds

So, if you’ve been around the Portland indie scene in the past year or so, you’ve almost certainly heard of Honey Clouds, at the very least in passing. After the much-loved , tenured alt-country outfit Harpswell Sound broke up, and Sound guitarists Ron “Secret Weapon” Harrity and Trey Hughes announced the formation of a new [...]